The Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI) was founded in 1970 through the initiative of the Norwegian and Swedish Save the Children organizations seconded by the Ministry of Health of Ethiopia. The Institute got its name from the Norwegian physician, Gerhard Henrik Armauer Hansen, who first described the leprosy bacillus (Mycobacterium leprae). AHRI is a biomedical research institute that works in developing tools for prevention, control and treatment of mycobacterium and other diseases of public healthy importance through applied and basic biomedical research and training.

Purpose of the Position

AHRI is a recipient of EDCTP grand for the implementation of PAVIA project.  Currently AHRI is looking for a PV Coordinator who is responsible for the coordination of PAVIA project activities implementation in Ethiopia by creating linkages with EFDA’s PV Center, AHRI, the national TB program /PV data collection centers/ of the FMOH and other partners.  The Project Coordinator will be expected to initiate and coordinate PAVIA in-country activities, from facilitating its implementation to producing technical reports as per protocol, duly aligned and in consonance with the framework set for the entire project and as its applies to other participating partners.  The PV coordinator in collaboration with project leader at EFDA and AHRI will initiate and coordinate all activities related to PAVI in Ethiopia.

PhArmaco Vigilance Africa (PAVI) Project aim to strengthen pharmacovigilance (PV) in four African countries: Ethiopia, Nigeria, Swaziland and Tanzania.  It is funded by the European-Developing Countries Clinical Trials Platform (EDCTP), a funding mechanism under the EU’s Horizon 2020 research Program.

PAVIA is a so-called Coordination and support mechanism, aimed at improving responsible uptake of new drugs and vaccines by strengthening local capacity for pharmacovigilance (PV), i.e. for recognizing, reporting, and acting on untoward effects of such products. PAVIS’s activities focus on one area where important improvements can be made the cooperation and linkage between countries’ regulatory authorities responsible for PV and infectious disease control programs responsible for introduction of new drugs and vaccines for poverty related diseases.  PAVIA will have its focus on the introduction of new drugs and treatment regimens for drug-resistance tuberculosis (DT-TB) by the national tuberculosis programs (NTPs) but can be expanded to other NTP(s) as deemed necessary.  Active drug safety monitoring and management (aDSM) is introduced as an integral part of new DR-TB drugs and regimens and will be central to all PAVIA supported activities.

Position in the Organization:  

The Project Coordinator will report to the PAVIA Project leaders at AHRI and EFDA

Duties and Responsibilities:

-          Ensure smooth collaboration among all partners by organizing regular joint meetings.

-          Update all partners in-country about the latest developments in the field of aDSM/PV relevant for their roles in the project.

-          Support in strengthing aDSM/PV data collection system in-country, including assist in the implementation of the roadmap to strengthen the PV system at PV center, EFDA.

-          Facilitate trainings, and development or strengthening of aDSM/PV data collection plans and SOPs.

-          Monitor and supervise data flow, data quality and completeness of data collection and reporting.

-          Prepare required reports and ensure timely submission

-          Assist in causality assessment and signal detection

-          Liaise the PAVIA project in-country and communication with the coordination center at AIGH.

-          Perform other tasks as assigned by the supervisor.

-          BSc degree in Pharmacy or Pharmacology with 10 years work experience OR

-          MSc degree in Pharmacy or Pharmacology with 8 years work experience

-          Out of which minimum of 5 years post qualification experience working in drug regulatory, preferably in pharmacological; or experience in pharmacovigillance drug monitoring in public health programs.

-          Experience of activity coordination with clinicians, clinical expert teams, at national and sub-national host government entities.

-          Cutting-edge knowledge of ongoing and emerging issues in relation to pharmacovigilance, TB medicines and more.

-          Experience in relationship management with donors, partners, stakeholders in an international environment.

-          Good interpersonal skills with experience in networking with partner at all levels (ministry, donors, private sector, NGO’s and local community based organization).

-          Excellent verbal and writing skills in English.