Pharmacy Director – East Africa

Role Overview

This position leads the pharmaceutical compliance and supply chain function for a healthcare and technology enterprise across Kenya and expanding East African markets. As the company’s most senior pharmacy authority, you will own regulatory strategy, product registrations, Good Distribution Practice, cold-chain integrity, and patient safety—while also directing procurement, warehousing, and inventory performance. The role reports to the Chief Executive Officer and manages a multidisciplinary team spanning procurement, site pharmacy, quality assurance, pharmacovigilance, and regulatory affairs. Success is defined by zero critical findings on regulatory audits, full on-time renewal of licenses and registrations, inventory accuracy above 99%, and no stockouts of critical medicines.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as the primary point of contact with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB), Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), and equivalent regulators in new markets; steer product dossiers, license renewals, and permit applications to completion.
• Hold designated Responsible Pharmacist status where required, ensuring every branch and operation meets statutory obligations and remains inspection-ready at all times.
• Run the Quality Management System: author and enforce SOPs that reflect GDP and GMP expectations, lead internal and external audits (including ISO 9001:2015), and drive CAPA investigations to closure.
• Qualify suppliers, manufacturers, and distribution partners through technical assessments and formal agreements; verify legal and regulatory credentials before onboarding.
• Oversee warehouse and cold-chain quality: temperature monitoring, environmental controls, excursion investigations, quarantine decisions, stock rotation (FIFO/FEEFO), and lawful disposal of expired or compromised products.
• Direct the pharmacovigilance framework—collection, assessment, and escalation of Individual Case Safety Reports and adverse events—and build training that embeds reporting into daily operations.
• Lead end-to-end procurement and inventory management for pharmaceuticals, balancing lean supply principles with regulatory constraints to avoid stockouts and minimize write-offs.
• Manage and develop a technical team across pharmacy, regulatory affairs, QA, PV, and logistics, setting clear performance expectations and fostering cross-functional collaboration.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pharm) from a recognized university; a Master of Pharmacy (M.Pharm) or other advanced degree is advantageous.
• Active, valid registration and practicing license with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Kenya.
• Full legal eligibility to serve as a designated Responsible Pharmacist in Kenya.
• Substantial leadership experience in executive pharmaceutical roles—such as Pharmacy Director, Head Pharmacist, Responsible Pharmacist, or Head of Quality/Regulatory Affairs.
• Deep working knowledge of PPB regulations, GDP, GMP, QMS design, cold-chain logistics, and pharmacovigilance requirements.
• Proven track record managing regulatory authority audits, dossier submissions, supplier audits, CAPAs, and complex pharmaceutical supply chains.
• Experience across multiple countries in the region is a plus.