Pharmacist Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Amsterdam, Netherlands

Effective 1 December the Public Health Department of Médecins Sans Frontières is looking for a:

Pharmacist

100%

based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands

 

The overall purpose of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is to preserve life and alleviate suffering while protecting human dignity and seeking to restore the ability of people to make their own decisions. MSF accomplishes this through the provision of medical aid and a personal commitment to act as witness to events surrounding populations in danger. This work is essentially performed in periods of crisis, when a situation is no longer held in balance and the very survival of a population may be threatened. The underlying basis for realising its objectives is respect for medical ethics, humanistic ideals, human rights and international humanitarian law.

 

The Public Health Department (PHD) of the MSF Operational Centre Amsterdam (OCA) supports the overall purpose of MSF, providing medical and public health leadership for the organisation. The department is responsible for providing strategic direction and integrated advice on medical and public health issues to the field and headquarters. The PHD plays a key role in developing and maintaining the medical humanitarian identity and image of MSF-OCA, and in continuing to develop and improve intervention strategies so as to be relevant and effective.

 

The department is made up of a group of generalist Health Advisors (based in Amsterdam and Berlin) and medical and public health specialists (laboratory, mental health, nutrition, paediatrics, water and sanitation, etc. based in Amsterdam) so as to provide expert support in a range of fields. The Manson Unit, a medical unit based in MSF-UK, focuses on support to tuberculosis and epidemiology, including longer-term direct field support to overcome implementation challenges.

 

The pharmacist post is situated in the Public Health Department in Amsterdam. The PHD pharmacist works in close collaboration with the MSF-OCA procurement pharmacist in the Logistics department and with fellow pharmacists in other MSF operational centres.

 

PARAMETERS OF THE POST

 

Position within the organisation

The pharmacist reports hierarchically directly to the Co-ordinator Medical Specialists, Public Health Department (Amsterdam) and receives functional support from the international pharmacist (Geneva).

 

Objective of the post

The overall aim of this post is to assure, and continuously improve, the quality and use of pharmaceutical products in MSF-OCA, through definition of and monitoring adherence to MSF and recognized international pharmaceutical policies. 

 

 Core responsibilities and tasks:

·         Lead implementation in MSF-OCA of relevant new MSF policies and procedures, including quality assurance of medicines, rational drug use, and pharmacy management

·         Continuously analyse developments in the realm of pharmaceuticals and liaise with counterparts within other MSF sections and other organizations in order to initiate timely updates to MSF standards and policies

·         Monitor and evaluate the quality of pharmacy management in MSF-OCA programmes

·         Provide quality and timely advice and support to health advisors and field medical and logistical personnel (especially medical coordinators) concerning pharmaceutical issues

·         Collaborate with human resources pool manager on development of pharmacist pool, and support development of field pharmacists through briefing, training, and coaching

·         Support the use of the standard pharmaceutical supply systems and tools

·         Advise operational and medical decision-makers on the possibilities and risks of local drug purchase in project countries, after evaluation of the safety of such purchases when importation is not possible

·         Execute field visits to selected missions to assist with addressing implementation difficulties and provide technical support on local procurement of pharmaceuticals where that has become necessary; document findings and recommendations in trip report

·         Lead and support optimal development of pharmacy management in MSF-OCA, in collaboration with the field support unit (logistics) and other MSF sections

 

CANDIDATE CRITERIA

 

Education and experience:

• Qualified Pharmacist
• Field experience in low-resource contexts
• Experience with quality assurance of pharmaceuticals
• Field/headquarters experience with MSF or a similar organisation is an advantage

Capacities and skills:

• Good written and oral communication skills, with the capacity to act as an adviser to colleagues and the field
• Must be able to visit and support projects at short notice, and willing to spend up to 30% of time in the field
• Strong interpersonal skills: innovative, able to mobilise/motivate and coach people
• Able to work under time pressure on various projects at a time
• Fluency in English and preferably French is required; Dutch is not necessary  

WE ARE OFFERING

• A full time appointment (based on a 40-hour work week) for a period of (preferably) three years in Amsterdam as of December 1, 2012
• A gross monthly salary of a minimum €2,961 and a maximum of €4,230 depending on relevant professional work experience, for a full-time appointment
• A stimulating, professional working environment in an international organisation
• Attractive secondary benefits

 

INFORMATION AND APPLICATION

If you are interested in this post and would like additional information, please contact Debbie Cunningham (Coordinator of Medical Specialists) phone +31 (0) 20 520 8724

 

If you are interested in this position and believe that you fit the profile and meet the requirements, please send your application letter together with your CV before 4 November 2012 to
officejobs@amsterdam.msf.org mentioning‘Pharmacist’ for the attention of Ms Jaline Wijkhuizen (Personnel Officer HQ). Please also mention where you read about this vacancy.