Consultant – Malaria product launch transparency initiative

About the job

Purpose of the Consultancy

The consultant will lead the implementation of Unitaid’s launch transparency initiative (LAUNCH) for malaria products drawing on inputs and support from the malaria team within Strategy, as well as the broader expertise available within the organization. S/he will interact extensively with partner agencies to generate and maintain buy-in, encourage information sharing and to provide regular status updates to the malaria community.

Background

Malaria product markets suffer from a lack of transparency and coordination due to the fragmented nature of funding, partners, manufacturers, as well as global, regional, and national policy making and regulatory structures. Improved market transparency has been identified as a first step to better inform and align partners and help accelerate new products to enter the market.

In this context, enhanced market transparency refers to the systematic collection, analysis, and dissemination of critical information — including product pipelines, regulatory status, procurement patterns, evolving country demand, and new engagement models with manufacturers and endemic countries — particularly to support resilience where traditional funding sources may diminish. Enhanced transparency can reduce uncertainty, align incentives, and support timelier, evidence-driven decision-making. Implicit coordination, in turn, fostered not through top-down mandates, but through structured transparency and peer influence could encourage stakeholders — including manufacturers, providers of normative guidance, country programs, and financing mechanisms — to advance faster and more coherent adoption pathways.

General consensus within the malaria community has identified new antimalarial drugs (as part of the broader anti-malarial drug resistance (AMDR) response through multiple first line threatments (MFTs)) and spatial emanators (SEs) as two product classes with a pipeline of near-to-market opportunities where increased transparency would be both feasible and catalytic.

A Unitaid-led platform that provides transparency on new products on the pathway to market entry is being established to provide the malaria community with full and up-to-date information on the evolving malaria intervention landscape, including potential access barriers, through regular touch points and analyses. Outputs from this work will be made available on the Roll-Back Malaria (RBM) Dashboard - making use of existing platforms, supporting the ‘Big Push’ initiative and easing access for partners and countries.

Deliverables

• Landscape on key stakeholders and individuals updated to articulate the universe of actors influencing the antimalarial and SE spaces (Expected by:5 October 2026, 28 February 2027, 30 June 2027)
• Virtual meeting with core groups (one for AMDR/MFTs, one for SEs) held every two months to facilitate ongoing exchange across key partners (Expected by: 31 October 2026, 31 December 2026, 28 February 2027, 30 April 2027, 30 June 2027)
• Virtual updates to broader partners’ community provided at a minimum every four months throughout the project
• Transparency dashboard regularly updated with product development and market entry data across up to 10 market entry milestones (Expected by: 31 October 2026, 31 March 2027, 31 July)
• Gaps in critical access pathways updated for two product areas (ACTs and SEs) in alignment with partners and included in the dashboard updates (Expected by: 31 October 2026, 31 March 2027, 31 July)
• Annual Progress Report written and submitted to Gates Foundation (31 June 2027)
• Internal project evaluation completed using previously defined learning questions (30 July 2027)

Required Experience and Qualifications

Educational Qualifications

Essential: Advanced level university degree in one of the following areas: international development, management, epidemiology, public health or health policy.

Desirable: Studies in a discipline related to health care product access or innovation (medicine, pharmacy, product development, marketing, product design, etc.).

Experience

Essential:

• At least 7 years of experience in health strategies with a focus on healthcare tools (therapeutics, diagnostics, preventive tools), including substantial experience coordinating with global health partners to address disease control and elimination challenges.
• At least 5 years of experience in the introduction of new malaria interventions, including substantial experience with associated regulatory and procurement mechanisms;
• At least 3 years of experience in designing strategic, market-based projects to improve access to healthcare tools in resource-limited settings

Skills and Knowledge

Essential:

Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Strong planning, organizational, and project management skills.

Demonstrated ability to work as part of a small team to deliver high impact results.

Strong interpersonal skills, tact, discretion and mature judgment.

Knowledge of how to apply market approaches to improve public health.

Demonstrated skills in contributing directly to cross-functional teams.

Proven coordination abilities working with diverse groups of stakeholders.

Established links and networks within the malaria response ecosystem

Languages

Required

Expert knowledge of English

Desirable

Intermediate knowledge of French

Location

Home based – Off-site

Work can be performed remotely and selected candidates are free to choose their preferred work location. The selected candidates are expected to be available for meetings during normal business hours in the Central European Time zone (CET).

Selected candidates may be expected to travel to other locations as part of their work (e.g., workshops, meetings with potential donors or partners, etc.).

Remuneration:

Band level C - USD 10,000-12,500 per month

Method and frequency of interaction:

As and when required

Additional Information:

• This vacancy notice may be used to identify candidates for other similar consultancies at the same level.
• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
• A written test or video assessment may be used as a form of screening.
• If your candidature is retained for interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.
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