Overview of the programme

WHO India Country Office collaborates with the Government of India and relevant stakeholders within the framework of the collaborative Country Cooperation Strategy (CCS), to actively support the development and implementation of national health policies, strategies and plans aiming at promoting access to and utilization of affordable and quality health services and improving financial protection against health-related risks.

WHO Country Office for India is supporting the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare to strengthen the existing health systems to cater to the growing needs of mental health and substance abuse, palliative care and elderly care in the country.

Underlying Values and Core Functions of WHO

WHO’s mandate revolves around six (6) leadership priorities specifying (i) advancing universal health coverage (ii) health related sustainable development goals (iii) addressing the challenge of non-communicable diseases and mental health, violence and injuries and disabilities (iv) implementing the provisions of the International Health Regulations (2005) (v) increasing access to quality, safe, efficacious and affordable medical products (vi) addressing the social, economic and environmental determinants of health.

The South – East Asia Region (SEAR) of WHO is made up of 10 countries, with over 1.8 billion people, with India’s population of 1.4 billion. All the Member States of WHO/SEAR (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Leste), share the common value of the highest attainable standard of health as a fundamental human right. All WHO actions are based on this and rooted in the underlying values of equity, solidarity and participation.

Mission of the WHO Country Office for India

The mission of WHO India is to improve quality of life of the 1.4 billion people in India by supporting the government in eliminating vaccine preventable and other communicable diseases, reducing maternal and neonatal mortalities, promoting healthy lifestyles, addressing determinants of health, preparing and responding to health emergencies and strengthening health systems for universal health coverage.

Description of Duties

Technical support, partnership building, and the development of the workplan on the technology transfer mechanisms for the LAMP diagnostic platform-based technologies under the HTAP framework

Background

<a name="_Hlk224225089">The World Health Organization (WHO) Health Technology Access Programme (HTAP), successor to the COVID-19 Technology Access Program, advances global health security and equitable access to health products, by expanding regional innovation and manufacturing capacity. To support the translation of concepts in quality-assured health products, HTAP fosters partnerships to facilitate know-how sharing and technology transfer.</a>

<a name="_Hlk224225127">In January 2025, WHO and the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) extended their 2024 memorandum of understanding (MoU) for an additional two years, reaffirming their shared commitment to advancing technology transfer and local innovation</a>. SCTMIST is a publicly funded institution with end-to-end capabilities for the development and testing of medical device technologies.

<a name="_Hlk224225108">SCTIMST is recognized in India and globally as a leading biomedical research institution organization with successful technology transitions to manufacturing</a>. As a premier publicly funded center with end-to-end capabilities in medical device development, validation, and technology transfer, it plays a critical role in advancing indigenous health technologies.

Purpose of Technical support through the project

<a name="_Hlk224225224">The main objective of this technical support under the said WHO India country office contract, is to support partnership building, and the development of the workplan on the technology transfer mechanisms for the LAMP diagnostic platform-based technologies under the HTAP framework. In addition, the consultant/supplier will dedicate 20% of their time to provide specific IVD-related support to the Country Office. The incumbent will be jointly supervised by WHO HQ and WHO India</a>

Key activities under the project

The incumbent will work under the overall guidance of Team Leader (Health Systems) and in close consultation with the National Professional Officer (Pharmaceuticals) at WHO India. S/he will have the following responsibilities in her/his assigned area of work:

1.    Provide technical support and coordination to finalize workplan activities related to the LAMP technology consortia for selected technologies.

2.    Provide technical support for activities pertaining to diagnostics and strengthening local production including for workshops/events on fostering local production for quality medical products

3.    Contribute to the development of training materials, support on site for technologies under the workplan, including the support for analytical validation, and clinical validation with regulatory readiness

4.    Support local program management of the workplan activities including through convening joint meetings with stakeholders, preparing progress reports outlining findings, recommended actions, and implementation milestones.

5.    Facilitate collaboration with partners to support scale-up and technology transfer to enable scalable production and cost-effective deployment.

6.    Provide technical assistance in preparation of the said diagnostic kits for WHO Prequalification Programme, including support for multi-country validation, as may be needed.

7.    Support the integration and on-site implementation of Quality Management Systems for the technologies under the workplan

8.    Prepare meeting summaries and coordinate follow-up actions to address identified challenges.

9.    Development of the draft proposal for further resource mobilization for the activities.

10.  Undertake duty travels as may be needed. Any other related work that arises during the contract period

Education

Essential: University degree in pharmaceutical /sciences/ biomedical engineering/pharmaceuticals regulatory affairs and /or clinical research

Desirable: Additional proven work experience/ specialization in clinical research, regulation of medical products.

WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from accredited institutions. The list can be accessed through this link: http://www.whed.net/

Experience

Essential: A minimum of one (1) year of professional experience in regulatory and technology or manufacturing sector.

Desirable: Experience in providing technical support in the med tech sector/institution preferably interfacing with technology in public/ central/state institution/authority engaged in quality and safety of medical products.

Competencies

1.    Team work

2.    Communication

3.    Producing results

4.    Moving forward in a changing environment

5.    Building and promoting partnerships across the organization and beyond.

Functional Skills and Knowledge

1.    Experience in providing programmatic and/or technical assistance through or within the central/state government institution with proven track record of strong writing skills.

2.    Proficiency in computer applications and ability to draft reports. Excellent communication, teamwork and coordination skills as well as strong analytical skills and experience with technical reporting.

3.    Excellent knowledge of computer applications; ability to make oral and written presentations on technical issues; and ability to write detailed, coherent, and concise briefing documents.

Use of Language Skills

Essential: Expert knowledge of English.

Remuneration

Monthly remuneration is 157,449 INR taxable as per Indian laws and the appointment will be through Special Services Agreement (SSA) extendable subject to satisfactory performance and continuing need for the function. S/he will be posted at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. The position may require travel  to the states and districts.

The incumbent a national of the country (India) where he/she is to serve, is recruited locally and is not subject to assignment to any official station outside the home country. Only Indian Nationals should apply.

Additional information

This Vacancy Notice may be used to fill similar positions at the same level.
Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
A written test and interviews 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.
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/diversityequity-and-inclusion) are strongly encouraged to apply for WHO jobs.
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.
Please note that WHO’s 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.
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This post is subject to local recruitment and will be filled by persons recruited in the local commuting area of the duty station.
Any extension of appointment would be subject to programmatic requirements, performance of the incumbent and availability of funds.
Qualified female candidates are encouraged to apply.

Health System Officer- Emerging Technologies

Overview of the programme

Underlying Values and Core Functions of WHO

Mission of the WHO Country Office for India

Description of Duties

Background

Purpose of Technical support through the project

Key activities under the project

Education

Experience

Competencies

Functional Skills and Knowledge

Use of Language Skills

Remuneration

Additional information

Ready to apply?

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Overview of the programme

Underlying Values and Core Functions of WHO

Mission of the WHO Country Office for India

Description of Duties

Background

Purpose of Technical support through the project

Key activities under the project

Education

Experience

Competencies

Functional Skills and Knowledge

Use of Language Skills

Remuneration

Additional information

Ready to apply?

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