Senior Principal Technical Advisor, Pharmaceutical Systems

About this role:

Management Sciences for Health (MSH) seeks a Senior Principal Technical Advisor (SPTA) for Pharmaceutical Systems to join its growing pharmaceutical technologies and supply chain management practice area.

Overall Responsibilities:

The Senior Principal Technical Advisor (SPTA) will enhance MSH’s technical excellence in pharmaceutical and health supply chain management, with a particular focus on regulatory system strengthening and support for local manufacturing. The PTA will develop MSH’s internal practice in priority technical areas and engage with the global technical community to solidify MSH’s position as a recognized thought leader in this field. The SPTA will be part of the Global Health Systems Innovation’s (GHSI’s) Pharmaceutical Health Technologies and Supply Chain Systems Strengthening Practice unit and will liaise with diverse donors such as the U.S. government, Global Fund, Geneva-based organizations, the Gates Foundation, and others.

More Specifically:

1. Provide thought leadership and technical guidance in pharmaceutical health technologies and supply chain system strengthening, including regulatory systems, product introduction, local manufacturing, product visibility, pharmacovigilance, and anti-microbial stewardship.
2. Lead, design, and implement strategies for new projects and proposals funded by major donors.
3. Identify new and innovative partners and collaborators.
4. Ensure that MSH staff receive regular training on approaches and tools for the practice and on MSH’s implementation methods.
5. Foster learning and knowledge sharing, develop and manage communities of practice within MSH, and participate in global technical working groups.
6. Set the vision for programs/projects and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams of experts and operations staff to deliver results efficiently and effectively, ensuring significant contributions to donor and private sector goals.
7. Collaborate with other technical units within MSH and GHSI to create and implement innovative technical solutions throughout the activity lifecycle.
8. Coordinate technical assistance by interfacing with MSH experts in all core areas of excellence and new capabilities related to the practice area.
9. Identify and lead the development and design of practice-related opportunities for MSH in partnership with governments, international organizations (Global Fund, World Bank, WHO, etc.), donors, the private sector, NGOs, academia, and others.

QUALIFICATIONS

MSH employs people of passion; we seek individuals who dream of a better world. We look for professionals who combine experience, local knowledge, and an understanding of international best practices.

Education:

• Degree in Chemistry, Pharmacy, or Biochemistry with specialized training and/or experience in pharmaceutical sciences and regulation of medical products preferred.

Experience:

• At least 10 years of relevant experience in regulatory system strengthening (12 years preferred), including specialized training and/or experience in pharmaceutical regulation, ideally in Africa or Asia.
• At least 8 years of experience managing, leading, and/or developing a strong team of staff, program/project managers, and technical professionals.
• Deep understanding of the private sector’s role and potential in pharmaceutical systems and global supply chains, including proven experience in leading the regulatory function within a manufacturing environment in Asia or Africa.
• Experience using public and private sector pharmaceutical and supply chain management performance indicators and data in project and program management.
• Must have proven experience supervising and mentoring technical staff for similar health projects in developing countries.
• Experience organizing and working with teams to produce high-quality deliverables.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Recognized expertise and technical achievement within the practice area technical community, including reliance/harmonization models, demonstrated by peer-reviewed publications and/or participation in technical working groups.
• Energetic, forward-thinking, creative with intellectual flexibility and depth, and strong ethical reasoning.
• High capacity to work in various cultural settings, complex environments, and fragile states.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain relationships with senior-level colleagues, particularly interacting productively, proactively, and comfortably with government agencies, NGOs, private sector groups, USAID and other donor organizations.
• Demonstrated competence in providing technical assistance in key pharmaceutical management and supply chain systems.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, able to blend compelling storytelling with convincing evidence.

Languages:

• English fluency (written and oral) is essential. Proficiency in an additional language such as French, Portuguese, or Spanish is a plus.

Physical Demands:

• Work is performed in an office environment and requires the ability to operate standard office equipment and keyboards. Must have the ability to walk short distances and pick up materials.

Travel:

• Up to 20% travel

MSH is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity, religion, creed, citizenship, national origin, age, veteran status, or disability unrelated to job requirements.