Senior Technical Advisor Essential Drugs/Diagnostic Devices, Vaccines, and Antimicrobial Resistance, Accra 108 views0 applications

POSITION TYPE: Full Time, Local Hire

DURATION: 1 year with extension

LOCATION: Accra, Ghana (note that Project HOPE will not be covering relocation expenses)

POSITION TITLE: Senior Technical Advisor Essential Drugs/Diagnostic Devices, Vaccines, and Antimicrobial Resistance

DIVISION: Global Health

REPORTS TO: Sr. Technical Director, Ghana IHP

Project HOPE is an international NGO with employees and volunteers who work around the globe, responding to the world’s most pressing global health challenges. Throughout our 60-year legacy, Project HOPE has treated millions of patients, provided more than $3 billion worth of medicines to local health care organizations around the world helped build hundreds of health programs from the ground up, and responded to humanitarian crises worldwide.

Code of Conduct

It is our shared responsibility and obligation to treat each other with respect, take affirmative steps to prevent matters involving Sexual Exploitation & Abuse and Trafficking in Persons, and to disclose all potential and actual violations of our Code of Conduct, which may include Conflicts of Interest, Fraud, Corruption, Discrimination or Harassment. Together we can reinforce a culture of respect, integrity, accountability, and transparency.

BACKGROUND ON Ghana IHP:

The purpose of the USAID-funded Ghana Integrated Health Partnership (IHP) activity is to strategically contribute to the Government of Ghana’s strategies to reduce preventable maternal, newborn and child deaths, including stillbirths, and improve their overall health and well-being by 2030. Activities are expected to advance Ghana toward increased local ownership, strengthen the capacity of Ghana institutions and local organizations to introduce, deliver, scale-up, and sustain the use of evidence based, quality MNCH, voluntary family planning, malaria, and global health security services. The project will increase access, utilization and quality of integrated maternal, newborn and child health, family planning, malaria, and nutrition services to reduce preventable maternal, newborn and child deaths in Ghana.

POSITION SUMMARY:

Project HOPE seeks a Senior Technical Advisor to lead the program’s technical approach to strengthening health system capacity at all levels for enabling the continuous availability of quality assured essential drugs and diagnostic devices (EDDD), for the rational use of those assured drugs and devices, and for informing the program design and implementation in support of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and vaccines. This includes working with key Ghana Health Service Divisions (Health Administrative and Support Services, Stores Supplies and Drugs Management, Institutional Care, Public Health, Family Health, etc.), Ghana’s Food and Drug Authority, and Ghana’s National Health Insurance Authority to strengthen system player capacity in assuring RMNCH essential drugs and diagnostics, and antimicrobial resistance and vaccine delivery programming, including strengthening of and compliance with Standard Treatment Guidelines. S/he will report to the Sr. Technical Director. As key personnel on the activity, s/he is accountable for technical program design and delivery in the abovementioned technical areas and requires prior funder approval.

PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

Technical Leadership and Oversight: Provide strategic direction for the technical design and implementation of the project, ensuring technical assistance to promote the integration, quality, and sustainability of interventions, with a focus on essential drugs and diagnostic devices, vaccines, and AMR programming.

Stakeholder Engagement and Collaboration. Foster and maintain excellent relationships with USAID technical specialists, Government of Ghana counterparts, sub partners, and other stakeholders as a representative of the project. Collaborate with all local stakeholders and implementing partners, including Ghana Health Service, the Food and Drug Authority, Pharmacy Council, the National Health Insurance Authority, and GHSC-PSM. Actively participate in relevant technical advisory/working groups and professional forums representing Project HOPE.

Capacity Strengthening. Working hand-in-hand with Ghana Health Service, the Food and Drug Authority, Pharmacy Council, and the National Health Insurance Authority, strengthen the capacity of community, facility, and higher-level system players to ensure the continuous availability of quality assured EDDD and rational use, and high-quality technical support for vaccines and AMR programming. This includes strengthening adherence to national treatment guidelines and protocols.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning: Lead implementation science, particularly with a focus on AMR, and work with M&E staff to design and implement a plan to track data/results to inform adjustments to implementation. Document successes, lessons learned, and challenges in implementation, as well as reports of activities and results, to the project and donor, including routine quarterly and annual reports and other reporting requirements, as requested. Author/co-author abstracts, presentations, and articles for journals and conferences.

Fulfill other duties and responsibilities as may be reasonably assigned by the Chief of Party and Sr. Technical Director.

MINIMUM REQUIRED SKILLS, EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Minimum master’s degree in pharmacy, or a related degree.
• Minimum 7 years’ experience in pharmacy logistics in the RMNCAHN+ Malaria space and familiarity with revolving fund financing of essential medicines
• Deep knowledge of and experience in the Ghana RMNCAHN+ Malaria space, including challenges in accessing and availing EDDD, the Ghana Integrated logistics management systems (GHILMIS) rational use, emerging AMR, and vaccines delivery
• Familiarity with Ghana’s national health insurance scheme and reimbursements for medicines/drugs and other devices as may be determined by law
• EDDD procurement experience, with USAID a plus
• Demonstrated experience informing and influencing policies and guidelines in an evolving public health context.
• Demonstrated relationships with key Government of Ghana and implementing partner counterparts, including GHS, FDA, Pharmacy Council, NHIS, GSCM-PSC and others. eZ2iHDx BVUcJh
• Skills in strengthening the capacity of individuals and organizations.
• Excellent diplomacy skills and a proven ability to establish and maintain interpersonal and professional relationships with USAID, host-country counterparts, and representatives from other key stakeholders such as NGOs, CSOs, and the private sector.
• Expertise in research to practice—identifying and adapting best practices to specific project contexts.
• Excellent verbal, written interpersonal and presentation skills in English.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Teams and PowerBi.
• Ability to travel nationally and internationally 40-50%.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical demands:

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee must be mobile in an office environment and able to use standard office equipment.
• Must be able to communicate in verbal and written form.

Work environment:

• Typical office environment with exposure to a minimal noise level.
• Project HOPE employees work in the global health field and may be required to travel or work in countries where working conditions are classified as “hardship”.

All positions will be based in Ghana. Ghana nationals are strongly encouraged to apply.

Due to the substantial number of inquiries we receive, only candidates who have met the required experience and qualifications for this position will be considered. No phone calls please.

However, since we are active around the world in the field of public health, we may wish to retain your CV in our database for other/future opportunities, unless you direct us otherwise.