Project Manager (On-Site) (Gauteng) at Aspen Pharma Group

Objective:

• Project manage the allocated projects across both divisions – Aspen and Ethicare within the South African market according to expected timelines and requirements

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Scoping a project

• Setting up and clearly outlining the business rationale for the creation of a particular and stakeholders needs in the scoping document.
• To get alignment from all internal and external role-players regarding the scope of the project.

Planning

• Strictly manage the implementation of projects within a predefined timeline by ensuring cross functional alignment of stakeholder prevails, to ensure that New Product Launches are not delayed
• Project manage various projects from concept to commercialisation, to ensure that tasks are managed and actioned by  respective stakeholders within expected timelines
• Proactively manage tasks that have a risk of being delayed, preventing launch delays.
• Ensuring the sequence of activities are taking place as per Aspen SOPs and resource requirements.
•  Identify the milestones and deliverables (collaboration, coordinate, optimize) of the project and evaluate the critical path for each project.
• Determine the resources and actual duration to complete each task identified in the project plan to in order for the project to meet completion deadlines.
• Setting timelines that are measurable, realistic and attainable.
• Achieve alignment across all key stakeholders for the project plan to ensure commitment from all involved in the project.
• Set up the project in the Launch Management System and allocate tasks accordingly.
• Attend all stakeholder engagements / meetings relevant to the success of the planning of projects.

Execution

• Communicate the tasks that have to be completed clearly to resources Ensure that the tasks are executed by the nominated resources on time with the required attention to detail
• Coordinate team meetings with the various business units, project manager and cross functional team (regulatory, demand planning and finance) to discuss project impediments, needed resources or issues/delays in completing the tasks within the various projects
• Ensure the product is set up in the Demand Planning system and the forecast is managed
• Ensure the costings are done and approved by the relevant resources
• Ensure that the product is set up at the Manufacturing site
• Ensure that Patents and Trademark searches are included in the LMS
• Continuously evaluate your project plan and amend when required.
• Ensure that the Regulatory feedback is incorporated in the project plans
• Ensure that the required information to list the products are requested and received from the manufacturing site, regulatory affairs, Artwork and MediKredit and communicated to the KAM team
• Ensure that the listing have been completed to enable sales
• Ensure that the Commercial evaluations are completed at the appropriate gates
• Ensure that orders are completed, signed off and placed on the manufacturer
• Ensure that the artwork is triggered at the appropriate times
• Ensure that the signal code is updated when the product is QA released
• Ensure all the pricing documentation is completed, approved, and submitted to the DOH. Including the tracking of the DOH approval.
• Coordinate productive meetings to ensure:
  - Tasks are completed
• Continuously evaluate the progress of the project and adjust as necessary to ensure the successful completion of the project.
• Collaboration, communication, and optimization.

Risk Management 

• As part of planning a risk assessment should be completed e.g. manufacturing risks, RA risks, Pricing Risks, Market Risks, Patent Risks and Trademark Risks.
• Project plan should incorporate risk mitigation strategies if they have been identified
• Proactively come up with action plans
• Assist and encourage with the roll out of the risk grid in the LMS
• Assist project teams to identify risks and ensure that these risks are documented Roles and responsibilities to be clearly defined and communicated to resources
• Proactively come up with action plans  

Desktop market analysis and profit and statement

• Understanding and referring to different departmental policies, procedures, and SOP's With the assistance of Commercial NPL team the Project Manager must:
• Ensure that a desktop market analysis is performed at pre-defined gates during the launch process
• Create or update the profit and loss statement to reflect market changes that could be picked up with a desktop market analysis

Data integrity

• Review the quality of data provided by all the role-players and ensure the data is reflected accurately on the LMS
• Assist with relevant, up to date reports to share with relevant stakeholders

Reporting

• Understand the reporting requirements from role-players and feed this back to the Project Lead:  
• Ensure that the inputs of your own data is of the highest quality to enhance overall data integrity
• Ensuring that LMS and the project plans are always maintained and updated with the most accurate data
• Analyse existing reports from the LMS to:
• Improve project plans
• Identify potential risks 

Amendment of IP

• Project management responsibilities: Project Manage the commercialization opportunities when there is an amendment planned on Aspen IP: This supports the base business of the markets serviced by the South African sales and marketing teams by enabling effective commercialization of products without unnecessary expenditure, within agreed timelines within approved risk parameters
• Post- launch analysis
• Assist, coordinate and support the respective stakeholders with regards to variations to products that have already been commercialized.
• Effectively manage variations to products that have already been commercialized like re-alignments, pack size additions etc.
  All launch activities that apply to the respective variation

Requirements

SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES

• Project Management skills
• Microsoft project management software (MSP professional)
• Process implementation: must be able to implement new processes, be the process champion (change agent)
• Must be able to analyse data to ensure data integrity, pick up on risk trends in terms of task completion and suggest scheduling improvements
• Problem solving: Analytical skills to analyse the problem and facilitate the role-players or create innovative solutions.
• Negotiation skills to create win-win solutions.
• Working with others to brainstorm original, mutually beneficial solutions
• Risk management: identify, mitigate and ensure business understands the risks related to the projects he/she is managing
• Ability to communicate concisely and clearly: Business writing and verbal communication
• Well-developed presentation skills
• Proven inter-personal skills and a track record of cross functional collaboration
• Financial acumen: profit and loss statement including a desk top market analysis
• Information seeking: Understand how and where to look for information e.g. what data sets contains what information and what it is used for

KNOWLEDGE

• A solid understanding of Project Management and its principals
• Deep working knowledge of processes & implementation thereof
• Comprehensive knowledge on the Pharma Industry
• Excellent understanding of business practices related to marketing, sales, and business development
• Ability to translate quantitative data into actionable business recommendations and communicate complex data concepts in ways that organization will understand.
• Coordination, collaboration, communication, prioritization, and optimization of the project plans to ensure an optimal launch.
• Demand Planning actions that impact on the successful commercialization of a pharmaceutical product
• Teamwork: Team players and know how to influence people not under your direct control
• Pharmaceutical Manufacturing: Understand manufacturing processes and information requirements and constraints. Understanding how Marketing requests can impact on manufacturing and vice versa. Must be able to negotiate a win-win solution.
• SAHPRA process for approvals for amendments to existing dossiers and how they affect commercialization of the finished product
• SAHPRA process and approvals for new product submissions
• The commercial impact of changes to the dossier and or manufacturing process
• Financial: Profit and Loss statements including a desktop analysis of the Market
• Marketing: Basic principles of a brand plan
• DOH Pricing regulations
• Risk management
• SOP's
• Microsoft Project professional
• Excel 

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

• Matric Certificate
• 3 year Tertiary diploma or degree in Business Management, Marketing, or Project Management (Advantage).
• Course in Project Management
• 2 Year South African Pharmaceutical Industry experience preferable
• 1 Year experience in Project Coordination or Project Management
• 1 year exposure to the SAHPRA process
• 1 year exposure to Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
• 2 years’ experience operating within a policy framework e.g. understanding and implementation of SOP’s
• Marketing or Supply Chain or Demand Planning experience in the Pharmaceutical Industry an advantage
• An understanding of SAHPRA process is an advantage