WHO Home-Based Consultant Job 2026: AVAREF Research and Clinical Trials Opportunity

Overview

The World Health Organization (WHO) is recruiting an external consultant for the AdVancing ClinicAl TRials Excellence in AFrica (AVAREF) program. The work covers research and development, clinical trials, ethics, regulatory safety and pharmacovigilance. The consultancy is home-based, full-time and lasts six months with possible extension, with Congo-Brazzaville listed as the primary location. Monthly pay is USD 7,000 to 9,980 at Band Level B, excluding travel costs.

AVAREF is a WHO-established network of National Regulatory Authorities and National Ethics Committees that has spent two decades strengthening clinical trial capacity in Africa. It is moving from a Secretariat to a wider WHO-AFRO program built around research, clinical development, regulation, manufacturing, safety monitoring and risk management. The consultant is supervised by the Technical Officer, Implementation Research Portfolio Coordinator, AVAREF Secretariat, WHO-AFRO.

What you do

The consultant compares legal and ethical frameworks across the 16 pilot countries and other countries in the region, producing options and recommendations for harmonized ethical oversight of clinical trials. Other deliverables include a regional vaccine research and development strategy prepared with WHO headquarters research teams, networks linking ethics committees, clinical researchers, sites, regulators and local manufacturers, scientific manuscripts and grant proposals.

Requirements

Applicants need an advanced university degree in medicine with a specialization in public health, pharmacoepidemiology, biomedical sciences or pharmaceutical science. Postgraduate qualifications in health, life sciences, project management or pharmacology are desirable. At least seven years of combined experience in a regulatory agency, clinical research, laboratory or research institution is needed, including regulatory affairs, project management or pharmacovigilance and capacity building for regulation and ethics. Experience in Africa or other low- and middle-income countries is desirable.

Expert English or French is essential, with intermediate knowledge of the other or another UN official language an advantage.

How to apply

Candidates apply through the WHO vacancy before the closing date. WHO may use a written test in screening and may ask shortlisted candidates for scanned degrees, diplomas or certificates.

Key dates

The post was advertised on September 24, 2026, and closes on October 8, 2026, at 11:59 PM.