Responsible Person - Pharmacist
Remote | Amsterdam
- Organization: MSF - Médecins Sans Frontières (Artsen Zonder Grenzen) - Netherlands
- Location: Remote | Amsterdam
- Grade:
-
Occupational Groups:
- Medical Practitioners
- Pharmacy
- Closing Date: 2025-06-01
MSF is an international, independent medical humanitarian organization. We are a non-profit, self-governed worldwide movement of more than 63,000 people.
We provide emergency medical assistance during armed conflict, natural disasters, outbreaks of deadly diseases and assist those who are excluded from healthcare. MSF delivers care based on need and when we see injustice, we speak out. We are an organization that remains impartial, knowledgeable, and effective, and this is what makes the difference between life and death.
People are our priority. At Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)/Artsen zonder Grenzen, we are committed to an inclusive culture that encourages and supports the diverse voices of our employees. We encourage diverse applicants including individuals of all gender identities, ages, sexual orientations, nationalities, races, religions, beliefs, social and marital status, people with different abilities and all other diversity characteristics and how they work together.
Logistics department
The OCA Logistics Department (LogD) ensures the efficiency and effectiveness of the humanitarian supply chain and provides comprehensive logistics and technical support to MSF-OCA’s medical humanitarian programs across various project countries.
The OCA Logistics department consists of several main units, including the European Supply Centre - Amsterdam Procurement Unit (ESC-APU), the Field Support Unit (FSU - Operational Logistics, Technical Logistics & Field Supply Chain Management), the End-To-End Supply Chain Excellence Unit (E2ESC), and Quality Assurance & GDP-Compliance Unit (QACU). ESC-APU is responsible for sourcing, procurement and processing the orders for supplies from some 26 project countries in accordance with the Service Level Agreements. The FSU includes a wing centred around supporting the country programs in terms of Operational Logistics and Field Supply Support and a wing focused on Technical Logistics support. The E2ESC Excellence Unit ensures pertinence and facilitates continuous improvement of the End-to-End Supply Chain performance, strategies, processes and practices. QACU ensures that MSF-OCA meets the applicable regulatory requirements and notably those in relation to the Good Distribution Practices (GDP) Guidelines, and responsible for performance of the organization’s quality assurance, expert advice and support regarding quality assurance and the procurement of pharmaceuticals, medical devices and specialized food products.
Quality Assurance (QA), including Good Distribution Practice (GDP) and regulatory affairs, plays a vital role in supporting effective procurement and logistics operations within MSF-OCA. These elements are essential to ensuring that the medical products delivered through our supply chain maintain their integrity, safety, and therapeutic value.
GDP specifically governs the proper procurement and distribution of medical products for human use. It ensures that medical products are consistently stored, transported, and handled under conditions that preserve their quality and comply with international regulatory standards.
Our Logistics department is looking for a:
Responsible Person - Pharmacist (40 hours)
– Based in the Amsterdam office –
Main objectives
In this role your knowledge, experience and hard work directly contributes to advancing MSF’s social mission of assisting people around the world affected by conflict, epidemics, natural disasters, or exclusion from health care.
Together with the other colleagues in Quality Assurance & GDP Compliance Unit (RP, GDP Process Officer, Quality Assurance Team Lead, Quality Assurance Referents) you form an inter-disciplinary and collaborative approach is taken towards meeting regulatory requirements, safeguarding quality and optimizing related operational processes.
We are looking for a Responsible Person (RP) – Pharmacist who will play a key role in ensuring that Good Distribution Practice (GDP) and applicable national and international regulatory requirements are correctly implemented, continuously monitored, and fully adhered to across our upstream supply chain operations. As the RP, you will ensure that MSF Netherlands (MSF-NL) remains compliant with the conditions of its wholesale distribution authorization. This includes maintaining all relevant licenses, overseeing quality systems, and ensuring that medicinal products are consistently stored, transported, and handled in a manner that safeguards their quality and integrity. In addition to regulatory oversight, you will be responsible for identifying, monitoring, and analysing risks related to compliance and distribution practices. You will provide expert advice on regulatory requirements and ensure that appropriate controls and corrective actions are in place to uphold the highest standards of quality.
Are you keen to put your knowledge to the service of our values and important mission? Do your values match those of MSF? Then this is your chance to take part in our shared mission. We have a challenging in-house supply organisation, so you will find yourself close to that daily reality on the ground.
Responsibilities and activities
The responsibilities and activities that falls under this position can be divided into a couple of categories, see below a short summary:
General
Overseeing all authorised activities related to Good Distribution Practice (GDP), ensuring that all associated records are accurate, complete, legible and properly maintained to uphold regulatory compliance and data integrity
Management of narcotic and psychotropic pharmaceuticals and the MSF NL Opiate dispensation
Managing GDP related audits by the Dutch Health Inspection and audits by third parties
Preparing and facilitating the Management Review process and for compiling the annual quality report in coordination with the other RPs, ensuring comprehensive evaluation of the Quality Management System and alignment with regulatory and organisational objectives
Quality Management system
Co-responsible for implementing, maintaining and continuously updating the organisational Quality Management System
Managing the self-inspection programme to check compliance with internal policies and the GDP Guidelines and other relevant regulatory requirements.
