PAHO Consultant - Roster of Consultants - Technical Evaluation and Quality Assurance of Health Technologies

OBJECTIVE OF THE OFFICE/DEPARTMENT

This is a requisition for employment at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO)

Contractual Agreement:

Non-Staff - International PAHO Consultant

Job Posting:

March 24, 2026

Closing Date:

April 26, 2026, 11:59 PM Eastern Time

Primary Location:

Off Site

Organization:

IMT Innovation, Access to Medicines and Health Technologies

Schedule:

Full time

PURPOSE OF CONSULTANCY

The Quality and Regulation of Medicines and Health Technologies Unit (IMT/QR) seeks to establish a roster of qualified professionals to support its technical cooperation activities in the areas of regulatory evaluation and quality assurance of health technologies. Experts included in this roster may be contracted, as needed, to conduct technical and quality assessments from a regulatory and/or quality-assurance perspective, including the review and verification of technical documentation and the management of data related to health products procured through PAHO mechanisms.
Through these assignments, consultants will support procurement processes aligned with international standards and contribute to ensuring Member States’ access to safe, effective, and quality-assured health technologies. Expertise may be required across a range of products, including medicines, vaccines, antivenoms, diagnostics, and medical devices.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES:

Roster of Consultants – Technical Evaluation and Quality Assurance of Health Technologies

Department of Innovation, Access to Medicines and Health Technologies, Quality and Regulation Unit (IMT/QR)

Primary Location: Off Site

Schedule: Full time

OBJECTIVE OF THE DEPARTMENT

The Department of Innovation, Access to Medicines and Health Technologies (IMT) promotes, coordinates, and implements technical cooperation to improve access to and the rational use of quality‑assured health technologies, including medicines, vaccines, diagnostics, and medical devices. IMT supports Member States in identifying barriers to access, addressing challenges across the product life cycle, strengthening regulatory systems, fostering evidence‑based decision‑making, and promoting the rational use of health technologies through health technology assessment.

Within IMT, the Quality and Regulation Unit (IMT/QR) provides technical cooperation to support the development and implementation of policies, plans, and strategies aimed at ensuring the quality, safety, and effectiveness of health technologies. This support is particularly relevant for products procured through PAHO’s Regional Revolving Funds and other procurement mechanisms. In recent years, the portfolio of health products acquired through these mechanisms has expanded in scope and technical complexity, reflecting the evolving needs of Member States.

This expansion has highlighted challenges related to the application of proportionate conformity assessment, the maintenance of effective product oversight, and the assurance of traceability in line with PAHO/WHO technical requirements and internationally recognized quality, safety, efficacy and performance specifications. These factors have a direct impact on the quality‑assurance processes required to ensure that health products procured through PAHO mechanisms comply with established standards.

VACANCY PURPOSE

The Quality and Regulation of Medicines and Health Technologies Unit (IMT/QR) seeks to establish a roster of qualified professionals to support its technical cooperation activities in the areas of regulatory evaluation and quality assurance of health technologies. Experts included in this roster may be contracted, as needed, to conduct technical and quality assessments from a regulatory and/or quality-assurance perspective, including the review and verification of technical documentation and the management of data related to health products procured through PAHO mechanisms.

Through these assignments, consultants will support procurement processes aligned with international standards and contribute to ensuring Member States’ access to safe, effective, and quality-assured health technologies. Expertise may be required across a range of products, including medicines, vaccines, antivenoms, diagnostics, and medical devices.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES:

All duties will be carried out in the context of regulatory and/or quality‑assurance functions supporting the procurement and lifecycle oversight of health technologies through PAHO mechanisms.

1)    Technical specifications and quality assurance evaluation: Review, update, and validate, as applicable and prior to tender processes, the technical specifications established for each health technology procured through PAHO mechanisms. Evaluate the quality assurance aspects of offers received, including the review and analysis of technical documentation submitted by suppliers, and provide recommendations and feedback on compliance with applicable technical specifications and eligibility criteria defined by IMT/QR, in coordination with national authorities, as appropriate.

2)    Risk classification and proportionate technical evaluation: Contribute to the application of proportionate, risk based technical evaluation principles for health technologies procured through PAHO mechanisms, in line with established IMT/QR and PAHO quality assurance frameworks. Where applicable, classify medical devices according to their risk level, in alignment with PAHO classification principles, to support consistent and proportionate technical evaluation processes within procurement mechanisms.

3)    Technical documentation, reporting, and traceability: Classify, manage, and archive, in an organized and traceable manner, all technical information submitted by suppliers for health products offered for procurement, and prepare technical reports using PAHO established formats to support the quality assurance of health products evaluated, maintaining a structured and auditable repository of all reports produced.

4)    Quality, safety, and performance monitoring: Support the management and resolution of queries, incidents, and events related to the quality, safety, efficacy and/or performance of health technologies procured through PAHO mechanisms, throughout the product lifecycle. This includes monitoring product performance, supporting follow up actions as required, and maintaining complete, accurate, and traceable records of all requests and events in dedicated databases, including support to nationalization processes, as applicable.

5)    Cross cutting technical support: Contribute to other IMT/QR technical activities related to the quality and regulation of health technologies, participate in internal coordination meetings as required, and perform other related tasks necessary for achieving the objectives of the consultancy.

