Sales and Distribution Coordinator - Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI)

Job Title: Sales and Distribution Coordinator

Job Location   Uganda  Type   Full-Time Paid
Business Unit   In-Country Operations  
More information about this job:
Overview:

About the Clinton Health Access Initiative:
The Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) is a global health organization committed to strengthening integrated health systems in the developing world and expanding access to care and treatment for HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases. CHAI’s solution-oriented approach focuses on improving market dynamics for medicines and diagnostics; lowering prices for treatment; accelerating access to life-saving technologies; and helping governments build the capacity required for high-quality care and treatment programs.
Since its establishment in 2002 by President William J. Clinton, CHAI has worked on the demand and supply sides of the market to help more than 2 million HIV+ people access the medicines needed for treatment—representing nearly half of all people and 2 out of 3 children on HIV/AIDS treatment in developing countries. Building on this model, CHAI has expanded its scope to include efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery systems and to combat malaria and childhood illnesses.

In 2007, CHAI signed an MOU with the government of Uganda to provide technical assistance to the Ministry of Health and strengthen health systems. Since then, CHAI has worked hand-in-hand with the Ministry of Health to increase access to lifesaving pediatric HIV treatment by >400%; coordinate with private sector suppliers to lower costs and expand access to malaria drugs; pilot a point-of-care diagnostic technology, leading to scale up to >250 health facilities nationwide; introduce a new severe malaria drug which will save thousands of lives annually; and many other initiatives. Currently, CHAI Uganda works with the Ministry of Health around HIV, malaria, childhood illnesses, laboratory systems and drug logistics.

Background:
It is estimated that ~60% of care and treatment in Uganda is sought in the private sector, yet a number of barriers can impede access to appropriate drugs and diagnostics, such as high prices, limited product availability, and low provider/retailer awareness of treatment guidelines.

Diarrhea kills roughly two million children every year worldwide. In Uganda, diarrhea is responsible for ~15,000 child deaths, approximately 10% of all child mortality (third behind only malaria and pneumonia). This is in spite of the fact that a simple, highly-effective, and affordable treatment solution exists in the form of oral rehydration salts (ORS) and zinc. However, diarrhea remains grossly neglected: from 2007-2011, $6.5 billion of global funds were allocated to address HIV/AIDS, while only 0.23% of this figure ($15 million) was used to tackle diarrhea. This imbalance is now being addressed through an international effort, of which CHAI has been a driving member, leading to the development of treatment scale up programs in 10 high burden countries, including Uganda.

In Uganda, a program to scale-up diarrhea treatment with ORS and zinc is being undertaken by CHAI in partnership with the Ministry of Health. The problem is that these treatments are caught in a market trap: low levels of consumer/caregiver awareness about the appropriate treatment lead to poor demand for these products; this results in an anemic market, which provides no incentive for suppliers to optimize distribution networks, promote the products, or reduce margins; this, in turn, leads to a lack of availability, unaffordable prices, and minimal marketing – completing the vicious cycle and ensuring that consumer access is repressed. CHAI seeks to break this vicious cycle by addressing both demand and supply-side barriers to access.

Position Description:

The Distribution and Sales Coordinator will form the fundamental interface between the strategic intent of CHAI’s in-house marketing and supply chain experts and the day to day implementation of the strategy by CHAI’s private partners (pharmaceutical distributors, NGOs, social businesses).

The Coordinator will also spend ~25% of his/her time travelling domestically, primarily to regions with limited facilities to train, support and mentor the sales teams across the country and monitor key performance indicators. S/hewill spend a modest portion of his/her time supporting CHAI’s private sector malaria strategy.
Responsibilities:

    Sales strategy and action plans
        Design the Sales and Distribution strategy in line with the ECM program objectives and based on the recommendations of the supply chain study and market research
        Support each private partner in the development  of its annual action plan (distribution channels, customer segmentation, key messages, sales target per territory, coverage and call frequency)
    Distribution
        Contribute to the development of incentive schemes and other appropriate schemes (e.g. credit facility) to encourage expansion of distribution, especially in hard-to-reach and remote areas.
        Monitor the effectiveness of incentive scheme vs. actual distribution coverage, product availability and sales uptake
        Explore distribution opportunities beyond traditional pharmaceutical channels and develop partnerships with non-pharma For-Profit or Not-For-Profit organizations to increase coverage of underserved populations (bottom of the pyramid)
        Liaise with all stakeholders to troubleshoot issues such as stock-out situations and price variation along the supply chain  
    Sales Force Training and mentoring
        Train and mentor CHAI partners’ sales teams on sales techniques, customer relationship management, product knowledge, etc.
        Spend time in the field with Sales Managers or on his/her own, calling on key customers (wholesalers, Pharmacies) and Key Opinion Leaders and influencers

    Private providers Training and continuous Medical Education
        Develop and coordinate a national effort to train private sector health providers in the proper treatment of diarrhea in children with ORS and zinc: partner with Pharmacy Society of Uganda, National Drug Authority and other bodies to plan and provide training and Continuous Medical Education to the private healthcare providers
    Performance management
        Identify gaps in terms of data to effectively monitor 1) sales volume/value breakdown per geography, channel, customer group,  and 2) sales force effectiveness
        Make appropriate recommendations on how to reduce these data gaps and design key performance indicators
        Lead relevant initiatives to improve data collection and analysis, e.g. development of IT system

Qualifications:

    Minimum 10-years experience in sales, including minimum 5 years in a sales management position in the pharmaceutical industry or in a reputable FMCG company. Strong track record of success in product launches in markets with a high share of traditional retail channels. Ideally this experience would come in Uganda or the East African region.
    Demonstrated success in coordinating partners and developing relationships in order to drive a multi-stakeholder process
    Experience in designing and conducting high-impact trainings for sales representatives
    Experience in using sales force performance management system
    Excellent leadership and mentoring skills
    Excellent communication, presentation and management skills
    Entrepreneurial mindset and strong self-motivation
    Ability to develop and execute a coherent programmatic strategy amidst substantial ambiguity and changing circumstances
    Exceptional time-management skills and the ability to manage multiple work streams in parallel under tight deadlines
    Ability to function independently and flexibly
    Fluency in English required; additional languages spoken in Uganda are advantages
    CHAI places great value on relevant personal qualities: resourcefulness, entrepreneurialism, flexibility, independence, humility, and work ethic

Advantages:
    Advanced degree in business, marketing, logistics, public health, or a related field
    Experience in developing and implementing successful Bottom-Of-the Pyramid sales strategy
    Strong analytical skills, including fluency in Excel
    Experience in designing sales force performance management system
How to apply:
https://careers-chai.icims.com/jobs/3084/sales-and-distribution-coordinator/job

Deadline: 25th May 2013