Recruitment Opportunities at Aspen Pharma Group

KEY PERFORMANCE AREAS:

Board, Committee and Shareholder Meetings:

• Prepare and collate reports and submissions for various Board and Committee meetings and be responsible for the compilation and distribution of packs for these meetings
• Actively manages the Drafting of agendas, in consultation with Company Secretary and Chairmen, and liaise with Directors/ Committee members as appropriate
• Provide input into Board/ Committee meeting agendas and meeting packs to ensure compliance with statutory and corporate governance prerequisites
• Responsible for making the directors of South African subsidiaries aware of all relevant laws and regulations and to report any failure to comply and take responsibility for certain areas of the law which relate to his/her expertise and rely on the legal department and/or external lawyers for other specialised expertise and support
• Responsible for providing directors of South African subsidiaries with guidance in their duties, responsibilities and powers and make directors aware of all laws and regulations relevant to the company. This should include advice on business ethics and good governance
• Remain abreast of developments in corporate governance and is pivotal to ensuring that the directors adhere to the highest governance standards as detailed in the King IV report
• Monitor international developments on corporate governance and bring these to the board’s attention where they would add value
• Attend Committee and subsidiary company Board meetings and take accurate and professional minutes
• Facilitate and take responsibility of the year planner and ensure the effective scheduling of meetings in Outlook
• Leads and reviews Board travel arrangements as may be required
• Prepare and/or oversee the drafting of company secretarial, governance and administration related reports to Board and Committee meetings
• Leads and has full responsibility to ensure Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Ltd Annual General Meetings/ other Shareholder meetings are properly planned and executed, and attend to related administration and statutory requirements around these meetings
• Facilitates the induction process of new directors of South African subsidiaries, encompassing both directors’ duties and responsibilities in general and specific matters pertaining to the company itself and our industry.
• Ensure that the directors and management of South African subsidiary companies operate within an authority framework approved by the board and reviewed and updated from time to time
• Prepares the agenda for shareholders’ meetings of South African subsidiaries, in conjunction with the chairperson and chief executive. Take the minutes of such meetings and ensure that any special resolutions passed at these meetings are properly registered with the Registrar of Companies
• Facilitate the processes and procedures associated with the holding of shareowner meetings, including arrangements for the presence of scrutineers, if required, and validating proxies and letters of representation received for these meeting
• Responsible for all forms of communication with shareowners on shareholder enquiries. This may include responsibility for the company’s corporate reputation and investor relations activities

Company secretarial responsibilities :

• Statutorily appointed company secretary of all the trading South African subsidiaries of the Aspen Group and assist the Group Company Secretary in fulfilling her/his responsibilities in terms of the Companies Act and the JSE listed requirements.
• Ensure that all companies comply with the Companies Act (South Africa), governance principles, and various applicable legislation.
• Obtain relevant assurance with regard to the statutory, legislative and governance compliance of offshore companies/ subsidiaries
• Leads processes relating to written resolutions, including drafting of resolutions, liaising with legal and other advisors as required, preparing resolution emails with required supporting documentation, and ensuring circulation thereof after sign-off by Company Secretary in respect of Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Limited.
• Process to include ensuring replies are received and the necessary extracts prepared, and that originals are signed and a recordal is kept (minute books, electronic documentation, etc.).
• Prepare SENS announcements and notices when required. Review SENS announcements and notices to ensure accuracy and compliance. Liaise with Sponsor as needed, including provision of tokens
• Provide advice and guidance on the Companies Act, King IV and related legislation to the Board and management
• Manage and take responsibility for complex administrative processes around director affairs for Aspen Pharmacare Holdings and all South African subsidiaries such as fee payments and interest declarations.
• Ensure accurate annual declarations are prepared for all directors and retained for audit purposes.
• Ensure JSE requirements in terms of submission of director information are met.
• Prepare analyses and benchmarking of non-executive director fees on an annual basis, ensuring that fees are approved by the relevant Committee and included for approval by shareholders at each AGM.
• Manage and take responsibility for all internal and external audit requirements and requests relating to statutory compliance
• Statutory and secretarial records – Check and maintain all company secretarial records of South African companies (manual and electronic), including Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Ltd, and ensure timeous lodgement of changes and statutory filings with CIPC, the TRP, etc.
• Ensure efficient provision of documentation/ information to all departments and/or external stakeholders with regard to related queries and requirements.
• Responsible for filing of Annual Returns (including XBRL conversion process for AFS) and Compliance Checklists for all South African companies.
• Responsible for the administration and statutory requirements of the various Aspen Trusts (e.g. Trustee amendments), including managing and providing oversight of the Workers Trust and queries/ transactions relating to that Trust.
• Responsible for the effective company secretarial-related administration of Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Ltd and all South African subsidiaries, as well as oversight of the provision of company secretarial-related assurance for the Group’s offshore subsidiaries
• Oversight of and responsibility for the Group’s statutory (subsidiary) database for South African and offshore companies
• Assist the Company Secretary in ensuring that corporate governance best practices are adopted by Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Ltd and across the Group.
• Prepare and manage annual internal board evaluation processes (including reporting) and ensure effective rollout and support as required for external board evaluation processes from time to time.
• Draft and/or update Charters, Terms of Reference, work plans and policy documents on governance and corporate legal matters for review
• Engage with statutory and professional stakeholders as required, e.g. JSE, JSE Sponsor, CIPC, IoD, TRP, share transfer secretaries
• Attend to shareholder queries as needed, including requests for information (statutory, documentation), and ensure the share transfer secretaries of Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Ltd attend to various share-related matters where this is required.
• Attend to administration relating to payment of dividends. Ensure unclaimed dividends are processed and reconciling information provided to relevant internal stakeholders (e.g. Finance)

