Category Manager – Pharma & Chronic at Priority Activator Consulting

Job Purpose:

• The Category Manager – Pharma/Chronic Care is responsible for leading and managing the chronic prescription medicines category, including product selection, procurement, inventory management, pricing strategy, supplier engagement, and category performance analysis.
• The role ensures that the  stores offer high-quality, affordable, and accessible chronic care medications aligned with  customer needs and business growth targets.
• This role requires deep pharmaceutical product knowledge, strong commercial acumen, and excellent supplier and stakeholder management skills.

Key Responsibilities:
Category & Strategic Planning

• Develop and implement strategic plans for the Chronic Pharma category, aligned with overall business and healthcare objectives.
• Analyse local disease burden, prescribing patterns, and market trends to guide product selection and assortment.
• Ensure availability of chronic therapy medications including but not limited to cardiovascular, diabetes, respiratory, and mental health treatments.

Product Lifecycle & Pricing Management

• Lead end-to-end product lifecycle: from selection and onboarding to pricing, replenishment, and rationalisation.
• Set and review pricing strategies based on competitive benchmarking, margin targets, and patient accessibility.
• Recommend additions or removals of SKUs based on data insights, sales trends, and therapeutic efficacy.

Supplier & Regulatory Compliance

• Establish and maintain strong supplier relationships to ensure optimal pricing, credit terms, and continuity of supply.
• Ensure all pharmaceutical suppliers comply with Pharmacy & Poisons Board (PPB) regulations.
• Monitor supplier performance and participate in contract negotiations and service-level agreements.

Sales, Margin & Inventory Management

• Achieve budgeted sales, margin targets, and inventory KPIs for the category.
• Work with the Supply Chain team to optimise stock levels, reduce expiries, and improve inventory turnover.
• Identify slow-moving and aging stock and lead clearance strategies in collaboration with Pharmacy Managers.

Promotion & Health Program Alignment

• Collaborate with the Marketing and Health Program teams to develop category-specific promotions and awareness  campaigns (e.g., World Diabetes Day, Hypertension Awareness).
• Ensure alignment of chronic care strategies with public health trends and insurance provider partnerships.

Data Analytics & Reporting

• Prepare and present regular category performance reports.
• Use business intelligence tools to track customer trends, product utilisation, and profitability.
• Make data-driven recommendations to improve category performance.

 Essential

• Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or related health/science discipline.
• 5+ years’ experience in retail or hospital pharmacy,  pharmaceutical procurement, or category management.
• Must be registered with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB).
• Deep knowledge of chronic therapy medications and their usage in the Kenyan/East African market.
• Strong understanding of procurement, inventory planning,  pricing, and regulatory compliance.
• Excellent negotiation, commercial, and analytical skills.

Desirable

• Experience with ERP systems and retail inventory platforms.
• Familiarity with insurance/managed care models and chronic disease management frameworks.
• Additional qualification in Business, Supply Chain or Health Economics is an advantage.