Requisition ID: req42307
Job Title: Pharmacy Manager – HeRON Consortium
Sector: Health
Employment Category: Regular
Employment Type: Full-Time
Open to Expatriates: No
Location: Maiduguri, Nigeria
Job Description
The International Rescue Committee responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, IRC offers life-saving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in more than 40 countries and in 22 U.S. cities, IRC restores safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted by conflict or disaster. IRC leads the way from harm to home.
CONTEXTUAL BACKGROUND
The IRC has been present in Nigeria since 2012 when the organization responded to flooding in Kogi state. In February 2014 the IRC moved into Adamawa State in NE Nigeria to provide humanitarian interventions through a multi-sectoral, integrated approach for conflict affected populations. IRC Nigeria now operates a country office in Abuja and field offices in Mubi and Yola of Adamawa State, Maiduguri and Monguno of Borno state and Damaturu of Yobe State. Currently, IRC Nigeria implements programs primary health care, nutrition, environmental health, women’s protection and empowerment, protection, child protection, education, food security & livelihoods.
JOB OVERVIEW/SUMMARY
HeRON Project Overview
USAID/FCDO Lafiya Health Resilience of the Northeast Nigeria (HeRON) project in Borno and Yobe states supports delivery of quality integrated primary healthcare, reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health services, to improve evidence-based decision making, accountability at all levels of service delivery.
IRC leads a consortium of humanitarian and development implementing partners (Action Contre la Faim – ACF, Society for Family Health Nigeria). The Project team is working alongside states and local government authorities in Borno and Yobe, strengthening their capacity to effectively deliver quality integrated primary healthcare, reproductive, maternal, and newborn and child health and nutrition services.
Scope of Work
IRC is seeking an experienced pharmacy management professional to provide managerial and technical support to HeRON consortium program and its implementing partners, collaborating with States’ MoH and LGAs to strengthen their pharmaceutical systems and improve health outcomes.
Reporting to the HeRON Consortium Team Leader, the post holder will provide technical management and regular coordination support of HeRON IPs’ pharmacy focal persons, for the successful implementation of project HSS undertakings on pharmaceutical commodities.
The consortium pharmacy manager will directly work with HeRON IPs and relevant MoH departments to strengthen their regulatory system and pharmaceutical commodities management practices, to ensure sustainable access to and appropriate use of safe, effective, affordable, quality-assured medical products.
He/she will provide sound technical support to assess systems for supply chain management, pharmacovigilance, product quality assurance, patient safety, workforce development and sustainability, and financing of these systems, including medicines benefits coverage under MoH policies and HSS initiatives for universal health coverage.
MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES
Program Management, Technical Support, Strategy and Partnerships
Works in close collaboration with the supply chain leads at the State Primary Health Care Development Agency of Borno and Yobe for needs assessment.
Constantly coordinate with pharma commodities’ focal persons from relevant bodies and partners (Global Fund, UNICEF, UNFPA, Etc.) for synergic collaboration to ensure a coherent supply of medical commodities to HeRON intervention LGAs and health facilities.
Coordinate with MoH stakeholders to provide technical support for the reactivation of LMCUs across HeRON LGAs in Borno and Yobe (Capacity development in data collection clean-up, validation, and reconciliation)
Coordinate with relevant development partners to support the reactivation of State Level PSM-TWGs.
Collaborate with states MoH and LGAs to work on joint quantifications and consolidate their electronic logistics management.
Constantly liaise with consortium IPs to ensure that all planned pharma commodities related activities are timely implemented with quality reporting.
Conduct periodic joint support supervision visits to field sites, identify capacity building needs, and proactively develop improvement plans.
Provide mentoring to field staff on the appropriate management of medical stocks (Remote trainings, in-person trainings and on-job coaching).
Provide training to project staff on IRC Pharma SOPs and GDPs
Logistics and Procurements Management
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, 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, maintenance and that medical stocks are kept in proper storage conditions.
Ensure efficient and appropriate logistical support is provided for all project sites, including drug and equipment distributions, and construction/rehabilitation activities.
Establish and maintain a robust log filing system.
Responsible on technical areas such as maintenance, cold chain, generators, basic water/sanitation, and rehabilitation, etc. – with support from relevant IRC’s technical managers.
Pharma Commodities System Management:
Collaborate with LGAs and IPs’ Pharma leads to define stock security levels applicable across all HeRON facilities.
Coordinate with HMIS (M&E) to develop stock levels alert (based on an average monthly consumption-AMC and morbidity data)
Establish an appropriate monitoring mechanism to track the availability of medical commodities.
Constantly keep the consortium leadership and Supply Chain updated regarding stocks indicators analysis to avoid stock-outs and the financial losses resulting from expired commodities.
Leads the consortium program quantifications, ensuring drug consumption data is collected at health facilities, aggregated, analyzed, and used for forecasting needs.
Supervise the store releases, distributions, and transfers of all stocks to the intended project locations
Provides inputs for international and local orders: Developing pharma procurement plans in liaison with the consortium leadership (Review the parameters involved in replenishing stocks; Review of the essential drugs list/ tracer drugs; Finalization of orders based on consumption data and future needs arising from the developments in the field).
Responsible in ensuring IRC’s Pharma SOPs are in place and applied.
