Supply Chain (SC) Director

Background

Right to Care Zambia (RTCZ) has been at the forefront of public health innovation since our incorporation in 2016, providing high-impact direct service delivery and technical assistance in partnership with the Ministry of Health. Headquartered in Lusaka, we operate across the country bringing quality healthcare closer to communities.

Guided by our 2026-2030 strategic plan, we are committed to strengthening health systems and improving lives through comprehensive HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and treatment, maternal and child health, and rapid epidemic response. Our integrated approach also includes malaria and TB control, public health research, social behaviour change, laboratory services, pharmaceutical supply chain management, and addressing non-communicable diseases. As we continue to grow, we remain dedicated to excellence, collaboration, and sustainable impact in every community we serve.

ABOUT THE POSITION

Request to Hire No.: RTCZ26 – TBA Date advertised: 23 September 2026

Closing date: 28 September 2026

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Minimum Required Qualifications and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in pharmacy, Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Procurement, Public Health or a related field.
• Master’s degree in public health, Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Business Administration or a related field.
• Registration in good standing with the relevant Zambian professional or statutory body (for example the Pharmaceutical Society of Zambia, Health Professions Council of Zambia or the Zambia Institute of Purchasing and Supply), where applicable to the incumbent's profession.
• Formal training in quantification and supply planning tools (QAT), logistics management information systems (eLMIS) and warehouse management systems.
• At least ten (10) years' progressively responsible experience in health supply chain management, of which a minimum of five (5) years at senior management level leading multidisciplinary technical teams.
• Demonstrated technical depth across the core supply chain functions: forecasting and quantification, procurement and supplier/contract management, importation and regulatory clearance, warehousing and inventory management, and in-country distribution.
• Proven experience providing technical assistance to, and building the capacity of, national institutions such as the Ministry of Health, ZAMMSA and ZAMRA.
• Experience leading donor-funded health programs, including workplan, budget, deliverable and performance-milestone management and reporting to U.S. Government or comparable donors.
• Experience with logistics management information systems and supply chain data use for decision-making (for example eLMIS, QAT, warehouse management systems, dashboards and stock analytics).
• Demonstrated experience managing risk to commodity availability, including redistribution, buffer stock strategies, emergency orders and stakeholder escalation.

Desirable Qualifications and Experience:

• Ordinary level (GCSE)/ Grade Twelve
• Professional supply chain certification such as CIPS, APICS/ASCM CSCP or CPIM.
• Project or program management certification (PMP, PRINCE2 or equivalent).
• Experience in the Zambian public health supply chain, including working with MOH, ZAMMSA, ZAMRA, NMEC and provincial and district health offices.
• Experience transitioning donor-implemented supply chain functions to government or local ownership, including institutional readiness assessment and phased handover planning.
• Experience with vendor-managed direct delivery and direct delivery models, reagent rental agreements, and third-party logistics contract and performance management.
• Experience with GS1 traceability implementation, national product catalogues and product track and trace initiatives.
• Experience with eLMIS, SmartCare Pro, DHIS2, WMS, DeliveryExpert and QAT, and with system interoperability and harmonization efforts.
• Experience supporting mass campaign logistics (for example insecticide-treated net distribution) and malaria commodity supply chains.

General Requirement

• Fluency in written and spoken English, with strong report writing and presentation skills.
• Willingness and ability to travel extensively within Zambia, including to provincial hubs and health facilities.
• High level of computer literacy, including Microsoft Office and supply chain analytics and data visualization tools.
• Demonstrated integrity, sound judgment and the ability to represent the organization credibly with Government, donors and implementing partners.
• Legally entitled to work in Zambia.

TECHNICAL AND BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES

• Technical Leadership & Planning Skills
• Capacity Building & Mentorship abilities
• Quality Assurance
• Innovation & Problem-Solving Skills
• Ethics, Integrity & Professionalism

KEY PERFORMANCE AREAS

Strategic leadership and technical direction of the national supply chain portfolio

• Leading the development of the annual supply chain technical assistance strategy and work plans, and securing Chief of Party and donor approval within agreed timelines.
• Overseeing the delivery of all supply chain deliverables and performance milestones under the award and verifying achievement each quarter.
• Managing the supply chain budget within approved levels, while keeping variances within agreed tolerance.
• Directing the preparation and timely submission of monthly technical updates to the donor and MOH on central and facility-level stock status and commodity availability risks.
• Overseeing the production of the technical sections of program reports, stakeholder presentations, and documented lessons learned and best practices, ensuring delivery according to schedule and agreed quality standards.