Overseeing risk management and change- control for all tasks relevant for the distribution of medicinal items and other relevant regulatory fields
Ensuring that Standard Operating Procedures and work instructions are properly established, approved and maintained in compliance with GDP requirements
Complaints and Deviations
Co-responsible for Complaints- and Deviations handling
Ensuring customer complaints are handled effectively, deviations are properly investigated and processed
Performing root cause analysis and CAPA’s
Operations, Transport/Premises, outsourcing LSP’s
Managing the updating of processes and procedures related to the storage and transport of temperature- controlled items
Ensuring that all medicinal items are stored and transported in line with the defined storage conditions
Ensuring that for transportation the transport routes, transport materials and monitoring equipment are properly validated, and risks are mapped
Drafting and authorise quality/technical agreements and contract clauses
Collect and monitor data and evaluate temperature breaches
Recall, falsified medicines and returns
Managing and following the quality of products and are in line with policies and procedures
Managing the recall of products swiftly and efficiently
Manage the recall activities
Personnel
Responsible for implementing and maintaining a training program covering quality and compliance related tasks
Ensuring staff to receive appropriate training in GDP principles, applicable SOPs and procedures
Supplier and Customer Validation
Ensuring that the suppliers and customers are validated as required for GDP and in line with MSF prequalification scheme
Candidate Profile
We are looking for a candidate with the following characteristics:
High sense of responsibility and not afraid to raise and defend any contentious issues if needed
Self-motivated, with initiative and a good follow-up attitude
A result-driven, service-minded, dynamic and highly motivated person with a ‘can-do’ attitude and excellent problem-solving skills
Organised way of working, with high time management and prioritisation skills
A good team player, with ability to work independently as well
Flexible, thinking out-of-the-box and eagerness to learn
Attention to detail and ability to multi-task
Ability to travel abroad to other MSF offices in Europe
Requirements
Level of study: Registered pharmacist
3-5 years of work experience with international pharmaceutical distribution such as a procurement centre, hospital pharmacy or supply chain of the medical industry
Knowledge of and relevant experience in GMP/GDP environment
Experience in evaluation of thermosensitive products excursions
Audit experience and knowledge of risk management methodology
Experience with database and document management, search and analysis of technical information
Experience in operating in a dynamic, international and political work environment and/or a matrix organization
Excellent interpersonal, communication and presentation skills
Excellent command of the English language
Work experience with the Dutch systems and authorities related to GDP is an advantage
MSF-experience, or work experience in the NGO-sector, is considered an advantage
Experience with computer validation (GAMP 4-5) would be regarded as an advantage
Competencies
Strong conceptual expertise and understanding with regard to supply chain management, processes and practices.
Problem analysis
Organizational sensitivity
Behavioural flexibility
Initiative
Planning and organisation
Integrity
We Offer
An exciting position within a stimulating, professional working environment in a major international organisation.
A Dutch employment contract is offered, based on 40 hours per week, with a preferred start date of 15 July 2025. The contract is for one year with renewal option, subject to good performance. This is a permanent position.
A gross monthly salary range between 4,875 and 6,711 euro (function grid level 17) depending on relevant work experience, based on a fulltime appointment.
Other benefits include:
30 days off (based on a full-time employment)
A premium free pension where MSF covers 100% of the monthly pension contribution
8% holiday allowance paid out with the salary in May
Discounted daily lunch at the office
Commuting allowance (terms and conditions apply) & work from home allowance
An environment that fosters diversity, with colleagues from around the world representing various cultures and background
Annual personal development budget
L&D will support you with a variety of learning and development opportunities with internal and external trainings and courses
To foster a healthy work-life balance we work with a remote working policy where you can work 40% of your weekly hours from home, 60% working in person in the office. Coming together at our office in Amsterdam allows us to have informal exchanges and chance encounters, share ideas more freely and solve challenges together in real-time.
Application
Are you getting excited by reading this vacancy? Do you recognise yourself in this profile and meet the requirements?We welcome you to apply directly via the Apply button on this page and upload a letter of motivation + Curriculum Vitae (in English) as one combined document (only applications with motivation will be included in the procedure).
The deadline for application is Sunday 1 June 2025 at 23h59 CEST.
Selection will be by means of one or two interview rounds. The interviews are scheduled to take place in the week of June 9th 2025. A test/assignment is part of the process.
Information
Are you interested in the position? And do you want further information about the position? Please contact the Director Supply and Logistics, Begench Dzhumageldyev, Begench.DZHUMAGELDYEV@amsterdam.msf.org.
If you are interested in this post and would like additional information about the recruitment procedure, the terms and conditions, the organisation, please contact your recruiter Irene Tellekamp, irene.tellekamp@amsterdam.msf.org.
***No agencies please***
Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.