Applies Good Distribution Practices (GDPs) for pharmaceutical products at storage level, and Good Dispensing Practices in end user units.
Conduct regular medical stocks data and indicators analysis to interpret performance, and guide programmatic decisions/ course corrections in collaboration with the consortium leadership and SC. (consumption, stock levels, stock-outs, pre-stock-outs, over-stocking, donations, expired products, disposal, etc.)
Conduct periodic internal assessments of the warehouse for audits, and follow up on recommendations on GDPs (E.g., the layout of the warehouse, storage, products arrangement, reception, distribution, and transportation, etc.)
Emergency Preparedness and Response
Coordinate with MoH and IPs to maintain an effective supply chain management system according to standard logistics procedures and maintain buffer stocks.
Constantly liaise with relevant coordination platforms (Clusters, TWGs, etc.) to keep abreast with evolving contextual and epidemiological dynamics in project intervention locations
Participate in government led initiatives to establish/ activate ERT/RRT.
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.
Carry out any other tasks as deemed relevant by the supervisor.
Coordination & Representation
Represent the project to State and Local government relevant officials, partner agencies, etc. as required.
In coordination with the consortium leadership, actively develop and maintain effective working relationships with key stakeholders, government actors, international and local NGOs, etc.
Participate at coordination meetings: All HeRON consortium coordination related meetings, Field implementation meetings with partners, and any other relevant IRC internal meetings as required (E.g., Supply chain related meetings and trainings)
Participate at external coordination meetings (Clusters and relevant TWGs and Tsk forces, etc.) as required
Facilitate field monitoring visits for internal and external stakeholders, when required.
Staff Performance Management, Learning & Development:
Hire, supervise, and build the capacity of his/her team members in relevant technical and management competencies.
Develop and implement remote management capacity building approaches to build the strengths of his/her team.
Coach, train, supervise and mentor direct-report staff, including communicating clear expectations, setting annual performance objectives, providing regular and timely positive and constructive performance feedback, and providing documented semi-annual performance reviews.
Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions.
Approve and manage all time, attendance and leave requests to ensure adequate departmental coverage; ensure monthly, accurate timesheet submission and carry out probationary reviews.
Hold high-quality meetings with each direct report on a regular and predictable basis, at least monthly.
Provide a measurable development plan including on-the-job learning with the aim of strengthening technical capacity, exchanging knowledge within the team, and providing guidance on career paths.
As required identify staff performance issues and work with Human Resources to document and address these in accordance with the National Staff Employment Policies.
Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions.
Promote and monitor staff care and well-being. Model healthy work-life balance practices. Support appropriate interventions in response to identified staff care needs of both national and international staff.
Look for opportunities to support staff in their career growth, where appropriate. As part of succession plan and nationalization goals, identify, train, and develop capability and capacity of national staff to successfully transition role and responsibilities, by the end of assignment.
Adhere to and act in accordance with the IRC Global HR Policies and Procedures; and communicate through words and examples a high standard of compliance with all applicable policies and regulations.
Qualifications
KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS
Line Manager: Roving Senior Pharmacy Manager
Indirect/Functional Reporting: Deputy Team Lead, Senior Pharmacy Manager, Team Leader
Working Collaboration: Coordination Manager, Snr. M&E Manager, Health Governance Manager, Consortium Finance Coordinator, HeRON Senior Project Manager, HSS Advisors – MoH Embedded
Position directly Supervises: Warehouse inventory officer, Pharmacy Procurement Officer
Key Internal Contacts:
Country Program: Supply Chain, Relevant Sector Leads (Health Outcomes)
Region/Global: Pharmacy Technical Advisor
Key External Contacts: Relevant MoH Officials at State & LGA level, Consortium IPs Pharma Leads.
JOB REQUIREMENTS
Education:
Bachelor’s Degree in Pharmacy
Post-graduate qualification in a relevant field is preferred
Previous Management Training or Systems Strengthening is an added advantage
Work Experience, Required Technical Skills & Leadership Competencies:
Minimum 2 to 3 years’ experience in a similar role
Previous experience with health programs, working in coordination with states MoH officials or LGAs and other local health actors to strengthen the quality and responsiveness of services.
Working knowledge in stakeholders’ engagement and advocacy
Good skills in logistics management required, with general knowledge in budgeting and forecasting
Team management skills
Demonstrated good judgment and decision-making skills
Ability to handle a large and dynamic workload, work under pressure and meet deadlines
Experience managing geographically dispersed teams and working in tandem with local stakeholders
Skills and experience of remote management and willingness to travel to project locations; Flexible, diplomatic and have ability and willingness live and work under pressure of workloads
Experience in reports writing (organization and donor reporting)
Strong commitment to IRC’s mission, purpose, and values
Languages: English Fluency (spoken and written). Knowledge of local languages, including Hausa is an added advantage
Computer/Other Tech Requirements:
Full professional competency in Microsoft Office Suite, especially Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint. Familiarity with stocks management software an added advantage.
Ability to Travel: 30% ability to travel to field locations
Standards of Professional Conduct: The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – Code of 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, Harassment-Free Workplace, Fiscal Integrity, Anti-Retaliation, Combating Trafficking in Persons, and several others.
Gender Equality: IRC is committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols and other supportive benefits and allowances.
Working Environment: This position is based at IRC Field Office in Maiduguri.
IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
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