Stop TB Partnership - TB Drugs Quality Management Specialist, Kazakhstan

UNOPS hosts the Stop Tuberculosis Partnership (STBP) Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland. The vision of the STBP is to realize the goal of elimination of tuberculosis (TB) as a public health problem and, ultimately, to obtain a world free of TB by ensuring that every TB patient has access to effective diagnosis, treatment and cure; stopping transmission of TB; reducing the inequitable social and economic toll of TB; and developing and implementing new preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic tools and strategies. The STBP is uniquely positioned to support the development and further implementation by partners of the Global Plan to End TB, acting as a coordinator and catalyst for the broad range of partners engaged in the fight against TB.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) and the National TB Program (NTP) of Kazakhstan are committed to provide universal access to modern treatment of all forms of TB including the use of new and repurposed anti-TB drugs and revised treatment regimens for patients with drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) in line with the latest WHO recommendations. In 2019, the Government of Kazakhstan started procurement of quality-assured TB drugs at concessionary prices through the STBP’s Global Drug Facility (GDF). The NTP is working to further strengthen the country’s TB drugs’ management system and align it with the up-to-date international practices, including procurement and supply management, quality assurance and pharmacovigilance systems.

The objectives of the USAID-funded technical assistance project in Kazakhstan are to: support the NTP in the expansion of DR-TB interventions; identify programmatic gaps and assist in bridging them through the provision of coordinated technical expertise; improve effectiveness and coordination in the implementation of the Global Fund grants; and facilitate resource mobilization for TB control.

Under the guidance of UNOPS / STBP’s Team Leader, Country and Community Support for Impact, and in close coordination with USAID, the DQM Specialist will provide technical support to the NTP in the implementation of contemporary, evidence-based approaches and practices related to supply and management of anti-TB drugs. The Specialist will also support the NTP in identifying gaps that require additional technical support and in ensuring the effective and coordinated implementation of the Global Fund TB project.

The Specialist will undertake the following functions:

• Inform the NTP and partner agencies working in TB field and disseminate evidence on the innovations and international best practices related to TB drugs procurement and supply management, quality management and drug safety monitoring.
• Work with the NTP in identifying programmatic gaps in the provision of patient-centered TB care, related to access to quality-assured medicines and patient safety. In collaboration with USAID and other partners, identify the technical assistance needs for bridging these gaps.
• Provide technical support to the NTP in improving the cycle of TB drugs’ procurement and supply management system, in particular regarding the use of new and repurposed drugs and new treatment regimens for DR-TB patients: forecasting using modern forecasting tools such as QuanTB; product selection, procurement planning and budgeting; development of technical specifications and other procurement documents; quality assurance; distribution, storage and inventory management.
• Provide technical assistance in the implementation of internationally recommended standards and practices for active drug safety monitoring (aDSM), including development of relevant regulations, protocols and reporting forms;
• Contribute to capacity building at the NTP in the area of drugs management including conducting training needs assessments,  strengthening of the national team of trainers, facilitation of capacity building interventions within the Global Fund project, and other relevant activities.
• Work with the NTP in monitoring and evaluation of the drug quality management and improvement activities, including participation in the NTP supervision visits to the regions and management of relevant modules of the information system (National Register of TB Patients);
• Assist in the coordination of relevant activities across the national stakeholders and international partners: USAID and its subcontractors, the Global Fund, WHO and others.

The primary point of contact for the Specialist in the country will be the Director of the National Scientific Center for Phthisiopulmonology (NSCP) in Almaty. The Specialist shall work in close cooperation with and receive support from her/his point of contact, other officers of the NTP and the STBP’s resident TB Advisor in Kazakhstan, as well as USAID TB team officers at the Regional Mission in Almaty. The Specialist shall develop written plans of activities with specific deliverables in cooperation with the national counterparts and above officers.

The duty station for the assignment is Almaty, Kazakhstan. In agreement with the NTP, the Specialist will be based at the NSCP. She/he will undertake duty travel in-country and abroad, as required.

A minimum of five years of work experience in one or more of the following fields: pharmaceutical management, drug regulations, health services management.

Experience of work in procurement of medicines and/or drugs quality management.

Contract type: International Individual Contractor Agreement (IICA)  Contract level: IICA-2 (ICS10 P3 equivalent)
Contract duration: Ongoing ICA – ‘Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance.

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
• Work life harmonization - UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types
• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.  

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns. Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

UNOPS is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve sustainable development.

UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management and human resources.

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With over 4,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,000 personnel recruited on behalf of UNOPS partners spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a wide range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced, diverse workforce — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs, and continually strive to improve our gender balance through initiatives and policies that encourage recruitment of qualified female candidates.

Work life harmonization

UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.