Vertical Head – Pharmaceutical Distribution (Ste Job/ 30)

Job Title : Vertical Head – Pharmaceutical Distribution

Industry: Pharma Distribution & Retail

Location: Chennai

Experience: 15+ Years in Pharmaceutical Distribution / Supply Chain / Healthcare Procurement

Salary: Up to ₹60 LPA

About the Client:

Our client is a multi-specialty hospital chain with 2,250+ beds across six major cities — Trichy, Chennai, Salem, Hosur, Tirunelveli, and Bengaluru.
With twelve hospitals and a workforce of over 8,000+ employees, the group is recognized for its excellence in patient care, advanced medical infrastructure, and operational strength. As part of its growth strategy, the organization is expanding its pharmaceutical distribution vertical to enhance efficiency, compliance, and profitability across all its hospital and retail units.

Role Overview:

The Vertical Head – Pharmaceutical Distribution will oversee the complete pharmaceutical supply chain operations for the hospital group. This senior leadership position requires strategic vision, operational depth, and commercial acumen to ensure seamless, compliant, and cost-efficient delivery of medical supplies across multiple locations. This role will oversee daily operations, manages staff, and develops strategic plans for the supply chain. Core responsibilities include managing inventory, ensuring regulatory compliance, optimizing logistics, and controlling costs to ensure the efficient and timely delivery of pharmaceutical products from manufacturers to Hospitals, retail stores and other distributors .

Key Responsibilities:

• Strategic planning: Develop and implement strategic plans to optimize the distribution network, ensuring alignment with company goals.
• Operations management: Oversee all day-to-day distribution activities, including warehousing, transportation, and inventory management.
• Inventory control: Manage inventory levels to reduce carrying costs while ensuring product availability, including setting safety stock and reorder points.
• Supplier management: Manage and qualify a global network of suppliers, build strong relationships, and mitigate supply chain risks.
• Regulatory compliance: Ensure all distribution processes comply with industry regulations, including quality standards and legal requirements.
• Financial management: Develop and manage budgets, allocate resources, and identify opportunities to reduce operational costs.
• Team leadership: Recruit, onboard, train, and mentor a high-performing team, delegating responsibilities and resolving conflicts to achieve objectives.
• Process improvement: Drive continuous improvement initiatives to standardize processes and improve efficiency across the supply chain. 
• Non-Moving & Expiry Management: Ensure timely return and proper handling of non-moving and expiry stocks.
• Central Monitoring: Implement system-controlled MIS reports for centralized monitoring of branch-wise stock levels.
• Maximizing Profit: Continuously negotiate purchase prices and control various expenditures to enhance overall profitability.

Preferred Qualifications & Experience:

• Graduate / Postgraduate in Pharmacy, Supply Chain, or Operations Management (MBA preferred).

• Proven track record in pharmaceutical distribution, healthcare supply chain, or hospital procurement.

• Deep understanding of quality, audit, and compliance frameworks (e.g., cGMP, supplier qualification).

• Strong leadership, analytical, and financial planning skills.

• Ability to implement structured systems and drive continuous improvement across multiple branches.