Advisor, Pharmaceutical Regulatory Systems Development

Pan American Health Organization Inc; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 73,000 - 99,000; Full time

Job summary

PAHO in Washington, D.C. seeks an Advisor, Pharmaceutical Regulatory Systems Development (P-4) to lead regional regulatory strengthening across the Americas.

The role drives regulatory convergence, capacity building, and strategic cooperation for access to quality medicines and health technologies. The candidate will lead technical guidance on the WHO Global Benchmarking Tool, serve as Technical Secretariat of PANDRH, and build partnerships with regulators, public health bodies, and stakeholders

Qualifications

• A university degree in pharmacy and a master’s degree in regulatory affairs or related field.
• Nine years of national and international experience in pharmaceutical regulatory programs.
• Fluency in Spanish or English with working knowledge of the other language; French/Portuguese a plus.
• Strong IT skills with spreadsheets, presentations, ERP, and MS Office suite.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for regional technical cooperation and support Member States in strengthening pharmaceutical regulatory systems.
• Lead technical guidance on WHO GBT and Institutional Development Plans to advance regulatory priorities.
• Serve as Technical Secretariat of PANDRH and engage with regional/global harmonization initiatives.
• Promote alignment between regulatory strengthening activities and PAHO programs and funds.
• Build partnerships, mobilize resources, and foster collaboration among authorities and health institutions.
• Provide high‑level technical and policy advice and prepare technical reports and policy documents.

Skills

Regulatory systems

Leadership

Strategic advisory

Regulatory convergence

Bioavailability

Bioequivalence

Budget planning

Data analysis

Education

Pharmacy degree

Master’s in regulatory affairs

Tools

ERP

Microsoft Excel

Outlook

PowerPoint

Teams

SharePoint

Word

Job description

Grade: P-4 Salary - Annually: Step I - 86,027.00 USD Post Adjustment - Annually: 46,970.74 USD Contractual Agreement: Staff - Professional Post Job Posting: August 11, 2026 Closing Date: September 2, 2026, 11:59 PM Eastern Time Primary Location: Washington, D.C. Organization: IMT Innovation, Access to Medicines and Health Technologies Schedule: Full time

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Advisor, Pharmaceutical Regulatory Systems Development Join PAHO in advancing strong, effective, and harmonized pharmaceutical regulatory systems across the Americas. This role drives strategic cooperation, regulatory convergence, and capacity strengthening to improve access to quality, safe, and effective health technologies.

SUMMARY OF RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide strategic leadership for regional technical cooperation and support Member States in strengthening pharmaceutical regulatory systems and frameworks at national and regional levels.
• Lead and provide technical guidance on the implementation of the WHO Global Benchmarking Tool (GBT) and Institutional Development Plans to advance regulatory strengthening priorities across the Region.
• Serve as Technical Secretariat of PANDRH and guide engagement with regional and global regulatory harmonization and convergence initiatives.
• Promote alignment between regulatory strengthening activities, the PAHO Regional Revolving Funds, and regional programs supporting the local production of medicines and vaccines.
• Build strategic partnerships, mobilize resources, and foster collaboration among regulatory authorities, public health institutions, and key stakeholders.
• Provide high-level technical and policy advice, generate evidence to strengthen regulatory capacities, prepare technical reports and policy documents, and support informed decision-making.
• For a complete list of functions, please see the post description.

EDUCATION Essential

A university degree in pharmacy or related discipline and a master’s degree in regulatory affairs, public health or other health science related to the functions of the position from a recognized institution.

EXPERIENCE Essential

Nine years of combined national and international experience in the implementation and administration of programs and projects related to the regulation of pharmaceuticals.

LANGUAGES

Fluency in Spanish or English with a working knowledge of the other language. Knowledge of French and/or Portuguese would be an asset.

IT SKILLS

Demonstrated ability to effectively use current technology and software, spreadsheets and presentations, as well as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and management information systems. Other IT skills and knowledge of software programs such as Microsoft Excel, Outlook, OneDrive, PowerPoint, Teams, SharePoint, and Word are considered essential.

COMPETENCIES AND SKILLS

For a complete list of competencies and skills, please refer to the post description. The skills required are: Extensive expertise in pharmaceutical regulatory systems, policies, programs, and regulatory capacity strengthening. Strong leadership and strategic advisory skills in medicines regulation and regulatory decision‑making. In-depth knowledge of regulatory convergence, reliance principles, harmonization initiatives, and international regulatory frameworks. Specialized expertise in bioavailability and bioequivalence assessment and medicines quality control laboratories. Strong program and project management skills, including budget planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. Ability to analyze complex technical and policy issues and develop evidence-based recommendations. Proven partnership‑building, stakeholder engagement, resource mobilization, and financial management skills. Strong data analysis, research, problem‑solving, and information‑sharing capabilities. Ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary and multicultural teams while providing leadership and monitoring progress. Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the preparation of reports, presentations, and technical and policy documents.

DURATION OF CONTRACT

One year. Post of limited duration. First year probationary period.

DISCLAIMER

This vacancy notice may be used to fill other similar positions at the same grade and level. Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to PAHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and e‑Manual.

Persons with disabilities can request reasonable accommodations to enable participation in the recruitment process.

RECOGNIZED HIGHER EDUCATION DATABASES

• World Higher Education Database (WHED), list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be assessed through the link: http://whed.net/
• Council for Higher Education Accreditation chea.org
• College Navigator, found on the website of the National Centre for Educational Statistics, nces.gov to support the validation process.

Maintaining high standards of integrity and accountability. People joining PAHO are required to maintain these standards both in their professional work and personal activities. Promoting a work environment that is free from harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and other types of abusive behavior. PAHO conducts background checks and will not hire anyone who has a substantiated history of misconduct. Providing a smoke‑free environment. Protecting the people in the communities we serve. Therefore, we have zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse. People who commit serious wrongdoing will be terminated and may also face criminal prosecution.

All interested individuals who meet the requirements of this position are encouraged to apply.

We are committed to ensuring that all people have access to the health care they need, when they need it, with quality and without fear of falling into poverty. Through its work, PAHO promotes and supports the right of everyone to good health. To advance these goals, PAHO promotes technical cooperation between countries and works in partnership with ministries of health and other government agencies, civil society organizations, other international agencies, universities, social security agencies, community groups, and other partners. PAHO promotes the inclusion of health in all public policies and the engagement of all sectors in efforts to ensure that people live longer, healthier lives, with good health as their most valuable resource. Under the leadership of its 51 member countries and territories, PAHO sets regional health priorities and mobilizes action to address health problems that respect no borders and that, in many cases, jeopardize the sustainability of health systems. From its Washington, D.C., headquarters, 27 country offices and three specialized centers in the region, PAHO promotes evidence‑based decision‑making to improve and promote health as a driver of sustainable development.