Diagnostics Advisor

Location: Rio de Janeiro, Dakar, Nairobi, Brussels, or Kuala Lumpur

Contract: Full time (100%)

Duration: Open ended

Starting date: ASAP

Deadline to apply: 11.02.2025

Compensation and benefits: MSF practice is to offer the C&B package current in the MSF entity establishing the contract.

I. MSF INTERNATIONAL

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international, independent, medical humanitarian organisation that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, healthcare exclusion and natural disasters. MSF offers assistance to people based only on need and irrespective of race, religion, gender or political affiliation.

MSF International is the legal entity that binds MSF’s 24 sections, 27 associations and 18 branch offices together. Registered in Switzerland, MSF International provides coordination, information and support to the MSF Movement, as well as implements international projects and initiatives as requested.

II. POSITION BACKGROUND

Access to Products for Healthcare (APH) is critical to MSF's Social Mission. It refers to the accessibility, availability, affordability, appropriateness, and quality of products for healthcare for the populations MSF assists and their communities. MSF has been engaged in a wide variety of ways to improve APH in past decades. In 2023, the MSF International Board approved the set-up of a new organisational model for APH work in MSF. A central part of this model is the creation of a new access team that supports the APH agenda and is overseen by an Executive Board.

Access to diagnosis is the first step to ensure quality of care and save lives. Lacking adequate diagnostic tools continue to pose challenges in resource limited settings where MSF works. When new diagnostic technologies become available, issues around pricing, production and market domination could pose barriers for access in developing countries. MSF has been supporting innovation and access to rapid diagnostic testing technologies, point-of-care diagnostic technologies and other adequate and affordable diagnostic tools needed for multiple areas that MSF works on, including on tuberculosis, antimicrobial resistance, non-communicable diseases especially diabetes, sexual and reproductive health and cervical cancer. In 2024, addressing access challenges around diagnostic tools has been identified as a key common priority for MSF, forming the foundation for the new MSF access team to continue working on and building into the strategic plan 2026-2031.

III. PLACE IN THE ORGANIZATION

The Diagnostics Advisor is part of the Analysis Department of MSF’s new access team, reporting to the Head of Analysis. S/he works in a multidisciplinary team of the Analysis Department consisting of experts on medical, pharmaceutical, legal and policy issues related to access to health products and technologies.

The Diagnostics Technical Advisor maintains a close working relationship with MSF technical working groups, medical referents and other technical experts at MSF projects and headquarters. The position involves frequent international travels.

IV. OBJECTIVE OF THE POSITION

• Lead and coordinate the development of strategy, plans and activities for diagnostics dossier of MSF’s new access team, addressing access barriers on priority diagnostics tools, technologies and innovations.

• Lead research, analysis, and horizon scanning on the overall diagnostics priorities, pipelines and trends.

• Provide technical and strategic advice on new issues that require research, analysis and strategic development within the domain of diagnostics.

• Support and provide input into the development and implementation of advocacy strategies in relation to priority diagnostics technologies and innovations.

V. MAIN REPONSIBILITIES AND ACTIVITIES

1.Lead diagnostic dossier of MSF access team, including research, analysis and strategic planning on availability, affordability and accessibility of priority diagnostics technologies and innovations

• Support the Head of Analysis in developing and managing the overall strategy and plan for diagnostics related research and analysis of the APH’s annual plans and strategic plan 2026-2031.

• Coordinate the overall diagnostics work in the access team, including regular team calls and discussions on strategies and plans.

• Tracking the newest innovations, research developments, policies, studies, publications, stakeholder and manufacturer updates.

• Identifying strategic and knowledge gaps, developing analysis or soliciting external expertise to inform MSF’s strategic understanding and discussions on emerging issues pertinent to diagnostics innovations.

• Gathering feedback from MSF more broadly to contribute to target product profiles or other pre-market work within international diagnostics community.

• Critically monitor access policies of diagnostics companies at a global level and their implementation in developing countries.

• In collaboration with the pharmacist advisor, work on data collection and analysis on the pipeline and novel products and technologies, sources and prices, for the purpose of analysing access barriers and strategic solutions; and investigate manufacturing capacity for specific products facing supply shortages.

• Provide technical input and review for the access team’s global and regional diagnostics work, including communication pieces, publications, analysis, strategics, plans and others.

• Maintain an overview, documentation and regular update of diagnostics related activities, including research, analysis, strategies and technical supports, in line with the Knowledge and Information Management Guidelines.

2. Participate and provide input into the development and implementation of advocacy strategies in relation to priority dossiers, products and diagnostic issues.

• Respond to requests on price and other access barriers for priority dossiers or individual products, analyse access barriers and support the development and implementation of targeted advocacy strategies.

• Work closely with pharmacist advisor, support MSF procurement analysis and needs, including price reduction negotiations for MSF field operations, and engage with manufacturers, and liaise with manufacturers to advocate for addressing needs and driving change with regard to relevant issues pertaining to suitability, use and implementation of new tools

• Prepare and give presentations for internal and external meetings, including international conferences related to access to diagnostic issues.

• Maintain an external and internal network with relevant stakeholders, representing the access team at MSF’s technical working groups on diagnostics access works.