Title of Assignment: Health Technology Transfer Expert

Name of unit/sector: Global Health Unit, Global Challenges Division, Global Challenges and Partnerships Sector

Place of Assignment: WIPO, Geneva

Expected places of travel (if applicable): none

Expected duration of assignment:  1 March 2025, to December 31, 2025 (Initially, subject to renewal based on funding and performance, up to 24 months maximum)

1. Background 

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is a Specialized Agency of the United Nations. WIPO leads the development of a balanced and effective international intellectual property system that enables innovation and creativity for the benefit of all. WIPO provides a global forum for discussing intellectual property (IP) policy. It also provides services and information related to intellectual property.
WIPO’s Global Challenges Division supports the policy debate at the interface of IP and global health.  To that effect, the Division engages substantively with Member States, intergovernmental organizations, the private sector and civil society to better inform pertinent policy deliberations. The Global Challenges Division develops and maintains practical tools to demonstrate the impact and benefits of IP at the intersection of major challenges facing humanity, including global health and access to medical technologies.

The Global Health Unit of the Global Challenges Division implements the global health components of WIPO’s Development Agenda. Its work is oriented towards strengthening WIPO’s position as the leading intergovernmental forum for addressing the intersection between IP and access to health products.

WIPO provides training and capacity building support to help member states better understand the complex interplay between intellectual property, public health and access to medical technologies. It conducts independent studies to build knowledge for evidence based policy making, convenes stakeholders to debate the issues, develops toolkits and training courses on a range of IP and health issues.

The global challenges division seeks to engage the services of a global Health Technology Transfer expert to support the implementation of the health unit’s technical assistance programs for member states, industry, universities and NGOs in the health sector. We are looking for expertise related to voluntary licensing, technology transfer for medical manufacturing and technologies to address antimicrobial resistance within a One Health approach.

2. Objective of the assignment

The expert works under the supervision of the Head of Global Health Unit. The expert will support the head of global health to implement special projects related to the IP for Medical Manufacturing Centre of Excellence focusing on voluntary licensing, technology transfer for medical manufacturing as well as the IP and tech transfer aspects of the technologies to address antimicrobial resistance within a One Health approach.

3. Tasks & Deliverables

The expert will perform the following tasks:

a) Identify opportunities for potential licensing and technology transfer partnerships that can be supported by WIPO’s global health and technology transfer units.
b) Support the development of normative guidelines and tools to facilitate licensing and technology transfer for health technologies in LMICs.
c) Develop operational research technology transfer case studies for vaccines, drugs, devices and diagnostics.
d) Provide technical assistance and training to partners through the IP for Medical Manufacturing Centre of Excellence on licensing and technology transfer.
e) Identify technology providers with expertise in developing innovative solutions for addressing One Health AMR and opportunities for scaling up these technologies through licensing and technology transfer partnerships.
f) Monitor developments in the Ai for Health space with respect to the use of Ai algorithms and the IP challenges of machine-based inventions and ownership in the health sector.

3. Reporting

The incumbent reports to the head of Global Health Unit.

4. Profile

Essential:
• Advanced university degree in international law and or public health.
• At least 5-8 years experience working on technology transfer in the health sector.
• Working knowledge of Licensing, Technology Transfer and Medical Manufacturing.
• Experience working on One Health AMR in the health, agricultural, industrial and environmental sectors.
• Excellent analytical and drafting skills and experience working in developing countries.

Desirable:
• Experience working with health ministries, pharma or med tech industry.
• Good understanding of IP aspects of One Health AMR and Ai for Health.
• Practical knowledge of IP and access related challenges posed by the pandemic.

5. Application deadline: 17 January 2025. Interviews will be conducted in late January and the selected candidate is expected to start by early March 2025. Applicants are requested to provide an indication of their remuneration expectations in Swiss francs (daily rate).

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements