Title of Assignment: Global Health Partnerships Manager

Name of unit/sector: Global Health, Global Challenges Division

Place of Assignment: WIPO, Geneva, Switzerland

Expected duration of assignment:  From June 15 to November 30, 2024

1. Background

The post is located in the Global Health area (of work) of the Global Challenges Division, whose objective is to strengthen WIPO’s position as the leading intergovernmental forum for addressing the intersection between intellectual property and global public policy issues.

The Division engages substantively with other UN and intergovernmental organizations, the private sector and civil society in order to lead and inform policy deliberations. It develops practical contributions to demonstrate the benefits of intellectual property in the search for solutions to major challenges facing humanity, including global health, climate change, and food security.

2. Objective of the assignment

The objective of the assignment is to manage the global health fellowship programs in India and East Africa and support ongoing global health projects.

3. Tasks & Deliverables

The incumbent will perform the following principal duties:

(a) Manage the programmatic aspects of the WIPO-supported Global Health Innovation Fellowship Program. Conduct regular meetings with the Fellows, assess their reports to offer technical guidance and address their intellectual property (IP) needs. Coordinate closely with partners such as the Indian Department of Biotechnology (DBT), the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) in Bombay and Delhi to ensure program execution, monitoring and evaluation.
(b) Manage the development and delivery of IP-focused content for the India DBT program in collaboration with internal and external subject matter experts on the protection and commercialization of Med Tech products.
(c) Manage the development and delivery of IP-focused content for the East Africa Biodesign Program in collaboration with internal and external subject matter experts on the protection and commercialization of Med Tech products.
(d) Collaborate with technical experts to provide technical assistance for the development of institutional IP policies for the partner institutions of the East Africa Biodesign Program.
(e) Coordinate the WIPO Global Health Fellowships Advisory Committee that provides strategic advice relevant to the activities of the WIPO-supported Global Health Innovation Fellowship and delivery of IP-related course materials for both the DBT and the East Africa Biodesign Program.
(f) Document the implementation experience of the WIPO-supported Global Health Innovation Fellowship and the provided IP-related support to both the India DBT Program and the Stanford East Africa Biodesign Program. Summarize key learnings, encountered challenges and future opportunities during the pilot phase from January 2024 to October 2024 to provide recommendations to inform future initiatives.
(g) Support the Global Health Unit’s activities through organizing seminars and side events to promote WIPO’s coordination with governmental, NGO, industry and other stakeholder groups on global policy challenges related to health.
(h) Review the regulatory section of the study on the differences between drugs, medical devices and diagnostics and the different ways in which IP impacts each of these.
(i) Review the MedTech access and Innovation report.
(j) Delivery of two news items for the Summer and Autumn editions of the Global Health newsletter.
(k) Develop ad-hoc speaking points for senior management as required.
(l) Provide inputs and contributions to narrative and statistical data on program activities to requests received from WIPO Sectors (e.g. Performance Reports, reports to Member States, briefing notes, etc.)
(m) Support conducting regular interviews with global health leaders (Mission Imagination).

4. Reporting

The incumbent reports to the head of Global Health, Global Challenges Division.

5. Profile

Essentials

• Advanced university degree in international relations, health, regional studies, or other relevant discipline.
• At least 6 years of progressive professional experience in policy analysis, project design and implementation, advocacy, and public-private partnerships, with a strong focus on global health, preferably in both an international and corporate environment.
• Demonstrated record of establishing and managing multi-sectoral partnerships related to intellectual property and public policy issues, preferably in global health.
• Proven ability to rapidly analyze and assimilate complex new issues.
• Excellent communication skills; proven ability to communicate technical subject matter to non-specialist policy makers in both written and oral form.
• Excellent written and spoken knowledge of English
• Knowledge of organizations dealing with intellectual property-related as well as global health issues.

Desirables

• Exposure to the private sector and/or a UN organization, preferably in the area of global health.
• Experience working in a developing country.
• Proven ability to design, implement, and monitor global health initiatives, platforms and partnerships. Results oriented.
• Good interpersonal skills and ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and working relations in a multi-cultural environment with sensibility and respect for diversity.

6. Duration of contract and payment

From June 15 to November 30, 2024.

The applicant shall provide an indication of their remuneration expectations in Swiss Francs (daily rate).