ESPEN Supply Chain Officer

Position description

The Expanded Special Project for Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases (ESPEN) is a WHO AFRO project that provides countries with technical and strategic support to reduce the burden of five Preventive Chemotherapy Neglected Tropical Diseases (PC-NTDs). JSI will support ESPEN through the recruitment of a supply chain officer to provide supply chain technical support to member states and ensure on time delivery of donated medicines across all Member States of the Region.

Role Overview
The ESPEN Supply Chain Officer will provide technical guidance to countries and promote, implement, and facilitate the development and implementation of WHO AFRO’s work programme related to ESPEN supply chain management. The officer will provide technical support for (1) building country capacity and inventory management support, (2) development of short and long-term demand/forecast plans and medicine inventories to support completion of the Joint Application Package, and (3) pharmacovigilance.

The Officer will implement the work assignments within the scope of work defined by regional strategies, policy guidelines, programme objectives (including the WHO Transformation Programme and the GPW13 towards the attainment of the SDG targets), resolutions of the Regional Committee, the World Health Assembly, other relevant guidance documents, WHO/AFRO Strategies and frameworks, and national priorities and needs of the Member States of the Region. S/he will be expected to exchange information and guide a range of internal and external partners to enhance multi-sectoral collaboration. There is a high expectation for independent accomplishment of functional goals.

Countries where candidates may be based are: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte D’Ivoire, Burundi, DRC, Madagascar, Mali, Niger, Togo.

Organization Description:
The Expanded Special Project for Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases (ESPEN) is part of and contributes to the work of the Universal health coverage/Communicable and non-communicable diseases (UHC/UCN) cluster in the WHO African region. The strategic agenda of the cluster is to reduce disease burden in the WHO African Region, by guiding disease control agenda in Africa, and using analytics to inform strategic investments and tailored interventions for disease control”. This approach is underpinned by the guiding principles of a comprehensive whole of society, people-centered, integrated approaches to disease control. The comprehensive whole of society approaches to disease control involves: (a) coherent implementation of triple response – technical response: implementing diseases specific normative guidance, promoting intervention mixes and deploying medical commodities; health systems response: building capacities of district service delivery systems in disease mapping and stratification, interventions tailoring, and sector/subsector planning; and multi-sectoral response: addressing socio-economic and environmental determinants of diseases through mobilizing non-health sectors, communities and stakeholders; (b) disease control partnership of public and private sectors, health and non-health sectors; and (c) community involvement in targeted high risk communities, focused on managing determinants of diseases, health services demand creation and accountability by local health stewards. The people centered, integrated approaches to disease control involves: (a) integrated guidance on disease control for each health service delivery platform, a move away from stand-alone disease specific guidance; and (b) integrated and efficient disease control investments in strengthening the capacity of appropriate health services delivery platforms through deployment of appropriate technologies and analytics to guide stratification of disease risks across population groups in order to develop and deploy comprehensive packages of interventions appropriate for each population group and health service delivery platform, as well as monitor population access, coverage and impact to leave no one behind.

The specific objectives of the UCN cluster to which the ESPEN programme contributes, are to: (i) provide leadership on disease control coordination, partnership and resource mobilization; (ii) contribute to the development of WHO disease control technical products, services and tools including adoption of new technologies and innovations; (iii) support generation and use of strategic information for action and decision making including optimizing investment; and (iv) provide or facilitate provision of technical support in deployment of WHO technical products and services and institutional capacity building, including support to national disease programmes and regulatory authorities.

JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc. is a global nonprofit dedicated to improving people’s lives around the world through greater health, education, and socioeconomic equity for individuals and communities, and to providing an environment where people of passion can pursue this cause. We are more than 1,000 public health care and education experts driven by a passion to improve health and education services for all. Our fundamental goal is to ensure that all individuals can live their best and healthiest life, regardless of age or circumstances.

