Technical Advisor III: Senior Pharmaceutical Management Advisor
Office of Health Systems, Bureau for Global Health, US Agency for International Development
Location: Washington, DC
Assignment: Two year fellowship
GHFP-II-P3-119
The Global Health Fellows Program (GHFP-II) is a five year cooperative agreement implemented and managed by the Public Health Institute in partnership with Global Health Corps, GlobeMed, Management Systems International and PYXERA Global. GHFP-II is supported by the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
GHFP-II's goal is to improve the effectiveness of USAID health programs by addressing the Agency's immediate and emerging human capacity needs. The program seeks to accomplish this goal first through the recruitment, placement and support of diverse health professionals at the junior, mid and senior levels. These program participants include fellows, interns, corporate volunteers and Foreign Service National professionals. The program then provides substantial performance management and career development support to participants, including annual working planning assistance, and ensures that professional development opportunities are available.
Looking to the future, GHFP-II also seeks to establish a pool of highly-qualified global health professionals that will ensure the Agency's ongoing technical leadership and effectiveness. This objective is supported by an extensive outreach program that brings global health opportunities and specialized career advice to a diverse range of interested individuals, with a particular focus on those underrepresented in the field of global health.
INTRODUCTION:
The Office of Health Systems (OHS) within USAID's Bureau for Global Health (GH) seeks a Senior Pharmaceutical Management Advisor (Senior Advisor) to contribute to the Office's broader mandate of: advancing USAID work on health system strengthening to support results in the area of health; to provide expert advice in the area of Pharmaceutical Management; and to participate in oversight of its Systems for Improved Access to Pharmaceuticals and Services (SIAPS) Program and the Promoting the Quality of Medicines (PQM) Program.
The Senior Advisor will receive day to day guidance from the Pharmaceutical Management Specialist, who serves as the Agreement Officer's Representative for the SIAPS and PQM Programs, under the overall guidance of the Director of the Office of Health Systems. The Senior Advisor will be a key member of the Office of Health Systems (OHS) team and interacts with other team members who have complementary areas of expertise and with the broader health systems network within GH.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
The primary responsibilities of the Senior Advisor include:
A. Liaising with clients of the SIAPS and PQM Programs, such as USAID missions, regional bureaus and health program teams (e.g., maternal and child health (MCH), tuberculosis, malaria, HIV/AIDS, neglected tropical diseases(NTDs)), and providing technical direction to program implementing partners through headquarters and field visits: (Estimated 35% Level of Effort-LOE)
* Participating in designing the strategic approaches and scopes of work for new pharmaceutical management programs, including those managed through other offices within GH, to address the challenges and remove the barriers affecting health program development.
* Participating in key policy, technical and consensus building meetings in the areas of malaria and pharmaceutical management.
* Participating in the development and monitoring of assigned elements of cooperating agency work plans, including the overarching pharmaceutical management components affecting the performance of the health system or specific activities designed more directly to help achieve US Government (USG) objectives in the areas of maternal, neonatal and child health (MNCH), and infectious diseases.
* Monitoring and reporting on select research activities being undertaken by the cooperating agencies such as intervention research on drug use practices in the community, increasing access to drugs by utilizing the private sector, strengthening pharmaceutical sector governance, or development of low cost, low tech tools to screen for and detect sub-potent drug products.
* Monitoring and reporting on implementation of select cooperating agency pharmaceutical management health system improvement efforts as well as those supporting the office's health programs (e.g., tuberculosis, malaria, MCH, NTDs).
* Working directly with regional bureaus, missions, and cooperating agencies to help coordinate SIAPS and PQM support to the field to selected USAID geographic regions.
B. Providing USAID missions and other operational units such as regional offices with technical assistance in pharmaceutical sector governance, policy and management, quality assurance of medicines, pharmacovigilance, rational medicines use, and systems strengthening, including participating in country health system assessments: (Estimated 35% LOE)
* Keeping abreast of new developments and emerging issues in drug policy, financing and management in the evolving international health environment that affects USAID's priority health interventions by attending meetings, workshops, and conferences. Formulating recommendations for USAID action in response to these developments, and sharing relevant information with colleagues and other interested parties.
* Preparing and conducting presentations for colleagues, other donors, cooperating agencies and contractors, among others, to inform stakeholders about medicine policies, pharmaceutical management, governance, antimicrobial resistance, rational use, health system strengthening developments and issues affecting access to and use of medicine and other health commodities, and the role of USAID.
* Providing senior level technical guidance and expert input to inform USAID bureaus and missions, presidential initiatives, and other donors and contractors in the development of strategies and approaches related to pharmaceutical governance and management, quality assurance/pharmacovigilance, and systems strengthening.
