Current Vacancies at AstraZeneca

What you’ll do?

• As part of the high performing team, you’ll be applying your skills and knowledge to build your business and creating value to your customers through, multi-engagement channels (face to face and virtually). Our sales strategies are emergent in order to address the current needs and ensure relevance in the market. You will be part of the brainstorming and co-creating solutions for our customers and patients. As successful candidate, you will be engaging with General Practitioners and Specialists (Physicians, Endocrinologists and Cardiologists) on the exciting future of our Diabetes brands. 

Typical accountabilities will include:

• Medical sales representative can cope with standard problems/common situations, are competent at day-to-day application of the capabilities and are able to apply and explain concepts, information and solutions.
• Contribute value in many of their role activities.
• Takes a proactive approach to learning and skill development to help achieve success in role activities.
• May need consistent guidance and direction on more complex or challenging role tasks.
• Demonstrate broad competence in all areas of the capability framework.
• May need incremental coaching and development support to make progress in some capability areas to reach a full professional level of role proficiency Professional.
• Medical sales representative can cope with unusual/non-standard problems and issues, are aware of alternative options and approaches to situations, can guide or advise others in this skill and are able to look ahead and anticipate requirements. The medical sales representative takes responsibility for providing feedback to improve methodology etc.
• Contribute full business value in most of their role activities.
• Takes a proactive approach to learning and skill development to meet and exceed role activities.
• Perform their role with little or no guidance needed, other than in exceptional circumstances.
•  Can focus on broad role issues and identify opportunities to improve, create alternative options and approaches to situations.
•  Might be recognized as a resource or benchmark for others in some role capability areas.
• Copes easily with unusual non-standard problems and challenges.
• Role model some capabilities core competencies
•  Self-motivation, development & awareness
•  Shows clear understanding of his / her own strength and areas for development.
•  Sets goals for own personal development.
• Proactively seeks and implements feedback and advice from others.
• Makes observable efforts to bring a positive energy to the team and colleagues.
• Demonstrates an open mind and embraces change.
• Individual& interpersonal effectiveness
• Recognizes and modifies own communication approach when working with colleagues and customers.
• Demonstrates versatility when working with a variety of contacts within the customer organization.
• Works cross-functionally, sharing information that will help address the needs of individual accounts and decision makers.
• Is innovative in the generation of new ideas and solutions to problems.
• Can influence complex decision-making processes.

Selling skills

• Develop a deep understanding of the customer/account.
• Derives insights from understanding how both the wider and local healthcare environment influences decision making.
• Demonstrates an understanding of the patient journey, disease progression and impact upon the patient of different treatment choices.
• Understands and gathers insights regarding the customer’s role in the decision-making unit, their personal style, preferences and situation.
• Can articulate how the call fits within a series of calls to achieve a commercial objective, and captures this in a pre-call plan. Establishes the unmet need.
• Opens the call with impact, articulating the insight for single brand or portfolio in alignment with customer agenda and brand strategy, linking back appropriately to previous calls.
• Establishes and aligns with the customer on an unmet need relating to specific patients or groups of patients.
• Creates positive tension by appropriately challenging customers’ current views based on high levels of insight. Listens and drill down on all feedback.
• Demonstrates active listening skills, to enable greater understanding of the customers values and viewpoints.
• Uses a range of questioning techniques to elicit information relating to the unmet need and treatment options and to maintain positive tension.
• Seeks and confirms partial agreements. Personalizes the message and handles objections.
• Delivers a compelling personalized message to highlight how the clinical benefits of the AZ brand or portfolio will address the unmet need.
• Leverages a high level of brand and disease area knowledge relevant to brand or portfolio.
• Acknowledges, clarifies and handles objections and evaluates the customer’s response (ACHE) closes with actions
• Seeks commitment and actions in line with commercial objectives for single brand or portfolio and with needs of customer and patients.
• Updates appropriate records and profile information and communicates relevant information to cross-functional team.

Essential

•  Bsc. Degree in Life Sciences
• >3 yrs as a Sales Representative within the Pharmaceutical environment.
• Previous experience and knowledge of Diabetes therapeutic area in a multinational organization
• Experience in Johannesburg East (Far East) area with country trips to Nelspruit – Mpumalanga.
• Proven sales and customer success record
• Territory knowledge & trustful relationships with key HCPs
• Strong analytical ability
• Strong presentation skills
• Excellent communication skills: clear and concise messaging
• High learnability (incl. complex theory/science),
• Ability to work closely in collaboration with cross functional business areas.
• Valid driver’s license
• Computer Knowledge (at least Intermediate)
• Team Player
• Integrity and assertiveness
• Organized
• Results orientated
• Negotiation skills
• System thinking and acting in a consistent way

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What you’ll do?

