Pharmacy Manager Consortium HERON at International Rescue Committee (IRC)

Sector: Health

Employment Category: Fixed Term

Employment Type: Full-Time

Open to Expatriates: No

Location: Maiduguri, Nigeria

Job Description

Background/IRC Summary:  The International Rescue Committee has been in Nigeria since October 2012 and came in response to a widespread flood disaster. IRC’s Emergency Response Team, with local partner, Civil Society Coalition for Poverty Eradication (CISCOPE), implemented projects to support food security, livelihoods, nutrition and WASH in Kogi State. Beginning of January 2014, IRC shifted geographical location to the North East, in Adamawa state to provide humanitarian response to the conflict-affected populations. In the North East, IRC has three operational offices: Yola and Mubi field offices in Adamawa state and Maiduguri field office in Borno state-with the latter office opened in October 2015. In both states, IRC is providing humanitarian support to internally displaced populations hosted in IDP camps, camp like settings, host communities and returnee populations.

Job Overview/Summary: The Global Supply Chain Department supports the organization’s work by providing reliable and scalable application development and Operations for the IRC’s offices in the US and around the world, in the aspect of procurement, assets, inventory and management of the IRC’s GSC policies.

Under the direct supervision of team leader, technical referent to Country pharmacist and technical oversight of Supply Chain coordinator, the Pharmacy Manager based in Maiduguri and will provide support to field and requires working in close collaboration with the logistics teams, State primary health care development agency, drug management agencies, local government primary health care departments.

As the referent on management and dispensing pharmaceuticals items, the Pharmacy Manager technically manages Pharma procurement Officer and Warehouse Inventory Officer and will be responsible for managing the overall pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, supplies and laboratory reagents of consortium partners for HeRoN implementation. S/he will be responsible for the co-ordination of all the program medical supply logistics, including the implementation of activities in line with IRC policies for medical procurement, drug management, warehousing, supply and stock management.

S/He will be responsible for providing technical support for health facilities in regards to waste management, system strengthening of LMIS and communications in collaboration with the appropriate technical managers and local partners. S/He will participates in the definition of strategies for supply management, distribution and use of medical products. Ensure national regulations are followed, develops familiarity with Ministry of Health’s regulation of drugs in force in the country and shares his/her knowledge with the team. This position is the link with external actors/partners concerning pharmaceutical issues.

Major Responsibilities:

Logistics

• Responsible for the set up and development of a medical supply strategy for the HeRoN program
• Responsible for overseeing medical logistics for the consortium, including international and local procurement, warehousing, power supply, communications and management in co-ordination with the Country Logistics Team and in line with IRC policies and procedures and with emphasis on traceability control
• Regular review of the supply chain strategy and resources needed to implement it
• Responsible for stock control (ensure monthly stock reports) and managing medical stores, ensuring security and maintenance and that medical stocks are kept in proper storage conditions
• Ensure efficient and appropriate logistical support is provided for all site activities including drug and equipment distributions, and construction/rehabilitation activities.
• Establish and maintain a robust logs filing system.
• Responsible on technical areas such as maintenance, cold chain, generators and also basic water/sanitation and rehabilitation, etc. – with support from technical managers
• Attend all the supply chain related meetings

Pharmaceuticals and Supplies Management:

• Monitors the availability of medical products to avoid stock-outs and financial losses generated by expired items; Collaborates with the Senior Health Manager/s to define stock security levels in IRC’s directly implemented facilities;
• In close collaboration with the pharmacy Officer, warehouse inventory officer and HMIS, develops stock levels alert (based on an average monthly consumption AMC and morbidity data); gathers stock indicators, analyze them and discuss with to the team leader / Supply Chain coordinator so as to avoid stock-outs and the financial losses generated by expired items.
• With the support of the country Pharmacist, Leads the consortium program quantification- ensures drug consumption data is collected at health facilities, aggregated, analyzed and used for forecasting needs of the program;
• Provides input for international and local orders: draws up the first draft of orders with the team leader, reviews the parameters involved in replenishing stock,  reviews the projects’ essential drug list, finalizes orders based on consumption and future needs arising from the developments in the field
• Participates in defining strategies for supply, management, distribution and use of medical products in line with IRC’s recommendations and policies; under the supervision of the team leader and in collaboration with country pharmacist and Supply Chain Managers, support development/use of new pharmaceutical stock management systems
• Participates in implementing the pharmaceutical supply chain standard operating procedures;
• Applies Good Distribution Practices (GDPs) for pharmaceutical products at storage level, and Good Dispensing Practices in end user units.
• Manages medical stock data and indicators, analyzes and interprets performance to support the necessary programmatic decisions or course corrections in collaboration with Health and Supply Chain staff (consumption, stock levels, stock-outs, pre-stock-outs, over-stocking, donations, expired products, disposal, etc.)
• Regularly visits the warehouse to conduct audits and follow up on recommendations on GDPs: the layout of the warehouse, storage, product arrangement, reception, distribution and transport.
• Supervise the store release, distribution, and transfer of all stock to the required field site locations;
• Works in close collaboration with the supply chain leads at the State Primary Health Care Development Agency of Borno and Yobe for needs assessment.

