Pharmaceutical Management Advisor

OVERALL RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Pharmaceutical Management Advisor will provide technical assistance and support for strengthening pharmaceutical service delivery and supply chain management at the subnational levels. The position will play a key role in ensuring improved availability and accessibility of health products, and provision of quality pharmaceutical services in collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MOH), Regional Health Bureaus (RHBs), public health facilities, and community stakeholders. The advisor will coordinate efforts with SCS Activity subcontractors, U3-Ethiopia (subnational support) and align Africa (community engagement), to optimize service delivery and enhance pharmaceutical systems performance. S/he will be responsible for ensuring the availability of health products and that quality of services is maintained at the highest standard, aligning SCS Activity program results with government and other donor initiatives. The Advisor will ensure that pharmaceutical management improvement interventions are implemented and scaled up with a focus on maturity, sustainability, and eventual graduation from intensive technical support.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES:

Under the supervision of the Pharmaceutical Management Lead and in close collaboration with technical teams in SCS Activity, the Pharmaceutical Management Advisor is expected to carry out the following responsibilities:

• Provide technical support to the Pharmaceutical Management Lead in coordinating the national and subnational level technical support.
• Laise with the relevant subcontractors to ensure technical approaches and tools are properly understood and implemented throughout target health facilities.
• Provide technical guidance at national and subnational levels for improving pharmaceutical service delivery at health facility and community levels.
• Support the development and implementation of policies, guidelines, and standard operating procedures (SOPs) aimed at enhancing pharmaceutical management practices at service delivery and community levels.
• Promote rational medicine use and antimicrobial stewardship programs in public health facilities and the community.
• Provide technical support to RHBs, EPSS hubs and health facilities in implementing the best practices for pharmaceutical supply chain management and pharmacy service provision.
• Support the implementation of pharmacy service and supply management initiatives at public health facilities such as (but not limited to) IPLS, APTS, DTC and AMR prevention.
• Support RHBs and health facilities in the implementation of EHSIG/EHCSIG pharmacy chapter standards.
• Strengthen data-driven decision-making by supporting the implementation and utilization of logistics management information systems (LMIS) and pharmaceutical management information system (PMIS) at the subnational level.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to improve last-mile distribution of priority health products and minimize stockouts, especially in conflict affected areas.
• Develop and deliver capacity-building initiatives, including workshops, on-site coaching, and virtual training sessions to enhance pharmaceutical management at service delivery points.
• Work with MOH, RHBs, and implementing partners to institutionalize capacity-building efforts.
• Collaborate with MOH, RHBs, public health facilities, and community-based organizations in the development and implementation of maturity-based pharmacy supply chain service excellence framework.
• Monitor the implementation of the maturity framework with a focus on sustainability and eventual graduation from USAID SCS technical assistance.
• Support the formation of technical assistance by providing teams (Targeted Support Teams (TSTs)) at RHB level through advocacy, capacity building, and monitoring of their performance.
• Work closely with SCS Activity subcontractors (U3-Ethiopia and align Africa) to ensure coordinated and effective implementation of pharmacy service and supply chain interventions at subnational level.
• Represent SCS projects in relevant technical working groups, meetings, and forums at national and subnational levels.
• Support the development and implementation of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) frameworks for pharmaceutical management interventions.
• Ensure the collection, analysis, and use of pharmaceutical service data to inform decision-making and improve performance.
• Ensure project reports are submitted by subcontractors as per agreed timeline and quality parameters.
• Document and disseminate best practices, lessons learned, and success stories from project interventions.
• Ensure the institutionalization of interventions through active engagement and ownership by government stakeholders at all levels.

QUALIFICATIONS

A) EDUCATION/TRAINING: Advanced degree in Pharmacy, Public Health, Health Systems Management, or a related field.

B) EXPERIENCE: Minimum of 7 years of experience in pharmaceutical services, supply chain management, or health system strengthening.

• Strong knowledge of pharmaceutical policies, supply chain management systems, and health service delivery frameworks in Ethiopia.
• Demonstrated experience working with the health system in Ethiopia and knowledge of current pharmaceutical supply chain and pharmacy service initiatives in the country.
• Experience working in U.S. Government and other donor-funded project is an asset.
• Experience in development and implementation of guidelines, capacity building, mentorship, monitoring and evaluation, and technical assistance aimed at supply chain and pharmaceutical services areas.
• Excellent communication, coordination, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Demonstrated experience in leading and working in high-performing technical teams
• Strong proficiency in analysis and report writing tailored to diverse audiences.
• Proficiency in English and Amharic; knowledge of additional local languages is an asset.

C) KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:

• Writing technical documents including case studies, success stories and technical briefs, presentation using PPT, performance measurement and maturity assessment, data analysis, communication, mentorship and training delivery.
• In-depth knowledge of the Ethiopian public health sector and prior work experience in Ethiopia is highly preferred. Especially, the ability to analyze and interpret public health policies related to SCM is preferred.
• Strong technical leadership, mentoring, management, planning, analytical and organizational skills. These will be demonstrated in the ability to work both independently and within a team, assess priorities, and manage a variety of activities with attention to detail.
• Working independently within expressed parameters, regularly scheduled tasks and adherence to strict deadlines is essential.
• Demonstrated ability to work as an effective team member in a complex and fast-paced environment.
• Familiarity with SCS Activity, USAID, MOH and RHBs systems is a significant advantage.
• Willingness and ability to travel within Ethiopia as required.

D) CORE JOB COMPETENCIES:

• Results seeker – Proactive, meets deadlines, identifies actions, and achieves goals.
• Innovator – thinks creatively, anticipates changes, and produces solutions.
• Adaptor – stays calm under pressure and handles constructive criticism well.
• Complier – follows procedures and encourages others to do as well.

MSH is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity, religion, creed, citizenship, national origin, age, veteran status, or disability unrelated to job requirements. MSH will take affirmative action to ensure that qualified applicants are employed and that employees are treated without regard to their race, age, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran and disability status.

Skills Required:

• Health / Medical
• Pharmaceutical