..
Qualifications
Purpose of consultancy
Contribute to product research needed for the development of vaccines and therapeutics under the R&D Blueprint for Epidemics.ย
Background
The WHO R&D Blueprint is a framework developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) to facilitate the rapid development of medical countermeasures, such as vaccines, diagnostics, and treatments, in response to emerging infectious disease threats. It aims to accelerate the development and production of these countermeasures, particularly in the face of pandemics or other global health emergencies.
Deliverables
- Provide expert advice on vaccine and therapeutic pre-clinical and clinical development.
- Provide technical expertise to Collaborative Open Research Consortiums (CORC) for priority pathogen families.
- Contribute to the prioritization of research on medical countermeasures for priority pathogens families.
- Ensure compliance with FDA, EMA, WHO, and other global health bodies' guidelines.
- Advise on intellectual property, licensing, and ethical considerations in R&D.
- Advise on policies that support innovation and equitable access to vaccines and therapeutics.ย
Qualifications, experience, skills and languages
Educational Qualifications
Essential:
- Advanced university degree or higher in health medicine and science.
Desirable:
- Training in public health, immunology, and clinical research.
Experience
Essential:
- At least 15 years of experience in pre-clinical and clinical product development.
Desirable:
- Good working experience in emergency/crisis settings.
Skills/Knowledge
Essential:
- Knowledge of virology and infectious diseases
Desirable:
- Knowledge of drug development
Languages and level required
Essential:
-
Expert knowledge of English
-
Intermediate knowledge of another UN official language
Locationย
Offsite: Home-basedย
Travelย
The consultant is expected to travel. ย
Remuneration and budget (travel costs are excluded)
Remuneration
Band level C: USD 10,000 - 12,500 per month
Living expenses (A living expense is payable to on-site consultants who are internationally recruited)
N/A
Expected duration of contract
11 months
Additional Information:
- This vacancy notice may be used to identify candidates for other similar consultancies at the same level.
- Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
- A written test may be used as a form of screening.
- If your candidature is retained for interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.
- For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int.
- The WHO is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The WHO recruits workforce regardless of disability status, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, language, race, marital status, religious, cultural, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, or any other personal characteristics.ย
The WHO is committed to achieving gender parity and geographical diversity in its workforce. Women, persons with disabilities, and nationals of unrepresented and underrepresented Member States (https://www.who.int/careers/diversity-equity-and-inclusion) are strongly encouraged to apply for WHO jobs.ย
Persons with disabilities can request reasonable accommodations to enable participation in the recruitment process. Requests for reasonable accommodation should be sent through an email to reasonableaccommodation@who.int - An impeccable record for integrity and professional ethical standards is essential. WHO prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and that is committed to put the WHO Values Charter (https://www.who.int/about/who-we-are/our-values) into practice.
- WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of short-listed candidates.
- WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.
- Consultants shall perform the work as independent contractors in a personal capacity, and not as a representative of any entity or authority.
- WHO shall have no responsibility for any taxes, duties, social security contributions or other contributions payable by the Consultant. The Consultant shall be solely responsible for withholding and paying any taxes, duties, social security contributions and any other contributions which are applicable to theย Consultant in each location/jurisdiction in which the work hereunder is performed, and the Consultant shall not be entitled to any reimbursement thereof by WHO.
- Please note that WHOโs contracts are conditional on members of the workforce confirming that they are vaccinated as required by WHO before undertaking a WHO assignment, except where a medical condition does not allow such vaccination, as certified by the WHO Staff Health and Wellbeing Services (SHW). The successful candidate will be asked to provide relevant evidence related to this condition. A copy of the updated vaccination card must be shared with WHO medical service in the medical clearance process. Please note that certain countries require proof of specific vaccinations for entry or exit. For example, official proof /certification of yellow fever vaccination is required to enter many countries. Country-specific vaccine recommendations can be found on the WHO international travel and Staff Health and Wellbeing website. For vaccination-related queries please directly contact SHW directly at shws@who.int.
- In case the recruitment website does not display properly, please retry by: (i) checking that you have the latest version of the browser installed (Chrome, Edge or Firefox); (ii) clearing your browser history and opening the site in a new browser (not a new tab within the same browser); or (iii) retry accessing the website using Mozilla Firefox browser or using another device. Click the link for detailed guidance on completing job applications: Instructions for candidates ย ย .
- Consultants working in Switzerland must register with the applicable Swiss cantonal tax authorities and social security authorities, within the prescribed timeframes (Guidelines issued by the Swiss Mission are available at: https://www.eda.admin.ch/missions/mission-onu-geneve/en/home/manual-regime-privileges-and-immunities/introduction/Manuel-personnes-sans-privileges-et-immunites-carte-H/Non fonctionnaires et stagiaires.html
-
- Knowledge of drug development
- Knowledge of virology and infectious diseases
- Good working experience in emergency/crisis settings.
- At least 15 years of experience in pre-clinical and clinical product development.
- Training in public health, immunology, and clinical research.
- Advanced university degree or higher in health medicine and science.