Vaccine Delivery Advisor – Quality Management

Focus of the Role

The Quality Management Advisor will be working with the Ethiopian Food and Drug Authority (EFDA) office, under the supervision of the pharmacovigilance and clinical trial team - within the product safety directorate of EFDA.  The advisor will provide technical assistance for Adverse Event Following Immunization (AEFI) Surveillance system and Quality Management Systems (QMS) in Pharmacovigilance, primarily for COVID-19 vaccination programs.

As part of our new Africa Vaccine Programme, (AVP), we are seeking talented and dedicated individuals that can provide flexible and responsive support to government’s changing needs. This will include delivery advice using TBI’s delivery toolkit and framework and may span donor and, government coordination, data analysis, management and presentation, resource mobilisation, strategic communications, stakeholder management, spotting opportunities and solving problems.

Postholders must be able to develop and support interventions designed to enhance surveillance systems and quality management systems to facilitate and accelerate immunization against the COVID-19 pandemic.  The role requires effective coordination and communication among different government actors at the woreda, zone, regional and national levels – leveraging and enhancing existing systems such as the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI).

Key Responsibilities

• Actively participate in vaccine pharmacovigilance surveillance activities identified by the authority, coordinating the implementation of the pharmacovigilance roadmap, and ensuring the application of QMS in pharmacovigilance systems
• Develop a communication platform with various vaccine pharmacovigilance stakeholders and support the implementation
• Develop and implement effective communication channels to link vaccinators, regional health bureau, EFDA and Ministry of Health or others who need to receive AEFI reports from health facilities at the national level
• Support the preparation and dissemination of information through vaccine pharmacovigilance communication tools such as regular newsletters, bulletins, broachers, letter to healthcare professionals, media communication
• Participate in the development of vaccine pharmacovigilance directives, guidelines, Standard Operating Procedures and other protocols or procedures.
• Coordinate the identification, assessment and management of any risks associated with vaccines
• Support the collection, preparation and coordination of AEFI reports from consumers and also assist Healthcare Professionals (HCPs) at health facilities on AEFIs reports and other COVID-19 vaccine safety related activities
• Provide trainings on AEFIs and COVID-19 safety issues, coordinating advocacy training on AEFI surveillance system to healthcare providers and different stake holders
• Support the development of new regulations or the amendment of existing regulations to ensure policy and regulatory coherence, environmental and social sustainability
• Conduct regular supervision and follow up of immunization sites and ensuring the availability of AEFI tools in all healthcare facilities and vaccination sites
• Priority for the above tasks will be on COVID-19 vaccine programs but with the intension of extending the utility of new systems and processes to also serve other immunization programs
• The candidate may have to support other activities of the National Pharmacovigilance Centre (where scope and time allows)

Person Specification

Key Competencies:

• Strong oral and written communications skills
• Planning and organization skills
• Teamwork/Collaboration skills
• Result oriented and ability to manage complexities
• Adaptability to change
• Ability to work in stressful situations

Education (Qualifications) Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree or above in medicine, pharmacy, public health (MPH) and other health related field
• Training certificate in basic or advanced Adverse Event Following Immunization (AEFI) surveillance or vaccine pharmacovigilance or in pharmacovigilance
• Fluent in English & Amharic (spoken and written) languages
• Computer literacy: Proficient in use of key Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Power point)

Required Experience:

• 6 + years’ experience in either government, government advisory, management consulting focused on public health programs (in developing countries)
• Experience in pharmacovigilance, AEFI surveillance, EPI programs, vaccine pharmacovigilance, vaccine safety programs and/or clinical pharmacy is desired
• Demonstrated ability to analyse strong vaccine pharmacovigilance or AEFI surveillance requirements with an in-depth knowledge and ability to advocate and provide vaccine pharmacovigilance activities
• Demonstrated ability to implement quality management systems (QMS) in pharmacovigilance functions
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain working relationships with senior-level officials, particularly interacting productively, proactively, and comfortably with government agencies and succeed in political environments
• Ability to work independently, think strategically and translate strategies to concrete and implementable plans with an attention to detail be able to deliver results in complex and challenging environments
• Ability to manage projects, set realistic priorities, and plan for the successful implementation of activities

About The Institute

The Tony Blair Institute (TBI) is a mission-driven not for profit organisation. We exist to equip political leaders and governments to build open, inclusive and prosperous societies. We work hard, every day, to make a difference. When governments work well they are able to create economic and social change in a way that promotes fairness, social justice and opportunity. We work relentlessly to support leader and governments with the challenges they face. Giving them practical solutions and actionable insights, that once implemented, can be transformative for their people  

We do this within two connected divisions: 

 Government Advisory 

Our Advisory Practice works directly with political leaders and governments around the world to implement reforms that improve the lives of their citizens. It has both non-profit partners and a client base and its outputs cover a range of disciplines and projects across countries in Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and South Asia. We are currently in a rapid expansion phase from c. 18 countries at present, to 30 by December 2022.

 Policy Futures 

Our Policy Futures work encompasses three broad areas: 

• Renewing the Centre: developing a bold and innovative domestic policy programme to help renew the centre ground of British politics; 
• Tech and Public Policy: exploring the policy challenges and opportunities presented by the technological revolution; and 
• Extremism Policy Unit: creating solutions designed to tackle the threat of extremist ideologies in the UK and around the world. 

As an organisation, the core beliefs we all embrace are: 

• Open and Progressive: you’ll believe in the value of teamwork 
• Bold and Pragmatic: you’ll approach everything you do with integrity and authenticity 
• Optimistic Changemaker: you’ll be focused on results 

TBI believes embracing diversity and inclusion make us a better place to work.  It’s our goal to reflect everyone in society and we actively welcome applications from individuals and groups who are under-represented in the workplace. We celebrate difference be it ethnicity, religion, age, gender or gender identity, sexual orientation or disability. We will only ever assess you on your abilities and fit for a role. We’re happy to discuss any adjustments you need to ensure a level playing field during recruitment and, if you\'re successful, discuss any adjustments you might need to thrive in your role.