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Senior Program Associate for CPM

The Senior Program Associate for CPM provides direct technical assistance to improve international pharmaceutical systems, primarily in developing countries. His or her work is based in the MSH Center for Pharmaceutical Management (CPM). He or she may coordinate and/or manage one or more CPM central or field-based technical assistance activities, including training and/or operations research activities.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES

I. Technical Assistance: Provide technical assistance in seven general technical areas that are described below in paragraphs A through G. The work will typically involve collaboration with other CPM staff and in some cases, collaboration with external staff. Specific technical responsibilities may include work in any of the following areas:

A. Policy Options Analysis, Strategic Planning and Implementation
1. Plan, organize and conduct pharmaceutical sector assessments of public and private sectors and conduct policy options analyses based on the assessment findings. Develop detailed reports that define problems and gaps in services and recommend steps to remedy deficiencies.
2. Provide technical assistance to evaluate client health systems and to determine the optimal mix of methods for financing necessary pharmaceutical supply, and to implement reforms including cost-sharing programs and revolving medicine funds.
3. Assist clients in developing and implementing appropriate pharmaceutical benefit management systems.
4. Assist clients in developing or revising local or national medicines policies and in developing appropriate pharmaceutical service delivery models for the local environment.

B. Selection & Formulary Management
1. Provide technical assistance helping clients to implement effective systems for medicines evaluation and to develop appropriate formularies and essential medicines lists.
2. Assist clients to develop and implement Medicines and Therapeutics Committees and train committee members in their roles and responsibilities.
3. Assist clients to develop appropriate monitoring systems to track therapeutic effectiveness and adverse reactions for medicines used in the health system.

4. Provide technical assistance to ensure that pharmacoeconomics is appropriately incorporated into the medicine selection process of client health systems.

C. Supply Chain Management
1. Based on policy options analysis, assist clients to identify best options for organizing their supply systems for maximum effectiveness and efficiency, including consideration of various combinations of centralization/decentralization and public/private service delivery. Perform cost analysis modeling the impact of options considered.
2. Provide technical assistance to implement and sustain effective supply chains for medicines, contraceptives, vaccines and related commodities. This may involve work on:
- quantification of needs
- supplier pre-qualification/selection
- procurement/tender management
- inventory management
- customs/port clearance management
- warehouse management
- distribution and transport
- financial management in supply chain
- human resource management
- management information
- performance monitoring

D. Pharmaceutical Regulation and Product Quality Assurance
1. Assist clients to evaluate needs for pharmaceutical regulations and regulatory procedures, evaluate functionality of existing regulations and enforcement procedures, and recommend appropriate modifications or new approaches.
2. Assist clients to implement appropriate medicine registration procedures including implementation of automated information systems as appropriate.
3. Assist clients to evaluate capacities and needs in the area of product quality assurance testing, and to identify the best options to assure appropriate access to QA testing; this may include helping clients to implement thin-layer chromatography techniques.
4. Assist clients to develop and implement product quality monitoring systems, involving appropriate involvement by public and private sectors.

E. Private Sector Collaborations
1. Contribute to design and completion of pharmaceutical sector assessments by focusing on private sector capacities, as well as documented performance and interests in supporting public health objectives.
2. Based on assessment of public and private sector capacities, performance, and interests, help clients to design and implement appropriate country-level public/private collaborations to strengthen medicine, vaccine and/or commodity management for public health.
3. Provide technical assistance as required to global public/private collaborations, helping to design, implement and monitor medicine management systems appropriate to the specific type of program.

F. Rational Use/Behavior Change
1. Design and implement appropriate programs to allow policy makers, health care providers and consumers to access and use information, covering areas such as therapeutics, medicine efficacy, pharmacoeconomics, pharmacovigilance, medicine product quality, supplier performance, and pricing.
2. In collaboration with CPM Technical Deputy Director, design and/or implement studies to determine usage patterns and the underlying causes of irrational use for medicines, vaccines and related commodities in public or private sector.
3. Assist clients to develop, implement and evaluate the impact of medicine use review programs.
4. In collaboration with CPM Technical Deputy Director, design and/or implement programs to promote rational use of medicines, vaccines and related commodities aimed at health care providers in public and/or private sectors, and programs to determine medicine-seeking behavior of consumers and to improve adherence to prescribed therapy and independent choices made by consumers.

G. Clinical Programs
1. Develop, implement and provide technical assistance to programs aimed at containing antimicrobial resistance.
2. Develop, implement and provide technical assistance to improve medicine management for priority disease-programs such as HIV-AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and maternal and child health.
3. Develop, implement and provide technical assistance to programs that help clients monitor and evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness of clinical services and strengthen clinical service delivery.

II. Country Program Management: Develop, launch, and manage country programs as assigned. Country programs may involve work in any or all of the above-listed technical areas 1A through 1G. Responsibilities include budget management and supervision of hired staff working on the specific country program.

III. Work Group Coordination: Take responsibility for defining objectives and progress indicators, organizing technical staff (CPM and external) input according to project needs and objectives, developing work plans, developing and managing budgets, and managing work of project to achieve defined objectives as assigned.

IV. Medicine Management Training Courses: As necessary, plan, organize and conduct training courses covering technical areas described in 1A-1G above. In cooperation with CPM Training Coordinator, develop training materials relevant to the targeted training group. Courses may be based in the United States (Washington D.C. or Boston), Europe, or in developing countries.

V. Tools/Manuals: As necessary, collaborate with CPM Tools/Publications staff to develop, test, and deploy electronic and hard copy tools and manuals to support research and technical assistance programs.

VI. Technical Assistance Networks and Organizations in Developing Countries: Support the development of these networks and organizations. Train support personnel and professionals in: assessment methodology, management of training, technical assistance methods, financial management, and use of computer hardware and software.

VII. CPM Administration and Development: In coordination with other CPM staff, maintain liaison with international organizations, donor agencies, foundations, universities, and voluntary organizations. As part of an overall CPM and MSH strategy, seek opportunities for new projects: research, publications, and other development activities; and develop necessary technical and budgetary proposals.

QUALIFICATIONS

1. Master’s degree or other professional degree in a health related field required; physician or pharmacist qualification preferred.
2. Significant work experience providing professional consulting services to medicine, vaccine or contraceptive management programs in developing countries preferred.
3. Experience with programs supported by international agencies such as WHO, World Bank and bilateral agencies such as USAID.
4. Ability to write lucid technical reports and documents in English is required.
5. Fluency in Spanish, French and/or Portuguese is strongly preferred.
6. Ability and availability to travel internationally 30% of time or more.
7. Competence in use of word processing programs required, and experience with spreadsheets and database applications strongly preferred.

Management Sciences for Health is an equal opportunity employer offering employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, citizenship, physical or mental handicap, or status as a disabled or Vietnam Era veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces.
How to apply
https://jobs-msh.icims.com/jobs/3579/job