* Providing senior level technical support to health sector activities in select USAID countries by participating on country teams, reviewing strategies and annual reports, and helping to meet technical assistance needs.
* Participating in agency task forces, technical working groups, and/or design teams on the basis of interest and expertise including the Supply Chain Working Group and the Health System Strengthening Network.
* Maintaining and enhancing the Office of Health Systems relationships with a broad range of stakeholders both within and outside of GH to ensure consistency, coordination, linkage and integration including: the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the President's Malaria Initiative, the MNCH and infectious disease teams, field missions, regional bureaus, contractors, multilateral and bilateral donor organizations, foundations, global initiatives providing medicines and other health commodities, the pharmaceutical industry, and USG agencies, among others.
* Serving as a key member in strengthening OHS's approaches and strategies for measuring health system strengthening and for enhancing performance in the delivery of priority interventions in reproductive, MNCH, HIV/AIDS, malaria, and infectious diseases.
* Providing senior-level technical guidance on pharmaceutical management, product quality assurance, pharmacovigilance, pharmaceutical sector governance, rational use of medicines, antimicrobial resistance, and other relevant pharmaceutical management policy issues.
* Conceptualizing the development and implementation of signature pharmaceutical management policy initiatives, strategic approaches, interventions, and tools to support the Global Healthsecurity agenda, Ending Preventable Maternal and Child Deaths, and Achieving an AIDS-Free Generation under the Medical Products, Vaccines and Health Technologies Building Block.
C. Additional responsibilities: (Estimated 23% LOE)
* Country team support: Participating in USG technical teams to support health and broader foreign assistance programs in USAID countries.
* Collaborating in strategy development and program design teams for specific priority areas.
D. Training and Professional Development: (Estimated 7% LOE)
* Keeping abreast of literature and latest developments in pharmaceutical management systems strengthening.
* Deepening knowledge of pharmaceutical sector governance, quality assurance and pharmacovigilance.
* Participating in interagency and intra-agency working groups as appropriate to SOW.
* Participating in professional continuing education and skills training within the purview of GHFP-II.
International travel approximately 12 weeks per year.
REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND EXPERIENCE
* Master's degree in public health, pharmacy, nursing or related discipline.
* Minimum ten (10) years' relevant experience in health systems with at least three years' experience in an international or resource challenged setting.
* Strong background in health program development and management, with particular expertise in pharmaceutical management systems.
* Demonstrated experience coordinating with programs supported by international agencies and bilateral agencies.
* Demonstrated understanding of public health issues in developing countries.
* Knowledge of and experience working in pharmaceutical management, including rational use of medicines.
* Demonstrated flexibility and openness in responding to changing work priorities and environment.
* Demonstrated ability to analyze and problem solve with issues/disputes that are rapidly evolving.
* Demonstrated leadership and management skills and building multidisciplinary teams to support program design and implementation of large and complex multi-country programs.
* Excellent team work, networking, facilitation and negotiation skills.
* Strong oral and written communication skills.
* Demonstrated experience in senior level health policy dialogue.
* Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a large bureaucracy, in a collegial environment, and on a large number of tasks simultaneously.
* A high degree of initiative, a commitment to quality, and a willingness to participate in a broad range of activities.
* Excellent organizational and management skills.
* Mastery of a language in addition to English.
* Capable of acting as liaison with many different stakeholders and representing USAID's perspective in a multi-donor setting, US Congress, country Ministries of health, and other senior leaders.
* Ability to travel internationally as required.
* US Citizenship or US Permanent Residency required.
The ideal candidate will bring new skills and perspectives in the following areas:
* Pharmaceutical sector governance, quality assurance and pharmacovigilance
* Supply chain management
* Private sector access to medicine
* Human resource and institutional capacity building
* Health system strengthening
* Operations research
* Monitoring and evaluation
* Pharmaceutical services/care
SALARY AND BENEFITS:
Salary will be based on commensurate experience and earnings history. The Public Health Institute offers a comprehensive benefits package including professional development programs.
TO APPLY:
All applicants are required to apply for this position through GHFP's online recruitment system at
https://www.ghfp.net/
which allows you to store your CV, profile and bio data form in our database.
A separate cover letter describing your qualifications and experience, interest and familiarity with issues relating to this position, and how this position relates to your career goals is required for each application.
All online applications must be submitted by 5:00 pm eastern USA time Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Applicants who applied previously have been given consideration and need not re-apply.
We are proud to be an EEO/AA Employer.
Global Health Fellows Program
Office of Health Systems, Bureau for Global Health, US Agency for International Development
Location: Washington, DC
ghfprecruitment <ghfprecruitment@ghfp.net>
