Technical Officer - Market Surveillance and Control

Organizational Context

The World Health Organization (WHO), a specialized agency of the UN, aims to achieve the highest possible level of health for all peoples. It leads on health issues, sets research priorities, establishes standards, develops evidence-based policies, provides technical support, and monitors health trends. This role supports Member States in preventing and responding to substandard and falsified medical products through strengthened surveillance, incident management, and laboratory capacity building.

Job Purpose

This role is crucial for supporting Member States in building their capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to substandard and falsified (SF) medical products, including IVDs and other medical devices. The incumbent will lead efforts to strengthen the Global Surveillance and Monitoring System (GSMS) reporting, manage incidents, enhance risk communication, implement risk-based post-market surveillance (rbPMS) activities, and enable Quality Control Laboratory (QCL) functions. The position requires coordinating technical experts to ensure the effective implementation of planned activities, contributing significantly to public health and patient safety.

Responsibilities

Provide technical assistance to Member States in implementing National Action Plans for combating substandard and falsified medical products. Support national quality control laboratories through on-site visits and twinning programs, and enable regulatory authorities to publish safety notices. Assist in establishing and improving national medical device incident databases and analytics tools, and contribute to planning and evaluating post-market surveillance and laboratory strengthening efforts. Coordinate regional regulatory authorities and laboratory networks, manage focal point engagement, and support joint activities with international partners. Oversee regional GSMS reporting and incident management, curate data, and produce localized threat assessments. Adapt and disseminate risk communication tools, support country-level plans, and provide surge support during incidents. Organize and contribute to regional training sessions on SF tools and laboratory strengthening, developing and evaluating training materials. Provide input into regional planning and reporting processes, submitting KPI updates and contributing to After-Action Reviews.

Work Experience

Requires at least seven years of professional experience, including a minimum of five years in medical product market surveillance and control, and pharmaceutical quality assurance. Demonstrated experience in strengthening regulatory or laboratory systems is essential. Desirable experience includes post-market surveillance for IVDs/devices, incident coding and data systems, and laboratory quality assurance for for-cause testing.

Skills

Key competencies include teamwork, respect for diversity, communication, producing results, and ensuring effective resource utilization. Technical skills encompass strong analytical abilities, IT/data literacy (spreadsheets, analytics dashboards), risk communication, and stakeholder engagement. A solid understanding of regulatory systems for medicines and vaccines, and post-market surveillance principles is necessary. Expertise in pharmacy, public health, and immunization is also relevant.

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