Share scheme administration:

• Responsible for the management and effective administration of the Group’s respective medium- and long-term incentive schemes (both equity and cash settled)
• Issuing award letters for South African and offshore participants
• Liaison with HR and/or Rewards/Benefits and/or Group Tax departments and Investec
• Updating registers with new awards/ vesting data/ terminations/ etc., providing information to Investec/ updating the Investec Share Platform, dealing with the necessary for all Equity Forward Transactions and related processes, vesting calculations and processes (South African and offshore participants)
• ensuring award and vesting processes run smoothly, corresponding with participants and dealing with queries, attending to accelerated vesting of awards as and when necessary, ensuring that data is provided to Finance for reconciliation purposes
• Supporting Finance in ensuring that incentive scheme year-end reporting is accurately reflected in the integrated report and annual financial statements

Management / Supervision :

• Responsible for supervising the Company Secretarial Coordinator, in respect of the governance and company secretarial responsibilities performed by this Coordinator.
• Assisting the Company Secretarial Coordinator in the oversight and coordination of the Executive Support Assistants

Financial management :

• Responsible for the effective financial management of the Group’s Governance Department, including budgeting, management accounts, overseeing remittance to service providers and suppliers, and ensuring financial disciplines/ cost effectiveness

Integrated Report and Stakeholder Engagement Process :

• Active involvement in the compilation of relevant integrated report input (governance, shareholder, and related).
• Active participation in the review of the Group’s integrated report and assistance in managing the processes ancillary to the production and distribution of this report (statutory and governance, other responsibilities and actions as may be required)
• Management and oversight of stakeholder engagement and related reporting.
• Ensure external stakeholder queries and requests are attended to as may be required from time to time

Educational Qualifications and Experience:

• Bachelor of Laws degree and;
• CGISA Chartered Secretary, or other equivalent Corporate Administration Related Qualification
• Chartered Secretary and Admitted Attorney
• Meet Fit & Proper requirements to be registered as a company secretary
• 10 years company secretary experience in a multinational JSE listed entity
• Chartered Secretary and Admitted Attorney

Work Specific Skills & Exposure:

• At least 5 years management experience, preferably at Mid-Management level with proven experience in engaging Group-level executive and non-executive directors of a JSE listed multinational company

Technical competencies & skills :

• Requisite knowledge and experience to assist the company secretary of a listed company in the exercise of his / her duties, with a minimum of 10 years of Company Secretarial experience in a listed environment
• Proven ability to draft correspondence and communicate effectively at an independent and advanced level
• Compliance and corporate regulatory experience in a pharmaceutical environment / healthcare environment is advantageous
• Ability to provide independent advice (orally and in writing) to Board members and senior level management on governance, corporate legal and regulatory matters
• Ability and willingness to learn new governance and corporate legal frameworks and apply these within the organisation
• An excellent command of the English language, both written and verbal. Good oral, written and interpersonal skills as well as excellent presentation skills
• Knowledge and experience in a multi-jurisdiction environment as Company Secretary or deputy Company Secretary
• Excellent financial and accounting skills – ability to draw up budgets and monitor expenses, prepare reconciliations
• Financial management experience and ability manage complex share award / vesting calculations
• Able to withstand pressure and innovate in a high-pressure environment
• Engage with stakeholders at an executive/ Holdings Board level with professionalism and good inter-personal skills
• Strong organizational and time management skills, with the ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines
• Ability to function under pressure
• Project management skills
• Exceptional organisation and attention to detail

