Description Of Duties
The incumbent is assigned the following responsibilities:
To provide authoritative advice on R&D
innovations for priority vaccines and “support Member States regarding vaccine
preventable diseases, providing technical and scientific guidance on vaccine
safety and regulation, including building the capacity of National Regulatory
Authorities for registration of vaccines.
To strengthen the regulatory oversight of clinical
trials conducted in the Region, including the facilitation of joint reviews for
clinical trial applications.To coordinate and implement activities related to
vaccine quality, safety, and standards in collaboration with WHO HQ RSS,
Safety, PQ, the Blueprint Team, and other WHO entities and partners.
To develop work plans for vaccine regulation for the
Region, including formulation of milestones to evaluate the performance of
vaccine regulation activities.
To provide technical guidance for consolidation and
implementation of the AVAREF platform, including developing, implementing,
coordinating, and providing timely reports.
To undertake resource mobilization for activities
related to vaccine regulation, norms, and standards.
To liaise with AFRO and/or AFRO legal bodies to ensure consistency in the interpretation of legal instruments within the framework of WHO Constitution and AFRO Rules and Regulations, with emphasis on bringing to light and supporting the implementation of regulatory activities in the African Region.
To collaborate and coordinate activities with other
clusters and departments at AFRO to ensure joint planning of vaccine and
medicines’ regulation activities.
To support the implementation of WHO plans and
recommendations pertaining to the Global and Regional Advisory groups (GACVS,
RITAG, and AACVS).
Monitoring and reporting on the implementation of
recommendations of WHO governing bodies;
Facilitating coordination with AACVS, RITAG, NITAGs,
and partners;
Facilitating alignment of the support to NRAs of the
AFR Region with appropriate regional policy frameworks and the resolutions of
the Regional Committee and World Health Assembly; proactively advising and
guiding regional and national partners on vaccine safety at the regional and
country levels;
Coordinating and implementing resource mobilization
and advocacy strategies;
Updating existing guidelines, policies and standard
procedures for implementation of regulatory functions and frameworks at the
regional, sub-regional and national levels.
Supporting the development and implementation of
harmonized regulatory pathways, and strategic plans and guidelines for
emergency response.
Periodic Assessment Of NRAs Through
WHO benchmarking and Partners Results Framework;
Coordinating the collection of Clinical Trial Review
timelines within member States for performance evaluation;
Facilitating monitoring and evaluation of pipelines
of vaccines in clinical development
Development And Implementation Of WHO Technical
Products Through
Publication of periodic reports, including feedback
bulletins in close collaboration with team members (at the regional,
sub-regional and country levels); submission of
information-sharing for annual global progress
reports; and maintenance of AVAREF Website and up-to-date regional and national
databases on clinical trials and safety;
Facilitating innovations in electronic clinical trial
submission and review processes as well as the tracking of safety data.
Coordinating country support to members states,
including technical support as required and in pursuit of enhanced programme
planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation; and institutional and
human resource capacity building.
Research, evidence, and data for decision making on
vaccine development, regulation and safety through:
Facilitating development and implementation of
vaccine research and innovation agenda with focus on understanding regulatory
bottlenecks and deploying appropriate resolution strategies.
Building capacity of NRAs and Ethics Committees.
Required Qualifications
To perform other related responsibilities as
assigned.
Education
Essential:
Master’s degree in Vaccinology, Immunology, Medical Microbiology, Infectious
Diseases and Public Health or related field from a recognized University.
Desirable:
PhD in Immunology, Vaccinology, or Medical Microbiology.
Experience
Essential:
A minimum of seven (7) years’ experience at the national and international
levels in clinical research, including biological standardization, regulatory
evaluation, and capacity building.
Desirable
Experience in regulatory policy formulation and
working with regulatory authorities, preferably in a resource-limited
environment.
Experience in resource mobilization and coordination
of partner support at the international level
A track record of research, with publications at
senior authorship level in peer reviewed journals
Experience in overseeing implementation, reviewing,
and updating existing policies, strategies and guidelines and recommending new
initiatives and innovative approaches
Experience in the development of capacity building
tools and databases for monitoring and evaluation purposes, regulatory
pathways, vaccine approvals, and safety monitoring through the life cycle
approach.
Experience in clinical research and innovation
Experience in facilitating coordinated approaches to
effective programme management, implementation; monitoring and evaluation, and
strategic plan development
Skills
Within the context of the priorities of the
Communicable and Non-communicable Disease Control cluster, the VPD program, the
IA2030, AFR Regional Immunization Strategic Plans, and the Regional Research
Priorities, the incumbent is expected to have demonstrated track record in
global public health, research, and development of vaccines against priority
diseases, complemented by in-depth knowledge of regulatory systems
strengthening, including norms and standards for vaccines, and related capacity
building for product development, including their regulatory approvals and
implementation, in particular for emergencies caused by epidemics and
pandemics. The position requires proven strategic planning as related to
vaccines, immunization, and disease prevention and control, with strong
monitoring and reporting skills on results, progress, and application of
lessons learnt; preferably with some experience of coordinating and
implementing such activities at the country and/or regional level.
The incumbent has excellent communication and
presentation skills with the ability to write in a clear and concise manner,
with a strong track record of research and publications in peer-reviewed
journals; and to provide technical advice and guidance to stakeholders and
partners taking into account the research infrastructure and capacity of the
countries of the African Region.
WHO Competencies
Teamwork
Respecting and promoting individual and cultural
differences
Communication
Creating a motivating and empowering environment
Moving forward in a changing environment
Use of Language Skills
Essential: Expert
knowledge of English or French.
Desirable:
Working knowledge of other UN official languages.
How To Apply
