Job Vacancies at Aspen Pharma Group

Objective: 

• The Specialty Senior Biopharmaceutical Representative acts as the primary customer contact and is responsible for implementing marketing strategy and promoting Aspen/Amgen products as led by the District Manager

Key Responsibilities

Commercial Excellence

• Managing all associated expenses ensuring ROI on all activities.
• Provide current and comprehensive knowledge of Amgen's products and effectively communicate the clinical benefits to medical professionals while building trust relationships to drive appropriate utilization of the products.
•  Perform as a sales leader to achieve territory sales by delivering branded sales messages, conducting planned programs, scheduling and following-up with medical educational programs, and achieving or exceeding sales targets through both in-person and virtual engagement.
• Drive cross functional efficiencies and collaboration with key stakeholders across the business.
• Provide feedback on marketing strategy, analyse business effectiveness of sales activities and territory analysis, and develop territory plans with the District Manager 
• Partner with other colleagues to share best practices and seek to learn and grow as a Specialty Representative/Senior Specialty Representative.
• Demonstrate passion for our products and sustain that passion through the entire sales cycle while always building our brand and never losing sight of how we serve patients. 
• To support the retention and development of Key External expert relationships through the detailing of a therapeutic portfolio.
• Understanding of research and development trends, building product awareness and aiding decisions surrounding product acceptance and adoption.
• Follow up with targeted HCPs, gather feedback on their experience with Aspen/ Amgen products and provide them with an ongoing customer support to ensure effective choice and use of the products.
• Manage, coordinate, and administer portfolio within regional territory including planning, territory analysis, implementing customer targeting and call coverage of customer base.
• Drive Focus brands
• Achieve and exceed set targets and market share objectives and track sales data to achieve or exceed sales budgets.
• Provide ongoing customer support to create additional value in the business relationship including product training, external meetings, and webinars.
• Resolve customer complaints by investigating problems; developing solutions; preparing reports; making recommendations to management.
• Communicate and report on adverse reaction within 24 hours and ensure that all product complaints are resolved within the respective timelines.
• Plan, organise and arrange training to Pharmacist/ Pharmacists assistants if required.
• Implement area specific strategies that would positively impact the business and share best practices within the team.
• Maintain adherence business rules i.e., call rates standards, call logging adherence and ensure submission of monthly and weekly planners and reports.
• There will be a requirement to travel overnight to some of the regions as part of the territory

Value creation

• Monitor and analyse data and market conditions to identify competitive advantage and product usage to improve sales performance.
• Pursue continuous learning and professional development and stay up to date with the latest industry trends,
• Plan and organise and arrange training to HCPs.
• Promote products ethically and within compliance based on company’s sales process and approved marketing strategy.

Compliance

• Adherence to all CCCO expectations in customer interaction and activities

Skills and Attributes

• Product knowledge on both Amgen /Aspen and competitor products
• Experience in Oncology will be beneficial.
• Strong clinical ability to enable in-depth clinical discussions.
• Effective territory management and optimization.
• Knowledge of basic financial calculation i.e. % targets, growth, margins
• Analytical and Interpretation skills – Being able to analyse Aspen/ Amgen in house data and external data sources.
• Very strong communication and negotiation skills
• Driven individual who is a self-starter and able to solve problems and gathers insights to feed back to the business.
• Active listening skills
• Time management skills
• Organizational skills 
• Administration skills
• Ability to work under pressure.
• Excellent Presentation skills
• Problem solving and decision-making skills.
• Numerate, analytical, high attention to detail, able to prioritize.
• Execution and understanding of set budgets.

