The Position:
The Technical Services Specialist position is within the Product Quality Assurance Team in the UNFPA Supply Chain Management Unit (SCMU). You report directly to the Product Quality Assurance Team Lead. The position aims at provision of Technical Services for Pharmaceuticals and Hormonal Contraceptives. The Technical Services Specialist will work closely with the new integrated HQ division (name To Be Decided), the UNFPA Supplies Partnership, the Humanitarian Response Division, other HQ Business Units, the Regional Offices, and the Country Offices and with the Supplier community.
The Product Quality Assurance Team is the life force of UNFPA's supplies, whereby the team ensures that contraceptives, medicines, medical devices, and kits UNFPA deliver to women and girls are safe, effective and will do no harm.
How you can make a difference:
UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.
In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.
UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.
Job Purpose:
As the Technical Services Specialist, you will support the Product Quality Assurance Team Lead on the management of Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) products by reviewing and finalising technical specifications, conducting technical evaluations, supporting capacity-strengthening and technical assistance activities to strengthen local production of health products, and developing and updating guidance documents related to the technical requirements and quality assurance business processes.
You would be responsible for:
You will support the Product Quality Assurance Team Lead’s efforts on:
A. Support the development and implementation of the QA framework and policies for the management of reproductive health commodities.
- Manage technical evaluations of Pharmaceuticals and Hormonal Contraceptives and Humanitarian Supplies on a global setting.
- Manage the development of and develop specifications of all Pharmaceuticals and Hormonal Contraceptives for RFQ/ITB/RFPs based on existing documentation, international guidelines, and standards (e.g., WHO, MDR, GHTF).
- Manage evaluations of suppliers for compliance with relevant WHO guidelines and ensure that no Substandard and Falsified Pharmaceuticals and Hormonal Contraceptives are approved for procurement.
- Liaise with UNFPA consultants in quality assurance of Pharmaceuticals and RH products for quality assessments and training purposes.
- Manage a risk-based approach on technical evaluation and approval of products.
- Support the management of the Expert Review Panel of RH Pharmaceuticals and Hormonal Contraceptives.
- Support the Product Quality Assurance Team Lead in the development, implementation, monitoring and reporting for UNFPA’s Quality Assurance framework, policies, and related tools.
- Support the development and updates to the Quality Assurance Manual and any others related documents (training materials, manuals, guidance materials) in collaboration with the relevant UNFPA units and in consultation with technical partners.
- Develop improvements on quality assurance Pharmaceuticals and Hormonal Contraceptives.
- Maintain a UNFPA database of qualified suppliers and products eligible for tendering.
- Manage the product and supplier changes/variations and maintain the change register for each product and supplier; and
- Review and assess the procurement of Pharmaceuticals and Hormonal Contraceptives and consult the new integrated HQ division (name To Be Decided) to ensure the UNFPA catalogue includes commodities relevant to UNFPA programmes.
B. Coordination of Technical Team activities
- Provide support to consultants who assist in QA of RH commodities and Humanitarian Supplies at the regional and local level.
- Establish relevant work plans and priorities, monitor achievements, and evaluate performance; and
- Contribute to the recruitment processes for consultants and the maintenance of a roster of specialised consultants.
C. Support knowledge management, information sharing and partners’ relationships for quality assurance of health products.
- Support the preparation of internal and external reports, including the annual reports.
- Facilitate the communication with other UNFPA business units, WHO, other UN agencies, the Global Fund, USAID, IPPF, MSI, PSI and others key actors for all technical matters related to quality assurance of Pharmaceuticals and Hormonal Contraceptives and humanitarian supplies.
- Support the Product Quality Assurance Team Lead in representing UNFPA in relevant technical meetings with partners, working groups and works towards harmonisation and updates of the QA policy related to specifications and norms for RH commodities and humanitarian supplies.
- Contribute to information sharing on quality of sources with other agencies/partners at the global, regional, and local level.
