E-drug: MSF vacancy - Medical Advisor: vaccines
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Vacancy
Medical Advisor : Vaccines
Campaign for Access to Essential Medicines, Medecins Sans Frontieres
www.msfaccess.org
Job location: Geneva, Switzerland
Contract: Full time (long-term)
The Access Campaign
The Access Campaign is an international MSF project launched in 1999. It
aims to improve access and stimulate development of medical tools (drugs,
diagnostics, vaccines) that could have a major impact on morbidity and
mortality in contexts where MSF works. The Access Campaign challenges
external medical-political actors in order to overcome barriers identified
by practitioners in MSF programs and those practicing in similar
environments. To this end it aims to influence international policies
relevant to improving access and stimulating innovation.
The priorities of the Access Campaign are guided by the medical challenges
faced by MSF’s operations. The aim is to improve medical practice in
resource-limited settings by accessing new tools (drugs, diagnostics and
vaccines) that can change the organisation’s medical practice.
The Position
Building on MSF’s work to reinforce vaccination in projects and experience
in outbreak response over the last two years, the Access Campaign has been
engaging with institutions focusing on vaccination implementation and
policy. This work builds on longstanding involvement in international fora
focused on measles, meningitis, and more recently pneumococcal disease.
The Medical Advisor will work as part of a multidisciplinary team
comprising clinicians, pharmacists, and policy and advocacy and
communications specialists. The advisor will report to the Medical
Co-ordinator of the Campaign.
The Medical Advisor will work closely with the campaign team, key
individuals within MSF headquarters and operations, Epicentre (an MSF
research centre) and external experts to develop and implement the core
priorities of the Vaccine Dossier. These include:
- Supporting analysis of barriers to coverage of key vaccines in
countries where MSF works
- Assessing the vaccine development pipeline to identify promising new
products/delivery technologies
- Identifying opportunities to influence international vaccine policies
and strategies
- Advocating for increased political and financial support for selected
vaccine interventions
- Exploring simpler, more flexible childhood vaccination strategies
To meet these goals, the position will need to create a strong link with
MSF's vaccine experts and select field programmes,
andepidemiologists/researchers focusing on vaccines.
While the broad framework of this work has been established, MSF is seeking
an experience professional that will bring their own thinking and
experience to bear on our vaccine work.
Requirements of the post
The ideal candidate will posses the following skills and experience:
- Medical Doctor (preferably with specialization in paediatrics)
- Experience working in a resource-limited settings, ideally with MSF
- Developing country vaccine programme experience
- Established competencies in vaccinology a plus
- Links and understanding of vaccine research community and vaccine
specialists at international institutions (especially WHO,UNICEF) a
plus
- Strong knowledge synthesis skills (including literature reviews)
- Understanding of challenges faced by NGOs and Ministries of Health to
increase coverage of routine and new vaccines
- Excellent communication and team working skills
- Willingness to speak at public events when required on behalf of MSF
- Willingness to travel; travel will predominantly be within Europe but
there will also be opportunities for field collaboration/trips.
To apply, please send your CV with cover letter by end of day Friday 13 May
2011 to:
Michelle Vilk at michelle.vilk@geneva.msf.org at the MSF Access Campaign.
More information about the Access Campaign can be found at
www.msfaccess.org
Only short-listed candidates will be contacted
April 2011