• Here you will be leading the procurement team supporting SA and SSA markets. You will drive Procurement Strategy, oversee Supply/Procurement activities and be responsible for supplier relationship management. You will handle complex management issues and provide guidance/coaching to more junior staff on sourcing and other business-related issues. You will be the first contact person for the business in all regards related to Procurement driven activities. As part of your role, you ensure all sourcing arrangements are successful and aligned to the company and Middle East and Africa Area strategy, and manage supplier relationships at a strategic level while bringing all the possible benefits to business.

Typical Accountabilities will include:

• Handles complex management issues and provides guidance to more junior staff on sourcing-related issues. Ensures all sourcing arrangements are successful and aligned to company and area strategy and manages supplier relationships at a strategic level. Otherwise, may be responsible for strategic planning, relationship management and reviews of existing supplier arrangements for an entire spend category for a region or all of AstraZeneca.
• Acts as lead for a significant functional area within procurement or manages a group of smaller functions.
• Contributes to the development, and drives implementation, of operational plans to achieve procurement strategy objectives.
• Ensures procurement processes and supplier management are implemented in line with identified AstraZeneca policies, procedures and standards, to achieve agreed scope.
• Provides technical guidance to team members and customers on procurement processes by using existing knowledge and experience and by seeking out information to resolve problems.
• Manages and monitors supplier spend against budgeted targets.
• Investigate current and future procurement needs, communicating them appropriately and translating them into specific requirements.
• Manages the demand and supply activities within areas of responsibility within procurement.
• Oversees the introduction of new processes from the identification of business need, through to the timely introduction and formal acceptance of the change by all customers.
• Leads individuals within own section of Procurement to deliver the highest levels of performance and maintain both function and supplier relations.
• Provides clear leadership, direction, communication and development opportunities to enable the team to meets its objectives
• In conjunction with Global Procurement Group, identifies and leads improvement initiatives and project teams in support of longer-term business strategy. Develops and maintains Service Level Agreements
• Develops and cultivates technical expertise and knowledge within project team or broader Procurement function by disseminating best practices and sharing knowledge across functions and project teams.
• KPI’s include but not limited to savings, extended payment terms, vendor optimization, governance & compliance activities.
• Must be able to engage and manage Suppliers and Stakeholder relationships.
• Able to extrapolate required spend reports from SAP to support business requests e.g. BBBEE spend.
• Analyzing market trends and supplier landscape
• Providing insights and recommendations to senior management and suppliers
• Spotting and exploiting emerging trends and technologies.

ESSENTIAL SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

• Completed Bachelor’s degree in Commerce – Procurement and/or Supply Chain Management
• Post Grad Degree will be advantageous
• Degree plus 5 years’ experience in procurement including 4 of which must be in an operational environment within the pharmaceutical, Medical, Retail, and/or FMCG industry.
• 2 years of Project management, change management and people management skills
• Knowledge of PPPFA and BBBEE.
• Significant experience in a similar environment at a management level
• Sound understanding of Safety, Health and Environment
• Ensure team compliance with the code of ethics.
• Strong negotiation skills (contracts with suppliers)
• Technical expertise in at least one Procurement area, and competence in several others
• Demonstrating a keen awareness of strategic opportunities and effectively engaging others in innovative thinking to drive outcomes. Proficiency in influencing stakeholders across various functions (including Brand Management, Finance, Legal, Operations, and Procurement) to formulate and execute strategic plans and foster productive relationships, resulting in exceptional performance.
• Excellent Communication skills with a passion for Purchasing / Marketing & Finance
• Leadership Capability: knowledge transfer to junior team.
• Relationship Building and Maintenance - Exhibit proficiency in orchestrating high-level engagements with internal stakeholders, suppliers, and agencies, fostering collaboration across diverse functions, regions, and cultural contexts. Possess adept interpersonal skills to cultivate relationships and exert influence, particularly in navigating remote interactions. Dedicate substantial time and effort to managing supplier relationships, devising supplier relationship management strategies, and implementing joint business plans.
• Communication skills and ability to influence others.
• Comfort with risk and ambiguous situations