Unit Chief, Access to Medicines and Health Technologies

Pan American Health Organization • Washington, DC

4d

About The Position

Unit Chief, Access to Medicines and Health Technologies • Join PAHO and lead efforts to advance equitable access to essential medicines and health technologies across the Americas The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization (WHO), is seeking a highly experienced, strategic, and results‑driven Unit Chief, Access to Medicines and Health Technologies to lead regional efforts to promote equitable access to quality medicines, vaccines, diagnostics, and other health technologies. Under the general supervision of the Assistant Director (AD), and the direct supervision of the Director, Innovation, Access to Medicines and Health Technologies (IMT), the selected candidate will:
• Lead and provide technical, policy, and strategic direction for the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the regional program of work related to access to medicines and health technologies.
• Coordinate the delivery of technical cooperation at regional and country levels, providing authoritative advice on policies covering the full life cycle of medicines and health technologies.
• Foster strategic partnerships and lead resource mobilization with multilateral and bilateral donors, NGOs, collaborating centers, and other partners.
• Oversee the Unit’s financial, human, and logistical resources, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities and results‑based management principles.
• Coordinate and collaborate with national and international partners to ensure coherence, integration, and effective use of resources across the Organization.
• Provide leadership and guidance to staff, promoting a culture of integrity, accountability, and continuous learning.
• Contribute to the Organization’s response to emergency situations by providing technical expertise and coordinating unit actions as required. For a complete list of functions, please see the post description.

Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree in a health-related profession, health economics, health technology science, or other field related to the position and a master’s degree in public health, public policies, public administration, health technology science, or other field related to the functions of the post, from a recognized institution.
• Thirteen years of combined national and international experience in program development and implementation, management, planning and evaluation in areas related to policy development for medicines or other health technologies. Experience should also include resource mobilization and implementation of international development projects, preferably in an international organization.
• Fluency in English or Spanish with a working knowledge of the other language.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively use current technology and software, spreadsheets, and presentations, as well as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and management information systems. Other IT skills and knowledge of software programs such as Microsoft Excel, Outlook, OneDrive, PowerPoint, Teams, SharePoint, and Word are considered essential.
• Extensive senior‑level expertise in policies, regulation, and management of medicines and other health technologies.
• Strong leadership and strategic management skills in complex, multi‑stakeholder environments.
• Ability to provide authoritative technical advice on access to medicines, health technology assessment, and rational use.
• Proven experience in program planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.
• Strong resource mobilization, partnership‑building, and negotiation skills.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including executive‑level reporting and presentations.
• Ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and manage sensitive organizational and policy issues.

Responsibilities

• Lead and provide technical, policy, and strategic direction for the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the regional program of work related to access to medicines and health technologies.
• Coordinate the delivery of technical cooperation at regional and country levels, providing authoritative advice on policies covering the full life cycle of medicines and health technologies.
• Foster strategic partnerships and lead resource mobilization with multilateral and bilateral donors, NGOs, collaborating centers, and other partners.
• Oversee the Unit’s financial, human, and logistical resources, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities and results‑based management principles.
• Coordinate and collaborate with national and international partners to ensure coherence, integration, and effective use of resources across the Organization.
• Provide leadership and guidance to staff, promoting a culture of integrity, accountability, and continuous learning.
• Contribute to the Organization’s response to emergency situations by providing technical expertise and coordinating unit actions as required.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees