PROGRAMME OFFICER (ESSENTIAL MEDICINES AND REGULATORY SYSTEM)

Purpose:

The incumbent will work under the supervision of Technical Officer (Health Systems) to provide technical support to MoNHSR & C on essential medicines policies and regulatory systems strengthening, including support to national regulatory authorities, implementation of WHO regulatory standards and tools, and promotion of access to quality‑assured medicines and health technologies.

Background:

Medicines, health products, and technologies are essential for protecting and improving population health, and equitable access to essential medicines is a core component of a well‑functioning health system. Strengthening national regulatory capacities and end‑to‑end supply chains for medical products is a priority under the flagship initiatives of the WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Region, aimed at ensuring access to quality‑assured, safe, effective, and cost‑effective medical products and their rational use.

WHO Pakistan seeks to engage a Programme Officer (Essential Medicines and Regulatory Systems) to provide technical support for the application and adaptation of WHO policies, standards, and strategies related to essential medicines and health products. Under the guidance of the supervisor, the incumbent will support implementation of national policies and plans, including follow‑up to Global Benchmarking Tool (GBT) recommendations, to strengthen the capacity of the National Regulatory Authority and improve availability of essential, quality‑assured medical products in Pakistan.

Tasks to be performed:

The incumbent will work under the supervision of Technical Officer (Health Systems) to:

Qualifications required:

Education: First university degree in medicine, pharmacy, supply chain or related pharmaceutical sciences from an accredited/recognized institute. Advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in pharmacy, medicine, public health, pharmaceutical sciences, health policy, or a related field is desirable.

Experience: A minimum of 5 years’ experience in in essential medicines, pharmaceutical policy, or regulatory systems or a related field. Experience of working with national regulatory authorities, medicines manufacturers, and international partners is desirable.

Required Competencies:

Functional knowledge and skills:

• Good technical knowledge in the field of medical products with a focus on the treatment of diseases with high public health impact.
• Better understanding of the concepts of access to medical products, supply chain management, rational selection, and use.
• Ability to anticipate new trends in the field of medical products and take actions accordingly.
• Effective coordination and stakeholder engagement abilities
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Working knowledge of medical product regulation is an asset.

Languages:

Excellent knowledge of English and local language (Urdu).

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.

• WHO is committed to workforce diversity.

• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.

• A written test may be used as a form of screening.

• Appointment of selected candidate will be on Local Individual Contractor Agreement (LICA) issued by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) for a period up to three months which is further extendable based on multiple factors including job performance, programme need, and funding availability. LICA is a non-staff contract whereby the signatory has the status of a contractor and not considered in any respect as being a staff member of either the World Health Organization (WHO) or UNOPS. As such, there will be no employer-employee relationship between the signatory and the contracting Organization.

• In the event that your candidature is retained for an 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 https://www.who.int

TOTAL POSITIONS

1

POSTED ON

May 18, 2026

EXPIRY DATE

May 31, 2026

BUSINESS

WHO

CATEGORY

N.G.O./Social Services

JOB TYPE

Individual Contractor Agreement (UNOPS)

MINIMUM EDUCATION

Bachelors

CAREER LEVEL

LICA-10 (equivalent to NO-C)

MINIMUM EXPERIENCE

5 Years(A minimum of 5 years’ experience in in essential medicines, pharmaceutical policy, or regulatory systems or a related field. Experience of working with national regulatory authorities, medicines manufacturers, and international partners is desirable)