- Participate in UNFPA and other relevant internal and external networks to promote the UNFPA QA Framework and its implementation in relevant forums (conferences, e-forum), and development and implementation of training plans.
- Collaborate with different stakeholders in the SRH ecosystem to advocate for the introduction of innovative and quality assured Pharmaceuticals and Hormonal Contraceptives and Humanitarian Supplies.
D. Provide technical support to manufacturers, regulatory bodies, UNFPA Country Offices and Regional Offices on technical requirements of RH commodities.
- Provide advice and guidance to UNFPA’s staff on issues related to the specifications and technical requirements of products and suppliers and provides recommendations where appropriate; and
- Support the logistical management for UNFPA staff training and coordination and logistical support for events where the Product Quality Assurance Team Lead is representing UNFPA, training, knowledge products and technical updates.
- Prepare training materials and other technical documents related to local production and technology transfer of medical products for capacity strengthening purposes.
- Contribute to market assessment activities to strengthen local production of specific medical products and ensure quality assurance throughout the local production process (i.e., Good Manufacturing Practices, technology transfer etc).
- Support the Product Quality Assurance team’s effort towards regulatory system strengthening including registration of RH products and in-Country hands-on trainings.
- Support donor-led interventions pertaining to Quality Assurance of RH products.
E. Support Innovation in Product Quality Assurance
- Review and research new technologies to improve on technical specifications of Pharmaceuticals and Hormonal Contraceptives.
- Contribute to the creation and sharing of knowledge in implementing innovative approaches to QA activities; and
- Develop new ways applying quality risk-based approach towards performing technical evaluation of Pharmaceuticals and Hormonal Contraceptive dossiers.
- Support innovative approaches towards cold chain integration of non-vaccine temperature-sensitive medicines and health products into national immunization systems at the PHC level.
F. Carry out any other duties as may be required by UNFPA SCMU leadership.
Qualifications and Experience:
Education:
- Advanced University degree in Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Public Health, or related field is required.
- Strong technical understanding of technical developments, industrial practices, and the pharmaceutical markets.
- Completion of relevant training, academic and/or professional certification in Quality Assurance and/or regulation of Pharmaceuticals or health products.
Knowledge and Experience:
- A minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience in pharmaceutical products, supporting program implementation and scale up of such products.
- Experience dealing with regulatory function, product manufacturing, quality assurance and quality control of pharmaceuticals or health products is required.
- Demonstrated knowledge of international markets (sources, certifications, and controls) is required.
- Extensive hands-on work experience in the quality assessment of pharmaceutical products.
- Work experience with the UN or an international organization is an asset.
- Experience in producing detailed technical guidance for use is considered as a strong asset.
- Work experience or support to developing countries is an asset.
- Experience in supervising staff is an asset.
- Excellent interpersonal, written, and oral communications skills.
Languages:
Fluency in English is required; knowledge of other official UN languages, preferably French and/or Spanish, is an asset.
Required Competencies:
Values:
- Exemplifying integrity,
- Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system,
- Embracing cultural diversity,
- Embracing change
Core Competencies:
- Achieving results,
- Being accountable,
- Developing and applying professional expertise/business acumen,
- Thinking analytically and strategically,
- Working in teams/managing ourselves and our relationships,
- Communicating for impact
Functional Competencies:
- Effective application of health supply-chain management frameworks, principles, and processes
- Effective management of risks in line with relevant industry standards, frameworks, and processes.
- Ability to analyse issues, applying sound technical principles, data, and informed professional judgement, and to present solution alternatives with a clear articulation of their risks and consequences.
- Ability to communicate effectively in writing and verbally.
- Planning and organising
- Strong client service orientation
Compensation and Benefits:
This position offers an attractive remuneration package including a competitive net salary plus health insurance and other benefits as applicable.
Disclaimer:
UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Fraudulent notices, letters or offers may be submitted to the UNFPA fraud hotline http://www.unfpa.org/help/hotline.cfm
In accordance with the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations, persons applying to posts in the international Professional category, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.
We are no longer accepting applications for this position.