Knowledge :

• Knowledge of statutory, legal, regulatory & reporting requirements for JSE-listed companies, public companies, private companies, and trusts
• Excellent knowledge of Board governance and management
• Capable management and administration of Group share incentive schemes / related share transactions

Aspen Competencies :

• Performance driven
• Accountability and ownership
• Understands confidentiality requirements and ensures absolute confidentiality
• Customer commitment

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Main Duties:

• Effective management of Key Account wholesalers, while establishing an environment and foundation for current & future selected Independent Wholesaler sales growth.
• Execute SLA’s and Logistics agreement as agreed upon and accepted by both parties.
• Ensure monthly services are received as per the SLA and remediated back for Audit.
• To lead the analyses, development, implementation, and measurement of all commercial initiatives linked to increasing market share at an Independent Wholesaler level.
• To combine strategic, analytic and core key independent customer management skills across a variety of therapeutic areas and baskets, to improve and maintain Aspen market share at an Independent Wholesaler level.
• Pharmacy Network Data Purchase tracking & tracing
• Pharmacy Network Invoice generation & follow up
• Conducting monthly sales analysis with Wholesalers / Independent groups and monitoring orders.
• Timeous submission of SLA Invoices for payment or SLA’s Promotions, claims etc
• Approve and manage short-dated stock claims.
• Listings of new product launches and submission of product codes to be loaded on Repwise
• Accurate Sales forecasting through monthly sales assumption/prediction vs budget to be achieved and used as cornerstone for stock replenishment.
• Timeous submission of Stack up forecasts & related demand numbers.

Manage stock levels at wholesalers to an optimum level;

• Ensure adequate stock levels are kept at optimal levels in the Key Independent Wholesaler Accounts in order supply generated on an Independent pharmacy level.
• Communicate & manage excess and insufficient stock levels, by implementing commercial drives to reduce excess stock levels.
• Communicate and collaborate with the wholesale buyer to replenish insufficient stock.
• Close co-operation and communication with Supply Chain.

Effective management of resources;

• To manage allocated Sales & Commercial budgets, through effective co-ordination of sales activities and commercial behaviours against an allocated budget, on a national level
• Develop and maintain excellent relationships with Key Customers.
• Conduct detailed business reviews and offer solutions in line with a customer’s objectives and environment. Maintaining a deep understanding of customer needs and monitor their preferences.
• Resolve escalated customer queries in line with company policies.
• Develop manage, and maintain industry contacts with decision makers and influencers, building strong customer relationships to ensure maximum satisfaction, and increased market share

Skills and Attributes:

• High level of Commercial and strategic awareness
• Ability to think strategically and innovatively around commercial initiatives
• Effective planning, organising and co-ordinating
• The ability to communicate effectively (written and verbal) is essential
• Strong capabilities in logical reasoning & negotiation skills
• Highly numerate
• Results driven
• Effective problem solving and decision making
• Independent and self-directed individual that can drive execution
• Influencing capabilities
• Effective interpersonal skills
• Attention to detail
• Project management skills
• Analytical Skills
• Technology & System driven Skills
• Planning Skills
• Time management
• Analyzing trends
• Decision making skills
• Report writing skills
• Service orientation

Knowledge:

• High level of Computer literacy
• Proficient on Qlikview reporting.
• Proficient on Excel and Microsoft applications.
• Deep working knowledge of Commercial models
• Financial modelling
• Proven sales experience
• A solid understanding and comprehensive knowledge on the Independent Wholesale Channel

Qualification & Experience:

• Matric/Grade 12 Certificate
• Sales or Marketing qualification will be an advantage.
• Min 5 years Key Account Management experience obtained from Independent Pharmacy and / or Wholesale channel.
• Sales management experience will be an advantage.
• Must be proficient in MS Office: Excel, PowerPoint, outlook, and Word
• Valid code 8 license and own transport
• Exposure & knowledge of local pharma markets (including policies & processes).

