Pharmaceutical/Medical Cold Chain and Refrigeration Consultant to Support the RMS Modern Medical Warehouse Project

The consultant will provide technical assistance to the Rwanda Medical Suppliers (RMS) for the assessment, planning, design finalization, technical specification, procurement support, installation oversight, testing, commissioning, and operational readiness of cold chain facilities at the RMS Modern Medical Warehouse. The role includes reviewing and improving RMS’s existing cold room maintenance contracts to ensure the facilities meet current and projected operational requirements.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical assistance for assessment, planning, design finalization, technical specification, procurement support, installation oversight, testing, commissioning and operational readiness of cold chain facilities at the RMS Modern Medical Warehouse.
• Review and improve RMS’s existing cold room maintenance contracts.
• Ensure proposed cold rooms, freezer facilities and associated monitoring and control systems are adequately designed and integrated into the warehouse infrastructure.
• Ensure facilities meet RMS's current and reasonably projected operational requirements.

Requirements

• Advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in Refrigeration Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Thermal Engineering, HVAC Engineering, Energy Engineering, or another relevant engineering discipline.
• A Bachelor's degree in a relevant engineering field combined with extensive specialized cold chain experience may be accepted.
• Professional certification or specialized training in refrigeration, pharmaceutical/medical cold chain, HVAC, energy systems or temperature-controlled storage is an added advantage.
• 10 years of relevant professional experience in refrigeration, cold-chain or temperature-controlled storage systems.
• At least 7 years of specific experience in the design, specification or implementation of industrial or pharmaceutical cold rooms and freezer systems.
• Demonstrated experience with pharmaceutical, vaccine, medical supply or other highly regulated temperature-controlled storage facilities.
• Demonstrated experience in cooling load calculations and refrigeration system selection.
• Experience in electrical and backup power requirements for critical refrigeration systems.
• Experience with continuous temperature monitoring, data logging, alarms and telemetry.
• Experience in preparing technical specifications and procurement documentation.
• Experience in reviewing refrigeration contractor designs and technical submittals.
• Experience in installation supervision, testing and commissioning of cold rooms/freezers.
• Experience working in developing-country or African contexts is an advantage.
• Experience in large pharmaceutical warehouses, national medical stores, central medical warehouses, vaccine stores or health commodity distribution centres is highly desirable.
• English is required, French would be an asset.
• Advanced knowledge of refrigeration engineering.
• Strong understanding of pharmaceutical cold-chain requirements.
• Knowledge of Good Storage and Distribution Practices.
• Ability to undertake cold-storage capacity assessments.
• Ability to review refrigeration load calculations.
• Knowledge of energy-efficient refrigeration technologies.
• Knowledge of refrigerant safety and environmental considerations.
• Knowledge of cold-chain telemetry and environmental monitoring systems.
• Strong multidisciplinary coordination skills.
• Ability to work with architects, civil engineers, electrical engineers and MEP teams.
• Strong technical report writing skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving ability.

Skills

• Refrigeration Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Thermal Engineering
• HVAC Engineering
• Energy Engineering
• Pharmaceutical Cold Chain
• Cold Chain Design
• Cold Chain Implementation
• Temperature controlled storage
• Cooling Load Calculations
• Refrigeration System Selection
• Electrical Power Requirements
• Backup Power Systems
• Temperature Monitoring Systems
• Data Logging
• Alarm Systems
• Telemetry Systems
• Technical Specifications Preparation
• Procurement Documentation
• Refrigeration Contractor Review
• Installation Supervision
• Installation Testing Commissioning
• Cold Storage Capacity Assessment
• Good Storage and Distribution Practices
• Energy-Efficient Refrigeration
• Refrigerant Safety
• Environmental Monitoring
• Multi-disciplinary Coordination
• Technical Report Preparation

Languages

English, French