• RESPONSIBILITIES

Provide leadership and guidance to country-level supply chain management by providing technical support to build country capacity and inventory management assistance, including:

• Support country programs to establish standard operating procedures (SOPs);
• Guide country programs in best practices for subnational and national inventory management and reporting.
• Develop guidance for post MDA management of donated medicines.
• Improve/create reverse supply chain mechanisms.
• Manage missions to identify and propose solutions to specific, country-level supply-chain issues.
• Support partnership and resource mobilization by ensuring coordination between WHO essential medicines focal points and NTD programmes.
• Continue to maintain a strong link and partnership with pharma to co-develop and roll out effective supply chain solutions in Africa.
• Collaborate with pharma partners via the “NTD Deliver” platform and other mechanisms to prioritize orders scheduled for the AFRO region.
• Support the generation of analytics-driven strategic information through improving data collection specifically targeting the JAP and Country Integrated Neglected Tropical Disease Database (CIND).
• Provide assistance to countries to develop short- and long-term medicine demand/forecast plans.
• Review and improve quality of medicine applications and the schedule for submission review and approval.
• Provide analysis of end-to-end work plans for countries to submit on time (internal exercises.
• Establish and communicate ESPEN deadlines to countries to ensure timely medicine request submission.

  Enhance Pharmacovigilance:

• Promote the reporting of adverse events.
• Promote the monitoring of drug resistance, with a focus on the efficacy of albendazole & mebendazole.
• Work with pharmaceutical partners to develop SOPs for handling drug issues such as expired drugs, opened bottles etc.
• Support and collaborate with the Supply Chain Technical Support Mechanism Project (SCTSM) as per ESPEN leadership guidance.
• Lead the development of related work-plans and budgetary proposals as required within the framework of WHO staff Rules and Regulations, financial rules, and AFRO accepted procedures.
• Contribute to resource mobilization and advocacy activities in support of the implementation of WHO and AFRO Resolutions in collaboration with EPG, ORD and WHO Country Offices.
• Perform other related responsibilities as requested by the ESPEN Coordinator/Team Lead., including replacing and backstopping for others as required.

  All deliverables will be submitted to both ESPEN and JSI. Final versions must be approved by the ESPEN Team Leader before being considered complete. The Officer will also be expected to provide regular progress updates and participate in team meetings as part of their ongoing responsibilities.

• QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy, Public Health, Healthcare Supply Chain, or any health-related field focusing on commodity management.

  Essential:

• At least 5 years of relevant international and national experience in public health, including project management and report writing.
• Experience in strengthening or implementing health supply chain management functional areas including forecasting and quantification, supply chain assessments, designing or strengthening logistics management information systems, inventory management systems and storage and distribution solutions is required.
• Experience in the development and implementation of preventive chemotherapy strategies to control Neglected Tropical Diseases. Previous experience in completion of the Joint Application Package forms would be beneficial.
• Demonstrated experience in building relationships with Ministries of Health across countries and other partner organizations, and building local capacity in supply chain management best practices.
• Demonstrated planning, organizational, data analysis, and analytical problem solving, and financial skills.
• Intermediate Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel skills and Microsoft Power BI.
• Work experiences that are diverse, incorporating private sector, NGOs, other UN, or governmental health related agencies will be an advantage.
• Experience working in low- and middle-income countries.

  Functional Knowledge and Skills:

• Proven competency in theory and practice of health supply chain management best practices.
• Sound knowledge and skills in planning and implementation of mass drug administration.
• Ability to provide review data and provide feedback.

  Other Competencies:

• Teamwork.
• Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences.
• Strong communication.
• Producing Results.
• ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Building and Promoting Partnerships across the Organization and Beyond.

Language Skills:

• Fluency in French and English

  Work Arrangements:

• Seconded to WHO AFRO Regional Office, ESPEN
• Remote-based position with structured work schedule aligned with ESPEN’s working hours.
• Regular participation in ESPEN team meetings and activities
• Periodic trips to WHO AFRO Regional Office in Brazzaville, Congo.
• Regular communication with both ESPEN and JSI teams.

Application instructions

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