JOB SUMMARY:

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Qualifications

Purpose of consultancy

Support the WHO mRNA technology transfer programme by enhancing sustainability efforts, evaluating production capacity and market opportunities, and providing business model support. Assist with policy development, generate strategic reports, and engage with key stakeholders to integrate outputs into the programme. Contribute to the WHO Health Technology Access Pool (HTAP) by prioritizing technologies, assessing opportunities, and guiding strategic initiatives, with regular reporting to WHO.

Background

The mRNA Technology Transfer Programme aims to enhance health security by establishing sustainable, locally-owned mRNA manufacturing in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Afrigen in South Africa serves as the central hub, providing technology development, training, and transfer to 15 partners in Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners offer production expertise, quality control, and necessary licenses to facilitate rapid technology transfer. The programme targets not only COVID-19 vaccines but also other mRNA vaccines and therapeutics for diseases in LMICs, ensuring long-term capacity and pandemic preparedness. Establishing R&D networks is essential for sustaining demand between pandemics.

WHO aims to create regional plans for vaccine and biological production that align with national and regional policies, ensuring sustainable infrastructure. This includes strategies for routine vaccines and monoclonal antibodies. Current efforts are fragmented, and WHO seeks to improve coordination among local projects.

An initial evaluation in 2022 assessed countries’ capacities and costs. In 2023, the programme focused on supporting the 15 partners based on their maturity and capabilities, helping them establish mRNA production and sustainability plans. Business plans are also being developed to support R&D and other biological production needs.

Parallel to the mRNA programme, WHO is launching the Health Technology Access Pool (HTAP) as a successor to the COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP). HTAP, set to launch in mid-2024, will focus on pandemic preparedness and response, as well as other public health priorities, by promoting access to platform technologies and health products. HTAP aims to address health inequities, provide attractive opportunities for technology holders and recipients, and align with other WHO programmes, potentially replicating the mRNA programme’s hub and partner model.

Deliverables

• Deliverable 1 – program manufacturing partner’s feasibility report: Enhance sustainability-related elements of the WHO mRNA technology transfer programme. This includes but is not limited to collaborating with individual program manufacturing partners (where applicable), considering the outputs of the 2024 gaps and needs assessments related to the establishment and maintenance of mRNA capacity, and potentially providing business model insights. This role involves evaluating future production capacity at partners and considering national and regional market opportunities for candidate mRNA vaccines and other potential biologics revenue streams. Prepare at least 2 program manufacturing partner’s feasibility reports through such assessments to be shared with WHO per year.
• Deliverable 2 – stakeholder engagement reports: Produce a comprehensive report that supports the WHO mRNA Technology Transfer (TT) programme’s policy and sustainability efforts. This report will: provide inputs (via studies, draft articles, etc.) on business models, partner strategies, and other sustainability elements; summarize engagements with key entities working on local production and vaccine sustainability, ensuring alignment with the mRNA programme; detail stakeholder engagements from participation in relevant meetings and key strategic initiatives in major Low and Middle Income Country (LMIC) regions leading regional vaccine and biologics manufacturing initiatives; offer evidence-based recommendations to support WHO’s decisions on developing sustainable business models for mRNA TT programme partners.
  The report will synthesize all these elements to provide a holistic view of stakeholder engagement, sustainability strategies, and policy implications for the WHO mRNA TT programme.
• Deliverable 3 – licensing acquisition and sub-licensing opinion papers and reports: Contribute to the WHO Health Technology Access Pool (HTAP) expansion by engaging with prospective technology providers to evaluate  opportunities for license acquisition and know-how transfer for the HTAP senior management team considering technology prioritisation, reviewing opportunities including scientific, development, and commercial viability considerations, strategic value, and pandemic preparedness aspects, as well as offering guidance on challenges and opportunities concerning HTAP activities and strategy. All inputs should have the form of a report or opinion paper or article. Summarize the outputs of such activities regularly in reports to WHO.

Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

Educational Qualifications:

Essential:

• Masters degree or higher in public health, life sciences, or related field.

Desirable:

• PhD degree in medical science (pharmacy, microbiology, biochemistry, etc).

