Global Surge Team Roster: Pharmacist

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) 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, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 30 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure.

The IRC’s Global Surge Team (GST) is a roster of esteemed and highly qualified humanitarian professionals who deploy on short notice to non-emergency and emergency contexts to support the IRC’s mission. Members of the GST provide specialist support where talent is most needed for short-term deployments of up to three months. The GST is a flexible employment opportunity for staff, requiring members to be available for deployments only 50% of the year (with opportunities for additional deployments if incumbent is interested).

Job Overview:

Under the direct supervision of the Senior Health Coordinator or Health Lead, the GST Pharmacist shall be the technical lead for pharmacy management responsible for quality assurance of all pharmaceutical products in the country programs and act as the bridge between Supply Chain and the Health Unit. With the support of SHC, S/he will participate in the definition of strategies for supply chain management, distribution and use of medical products and donations in the programs in line with the health department’s recommendations and policies whilst ensuring national regulations are followed. This position is the link with external actors/partners concerning pharmaceutical issues, and will support IRC health emergency response work if needed.

Major Responsibilities:

Pharmaceuticals and Supplies Management:

• Ensure that all procured items are in the Country Program Essential Drug List and that drug consumption data is collected and analyzed.

• Monitors the availability of medical products to avoid stock-outs and financial losses generated by expired items; Collaborates with the Senior Health Manager/s to define stock security levels in IRC’s directly implemented facilities.

• Develop stock levels alert based on AMC and morbidity data, analyze stock indicators, discuss with Health Coordinator/Supply Chain coordinator to avoid stock-outs and financial losses.

• Provides input for international and local orders, reviews parameters, and finalizes orders based on consumption and future needs.

• Participates in defining strategies for medical product supply, management, distribution, and use, and supports the development/use of new pharmaceutical stock management systems and software.

• Participates in implementing the pharmaceutical supply chain standard operating procedures.

• Applies Good Distribution Practices (GDPs) for pharmaceutical products at storage level, and Good Dispensing Practices in end user units. These include documentation verification, transportation and storage, quality assurance of commodities, and disposal and returns.

• Manages medical stock data and indicators to support programmatic decisions and course corrections in collaboration with Health and Supply Chain staff.

• Provides support to procurement and supplier management by maintaining CP Pharma Database, flagging discrepancies, performing market assessment, and organizing visits.

• Supervise the store release, distribution, and transfer of all stock to the required field site locations.

Technical Support and Capacity Building

• Provide support supervision to pharmacy technicians and dispensers to ensure proper management and reporting of medical drugs and supplies.

• Provide technical guidance to pharmacy officers to assess staff needs, identify gaps, and adapt plans/activities.

• Provide continuous Pharma training for Supply Chain and Health Unit staff on the IRC Pharma SOP’s and GDPs

Qualifications

• Education: Pharmacy degree or equivalent in pharmacy from a recognized institution with an additional training in supply chain management and must be enrolled by a professional pharmacy board/regulatory authority

• Work Experience: 4-5 years’ experience in managing Humanitarian health commodities preferably those with an experience in handling large volumes of health commodities in the humanitarian setups is preferable.

• Good analytical skills. Broad knowledge and experience in supply chain planning, Forecasting, and quantification of health commodities.

• Excellent in computer MS-Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.

• Exceptional negotiation and analytical skills.

Key working relationships:

Position Directly Reports to: Health Coordinator (dotted line to Supply Chain Coordinator)

Technical Referent: HU Pharmacy Advisors/GSC Senior Manager, Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance

Other Internal Contacts: Senior Health Managers, Supply Chain and Warehouse Managers, Health Officers, clinical teams

Other External Contacts: Other local NGO and INGOs

Standards of Professional Conduct: The IRC and IRC workers adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

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.

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.