The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world’s largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you’re a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.
JOB OVERVIEW/SUMMARY:
The Pharmacist will provide strategic and technical leadership for pharmaceutical services across IRC’s health and nutrition programme in South and West Kordofan, Sudan. The role will ensure the availability, quality, safety and appropriate use of essential medicines and health commodities in a complex humanitarian context characterised by insecurity, displacement, access constraints and limited pharmaceutical capacity.
Working across warehouses, storage locations and IRC-supported primary and referral health facilities, the Pharmacist will oversee and strengthen the pharmaceutical supply chain, including quantification, procurement support, quality assurance, storage, distribution, stock management, documentation & reporting and appropriate use of medicines. The role will also support continuity of supply in hard-to-reach areas, strengthen staff capacity, and establish practical systems aligned with IRC standards, World Health Organization Good Storage and Distribution Practices and relevant national requirements.
KEY RESPONSBILITIES
1. Pharmaceutical Leadership and Programme Support
- Provide overall technical leadership and direction for pharmaceutical management across IRC’s health and nutrition programme.
- Develop and implement practical pharmaceutical strategies, systems, risk-mitigation measures and improvement plans appropriate to the operational context.
- Provide technical input into programme design, expansion, budgeting and operational planning to ensure pharmaceutical needs and supply risks are adequately addressed.
- Maintain and update the country-specific Essential Drug List and support approval processes for medicines outside the approved list.
- Identify pharmaceutical risks and recommend practical measures to maintain quality and continuity of essential supplies.
2. Supply Chain, Quantification and Quality Assurance
- Lead and support pharmaceutical quantification, forecasting and supply planning based on consumption, morbidity patterns, programme requirements, lead times and access constraints.
- Establish and monitor appropriate stock levels (minimum/maximum stock levels), reorder points and buffer stocks, particularly for hard-to-reach locations and periods of predictable access disruption.
- Provide technical pharmaceutical input and support pharmaceutical procurement and supplier management in line with IRC quality assurance requirements and approved supplier systems.
- Strengthen Good Storage and Distribution Practices (warehouse/facility assessments, temperature/humidity monitoring where risk-appropriate, stock segregation, security, pest control, cleaning, storage capacity and documentation) across warehouses, field storage locations and supported health facilities.
- Maintain appropriate pharmaceutical storage and inventory practices, including stock rotation, FEFO and segregation of controlled, expired and damaged commodities.
- Monitor stock levels and consumption trends to identify and address stock-outs, overstocks and other supply risks in collaboration with Health and Supply Chain teams
- Strengthen pharmaceutical cold chain management across warehouses, storage locations and supported facilities, including temperature monitoring and documentation, equipment maintenance, contingency planning and timely corrective action to maintain the integrity of temperature-sensitive medicines and commodities despite unreliable power and access constraints.
- Support appropriate management of pharmaceutical donations, recalls, quarantined products and disposal of expired or unusable commodities.
3. Facility Pharmaceutical Services and Continuity of Care
- Strengthen pharmaceutical management systems (selection, quantification, ordering, receipt, storage, prescribing, dispensing, use, monitoring and disposal) across IRC-supported primary health care and referral facilities.
- Support facilities to maintain appropriate availability and management of medicines and commodities required for their level of service delivery.
- Strengthen inventory control, dispensing, record keeping and appropriate storage practices.
- Promote rational and appropriate use of medicines in collaboration with clinical and health teams.
- Support pharmacovigilance and appropriate identification and reporting of adverse drug reactions and other medicine safety concerns.
- Provide technical support to maintain continuity of pharmaceutical supplies across the service delivery and referral pathway.
- Conduct periodic pharmaceutical assessments and supportive supervision of health facilities, document identified gaps, agree corrective actions and monitor their implementation and closure.
4. Emergency Preparedness and Supply Continuity
- Support pharmaceutical preparedness for disease outbreaks, displacement, seasonal access constraints and other humanitarian emergencies.
- Develop and support pharmaceutical contingency plans, including emergency quantification, buffer stocks and prepositioning where appropriate.
- Monitor supply risks during periods of insecurity or disrupted access and recommend practical mitigation measures.
- Work with Health, Nutrition and Supply Chain teams to integrate pharmaceutical requirements into emergency preparedness and response plans.