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Responsibilities:

Process improvement and support;

• Carry out internal audit activities
• Provide support during external GMP audits by regulatory and other bodies
• Maintain SOPs

APQRs and PQRs;

• Compile APQRs and PQRs
• Conduct and maintain accurate records of product reviews, as required by health authorities
• Communicate APQR and PQR requirements, recommendations and processes with relevant departments 

Complaint resolution;

• Handle customer complaints, queries and adverse drug reactions and related investigations
• Conduct complaint intake, triage and investigation
• Assist in the handling of returns and recalls, as required

Reporting and analysis;

• Conduct preliminary trend analyses and report
• Conduct preliminary root cause analysis and risk assessments and report
• Consolidate information for reports specific to area of responsibility

Planning and procedures;

• Plan for and prioritise own tasks and responsibilities, within standards and procedures, to fulfil work requirements
• Determine resource needs of own area of work
• Optimise current processes

Requirements

Background/experience;

• 2 to 4 years’ related work experience
• Learnership and registered PMA 

Specific job skills

• Report writing skills
• Working knowledge of local registrations and regulations and of international regulations/guidelines concerning GDP/GMP, QA
• Understanding of the pharmaceutical manufacturing and corrective action programs, pharmaceutical standards and compliance requirements

Competencies;

• Customer Awareness
• Following Procedures
• Interrogating Information
• Organisational Citizenship

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KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Strategic Decision making;

• Market analysis and gathering insights to arrive at strategic intent
• Develop succinct portfolio/brand strategies with supporting tactical plans in form of a Brand Plan to drive the strategic intent
• Successful role out and lead the implementation of tactical plans and monitor the roll out
• Anticipate future trends in disease management and the market environment 

Commercial capability;

• Ability to set sales budgets agreed in the business
• Compile advertising budget and spend
• Ability to manage the cross functional networks and channel resources for the portfolio to drive profitable growth
• Ability to interpret and implement insights drawn from a variety of internal and external data sources

Sustainable business growth and profitability

• Forecasting accuracy and stock management which entails minimizing write-off costs and returns, monitoring and managing distributor and wholesaler’s stock holding as well as backorders
• Effectively manage and monitor sales as well as promotional budgets
• Maintaining portfolio profitability through pricing strategies, profit margins and batch MOQ’s
• Assess market potential of opportunities/pipeline with NPL team to successfully implement new products once launch ready
• Effectively manage and initiate the required Advertising and promotional campaigns to support execution excellence and maximize ROI
• Initiate robust measurements for tactical execution outcomes to maximize ROI and future commitment decision making

Innovation;

• Innovative way of thinking to secure a competitive advantage
• Solution orientated
• Provide creative direction for brand/ portfolios strategies
• Pipeline management to secure future portfolio assets with NPL team

Internal and external customer interaction;

• Drive cross functional efficiencies and collaboration with key stakeholders to deliver on quantitative and qualitative targets to achieve brand/portfolio priorities through engagements
• Sense of urgency in resolution of customer queries
• Quality assessments of portfolio/ brand strategy and tactical implementation through infield visits to obtain required intelligence and insights
• Optimize Training department engagements to ensure field force is fully equipped and aligned with strategic and execution requirements

Skills and Competencies;

• Commercial acumen
• Analytical skills
• Project management
• Networking ability
• Interpersonal skills
• Ability to perform under pressure
• Self-starter and self -motivated
• Sense of urgency
• Prioritizing and planning
• Verbal and written communication skills
• Aptitude for continuous learning
• Influential and impactful presentation skills
• Adaptability and flexibility in a changing environment

Requirements

Educational Qualifications and Experience:

• Relevant Post matric Marketing/Health Science qualification
• 2-3 years Brand management experience in the Pharmaceutical industry
• 2-3 years Sales experience in the Pharmaceutical industry
• Applicable industry knowledge
• Financial literacy
• Proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Word
• Ability to work on Qlikview models is advantageous

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KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Develop business plans.

• Growing the business of independent pharmacy accounts in line with the business strategy, business plans and growth targets to ensure that the business remains profitable.
• Accurately forecasting  as per business unit requirements.
• Analyse the performance, projecting the landing based on the company’s growth objective applying the commercial agreements in ensuring the growth objectives is achieved and profitable P&L’s by channel is met.

Negotiate with independent customers the SLA for the financial year.

• Discuss and negotiate with all independent customers the Services for the financial period required.

Create Service level agreements

• Develop the SLA annexure and supply to legal to draft the Contracts.
• Ensure all SLA annexures are compliant to the marketing code and that services are received for all investments.
• Ensuring that all legal contracts are drafted and signed by customer and internal stakeholders. 

Remediation and Compliance to contracts 

• Monthly Review of the KAMs inputs in relation to remediate services received from the Customer.
• This is executed by interrogating services received from the customer (and reported on by the KAM), to understand the rationale and whether this is feasible from a business perspective.
•  Revise the KAM’s utilisation and dissemination of services received within the business. 

