Pharmaceutical Industry Development and Public Private Partnership Initiatives

LonAdd HR Consultancy Plc (www.lonadd.com) is a Recruitment & Outsourcing Company based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with branch offices in Dukem, Hawassa and Bahir Dar. We are looking to recruit a qualified candidate on behalf of our client.

Location    Addis Ababa at AHRI

No. Required – 1 (One)

Contract duration:- 1 year with the possibility of extension based on satisfactory performance.

Start date – as soon as possible

Background

Background and Purpose of the Position

The Government of Ethiopia, with support from the World Bank, is implementing the Health Emergency Preparedness, Response and Resilience (HEPRR) Multiphase Programmatic Approach to strengthen health-system resilience and multisectoral preparedness and response to health emergencies. A key area of HEPRR support is strengthening Ethiopia’s regulatory capacity and local vaccine and pharmaceutical manufacturing, including through technical assistance to national institutions. Within this framework, the Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI) plays an important role as a national biomedical research institution with an expanding mandate covering biomedical and clinical research, biotechnology, virology, bioinformatics, and the development of diagnostics, therapeutics, vaccines and other health products. AHRI’s mandate also includes supporting the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry, with emphasis on strengthening local production, research and innovation, technology transfer and collaboration between research institutions and manufacturers.

The purpose of the Senior Advisor for Pharmaceutical Industry Development and Public-Private Partnership Initiatives position is to provide strategic and technical support to AHRI in strengthening Ethiopia’s local pharmaceutical manufacturing ecosystem and advancing sustainable public-private partnerships. The Advisor will support local pharmaceutical input and product development, GMP-compliant manufacturing capacity, technology transfer, regulatory compliance, supply-chain optimization, market and commercialization strategies, and capacity development. The position will also facilitate partnerships between government, research institutions, pharmaceutical manufacturers, investors and other stakeholders, contributing to the HEPRR objective of strengthening national capacity, reducing reliance on imported health products and building a more resilient and sustainable health system.

Justification

Dedicated senior technical assistance is required to assess Ethiopia’s pharmaceutical ecosystem, coordinate implementation, establish technical and management frameworks, strengthen local production and technology transfer, develop sustainable PPP and financing models, and support regulatory compliance, commercialization and institutional capacity. This time-bound support will help AHRI translate research and innovation into sustainable local manufacturing outcomes.

Objectives Purpose and Expected Results

The assignment will strengthen local pharmaceutical production, product and input development, GMP-compliant manufacturing, regulatory compliance, technology transfer, supply-chain performance, health-economic assessment, market development and public-private collaboration. It will produce strategic, technical, management, financing and commercialization frameworks that support a sustainable pharmaceutical-manufacturing ecosystem and reduced reliance on imported health products.

Description of the Assignment

The Senior Advisor will provide strategic and technical support to AHRI in planning, coordinating and advancing initiatives aimed at strengthening Ethiopia’s local pharmaceutical manufacturing ecosystem. The Advisor will oversee planned activities, assess capacities and market needs, develop strategic implementation and partnership frameworks, guide local production, regulatory compliance, technology transfer, supply-chain optimization and commercialization, and facilitate collaboration among public, research, manufacturing, private-sector and other stakeholders.

Specific Tasks

• Provide project oversight by aligning activities with the implementation plan, monitoring progress and making adjustments to meet agreed timelines and goals.
• Conduct a comprehensive need and landscape assessment of Ethiopia’s pharmaceutical product-development ecosystem, including local inputs, industry capabilities, resources, market demand and regulatory frameworks.
• Engage stakeholders through interviews, surveys, focus groups, workshops and consultations to gather information, validate findings, identify gaps and promote collaboration.
• Benchmark Ethiopia’s pharmaceutical ecosystem against successful country experiences to identify relevant good practices and opportunities.
• Develop a strategic implementation plan defining objectives, KPIs, resources, timelines, milestones, risks, stakeholder engagement, capacity building and M&E arrangements.
• Support regulatory compliance by identifying requirements, developing compliance checklists and training materials, and supporting audits and reviews.
• Provide technical support for local pharmaceutical production, including a GMP-compliant IVIG facility and locally sourced pharmaceutical-grade starch, sugar and saline through R&D.
• Support generic-drug development and approval with the Bioequivalence Clinical Center to increase local production.
• Advise on pharmaceutical waste management, including bio/chemical and domestic waste-treatment systems for safe and environmentally responsible manufacturing.
• Support technology and knowledge transfer, including development of locally sourced pharmaceutical inputs through R&D.
• Optimize supply chains by mapping processes, identifying inefficiencies and improving procurement, distribution and inventory management, with regular performance reviews.
• Develop a health-economic evaluation framework, identify data sources and assess key milestones to determine economic impact.
• Develop a comprehensive management system covering governance, SOPs, regulatory compliance, M&E with KPIs, and technical and SOP-adherence training.
• Develop a PPP model for local pharmaceutical manufacturing, assessing equity investment, profit sharing, grants, debt financing and co-investment funds.
• Facilitate consultations and partnerships to validate findings and refine the implementation plan, management system and PPP model, while supporting ownership and continued dialogue.
• Develop marketing and commercialization strategies covering market analysis, branding, market size, competitors, licensing, spin-offs and partnerships.
• Promote innovation and research collaboration through workshops and networking for industry professionals, researchers and innovators.
• Prepare a comprehensive final report covering the assessment, implementation plan, management system, PPP and financing models, and long-term sustainability recommendations.

Deliverables And Reporting Requirements

Major Task

• Provide project oversight by aligning activities with the implementation plan, monitoring progress and making adjustments to meet agreed timelines and goals.
• Conduct a comprehensive needs and landscape assessment of Ethiopia’s pharmaceutical product-development ecosystem, including local inputs, industry capabilities, resources, market demand and regulatory frameworks.
• Develop a strategic implementation plan defining objectives, KPIs, resources, timelines, milestones, risks, stakeholder engagement, capacity building and M&E arrangements.
• Technical support for local production, inputs, waste treatment and supply-chain optimization.
• Develop a comprehensive management system covering governance, SOPs, regulatory compliance, M&E with KPIs, and technical and SOP-adherence training.
• Develop a PPP model for local pharmaceutical manufacturing, assessing equity investment, profit sharing, grants, debt financing and co-investment funds.
• Engage stakeholders through interviews, surveys, focus groups, workshops and consultations to gather information, validate findings, identify gaps and promote collaboration.
• Develop marketing and commercialization strategies covering market analysis, branding, market size, competitors, licensing, spin-offs and partnerships.
• Promote innovation and research collaboration through workshops and networking for industry professionals, researchers and innovators.
• Support regulatory compliance by identifying requirements, developing compliance checklists and training materials, and supporting audits and reviews.
• Innovation showcases and collaboration events.
• Support technology and knowledge transfer, including development of locally sourced pharmaceutical inputs through R&D.
• Optimize supply chains by mapping processes, identifying inefficiencies and improving procurement, distribution and inventory management, with regular performance reviews.
• Develop a health-economic evaluation framework, identify data sources and assess key milestones to determine economic impact.

Deliverable

• Project Oversight Reports - Regular reports on implementation status, progress, achievements, challenges and follow-up actions
• Needs Assessment Report - Comprehensive assessment of local inputs, capabilities, market demand, regulatory frameworks, stakeholders, best practices, emerging technologies and opportunities
• Implementation Plan Document - Objectives, KPIs, timelines, resources, IVIG facility and local-input development, risks, stakeholder engagement and training.
• Technical Support Documentation - Technical assistance records for the GMP-compliant IVIG facility, locally sourced inputs, pharmaceutical waste-treatment and supply-chain optimization.
• Management System Design Document - Governance structures, SOPs, M&E framework and relevant training programmes.
• Public-Private Partnership Model Framework - PPP framework including financing models and investment-attraction approaches
• Stakeholder Consultation Summary - Workshops and consultative meetings, findings, inputs and engagement metrics.
• Marketing and Commercialization Strategy Document - Market analysis, branding and commercialization options for locally manufactured products
• Innovation and Research Collaboration Reports - Workshops, networking events and knowledge-exchange activities.
• Regulatory Compliance Package - Requirements checklist, training guides and presentations, and compliance audit and review schedule.
• Innovation Promotion Activities - Innovation showcases, workshops, conferences and other collaboration activities.
• Technology Transfer Package - Suitable technologies, local-capability assessment, draft agreements including IP considerations, and transfer timeline
• Supply Chain Optimization Outputs - Process mapping, bottleneck identification and regular performance reviews.
• Health Economics Evaluation - Framework, methodology and milestone assessments of economic impact.

Project Management

The Senior Advisor will report to the Pharmaceutical and Industry Development Directorate / Pharmaceutical and Biological Development Directorate. The Advisor will coordinate with AHRI leadership, the Bioequivalence Clinical Center, government institutions, research organizations, manufacturers, investors and other stakeholders. Client will provide contract oversight through the institutional third-party HR service arrangement.

General Conditions Procedures and Logistics

Payment Modality and Schedule

• The salary will be paid on a monthly basis by LonAdd upon successful completion of the monthly deliverable.

Policy Conditions

• The HR firm will manage all administrative issues and aspects based on HR policies and procedures.
• All remuneration must be within the contract agreement through the HR firm.
• No contract may commence unless the contract is signed by both the HR firm and the consultant.
• Consultants will not have supervisory responsibilities or authority over the CLIENT budget.