Forecasting, supply planning and commodity security

• Leading the annual forecasting and quantification cycle for HIV (ARVs, laboratory, RTKs), MCHN, and malaria commodities, including data quality assessments and national supply planning meetings.
• Overseeing QAT mentorship and institutionalization at national and sub-national levels.
• Coordinating the updating and sharing of supply plans, months-of-stock maps, and funding gap tables with MOH, donors, and partners during each review cycle.
• Safeguarding commodity security by preventing avoidable national-level stockouts of first-line ARVs, HIV test kits, and priority laboratory commodities.

Procurement, importation, regulatory support and customs clearance

• Overseeing the processing of ZAMRA import permits, tax waivers, and shipment clearances, ensuring no delays attributable to the project.
• Providing technical direction to sustain the Direct Delivery Model for viral load and EID, including reagent rental and vendor-managed delivery arrangements, throughout the transition period.
• Directing pre-arrival planning to maintain demurrage and storage penalty costs at nil or within agreed tolerance.
• Ensuring proof-of-delivery documentation is obtained and filed for all consignments.

Warehousing, inventory management and in-country distribution

• Overseeing maintenance of Warehouse Management System functionality, configuration, and eLMIS integration, and leading implementation of the DeliveryExpert WMS improvement plan with ZAMMSA.
• Driving achievement of inventory accuracy, stock accountability, and commodity visibility targets at the ZAMMSA central warehouse and supported hubs.
• Overseeing the Distribution Tracking Tool and electronic proof-of-delivery systems, and sustaining or improving on-time and on-time-in-full delivery rates.
• Monitoring transport provider performance, directing corrective action, and coordinating mass campaign commodity receipt, storage, and distribution according.

Supply chain data systems, transition and stakeholder management

• Overseeing sustained eLMIS maintenance and leading the phased harmonization of eLMIS, SmartCare Pro, and WMS, including standardization of the Product Catalogue Management Tool.
• Coordinating GS1 traceability activities, including ZamVerify, TRVST integration, and Master Product List development, in line with the national roadmap.
• Overseeing the maintenance and use of consumption anomaly detection and other commodity accountability tools to inform MOH action.
• Leading joint development of the transition framework and institutional readiness assessment with GHSC-PSM, driving achievement of phased handover milestones, and coordinating with the Global Fund, CHAZ, and other partners to eliminate duplication.

Milestone evidence, submission and payment

• Preparing and packaging complete evidence submissions for supply chain performance milestones under the award, covering:
• a) Transitioning and handing over supply chain functions from the outgoing implementing partner, including verifying commodity continuity throughout the handover period.
• b) Leading the annual commodity forecasting and quantification cycle, including institutionalizing forecasting tools at national and sub-national levels.
• c) Overseeing warehouse management system performance, inventory control, and in-country distribution.
• d) Overseeing commodity data visibility, electronic logistics information systems maintenance, and product traceability.
• e) Assessing and documenting institutional readiness for Government of the Republic of Zambia absorption of supply chain functions.
• Ensuring each submission is complete and delivered by the scheduled deadline specified in the award payment schedule.
• Maintaining an internal milestone tracker covering evidence collection, verification deadlines, deferral-cure periods, and payment requests, ensuring no payment is delayed due to administrative gaps; escalating unresolved reviewer delays to the Chief of Party in a timely manner.
• Managing the supply chain component budget, ensuring all expenditure is reconcilable to verified milestone deliverables, reporting budget variances to the Chief of Party monthly within approved tolerance, and tracking the financial position of each milestone against the award payment schedule.

How to Apply

Applications in the form of a cover letter and CV must be submitted NOT later than 28 September 2026

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Apply by emailing: Vacancy11@righttocare.org