APPLICATION PROCESS (READ CAREFULLY)

Interested applicants are invited to apply by submitting a full application, including a cover letter. At the beginning of the cover letter, applicants should clearly indicate the health technology or technologies (e.g. medicines, vaccines, diagnostics, medical devices, laboratory equipment, other) in which they have demonstrated experience in regulation and/or quality assurance —along with relevant examples that demonstrate their experience in each technology. Please note that submission of a cover letter is mandatory. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered.

Candidates successfully included in the roster are not assured of a contract but may be considered for future PAHO consultancy assignments related to the areas outlined in the Terms of Reference (ToRs), or for similar tasks and deliverables.   Applicants will not be contacted unless a specific assignment has been identified, and a contract is offered.

REMUNERATION

When hiring a consultant from the Roster, the remuneration will be determined according to the complexity of the expected products/services and the PAHO Consultant Band B daily rates: USD $258 (Min.) - USD $314 (Max.).

TIMELINE

A consultant contract will be offered to qualified candidates from the roster when specific technical expertise is required in any of the activities of work. The contract duration and associated deadlines will be agreed upon prior to signing.

LOCATION

Remote, with potential travel within the Region of the Americas as required.

SUPERVISOR

The consultant will report directly to the specific technical officer lead, with secondary supervision provided by the Unit Chief of IMT/QR. The consultant will also collaborate closely with other technical teams within the organization.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

Education

• Essential: A university degree or equivalent in Pharmacy, Biotechnology or Biochemistry, Biomedical or Clinical Engineering, Public Health with regulatory focus, or other related discipline aligned with the areas of work described (regulation and/or quality assurance of health technologies), from a recognized institution.
• Desirable: A master's degree in regulation, quality assurance of health technologies or related field from a recognized institution

Experience

• Essential: A minimum of seven years of combined national and international professional experience in regulation and/or quality assurance of health technologies, including technical evaluation, regulatory review, conformity assessment, or post‑procurement quality oversight activities, in one or more of the specified areas of work

• Desirable: At least three years of experience working with international organizations, with demonstrated knowledge of and engagement in countries across the Americas.

Languages

• Essential: Proficiency in English or Spanish, with at least working knowledge of the other language.
• Desirable: Full professional fluency in both English and Spanish. Proficiency in Portuguese and/or French is considered an asset.

Competencies:

• Commitment to PAHO mission and public health
• Ability to work effectively in multicultural and multidisciplinary environments
• Excellent written and oral communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver results within established timelines

Declarations
To ensure a fair, transparent, and unbiased evaluation process, consultants selected to support technical cooperation activities will be required to formally sign and comply with the following declarations prior to undertaking any assignment:

• Declaration of Conflict of Interest
• Standards of Conduct
• Confidentiality Declaration

QUALITY AND DELIVERY STANDARDS

Deliverables must meet high standards of technical accuracy and align with PAHO’s procurement policies and applicable regulatory and quality-assurance requirements of the IMT/QR Unit. The consultant is expected to adhere to the Standard Operating Procedures established by IMT/QR and utilize the digital tools integrated into the Quality Management System (QMS). Timely submission of deliverables is essential, and the consultant must remain responsive to feedback throughout the review and validation process.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• This vacancy notice may be used to identify candidates for other similar consultancies at the same level.
• Successful candidates will be placed on the roster and subsequently may be selected for consultancy assignments falling in this area of work or for similar requirements/tasks/deliverables.  Inclusion in the Roster does not guarantee selection for a consultant contract.  There is no commitment on either side.
• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
• All applicants are required to complete an on-line profile to be considered for this consultancy. For assessment of your application, please ensure that your profile in the PAHO Career page is updated; all experience records are entered with elaboration on tasks performed at the time.  Kindly note that CV/PHFs inserted via LinkedIn are no accessible.
• A written test 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. PAHO/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/. PAHO will also use the databases of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation http://www.chea.org/search/default.asp and College Navigator, found on the website of the National Centre for Educational Statistics, https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator to support the validation process. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.
• Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to PAHO/WHO Regulations, and e-Manual.
• For information on PAHO please visit: http://www.paho.org
• PAHO/WHO is committed to providing a respectful and supportive workplace for all personnel .
• PAHO is an ethical organization that maintains high standards of integrity and accountability. People joining PAHO are required to maintain these standards both in their professional work and personal activities.
• PAHO also promotes a work environment that is free from harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and other types of abusive behavior. PAHO conducts background checks and will not hire anyone who has a substantiated history of abusive conduct.
• PAHO personnel interact frequently with people in the communities we serve. To protect these people, PAHO has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse. People who commit serious wrongdoings will be terminated and may also face criminal prosecution.
• PAHO/WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.
• Applications from women and from nationals of non and underrepresented Member States are particularly encouraged.
• Consultants shall perform the work as independent contractors in a personal capacity, and not as a representative of any entity or authority.  The execution of the work under a consultant contract does not create an employer/employee relationship between PAHO and the Consultant.
• PAHO/WHO shall have no responsibility whatsoever for any taxes, duties, social security contributions or other contributions payable by the Consultant.  The Consultant shall be solely responsible for withholding and paying any taxes, duties, social security contributions and any other contributions which are applicable to the Consultant in each location/jurisdiction in which the work hereunder is performed, and the Consultant shall not be entitled to any reimbursement thereof by PAHO/WHO.