Expertise France is the French public international cooperation agency. It designs and implements projects which aim to contribute to the balanced development of partner countries, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda and the priorities of France’s external action. Its mission is to support the capacity building of partner countries in the definition and implementation of public policies adapted to the needs of the population, contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Expertise France operates within the framework of public contracts, financed by French bilateral aid or through international tenders. The agency offers a wide range of interventions, based on multi-stakeholder partnerships, in areas such as economic and financial governance, social protection and employment, health, sustainable development and issues of stability, safety and security.

Project Description:

In an effort to support the Rwanda Food and Drugs Authority to improve its regulatory functions related to medicinal products including vaccines, a Consortium of European countries set up a Twinning Project for Rwanda. In this regard, Expertise France is coordinating the implementation of this EU Funded Twinning project aimed at strengthening the Rwanda Food and Drugs Authority (Rwanda FDA) in its regulatory functions related to medicinal products including vaccines. This twinning project involving several regulatory agencies from EU Member States aims to support the Rwanda Food and Drugs Authority to improve the enabling environment for regulation of medicinal products and vaccines in the country. To achieve this overall objective, the project has three components:

1. Improving legal framework and regulatory functions linked to medicinal products

2. Strengthening of market surveillance and control function – vigilance & laboratory testing functions

3. Support the establishment of the official batch release function for vaccines

This project began in October 2022, and there is still a year to go to support RFDA in a number of identified areas that European agencies will be able to support.

Description of the mission

The Resident Twinning Adviser (RTA) will be based in Rwanda (Kigali) to provide full-time input and advice to the project for its entire duration. She/he will be in charge of the day-to-day project implementation and coordination of project activities according to a predetermined work plan and liaise with the RTA counterpart in Rwanda as well as with European partners from the consortium and their corresponding public agencies.

He/she should coordinate the project and have a certain level of understanding of all the components.

Tasks:

– To prepare the initial and subsequent work plans and project progress reports;

– To coordinate the various Steering Committee Meeting;

– To coordinate and assure project implementation and implementation of all project activities;

– To assure the coherence and continuity of the successive inputs and the on-going progress;

– To coordinate the activities of all team members in line with the work plan;

– To assess continuously project progress to assure its timely implementation;

– To prepare material for regular monitoring and reporting;

– To provide technical advice, support and assistance to the FDA Rwanda in the areas specified in the work plan;

– To liaise with European health agencies and Rwanda FDA

– To liaise with the EU Delegation Project Manager & Team Leader;

– To liaise with other relevant institutions in Rwanda and with other relevant projects.

Profile ?

Qualifications and competences:

Required qualifications

– University degree in health economics, public health, public administration or other relevant discipline (such as physician, pharmacist, regulator, ..) or equivalent professional experience of 8 years in the public health sector ;

Required experience

– Minimum 3 years of specific experience in health and relevant experience in a regulatory agency in pharmaceutical regulatory affairs (ie Drug regulatory affairs, market control, market authorization, vigilance, inspection, regional and international cooperation…) is an asset

Required skills and knowledge

– Good coordination skills (partnerships)

– Strong experience in project management

– Good knowledge of all regulatory functions

– Strong knowledge of the current agenda on regulatory harmonization in Africa and the support provided by the European Commission and the support provided by the European partners such as Expertise France, GIZ and Enabel

– Good knowledge of pro-active multi-actor partnership building

– Excellent organizational skills;

– Adaptability and flexibility with priority setting capacities;

– Excellent oral and written communication skills;