Description

Program: ALIGN-T1D, Global Responsibility — Breakthrough T1D

Engagement type: Independent contractor (1099)

Reports to: Director, Global Responsibility

Initial engagement: Body of Work 2 (BOW2) proposal review cycle

Engagement scope: Recurring — BOW2 as initial cycle; renewable across all ALIGN-T1D bodies of work and review stages

Proposals due: June 15, 2026 (PRIORITY); will be accepted through July 31, 2026

Broad Function and Scope

The External Proposal Reviewer provides independent technical review of proposals submitted in response to ALIGN-T1D Requests for Applications (RFAs). This engagement is initiated for Body of Work 2 (BOW2) and is structured for recurring use across all ALIGN-T1D bodies of work and submission stages, which include expressions of interest, concept papers, and full proposals.

ALIGN-T1D is Breakthrough T1D's flagship international initiative advancing access to insulin, diagnostics, and comprehensive type 1 diabetes care in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The program issues competitive awards to implementing partners across multiple bodies of work spanning market shaping, supply security, health system strengthening, and access programming. Proposal review is a structured, multi-stage process; reviewers use ALIGN-T1D's internal reviewer tools and scoring instruments provided at engagement.

The reviewer's function is to provide authoritative, independent technical assessment of proposals in their area of expertise — specifically the credibility, rigor, and feasibility of market shaping strategies, costing methodologies, and commodity pricing approaches for LMIC health markets. This is a content expert role, not a program management or operational review function.

Specific Responsibilities

Per Review Cycle

• Complete orientation to the relevant RFA, body of work, and reviewer tools prior to beginning review — materials provided by ALIGN-T1D
• Review assigned proposals in full (25–50 pages per proposal) using ALIGN-T1D's internal reviewer scoring tools and guidance
• Assess the technical credibility and rigor of proposed market shaping strategies, including demand aggregation approaches, procurement architecture, pricing negotiation frameworks, and supply security mechanisms
• Evaluate the soundness of costing methodologies — including cost modeling, unit cost assumptions, market price benchmarks, and total cost of ownership approaches — against current LMIC market realities
• Assess the plausibility of proposed pricing, volume projections, and market entry or expansion strategies in the relevant country and commodity context
• Complete all required scoring and narrative sections of the ALIGN-T1D reviewer tool for each assigned proposal, within the stated turnaround window
• Flag any significant technical concerns, inconsistencies, or risks not captured in the standard scoring criteria that the ALIGN-T1D team should be aware of
• Participate in a brief debrief call with the ALIGN-T1D Grants Officer following the review cycle if requested — typically 30 to 60 minutes

Volume and Timeline — BOW2 Initial Cycle

• Initial anticipated volume: approximately 15-20 [CK1] proposals for BOW2
• Proposals due June 30, 2026; reviews due approximately mid-July 2026
• Reviewer assignment will be confirmed in advance of each cycle with sufficient lead time for scheduling
• ALIGN-T1D will provide the reviewer tools, RFA documentation, scoring guidance, and proposal materials — no independent sourcing of materials required

Working Relationship and Expectations

The reviewer works directly with the ALIGN-T1D Grants Officer as day-to-day point of contact. Review assignments, materials, and tools will be shared by the Grants Officer in advance of each cycle. The reviewer is expected to work independently using the provided tools and to complete assignments within the stated turnaround.

Reviewers are expected to disclose any prior or existing relationships with applicant organizations before accepting a review assignment involving that organization. Where a conflict of interest exists, the reviewer will recuse from that specific assignment.

All proposal materials, reviewer scores, and assessment content are strictly confidential. The reviewer will be required to execute a confidentiality agreement and conflict of interest disclosure as conditions of engagement. Proposal materials may not be shared, retained beyond the review period, or referenced outside the scope of this engagement.

Compensation and Contracting

The reviewer will be engaged as an independent contractor (1099) through Breakthrough T1D's standard consulting agreement. Compensation will be based on the reviewer's proposed hourly or day rate, confirmed at contracting. Payment will be issued upon submission and acceptance of completed reviews for each assigned cycle.

Estimated effort per full proposal review is two to four hours depending on proposal length and complexity. Estimated effort per expression of interest or concept paper review is one to two hours. Total cycle effort will depend on the number of proposals assigned and will be confirmed in advance of each cycle.

Prior to engagement, the reviewer will be required to execute Breakthrough T1D's standard independent contractor agreement, provide a signed W-9, execute a confidentiality and non-disclosure agreement, and complete a conflict of interest disclosure.

Expression of Interest

Candidates should submit the following to [email protected] by June 15, 2026 for priority consideration; applications accepted on a rolling basis through July 31, 2026:

• A brief cover statement (one page or less) describing relevant experience in market shaping, commodity costing, and LMIC health market access
• A current CV or resume
• One professional reference who can speak to technical review, proposal evaluation, or market shaping work in a global health context
• Proposed hourly or day rate

Requirements

• Demonstrated expertise in market shaping, market access, or procurement strategy for health commodities in LMIC settings — with direct experience in pharmaceutical, diagnostics, or related therapeutic areas
• Strong working knowledge of health commodity costing methodologies, including cost modeling, price benchmarking, volume-based pricing, and total cost of ownership analysis in LMIC market contexts
• Familiarity with the landscape of global health commodity markets, including the roles of procurement agencies, pooled procurement mechanisms, manufacturer negotiations, and supply security frameworks
• Experience reviewing, evaluating, or developing proposals, business cases, or investment frameworks related to market shaping or access programming in global health
• Ability to assess the technical soundness and real-world plausibility of proposed strategies, not just their presentation — including identifying gaps, unrealistic assumptions, or market dynamics that are misread or missing
• Familiarity with type 1 diabetes, insulin access, or diabetes supply markets in LMICs preferred but not required; strong commodity market shaping experience in adjacent therapeutic areas considered
• Ability to deliver thorough, evidence-based written assessments within defined turnaround windows
• Grant Professionals Certification (GPC), membership in the Grant Professionals Association, or demonstrated equivalent experience in formal grant management and compliance preferred
• Multilingual capacity relevant to ALIGN-T1D countries of focus (Spanish, French, or other regional languages a plus)