Distribution Specialist, Sub-Sahara Africa at AstraZeneca

What you’ll do?

As the AstraZeneca Distribution Specialist for Sub Sahara Africa, you will fulfill a critical role in ensuring that our life- changing medications are accessible to our patients.  The AstraZeneca Global Logistics Function (GLF) is a world leader in the movement of pharmaceutical products, from our manufacturing sites all the way to the end patient. A career in GLF will give you exposure to best-in-class logistics standards, working with industry experts across the globe, and an opportunity to make a positive impact on patients’ lives every single day. 

Typical Accountabilities

• Responsible for seamless distribution operations to deliver customer service levels with right quality, quantity, and cost targets in the South Africa market.
• Delivers policies, best practices, development plans, budgets and business continuity plans to enable distribution activities. Develops and manages relationship with Freight Forwarders (FFs), Logistics Service Providers (LSPs) and Third Party Logistics Service Providers (3PLs) at a local level.
• Owns delivery to market distributors or AZ-managed distribution centre, undertakes process and resource planning, communicates objectives and monitors performance to ensure delivery against agreed targets
• Undertakes management reporting via both Information Systems and paper-based systems
• Monitors and maintains compliance to current Good Manufacturing Practices, Safety, Health and Environment and Sarbanes Oxley business procedures, raising and addressing problems as they arise
• Follows AstraZeneca’s financial policies, manages people resources to policy requirement and delivers budgets
• Optimizes performance outcomes of direct reports and ensures individuals understand the contribution they make
• Communicates business plan to team and acts as highest escalation point within the distribution centre to resolve any issues to delivery
• Promotes continuous improvement, identifying and delivering performance improvements

Operational:

• Create and monitor stock coverage list
• Assure sufficient supply availability (Inbound and Outbound) in close collaboration with supply site, the Logistics Service Provider, Operations Demand Management team and Commercial.
• Manage day to day activities (Complaints, Returns, Expediting) with all relevant stakeholders.
• Proactive issue resolution and support of ad hoc queries
• Proactive support of NPI`s and Projects
• Assure timely reporting according to global/regional requirements
• Share Good Practice and proactive support LEAN initiatives

Stakeholder Management:

• Ensure SLA`s and RACI`s with relevant stakeholders are in place.
• Monitors key performance indicators, identifying and addressing issues as appropriate and directing the delivery of process and operational enhancements to increase effectiveness of the logistic provision.
• Communicate with Commercial on risks posed to on-time shipping of orders.

Compliance:

• Ensures that all operations in Country of responsibility is compliant with all relevant local legal requirements, such as GDP, Safety, personal rights)
• Ensures that all operations in Country of responsibility is compliant and fulfil all relevant AZ compliance requirements (SOX, LCF, DoA, SHE, BCP, IRM, RRA, GDP, IT, Cyber Security)
• Conduct activities and interactions consistent with Company values and in compliance with the Code of Ethics and supporting Policies and Standards relevant to the role.
• Report proactively potential issues of non-compliance.
• If this sounds appealing, please read on to understand the experience and skills we’re looking for…

ESSENTIAL SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

• Must have a completed Bachelor's Degree /Diploma  in Logistics / Supply Chain or equivalent
• 4 + Years experience in Logistics / Distribution / Supply Chain with understanding of import, export, freight and customs documentation.
• SAP (or similar system) knowledge and experience.
• Pharmaceutical industry experience will be advantageous
• Export markets experience predominantly in the Sub-Sahara Africa region will be advantageous. 
• Demonstrated experience of working with Distributors and wholesalers in the Sub-Sahara Africa region will be advantageous