Technical Support and Capacity Building

• Carries out regular follow up/team meetings with Pharma officers and any other Pharma team in the field sites in the consortium to maintain regular work plans in line with project objectives and identified capacity building needs
• Mentor field-based staff (e.g. pharmacists, medical store officers, health officers) on the proper management of medical stock through remote trainings, in-person trainings and on-job coaching;
• Assists training of the new and current staff on the IRC Pharma SOP’s and GDPs
• Provide indirect supervision of staff responsible for pharmacy management in the field; and direct supervision for the Pharmacy officer

Emergency Response

• Supports the local partners to maintain an effective supply chain management system, according to IRC logistics procedures.
• Ensures accurate and complete documentation is prepared for all consignments health facilities and partners 
• Support partners to develop and maintain warehouse systems and ensure that stock management and administration systems are implemented throughout the program
• Monitor projects stock levels and advise on appropriate stocking and replenishment to meet project demands.

Other

• Assess the continuing training needs of IRC staff, and local partner staff, and ensure training needs are appropriately met and within budget.  Training up the national medical logistics officer will be a key component of this role.
• Other relevant duties as assigned as requested by Supervisor.

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to:  Deputy Team Leader
Position directly supervises: Warehouse inventory officer and Pharmacy Procurement Officer

Indirect Reporting: Senior Pharmacy Manager
Technical referent: Senior Pharmacy Manager

Qualifications

• Bachelor in Pharmacy and at least 4 - 5 years working experience in of relevant setting (hospital setting, chemist shops, community pharmacies).
• Previous working experience in humanitarian programming
• Familiarity with international, national and local pharmaceutical procurement laws, policies and guidelines
• Previous working experience in primary health care sectors in Northeastern Nigeria is an added advantage.
• Managerial, training and supervisory experience

Working Environment:  The position will work in the Abuja Field Office with frequent travel and support to the field, the pharma procurement officer must have high level of flexibility and strength to be able to work under pressure and meets date lines

Strength/skills

• Able to work in a high-pressure situation, solve problems and resolve conflicts.
• Able to independently organize work, prioritize tasks and manage time.
• Ability to manage supply and organize stock
• Proficiency in the official language of the country of destination
• Knowledge of European Procurement Centers highly recommended
• Experience with quality assurance and procurement is an asset
• Proven knowledge and experience of pharmaceutical markets in developing countries and WHO standards
• Ability to work and report independently and under pressure
• Able to represent SC and capacity to negotiate positively and diplomatically with MoH and LGA PHC officials and SC national and expatriate staff
• Good organization and management skills
• Professionalism, transparency and flexibility a must
• Ability to work in a team
• Good analytical and problem-solving skills with attention to detail
• Skilled in coaching, training and supervising pharmaceutical/drug dispensing staff
• Knowledge of Pharmacy tools is a plus

The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct.  These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability.  In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

IRC et les employés de IRC doivent adhérer aux valeurs et principes contenus dans le IRC WAY (normes de conduite professionnelle). Ce sont l’Intégrité, le Service, et la Responsabilité. En conformité avec ces valeurs, IRC opère et fait respecter les politiques sur la protection des bénéficiaires contre l’exploitation et les abus, la protection de l’enfant, le harcèlement sur les lieux de travail, l’intégrité financière, et les représailles.