International Consultant - Market Surveillance And Control (MSC) In The Western Pacific Region

Organizational Context

Substandard and falsified medical products pose a significant threat to public health globally. The World Health Organization (WHO) operates the Global Surveillance and Monitoring System (GSMS) to address these risks. This role, within the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific in Manila, Philippines, is crucial for strengthening Member States' engagement with the GSMS and enhancing their capacity to detect and respond to these threats.

Job Purpose

The purpose of this consultancy is to support Member States in the Western Pacific Region in their efforts to prevent, detect, and respond to substandard and falsified (SF) medical products. This involves strengthening their engagement with the Global Surveillance and Monitoring System (GSMS), improving incident management, enhancing risk communication strategies, implementing risk-based post-market surveillance, and enabling national quality control laboratories. The role contributes directly to safeguarding public health by ensuring the quality and safety of medical products and building robust national regulatory systems capable of addressing these critical threats.

Responsibilities

Provide technical support to Member States by conducting rapid assessments of national market surveillance systems, assisting in the development and implementation of policies to combat SF medical products, offering advice on incident response pathways, and supporting national quality control laboratories through technical assistance and twinning programs. Coordinate regional networks and partnerships, maintaining collaboration with national regulatory authorities and laboratory networks, managing engagement with GSMS focal points, and supporting joint activities with international partners. Manage the GSMS data cycle, including regional reporting and incident management, and produce localized threat assessment reports. Contribute to training, capacity building, and risk communication efforts by adapting global tools to regional contexts and supporting country-level plans.

Work Experience

Essential: Minimum of five years of professional experience in medical product market surveillance, post-marketing control, or pharmaceutical quality assurance, with demonstrated experience in strengthening regulatory or laboratory systems. Desirable: Practical experience in risk-based pharmaceutical quality surveillance, incident investigation, and coordination with national quality control laboratories.

Skills

Strong analytical and communication skills; Information technology/data literacy (spreadsheets, dashboards, analytics); Risk-communication competencies; Stakeholder engagement; Expert knowledge of English (read, write, speak).

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