Regulatory, Importation and Public Procurement Consultant - Tanzania

Job Summary

Sight and Life Foundation, a global nonprofit organization dedicated to improving nutrition and health in low- and middle-income countries, is seeking an experienced Tanzania-based consultant, consultancy firm, or consortium to lead a comprehensive regulatory, importation, and public procurement engagement. The assignment, running from August 2026 to October 2028, focuses on ensuring sustainable access to quality-assured UNIMMAP Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS) for pregnant women in Tanzania. The selected consultant will navigate the full pathway from product selection to lawful registration, importation, and eligibility for government procurement at national and sub-national levels. This is a deliverable-based, primarily remote role with in-country meetings and travel as required. The successful candidate will bring deep expertise in Tanzanian regulatory affairs, pharmaceutical or nutrition product registration, public procurement, and health-commodity market access. This is a unique opportunity to contribute to maternal health outcomes in Tanzania while working with a respected international foundation and a global manufacturer.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct a structured desk review of current official sources, legal texts, and archived materials to map the regulatory and procurement landscape for MMS in Tanzania.
• Determine the legally supportable classification and regulatory pathway for the exact MMS product and presentation proposed for Tanzania.
• Identify all regulatory, technical, documentary, site, laboratory, labeling, import, customs, tariff, tax, and local-representation requirements.
• Establish policy, formulary, product-coding, supplier-registration, procurement, and financing requirements for lawful government purchase.
• Develop a costed, dependency-based Tanzania roadmap from initial assessment through registration, first import, and government procurement readiness.
• Support the preparation, submission, and management of the product-registration application, including samples, inspections, testing, queries, and variations.
• Assess and support the selection of competent and ethical local Marketing Authorization Holders (MAHs), regulatory representatives, importers, and distributors.
• Capture actual timelines, costs, barriers, waivers, precedents, and lessons to strengthen the Tanzania regulatory roadmap.
• Provide biweekly written status updates and immediate written notification of any issues to Sight and Life and the manufacturer.
• Participate in monthly steering calls with a current decision log, risk register, and action tracker.
• Produce formal meeting minutes within three business days of material authority or government meetings.

Role Requirements & Qualifications

• At least 10 years of relevant experience in regulatory affairs, pharmaceutical or nutrition-product registration, public procurement, importation, or health-commodity market access in Tanzania.
• Demonstrated success with product registration and regulatory submissions for medicines, vitamin/mineral products, food supplements, nutraceuticals, or comparable oral solid dosage forms.
• Strong working knowledge of the Tanzania Medicines and Medical Devices Authority (TMDA), applicable dossier formats, GMP expectations, laboratory and sample processes, import permits, and post-approval requirements.
• Demonstrated knowledge of Tanzania’s public procurement framework, supplier registration, e-procurement, federal and state procurement, medical-store systems, international competitive bidding, and government health-commodity contracts.
• Ability to analyze Tanzanian customs classification, import documentation, tariff, VAT, and exemption questions in coordination with competent customs and tax specialists.
• Experience conducting due diligence on Tanzanian MAHs, importers, and distributors, including licensing, beneficial ownership, debarment, conflicts, and operational risk.
• Excellent analytical, project-management, writing, documentation, and stakeholder-engagement skills in English.
• Ability to work effectively with federal and state stakeholders in Tanzania.
• No specific degree is mentioned, but advanced training in pharmacy, public health, law, or a related field is highly desirable.

Skills Inventory

Essential Skills:

• Regulatory affairs and product registration in Tanzania
• Public procurement and government market access
• Importation, customs, tariff, and tax analysis
• Stakeholder engagement with regulatory authorities and government buyers
• Project management and deliverable-based execution
• Due diligence on local partners (MAHs, importers, distributors)
• Strong written and verbal communication in English

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with UNIMMAP MMS, prenatal vitamins, essential medicines, or maternal and child health commodities
• Familiarity with UNICEF procurement and quality requirements, WHO reliance mechanisms, regional harmonization, and donor-financed procurement
• Multidisciplinary team composition covering regulatory, quality/GMP, public procurement, customs/tax, and legal expertise
• Experience producing regulatory roadmaps, implementation toolkits, and training materials

Salary & Compensation Estimation

This is a consultancy assignment with a deliverable-based payment structure, where compensation is linked to the acceptance of specific deliverables rather than elapsed time. The total value of the contract will depend on the scope of work, the consultant’s qualifications, and the complexity of the Tanzanian regulatory pathway. Based on market rates for senior regulatory and procurement consultants in the health sector in East Africa, a reasonable daily rate for this role ranges from 400 to 800 USD, with total engagement fees potentially ranging from 80,000 to 200,000 USD over the two-year period, depending on the level of effort and the number of deliverables. Official government fees and third-party costs are reimbursed separately and must not be marked up. The final financial proposal should itemize professional fees by deliverable and role, official fees, estimated third-party expenses, travel assumptions, taxes, and currency.