The Position:
The Technical Services Consultant position is within the Product Quality Assurance Team, located in Pillar 3, in the UNFPA Supply Chain Management Unit (SCMU). The position aims at provision of Quality Assurance services for Pharmaceuticals and Hormonal Contraceptives. 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.
The consultant reports directly to the Technical Services Specialist in the Product Quality Assurance Team.
How you can make a difference:
UNFPA occupies a unique position in the sexual and reproductive health commodity ecosystem as a critical player in supply chain management, a leading public procurer of sexual and reproductive health commodities, a trusted partner to national governments, and one of the few organizations with the scale and partnerships necessary to build accountability for last mile delivery.
The UNFPA Supply Chain Management Unit (SCMU) is self-funded and was made operational in January 2022. It is tasked with ensuring that UNFPA is able to effectively and efficiently support the delivery of life-saving reproductive health products and other programme supplies to the end user when and where they are needed. To achieve this, it is important to strengthen the capacity of governments and implementing partners to ensure coordination, end-to-end visibility and accountability on all supply chain and logistics management related activities, in particular for programme supplies, across all UNFPA programmes.
You would be responsible for:
The consultant will support the Product Quality Assurance Team Lead’s efforts on:
- Supporting the development and implementation of the QA framework and policies for the management of reproductive health commodities.
- Evaluating dossiers/pharmaceutical product questionnaires for products as stand-alone items and as components of the IARH kits included in the UNFPA procurement catalogue online.
- Verifying supplier/manufacturer compliance with all relevant regulatory requirements as stated in the bid/tender documents, UNFPA technical requirements for pharmaceuticals, and UNFPA QA Policy and guidelines.
- Supporting drafting of technical specifications including any necessary research, desk reviews and analysis, using latest available scientific data.
- Drafting and developing Standard Operating Procedures, business processes and other guidance documents to strengthen the technical team role in procurement.
- Performing risk assessment and conduct technical evaluation related to pharmaceuticals changes (changes of products under sourcing agreement) as part of long-term agreement management process.
- Performing market assessment to ascertain coverage of quality assured medicines in Countries.
- Implementing a risk-based approach on technical evaluation and approval of products.
- Evaluating changes to technical documents (technical files, questionnaires) related to stand-alone pharmaceuticals, hormonal contraceptives and all other SRH pharmaceuticals included in the UNFPA procurement catalogue online.
- Preparing and delivering comprehensive results by using assessment templates provided by UNFPA, where the consultant will be able to elaborate on his/her evaluation outcome.
- Verifying suppliers/manufacturer’s compliance to all relevant regulatory requirements as stated in the supplier’s documents, UNFPA technical requirements for pharmaceuticals or medical devices, and UNFPA QA Policy and guidelines.
- Reviewing specifications in the UNFPA catalogue to align with approved specifications of products.
- Drafting and developing Standard Operating Procedures, technical requirements of pharmaceuticals in IARH kits and as stand-alone products, business processes and other guidance documents to strengthen the technical and Quality Assurance team’s role in procurement.
- Supporting capacity building activities.
Qualifications and Experience:
Education:
- Completion of secondary education is required.
- A university degree in Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Material Science, Medical Laboratory Science/Technology, Nursing, Biomedical Sciences, Public Health or related fields would be desirable.
- Completion of relevant training, academic and/or professional certification in Quality Assurance of health products is an asset.
Knowledge and Experience:
- Minimum 6 years of related work experience in quality assurance or product development or quality control of pharmaceuticals, or sterile health products or regulatory authority experience of medical devices / health products or health technology is required.
- 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.
- Technical knowledge of WHO standards and guidelines e.g GDP, GMP, GLP etc is an asset.
- Work experience with the UN or an international organization is an asset.
- Work experience or support to developing countries 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
UNFPA Work Environment:
UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA's workforce - click here to learn more.
Disclaimer:
Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements.
UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts.
Applicants for positions in the international Professional and higher categories, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.
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