Knowledge:

• Knowledge of the Hospital business/industry
• Have a complete and thorough understanding of the scope of the pharmaceutical market
• Understanding of the budgeting and forecasting processes,
• A good grasp of marketing strategies and processes.
• Strong negotiation skills,
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• MS office – with Advanced Excel Competency
• QlikView, TPM, IMS, SSD Models, Impact RX and Rep-wise Model

Requirements

Education & Experience

• Matric qualification.
• A tertiary medical/healthcare qualification.
• Minimum 6 years proven successful track record in pharmaceutical industry will be required, in hospital / specialist arena.
• Minimum 6 years detailing experience to specialist doctors is essential.
• Existing relationships with key customers would be an advantage.
• Excellent interpersonal communication, presentation, and negotiation skills
• Valid driver’s license
• Proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Word, Qlik vw, repwise

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Description

• Manage, plan, track and update the Laboratory testing schedule based on actual and forecasted Production demand.
• Support the end-to-end laboratory value chain (Procurement, stock, utilization, planning, execution) to optimize Customer OTIF, Production schedule adherence, working capital and laboratory utilization).

Requirements

Laboratory scheduling

• Manage the Laboratory schedule, including equipment, resources, and related data/ systems, and fulfils associated admin requirements.
• Liaise with WH on sampling and testing, expiration etc.
• Provide “what if” capacity and schedule analysis for changing demand, staffing constraints, and new customer project awards.
• Plan to minimize effects of resource constraints.
• Ensure that the lab schedule supports to production schedule and optimize campaigns where necessary.
• Reschedule backlogs daily and prioritize and expedite as needed.
• Manage outsourcing within the Laboratory, outsourcing/ purchasing of additional resources, as required.
• Ensure procurement parameters are continuously updated and ensure the MRP execution is according to plan.
• Track material delivery, react accordingly and follow up.
• Plan to optimize output and meet demand.
• Manage expiration, retesting as part of the planning process.

Laboratory coordination and reporting

• Work with production supervisors and managers for optimal efficiency to meet the needs of internal and external customers.
• Communicate regarding schedule adjustments.
• Supply Laboratory with rough-cut capacity requirement planning
• Prioritize and expedite testing within the Laboratory.
• Assess and report on manpower requirements.
• Perform resources stock out analysis and prepare reports.
• Report on budgeted, planned, and actual recoveries
• Ensure change controls are actioned appropriately.

Risk management

• Communicate lab risks to the Planning and Production teams.
• Monitor test volumes against Laboratory capacity, identifying at-risk releases.
• Identify testing deficits, over-scheduling, capacity constraints and under-loaded schedules and highlight recoveries-related financial risks and critical materials shortages.
• Analyse customer status reports; identify and resolve issues.

Operational Input

• Provide technical and operational input on Laboratory planning and on the prioritization of objectives.
• Indicate resource needs to enable achievement of work objectives.
• Monitor and control use of assets/ resources within work area

Skills Required

Background/experience

• 4 to 6 years’ experience in a Pharmaceutical Laboratory environment, preferable Planning experience with the Laboratory
• Experience in a pharmaceutical manufacturing environment
• 3-year degree or diploma in Chemistry or related, Planning, Procurement, or a related discipline

Specific job skills

• Computer literacy: proficiency in Excel, Word, Power point and ERP system

Competencies

• Information Gathering
• Interrogating Information
• Taking Action
• Managing Performance
• Planning and Organizing

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Description

Overview

• Interpret and implement quality procedures, standards and specifications for value streams.
• Manage and coordinate value stream QA activities.
• Coordinate and execute the review and approval of in-process quality programs.
• Manage and coordinate admin functions within quality systems.
• Performance management of direct reports
• Perform activities for process compliance and product release, when required.

Responsibilities Planning & Section Management

• Provide technical and operational input on operational planning of the unit and on the prioritization of objectives.
• Provide input into budget and resource requirements of section.
• Request and allocate assets and resources for the fulfilment of work objectives and monitor their use.
• Provide section staff with day-to-day direction and tasks.
• Run effective performance review meetings.
• Attend L1-2 meetings.
• Ensure visual performance boards are updated.
• Completion and monitoring of time and attendance

Product Release

• Verify batch release conditions and documentation.
• Manage and coordinate process to determine disposition of products.
• Manage and coordinate batch release priorities in line with On Time In Full (OTIF) and planning schedule requirements.
• Perform batch release when required.