- Develop practical continuity-of-supply scenarios for hard-to-reach locations, including pre-positioning, alternative replenishment mechanisms, emergency redistribution and minimum stock requirements based on expected access constraints.
5. Capacity Strengthening and Systems Development
- Assess capacity and identify priority training and mentorship needs among pharmacy, warehouse, health and facility teams.
- Provide practical training, mentoring and supportive supervision, on pharmaceutical commodity management, quantification, stock management, storage, dispensing, rational use of medicines and pharmacovigilance.
- Strengthen the use of pharmaceutical and logistics management information systems and reporting tools to ensure data quality, completeness, timeliness, stock reporting, consumption reporting and use of data for decisions.
- Promote appropriate task sharing of pharmaceutical management responsibilities while maintaining clear accountability and technical oversight, .
- Develop practical and sustainable systems that can be maintained by national teams and facility staff.
6. Data, Coordination and Representation
- Strengthen pharmaceutical stock, consumption and reporting systems, data quality and monitor key supply chain performance indicators.
- Analyze pharmaceutical data and trends (stock-outs, months of stock, consumption trends, overstock/understock, expiry, wastage, losses, emergency orders and inventory accuracy) to identify gaps, risks and opportunities for improvement and support timely programme decisions.
- Establish and monitor a core set of pharmaceutical performance indicators and use these to identify trends, prioritize corrective actions and inform program and supply-chain decisions.
- Prepare regular technical analyses and updates on pharmaceutical performance, risks and corrective actions.
- Work closely with Health, Nutrition and Supply Chain teams to ensure coordinated pharmaceutical planning and management.
- Coordinate with relevant IRC technical teams and, when required, engage with health authorities, partners and technical coordination forums on pharmaceutical issues.
- Document lessons learned and contribute to programme improvement and future scale-up.
Required Qualifications
- Degree in Pharmacy (Bachelor’s or equivalent; Master’s an advantage)
- Registration and valid license to practice as a pharmacist in the country of qualification is desirable.
- Health supply chain or Medical Logistics certification/qualification will be an added advantage.
Required Experience & Competencies
- Minimum 5 years’ progressively responsible experience in pharmaceutical management, health supply chain management or humanitarian health programming, with strong understanding of IRC systems and procedures
- Demonstrated experience in pharmaceutical quantification, forecasting, procurement, storage, distribution and stock management
- Proven knowledge of Good Distribution Practices (GDP), quality assurance, and pharmacovigilance systems
- Experience working with Essential Drug Lists (EDL) and ensuring compliance with national and IRC pharmaceutical guidelines
- Hands-on experience using IRC Integra or similar supply chain/data management systems for tracking, reporting, and analysis of medical commodities, highly desirable
- Strong capacity in data analysis and use of pharmaceutical indicators to inform decision-making and prevent stock imbalances
- Experience working with major humanitarian donors, including UN pooled funds (e.g. SHF), UNICEF, ECHO, BHA, and FCDO, with understanding of compliance requirements related to medical commodities
- Experience supporting emergency preparedness, disease outbreak response or continuity of pharmaceutical supplies during access disruptions is highly desirable.
- Experience in capacity building, mentorship, and supportive supervision of pharmacy, supply chain, and health staff
- Ability to strengthen pharmaceutical systems in humanitarian, fragile or resource-constrained settings is highly desirable
- Strong coordination and communication skills, with the ability to work across Health and Supply Chain functions.
Working Environment
The position is based in South and West Kordofan and requires frequent travel to remote and hard-to-reach locations. The Pharmacist will work in a complex humanitarian environment characterized by insecurity, displacement, access constraints and limited health system capacity. The role requires a practical and adaptable approach to maintaining pharmaceutical quality standards while developing realistic solutions suited to the operational context.
Professional Standards: All International Rescue Committee workers must adhere to the core values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Standards for Professional Conduct. Our Standards are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Safeguarding, Conflicts of Interest, Fiscal Integrity, and Reporting Wrongdoing and Protection from Retaliation. IRC is committed to take all necessary preventive measures and create an environment where people feel safe, and to take all necessary actions and corrective measures when harm occurs. IRC builds teams of professionals who promote critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity to deliver the best possible services to our clients.
How to apply
https://theirc.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/External_Careers/job/Kamuleila-Sudan/Pharmacist_JR00004885
More Information
- Job City Sudan