Accurately Forecast sales and data fees

• Calculate and forecast the budgets required for data fees.
• Revise data Fees monthly and forecast with finance as per budget requirement for the financial year for each account in the division. 
• Monthly forecast Sales landing for the division based on the teams projected numbers received and rolling this up to a final business unit forecasted projection

SOH report with Forecast landing projector 

• Monitor the divisions stock on hand days covered, ensuring that wholesaler stock levels, do not exceed a maximum of 60 days sock holding.
• Guide the KAM based on the stock on hand, the projected sales landing called by the KAM, ensuring forecasted sales objectives is achieved.
• Signing off on the agreed upon / amended forecasted number.

Strategic relationship with customers (Customer Services)

• Regularly meeting with KAMs and customers to ensure that strong business relationships exist and that customer needs are being met between in achieving the Aspen objectives for the year.
• Direct the KAM on business reviews, including customer performance and SLA adherence
• Report the performance of the business unit at an executive level. 
• Compile a monthly performance pack with high level trends and gaps to be rectified. This includes an analysis of the business unit performance which is communicated to all executives and sales managers

Developing and driving the people strategy

• Ensuring that the business attracts and retains appropriate skilled personnel necessary in line with the business objectives.
• Responsible for developing, coaching, and disciplinary action where required. 

Financial Objective;

• Annually determine and strictly manage operational expenditure (OPEX) for the division. 
• Full responsibility on decision making for cost containment for the division.
• Expenditure kept in line with actual sales performance and compiling commission structures to reflect this accordingly.
• Managing headcount, salaries, and offers within budget requirements.
• Annual salary increases to be based on individual performance.
• Evaluate ongoing performance and provide a long range forecast of expected expenditure based on commercial performance
• Approve ongoing strategic interventions against long range expenditure forecast
• Reconcile expenditure to outcomes

Performing additional work outputs and Cross Collaboration related to the role as required

• Collaborate with the Commercial finance channel regarding P&L’s on proposals for private label products in the independent pharmacy channels.
• Forecast and supply the minimum order quantities for the private label products in collaboration with brand management and supply chain

Authorisations and sign-offs

• Final approval on claims that exceeds the maximum KAM approval value.
• Approve and Co-sign with the marketing Business Unit Heads  on all promotional investments in the independent business unit.
• Identify, initiate, and create requirements for the divisions QlikView models to be developed via business intelligence.
• Identify a need for the business division in terms of business intelligence models and requirements.
• Create a business process identifying the fundamentals to ensure BI is able to create a business model based on the workings. 
• Review and sign off the final models created by BI before publishing for future use in the entire business. 

Requirements

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:

• Matric Certificate.
• Sales and marketing bachelor’s degree. 
• Post bachelor’s degree (Advantage)
• Min 5-10 years Sales / Marketing experience.
• Min 5 years Strong Management experience. 
• 2 Years’ experience in setting and strategizing of departmental budgets including Forecasting 
• 2 Years’ experience in customer negotiations i.e., Contracts 
• Computer literate (MS Office, Word, PowerPoint)
• The suitable candidate for the position will also have substantial expertise in Customer Relationship Management in Pharmaceutical Key 

KNOWLEDGE: 

• Computer skills
• Ms Office:  Advanced Excel (Formula calculations)
• PowerPoint, which are necessary for the creating reports and communicating internally and externally to all stakeholders.
• A solid understanding of the Pharma Industry (competitors and market positioning)
• Knowledge of finance and budget handling.
• Knowledge of different data sources
• Deep technical knowledge of project management, data analysis, and business intelligence
• Ability to interpret financial modelling 
• Vast experience on managing of Independent Key Accounts channel.
• Understanding of the Marketing code, ensure compliance is adhered to.
• Vast understanding of Independent contracts negotiating contracts ensuring they comply to legislation and that services are received.
• Creation of SLA annexures to ensure compliance
• Proven key strategic relations with Corporate Pharmacy Groups at a senior level 

SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE:

• Results driven
• Influencing capabilities.
• Independent and self-directed individual that can drive execution.
• Highly numerate, strong analytical skills 
• Project management skills; Commercial implementations in Key account 
• Ability to think strategically and innovatively 
• Strong capabilities to learn quickly
• Effective problem solving and decision making
• Commercial and strategic awareness
• The ability to communicate effectively (written and verbal) is essential.
• Strong sales track record and sound organizational skills.
• Ability to lead and mentor KAM’s.
• Proven leadership competencies. Able to make difficult decisions.
• Commercial and strategic awareness
• Well-developed negotiation skills and competencies