MSD (Merck Sharp & Dohme) — one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies — is hiring a Senior Quality Assurance Specialist at its Falak Building location in Dubai, UAE. This senior role serves as the designated Pharmacist in Charge for MSD’s newly established Middle East & Africa (MEA) Regional Distribution Center, responsible for ensuring full GDP compliance, local UAE regulatory adherence, 3PL quality oversight, deviation management, CAPA, audit participation, and protection of patient health across all pharmaceutical distribution activities.
About MSD & the MEA Regional Distribution Center
Company: Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) — Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA — global pharmaceutical industry leader
Facility: Newly established MEA Regional Distribution Center in UAE — a landmark investment in pharmaceutical distribution
Regulatory Scope: GDP compliance, UAE MOHAP, DHA, DoH Abu Dhabi regulations, and company Quality Standards
3PL Oversight: Monitor and manage quality compliance of third-party logistics providers per Quality Agreement obligations
Licence Required: Valid UAE Pharmacist Licence — MOHAP federal, DHA Dubai, or DoH Abu Dhabi licences accepted
Career Growth & Patient Safety Impact in UAE
Pharmacist in Charge: A senior, high-authority regulatory role directly accountable to UAE Health Authorities
MEA Scope: Oversee pharmaceutical QA across a distribution centre serving the entire Middle East and Africa region
Global Brand: Join one of the world’s most respected pharmaceutical companies at a newly established strategic facility
Patient Safety Mission: Authority and responsibility to safeguard patient health across all MEA distribution activities
Position Overview
The Senior Quality Assurance Specialist / Pharmacist in Charge at MSD’s Dubai MEA Regional Distribution Center provides full quality oversight for the storage, transportation, handling, and distribution of pharmaceutical products across the MEA region. Responsibilities cover GDP compliance, 3PL quality management, Health Authority communication, audit management, deviation investigation, CAPA administration, change control, temperature excursion assessment, Document Management System maintenance, complaint handling, and Quality Risk Management — with the authority and regulatory accountability to make independent decisions to safeguard patient health and fulfil UAE Health Authority requirements.
Why This Role Matters: As Pharmacist in Charge at MSD’s MEA Distribution Center in Dubai, you hold the highest regulatory responsibility for pharmaceutical product quality across a supply chain that reaches patients across the entire Middle East and Africa. Your GDP oversight protects product integrity, your 3PL monitoring ensures every logistics partner meets MSD’s quality standards, your deviation investigations prevent patient safety risks, and your direct communication with UAE Health Authorities upholds MSD’s licence to operate as one of the world’s most trusted pharmaceutical companies.
Key Responsibilities
GDP Compliance & Distribution Quality Oversight
- Ensure full compliance with GDP and UAE local regulatory requirements for all inbound and outbound transportation activities
- Oversee storage conditions, product handling, and cold chain compliance across the MEA Regional Distribution Center
- Monitor third-party logistics (3PL) provider compliance with GDP requirements and alignment with the Quality Agreement obligations
- Take appropriate action whenever non-compliance or gaps are identified in 3PL-delegated tasks or quality procedures
Regulatory Communication & Health Authority Liaison
- Communicate directly with the competent Health Authority in UAE on all quality, regulatory, and compliance matters
- Collaborate with regional Quality Management, supply chain functions, and internal departments on quality-related notifications
- Communicate with service providers, subcontractors, Marketing Authorization Holders, and target market representatives
- Manage and actively participate in regulatory inspections, product recalls, and health authority audits when required
Deviation, CAPA & Change Control Management
- Perform self-inspections, conduct deviation investigations, and apply root cause analysis to all identified quality failures
- Manage, document, and monitor deviations, CAPA actions, change control processes, and quality risk assessments comprehensively
- Ensure facility, equipment, and system validation is performed and results meet GDP and regulatory requirements
- Assess temperature excursions and make informed quality decisions regarding product disposition based on available data
Documentation, Complaints & Quality Risk Management
- Write, approve, and review standard operating procedures and quality documents with GDP impact across the distribution centre
- Maintain the Document Management System, ensuring all records are accurate, current, and audit-ready at all times
- Handle complaints reported from markets supplied in accordance with MSD’s Manufacturing Division complaint handling process
- Apply principles of Quality Risk Management to all decision-making and quality oversight activities across the MEA region
Contracts, Management Review & Quality Metrics
- Review and approve contracts and agreements that concern quality assurance activities for the Distribution Center
- Contribute to Management Review processes and maintain quality metrics reporting for the MEA distribution operation
- Make independent regulatory decisions based on own evaluation and available information to fulfil Health Authority requirements
- Manage and document all relevant tasks with GDP impact, maintaining full traceability for regulatory and audit purposes
Qualifications & Requirements
Education & Licensing Requirements
- University degree in Pharmacy — Bachelor’s or higher level qualification in Pharmacy is required for this role
- Valid UAE Pharmacist Licence — issued by MOHAP (federal), Dubai Health Authority (DHA), or Department of Health Abu Dhabi (DoH)
- Candidate must be eligible to serve as the designated Pharmacist in Charge under applicable UAE regulatory requirements
Experience Requirements
- Experience in pharmaceutical wholesale distribution and quality assurance operations is strongly preferred
- Good working knowledge of pharmaceutical wholesale, GDP standards, and distribution centre operations
- Bilingual communication skills — English and Arabic, both spoken and written — required for UAE regulatory and stakeholder communication
Required Skills & Competencies
- Distribution Management and Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance — deep practical knowledge across both disciplines
- Quality Auditing, CAPA management, Quality Risk Management, and regulatory compliance expertise
- Warehouse Administration, GDP standards, and pharmaceutical distribution operations knowledge
- Strong communication skills in English and Arabic for Health Authority, 3PL, and internal stakeholder liaison
About MSD
MSD, known as Merck & Co., Inc. in the United States and Canada, is one of the world’s largest and most respected pharmaceutical companies — with a long-standing mission to discover, develop, and deliver innovative health solutions to patients across the globe. The newly established MEA Regional Distribution Center in Dubai, UAE represents a landmark investment in the company’s Middle East and Africa infrastructure, bringing pharmaceutical distribution operations closer to the patients and healthcare systems that depend on MSD’s medicines across the region. Joining MSD in this Pharmacist in Charge role means accepting both the privilege and the responsibility of protecting patient health at the highest regulatory level in the UAE pharmaceutical sector.
Career Excellence: Join MSD as Pharmacist in Charge at the MEA Regional Distribution Center in Dubai — and become the quality and regulatory authority that protects patients and upholds one of the world’s most trusted pharmaceutical brands across the Middle East and Africa.
Who Should Apply?
- UAE Licensed Pharmacists: Holding a valid MOHAP, DHA, or DoH Abu Dhabi pharmacist licence eligible for Pharmacist in Charge designation
- Pharmaceutical QA Specialists: With GDP compliance, deviation management, CAPA, and distribution quality assurance experience
- Regulatory Affairs Professionals: With experience communicating with UAE Health Authorities and managing pharmaceutical distribution compliance
- 3PL Quality Managers: Experienced in overseeing third-party logistics quality compliance within a pharmaceutical supply chain
- Bilingual Pharmacists: Fluent in English and Arabic, ready to communicate with UAE Health Authorities and regional market stakeholders
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