Grade: D-1 Salary – Annually: Step I – 117,953.00 USD Post Adjustment – Annually: 65,817.77 USD Contractual Agreement: Staff – Professional Post Job Posting: February 13, 2026 Closing Date: March 13, 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: ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT Director, Innovation, Access to Medicines and Health Technologies

• Join us and shape the future of equitable access to medicines and health technologies in the Americas The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization (WHO), is seeking a visionary, strategic, and results-oriented leader to serve as Director, Innovation, Access to Medicines and Health Technologies. This senior leadership role is central to advancing innovation, strengthening health systems, and ensuring equitable access to quality medicines, vaccines, and other health technologies across the Region. Under the general supervision of the Director, and the direct supervision of the Assistant Director, the selected candidate will:
• Provide strategic, policy, and normative guidance to countries on innovation, access, quality, and the rational use of medicines and other health technologies.
• Lead and position PAHO as a regional authority in health technology assessment, regulatory harmonization, and the expansion of regional manufacturing capacity for essential health products.
• Oversee collaboration with the Regional Revolving Funds to ensure quality assurance, priority setting, and effective pooled procurement mechanisms.
• Strengthen partnerships with Member States, United Nations entities, development partners, academic institutions, and civil society to advance regional public health priorities.
• Direct the planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the Departments program of work, including budget formulation, resource mobilization, and performance reporting.
• Provide intellectual and managerial leadership to multidisciplinary teams, fostering a culture of integrity, accountability, collaboration, and high performance. For a complete list of functions, please see the post description. What is required for this position? Education A university degree in a health or social science and a masters degree in public health, health economics or any other field related to the functions of the post from a recognized institution. Experience Fifteen years of combined national and international experience in progressively challenging managerial positions in health systems, including the development and evaluation of policies and programs to support innovation and equitable access to quality medicines and other health technologies. Languages Very good knowledge of English or Spanish with a working knowledge of the other language. 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:
• Senior-level expertise in public policy related to innovation, access, quality, and rational use of medicines and health technologies.
• Strategic leadership and management of complex health programs and health systems at national and international levels.
• Strong capacity for policy development, regulatory coordination, and health technology assessment.
• Proven ability to mobilize resources and manage large budgets and multidisciplinary teams.
• High-level negotiation, partnership-building, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Excellent communication, advocacy, and representation skills in multicultural environments.
• Ability to lead change, foster collaboration, and drive results aligned with organizational strategy. Duration of Contract Post of indefinite duration. First-year probationary period DISCLAIMER This vacancy notice may be used to fill other similar positions at the same grade and level. All applicants are required to complete an on-line profile to be considered for this post. Candidates will be contacted only if they are under serious consideration. In the event that your candidature is retained for an interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the official degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. PAHO, considers official higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in one of the following 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. Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to PAHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and e-Manual. PAHO/WHO is committed to: PAHO supports an environment of mutual respect and dignity for all applicants. All interested individuals who meet the requirements of this position are encouraged to apply. Persons with disabilities can request reasonable accommodations to enable participation in the recruitment process. To do so, email us at: pahorecruitment@paho.org 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. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is the specialized international health agency for the Americas. It works with countries throughout the region to improve and protect people’s health. PAHO wears two institutional hats: it is the specialized health agency of the Inter-American System and also serves as Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization (WHO), the specialized health agency of the United Nations. PAHO engages in technical cooperation with its member countries to fight communicable and noncommunicable diseases and their causes, to strengthen health systems, and to respond to emergencies and disasters. PAHO is 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.