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Qualifications

OBJECTIVE OF THE OFFICE/DEPARTMENT
This requisition is for employment at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO)
The Department of Innovation, Access to Medicines and Health Technologies (IMT) is responsible for promoting, coordinating, and implementing the Organization’s technical cooperation in access to and rational use of quality medicines and other health technologies. IMT works across all categories of medicines and health technologies, including medicines, vaccines, diagnostics, medical equipment, blood products, and organs for transplantation. IMT supports countries in addressing barriers to access, addressing challenges across the medical product full life cycle, strengthening regulatory capacity and supporting evidence-based decision making and rational use through health technology assessment. IMT consolidates action in the development of pharmaceutical and other health technology related services and leads efforts in innovation through the regional platform to advance the manufacturing of vaccines and other health technologies, increasing regional capacity in the research and development of priority health products, and supporting the generation of ecosystems to enable development, production and access to medicines and other health technologies. IMT is comprised of the following units and Special Program: Access to Medicines and Health Technologies (IMT/AH), Quality and Regulation of Medicines and Health Technologies (IMT/QR) and Special Program, Innovation and the Regional Production Platform (IMT/RP).
DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES
Under the general supervision of the Director, Innovation, Access to Medicines and Health Technologies (IMT), and the direct supervision of the of the Chief, Special Program, Innovation and the Regional Production Platform (IMT/RP), the incumbent is responsible for, but not necessarily limited to, the following assigned duties:
1.Provide programmatic, technical and strategic advice to Member States and lead the implementation of the Resolution CD59.R3 on “Increasing production capacity for essential medicines and health technologies”
2.Develop and implement mapping, assessment and analysis of national and regional capacities for innovation and manufacturing of biologicals, pharmaceutical products and other health technologies, including strategic intermediate inputs for their production
3. Identify challenges and opportunities for the strengthening and development of innovation, development, technology transfer and regional manufacturing projects of biologicals, pharmaceutical products and other health technologies, including strategic intermediate inputs for their production
4. Design and implement innovative technical cooperation activities, based on existing experiences, for the development of actions aimed at developing regional innovation and manufacturing projects in the region
5. Design and coordinate studies, guidelines and other scientific and/or technical documents for internal use and/or publication
6. Facilitate regional and subregional network collaborations on research and development, innovation, and manufacturing for biologicals, pharmaceutical products and other health technologies, including strategic inputs for their production
7.Coordinate and organize scientific and technical meetings and other technical cooperation activities to promote the development of regional and national projects of innovation, technology transfer and/or manufacturing of medicines and other health technologies
8.Organize and coordinate activities of strategic advisory groups and/or technical working groups within the framework of the Special Program
9.Provide support and lead, as appropriate, the execution of IMT/RP’s work program through project monitoring & management technical support tasks, including, but not limited to: draft technical cooperation projects; design of implementation plans and budgets; conduct risks analysis, monitoring of goals and propose changes in the interventions; drafting progress and evaluation reports; and participate and support the organization and/or coordination of meetings, workshops, and other technical or project monitoring & management events
10. Participate in meetings and represent PAHO with internal and/or external stakeholders, including PAHO Member States, in order to provide technical recommendations related to the development of national and regional concrete projects of innovation and manufacturing of medicines and other health technologies to improve its equitable access
11. Provide technical advice for the analysis and development of projects, work proposals, capacity building and other technical cooperation activities for the development of strategic alliances with other partners and resource mobilization
12. Serve as liaison with WHO technical counterparts, WHO Regional Offices, PAHO/WHO Subregional and Country Offices, and PAHO/WHO collaborating centers to exchange information, design and coordinate technical cooperation activities, and promote strategic alliances related to development, monitoring and evaluation of innovation, technology transfer and manufacturing projects for biologicals, medicines and other health technologies, including raw materials and strategic inputs
13. Lead efforts in resource mobilization pertaining to the corresponding technical areas through the active research of opportunities, engagement with possible partners, and preparation of project proposals for national, bilateral and international partners; lead the implementation, monitoring and reporting of those projects
14.Contribute to the preparation of the entity’s biennial work plan (BWP), semiannual work plans and periodic evaluations for assigned projects; participate in the annual performance evaluation of the Entity
15. Perform other related duties, as assigned.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Education:
Essential: A bachelor’s degree in a pharmaceutical or health science, or in chemical, industrial or biomedical engineering, and a master’s degree in pharmaceutical sciences, chemistry, industry or biomedical engineering, or any other field related to the functions of the post, from a recognized university.
In the event that your candidature is retained for an interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position.  WHO, only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the IAU / UNESCO. The list can be accessed through: http://www.whed.net/. PAHO will also use the databases of the http://www.chea.org and  https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator to support the validation process.
Experience:
Essential: Nine years of combined national and international work experience in the field of research & development, technology transfer, manufacturing and/or regulatory inspections of biologicals, pharmaceutical products and/or other health technologies.
Desirable: More than 5 years of experience in pharmaceutical or health technology manufacturing. Proven experience in optimizing manufacturing processes. Experience in technology transfer processes, especially if the role involves moving products from development to full-scale manufacturing or transferring manufacturing processes between facilities would be considered an asset.
SKILLS:
PAHO Competencies:
Overall attitude at work: Maintains integrity and takes a clear ethical approach and stance; demonstrates commitment to the Organization’s mandate and promotes the values of the Organization in daily work and behavior; is accountable for work carried out in line with own role and responsibilities; is respectful towards, and trusted by, colleagues and counterparts.
Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences: Relate well to diversity in others and capitalize on such diversity – Relates well to diversity in others and capitalizes on such diversity. Treats all people with dignity and respect. Relates well to people with different cultures, gender, orientations, backgrounds and/or positions; examines own behavior to avoid stereotypical responses; considers issues from the perspective of others and values their diversity.
Teamwork: Collaborate and cooperate with others-Works collaboratively with team members and counterparts to achieve and build rapport; helps others when asked; accepts joint responsibility for the team’s successes and shortcomings.
Communication: Express oneself clearly when speaking/Listen/Write effectively/Share knowledge-Foresees communication needs of audience and targets message accordingly. Facilitates open communication; encourages others to share their views openly and takes time to understand and consider their views. Writes down ideas in a clear, structured, logical and credible way; drafts and supports the development of guidelines, policies and procedures. Shares relevant information openly and ensures that the shared information is understood; considers knowledge sharing as a constructive working method and demonstrates awareness of the Organization.
Producing Results: Work efficiently and independently/Deliver quality results-Monitors own and others’ work in a systematic and effective way, ensuring required resources and outputs. Aligns projects with Organization’s mission and objectives. Consistently solves own and team’s problems effectively as needed. Proactively engages in projects and initiatives, accepting demanding goals, in line with Organizational Strategies and Program of Work. Demonstrates accountability for work of team and sets an example, while explicitly articulating lessons learnt for own and team’s benefit.
Ensuring effective use of resources: Strategize and set clear objectives/Monitor progress and use resources well-Sets specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely objectives for own team and/or the Organization; systematically analyses and anticipates priority projects for own team and allocates necessary resources to achieve them; identifies the cross-Organizational resources needed for large- scale projects in line with key Organizational objectives. Anticipates foreseeable changes and adapts own and team’s projects in the face of unforeseen circumstances and/ or challenges; creates measures and criteria to monitor progress of overall projects against key Organizational objectives; creates cost-effective solutions for the Organization.
Building and promoting partnerships across the Organization and beyond: Develop networks and partnerships and encourage collaboration-Builds and negotiates strategic partnerships and alliances with a wide range of key stakeholders to ensure Organizational results and success. Creates innovative opportunities for promoting synergies inside and outside the Organization to improve Organizational success.
Technical Expertise:
Comprehensive knowledge and technical expertise in the field of development, technology transfer and/or manufacturing processes of biologicals, pharmaceutical products and/or other health technologies. Knowledge and understanding of quality standards and regulatory requirements related to R&D and manufacturing.
Proven ability to provide technical cooperation, prioritize, design, implement and evaluate concrete health technology development, tech transfer and/or manufacturing projects.
Knowledge and skills in project planning, management and evaluation, including resource mobilization and grant management.
Public health and strategic thinking background showing resourcefulness, initiative, leadership qualities, skills to deals with difficult situations and sensitive areas; demonstrated ability to identify, assess, analyze, synthesize and provide recommendations on key political and technical issues.
Knowledge and skills in the formulation of technical cooperation interventions and in the development of criteria and instruments for evaluating program interventions.
Strong organizational and analytical skills with the ability to coordinate activities and independently manage multiple projects concurrently.
Strong professional oral and writing skills, including the development of reports, oral presentations, and technical documents for consideration at the highest levels of the Organization.
Mature judgment, strong technical, analytical and conceptual skills; ability to integrate managerial and technical inputs into recommendations for decision-making processes.
Demonstrated ability to produce, analyze data, use and share information with a variety of actors in different environments.
Strong research and problem-solving skills; ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and to work collaboratively on multidisciplinary teams with tight schedules.
Strong interpersonal skills, diplomacy and tact to effectively communicate with senior level officials, multiple stakeholders and professionals from diverse cultural and professional backgrounds.
Languages:
Very good knowledge of English or Spanish with a working knowledge other language. Knowledge of French and/or Portuguese would be an asset.
IT Skills:
Demonstrated ability to effectively use current technology and software, spreadsheets and presentations, as well as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and management information systems. Other IT skills and knowledge of software programs such as Microsoft Excel, Outlook, OneDrive, PowerPoint, Teams, SharePoint, and Word are considered essential.
REMUNERATION
Annual Salary: (Net of taxes)
USD $77,326.00 post adjustment
Post Adjustment: 70.2% of the above figure(s).  This % is to be considered as indicative since variations may occur each month either upwards or downwards due to currency exchange rate fluctuations or inflation.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
This vacancy may be used to fill other similar positions at the same grade level.
Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to PAHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and e-Manual. For information on PAHO please visit: http://www.paho.org PAHO/WHO is an ethical organization that maintains high standards of integrity and accountability. People joining PAHO are required to maintain these standards both in their professional work and personal activities. PAHO/WHO also promotes a work environment that is free from harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and other types of abusive behavior. PAHO conducts background checks and will not hire anyone who has a substantiated history of abusive conduct. PAHO/WHO personnel interact frequently with people in the communities we serve. To protect these people, PAHO has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse. People who commit serious wrongdoing will be terminated and may also face criminal prosecution. PAHO/WHO is committed to workforce diversity. PAHO/WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco. PAHO/WHO offers an attractive compensation package including an annual net salary and post adjustment, which reflects the cost of living in a particular duty station and exchange rates (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance).  Other benefits: 30 days annual leave, dependency benefits, pension plan and health insurance scheme. Benefits for internationally recruited staff may include home leave, travel and removal expenses on appointment and separation, education grant for dependent children, assignment grant and rental subsidy. Candidates appointed to an international post with PAHO are subject to mobility and may be assigned to any activity or duty station of the Organization throughout the world.
All applicants are required to complete a profile to be considered. Candidates will be contacted only if they are under serious consideration. A written test and/or interview will be held for this post. The PD is the official documentation for organization purposes.