Background

The Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency (AGENCY) is a Statutory Government Agency established by the ZAMMSA Act No.9 of 2009 and charged with the procurement of medicines and medical supplies, storage of medicines and medical supplies and distribution of medicines and medical supplies to all public facilities in Zambia. The Agency’s responsibility is carried out on behalf of Government, ensuring that essential drugs and medical supplies are available and accessible to the public. ZAMMSA ensures quality and safety of the distributed medical products through strict quality assurance protocols, including inspections and compliance with regulatory requirement. The Agency seeks applications from suitably qualified and experienced Zambian Nationals to fill the under listed positions at ZAMMSA:

Main Job Purpose

To ensure that all operations meet the highest standards of quality, safety and compliance in order to maintain the integrity and efficacy of medicines and medical supplies throughout the supply chain, thereby safeguarding public health and upholding regulatory requirements.

Main Responsibilities:

The main duties and responsibilities for this post are but not limited to the following:

1. Policy and Strategic Planning

• Coordinates the development, review and implementation of policies and strategies in order to ensure adherence to statutory provisions, standards and industry best practices.
• Contributes to the development and implementation of strategic plans for the Standards and Quality Assurance functions in order to align with organisational goals and objectives and meet customer demands.

2. Quality Management System and Regulatory Compliance

• Coordinates the monitoring of compliance of all processes with regulatory requirements and industry standards in order to ensure consistent product quality and safety.
• Coordinates the maintenance of compliance with national and international regulations in order to prevent legal risks and ensure that all products meet the necessary standards for safety and efficacy.

3. Supplier Quality Assurance, Testing and Validation

• Coordinates the evaluation and monitoring of suppliers in order to ensure that medicines and medical supplies meet predefined quality criteria and minimise the risks associated with substandard products.
• Coordinates the testing and validation of products and processes in order to ensure that they meet quality specifications and performance standards and maintain product efficacy and safety.

4. Audits, Inspections and Incident Investigation

• Coordinates internal and external audits and inspections in order to identify areas of non-compliance and opportunities for improvement.
• Coordinates investigations into quality incidents and root cause analyses in order to prevent recurrence and maintain the integrity and reliability of the supply chain.

5. Risk Management, Continuous Improvement and Customer Feedback

• Coordinates the identification, assessment and mitigation of risks related to the quality and safety of medicines and medical supplies in order to safeguard the Agency and its customers.
• Coordinates the implementation of continuous improvement initiatives in order to enhance efficiency, reduce waste and ensure optimal quality control processes.
• Coordinates the analysis of customer feedback and the identification of quality issues in order to implement corrective actions and improve customer satisfaction and product reliability.

6. Documentation, Training and Cross-Functional Coordination

• Coordinates the maintenance of comprehensive documentation of all quality assurance activities, in liaison with the main Registry, in order to facilitate traceability, accountability and regulatory compliance.
• Coordinates the development and delivery of training programmes on quality assurance practices, in liaison with Human Resource and Administration, in order to ensure that all employees are knowledgeable about quality standards and procedures.
• Coordinates collaboration with procurement, storage, distribution and other teams in order to integrate quality assurance processes throughout the supply chain and enhance operational efficiency.

7. Leadership and Management

• Provides leadership to the Standards and Quality Assurance teams in order to foster a culture of excellence, teamwork and continuous improvement and achieve performance targets.
• Coordinates the timely preparation of unit budgets in order to facilitate programme implementation.
• Coordinates the monitoring and evaluation of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in order to measure the effectiveness and efficiency of service delivery and provide appropriate interventions.
• Coordinates the development of work plans and implementation of the Performance Management System (PMS) in order to monitor, evaluate and enhance performance.
• Manages human, financial and other resources in order to facilitate achievement of unit objectives.

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES:

• Integrity
• Tact and Diplomacy
• Results-oriented

SKILLS REQUIRED

• Leadership and team building skills
• Metrics-driven leadership
• Analytical skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Good computer skills
• Ability to write strategic and technical reports
• Ability to communicate effectively in English

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Full Grade 12 School Certificate
• Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry, Pharmacy or its equivalent
• Minimum 6 years’ relevant work experience, 4 of which should be at supervisory level

• Coordinates the development, review and implementation of policies and strategies in order to ensure adherence to statutory provisions, standards and industry best practices.
• Contributes to the development and implementation of strategic plans for the Standards and Quality Assurance functions in order to align with organisational goals and objectives and meet customer demands.
• Coordinates the monitoring of compliance of all processes with regulatory requirements and industry standards in order to ensure consistent product quality and safety.
• Coordinates the maintenance of compliance with national and international regulations in order to prevent legal risks and ensure that all products meet the necessary standards for safety and efficacy.
• Coordinates the evaluation and monitoring of suppliers in order to ensure that medicines and medical supplies meet predefined quality criteria and minimise the risks associated with substandard products.
• Coordinates the testing and validation of products and processes in order to ensure that they meet quality specifications and performance standards and maintain product efficacy and safety.
• Coordinates internal and external audits and inspections in order to identify areas of non-compliance and opportunities for improvement.
• Coordinates investigations into quality incidents and root cause analyses in order to prevent recurrence and maintain the integrity and reliability of the supply chain.
• Coordinates the identification, assessment and mitigation of risks related to the quality and safety of medicines and medical supplies in order to safeguard the Agency and its customers.
• Coordinates the implementation of continuous improvement initiatives in order to enhance efficiency, reduce waste and ensure optimal quality control processes.
• Coordinates the analysis of customer feedback and the identification of quality issues in order to implement corrective actions and improve customer satisfaction and product reliability.
• Coordinates the maintenance of comprehensive documentation of all quality assurance activities, in liaison with the main Registry, in order to facilitate traceability, accountability and regulatory compliance.
• Coordinates the development and delivery of training programmes on quality assurance practices, in liaison with Human Resource and Administration, in order to ensure that all employees are knowledgeable about quality standards and procedures.
• Coordinates collaboration with procurement, storage, distribution and other teams in order to integrate quality assurance processes throughout the supply chain and enhance operational efficiency.
• Provides leadership to the Standards and Quality Assurance teams in order to foster a culture of excellence, teamwork and continuous improvement and achieve performance targets.
• Coordinates the timely preparation of unit budgets in order to facilitate programme implementation.
• Coordinates the monitoring and evaluation of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in order to measure the effectiveness and efficiency of service delivery and provide appropriate interventions.
• Coordinates the development of work plans and implementation of the Performance Management System (PMS) in order to monitor, evaluate and enhance performance.
• Manages human, financial and other resources in order to facilitate achievement of unit objectives.

• Leadership and team building skills
• Metrics-driven leadership
• Analytical skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Good computer skills
• Ability to write strategic and technical reports
• Ability to communicate effectively in English

• Full Grade 12 School Certificate
• Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry, Pharmacy or its equivalent