 Process Compliance

• Issue, track and approve CAPA requests.
• Manage implementation of operational changes to SOPs and processes
• Manage and coordinate process compliance activities to ensure that batch release is consistent with OTIF and planning schedule.
• Leading deviations related to country requirements.

 In Process Quality Management

• Manage and coordinate in-process internal inspections.  

Governance, Risk & Compliance

• Monitor implementation and correct compliance with legislation, policies and procedures.

Requirements

Background/experience

• Minimum of Bachelor’s degree (B Pharm)
• Minimum 4-6 years’ related work experience
• Pharmaceutical manufacturing experience

Specific job skills

• Strong working knowledge of pharmaceutical manufacturing and corrective action programs
• Pharmaceutical standards and compliance requirements
• People management
• Ability to interpret and implement policies, processes and objectives.

Competencies

• Interrogating Information
• Managing Performance
• Planning and Organizing
• Finalizing Outputs

Accountability & Decision Rights

• Set overall direction for team in alignment with unit policies, objectives and OTIF and planning schedules.
• Manage budget(s) for teams and/ or small projects.
• Exercise interpersonal, communication, training and problem-solving skills to optimize team performance.
• Escalate highly complex problems or out-of-policy issues.
• Provide support to production operations to ensure quality at source, providing the necessary quality references and policies and executes problem solving and risk-based approaches to operational activities.

Independent decisions relating to:

• Resources, approach, and tactical operations
• Staff productivity and operational processes, tools and services
• Establishing own and teamwork priorities and timelines
• Interpretation of policies, standards, requirements, and approaches

Deliverables

• In-process control programs effectively implemented, controlled, and monitored in production value streams
• Batch release requirements are met and verified in line with OTIF and planning schedule
• Disposition of products determined correctly
• Operational changes to SOPs and processes implemented in compliance with control process
• Retention samples stored according to SOP
• Quality systems maintained and updated
• Documentation stored/ archived according to SOP
• Develop priorities and KPIs for section.

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Description

• Provision of business support on all aspects of the area’s work. Coordination and execution of administrative functions within the Quality area.

Requirements

Administrative support

• Provide input into work activities and priorities for the unit.
• Monitor adherence to schedules, organize and schedule meetings, monitor quality area activities, and plan and make travel arrangements.
• Prepare, compile and release documentation to external departments.
• Coordinate project and office services
• Performs advanced administrative, operational, customer support and computational tasks.

Process compliance (CAPAs, change, controls, deviations)

• Administer CAPAs requests.
• Coordinate the required tracking of change requests to SOPs and processes and assist in determining compliance with control process.
• Assist in analyzing deviation trends.
• Coordinate the required tracking of overdue CAPAs, CCs, deviations and internal audit reports and responses.

Master data management

• Create and maintain material master data on the ERP.
• Maintain material BOMs on the ERP
• Assist with the management and maintenance of master batch records.

Management review, reporting and record-keeping

• Assist in tracking and reporting on in-country quality metrics.
• Assist in the gathering and consolidating/ compiling information required for reporting.
• Consolidate documents.
• Maintain and update records and systems as required.
• Retrieve documentation and records to facilitate query resolution.

Stakeholder relations

• Communicate with internal stakeholders to achieve work objectives, maintain relationships and to assist and convey information.
• Schedule meetings with local suppliers

Reporting & record keeping

• Provide information for completion of reports.
• Maintain and update records and systems as required.

Skills Required:

Background/experience

• 3 to 6 years of relevant experience
• Grade 12 Certificate

Specific job skills

• Broad working knowledge of concepts, terminology, and specialized admin requirements to support Quality area.

Competencies

• Information Gathering
• Following Procedures
• Planning and Organising