Experience:

Essential:

• Over 10 years of relevant experience in developing national or regional plans for local production of medical products, biotech industry (vaccines and other biologic products, and venture capital for biomanufacturing.
• Demonstrated experience in developing plans for production of vaccines in Africa.
• Demonstrated experience and technical command of pharmaceutical and vaccines production, including from a country-level perspective in LMICs.
• Direct experience of investing in the healthcare sector, preferably within the biopharma/vaccines area, ideally gained through work within internationally-recognised investment institutions.
• Substantial experience working in, or in collaboration with, intergovernmental organizations.
• Substantial experience working with manufacturers and investors in LMICs and evaluation of business/investment plans.
• Substantial experience evaluating biotechnology-related investment opportunities and technologies including scientific, technical and clinical due diligence, from either the venture capital/private equity or biopharmaceutical industry in-licensing perspective.

Skills:

Essential:

• Direct knowledge of investing in the healthcare sector, preferably within the biopharma/vaccines area, ideally gained through work within internationally-recognised investment institutions.
• Expert technical knowledge in the interface between industrial policy and public health.
• Excellent technical knowledge of market shaping opportunities.
• Technical knowledge in the manufacturing and approval of vaccines and biologicals.
• Due diligence of life science companies and/or technologies.
• Excellent technical writing and communication skills.
• Ability to work in a multicultural team and maintain effective working relationships with recognized experts and stakeholders.
• Excellent planning and organizational skills with attention to detail and with the ability to multi-task and work under pressure.
• Strong IT skills: Word, Excel, presentation software, databases and web navigators.

Languages required:

Essential:

• Expert knowledge of English.

Desirable:

• Intermediate knowledge of another WHO language.

Location

Off site: Home-based

Travel

The consultant is expected to travel.

Remuneration and budget (travel costs are excluded):

Remuneration:

Band level C – USD 10,000 – 12,500 per month.

Living expenses (A living expense is payable to on-site consultants who are internationally recruited):

N/A

Expected duration of contract:

11 months. Additional contracts may be offered depending on programme needs and availability of funds.

Additional Information

• This vacancy notice may be used to identify candidates for other similar consultancies at the same level.
• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
• A written test may be used as a form of screening.
• If your candidature is retained for 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 International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.
• For information on WHO’s operations please visit: http://www.who.int.
• WHO is committed to workforce diversity.
• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.
• Applications from women and from nationals of non and underrepresented Member States are particularly encouraged.
• WHO prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and that is committed to put the WHO Values Charter into practice.
• WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of final candidates.
• Consultants shall perform the work as independent contractors in a personal capacity, and not as a representative of any entity or authority. The execution of the work under a consultant contract does not create an employer/employee relationship between WHO and the Consultant.
• WHO shall have no responsibility whatsoever for any taxes, duties, social security contributions or other contributions payable by the Consultant. The Consultant shall be solely responsible for withholding and paying any taxes, duties, social security contributions and any other contributions which are applicable to the Consultant in each location/jurisdiction in which the work hereunder is performed, and the Consultant shall not be entitled to any reimbursement thereof by WHO.
• Consultants working in Switzerland must register with the applicable Swiss cantonal tax authorities and social security authorities, within the prescribed timeframes (Guidelines issued by the Swiss Mission are available at: https://www.eda.admin.ch/missions/mission-onu-geneve/en/home/manual-regime-privileges-and-immunities/introduction/Manuel-personnes-sans-privileges-et-immunites-carte-H/Non fonctionnaires et stagiaires.html

ABSTRACT:

World Health Organization Consultant – Sustainable business models for local production in LMICs (including for emergencies) Switzerland WHO Jobs 2024

World Health Organization looking for “Consultant – Sustainable business models for local production in LMICs (including for emergencies)”. Applicants with an Advanced degree may apply on or before 06-Aug-24.

The World Health Organization has published a job vacancy announcement on 16/07/2024 for qualified applicants to fill in the vacant post of Consultant – Sustainable business models for local production in LMICs (including for emergencies) to be based in , Switzerland. For more jobs, please visit https://unjoblink.org

Company Name: World Health Organization

Job Title: Consultant – Sustainable business models for local production in LMICs (including for emergencies)

Duty Station: , Switzerland

Country: Switzerland

Application Deadline: 06-Aug-24