General Manager

About Abacus Pharma (A) Limited

Founded in 1995, Abacus Pharma (A) Limited is a prominent pharmaceutical firm dedicated to enhancing availability of quality and affordable medicines throughout East Africa. Headquartered in Uganda, it operates directly in Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi, expanding its footprint across the continent. The company collaborates with international suppliers to develop and market locally branded generics and imports economical medicines. In 2009, it launched Abacus Parenteral Drugs Limited (APDL), an 11,000 square meter facility near Kampala—the largest parenteral manufacturing plant in East Africa supplying significant regional demand. Abacus employs over 1,200 staff across its five-country presence.

Role Overview

The General Manager position, based full-time onsite in Kampala, encompasses overall leadership of business operations and performance at Abacus Pharma (A) Limited. The role entails crafting strategic direction, prioritizing operational objectives, ensuring adherence to regulatory and quality benchmarks within pharmaceutical manufacturing and distribution settings.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and supervise diverse cross-functional teams fostering strong accountability and ethical standards.
• Oversee financial outcomes, optimize supply routes and manufacturing workflows to improve efficiency and output quality.
• Drive expansion and business development efforts across East African markets.
• Establish and nurture partnerships with regulatory agencies, suppliers, healthcare collaborators, and internal leadership.
• Promote a culture embracing safety, continual enhancement, and governance compliance.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Demonstrated leadership excellence including team building, performance evaluation, and managing multicultural teams.
• Expertise in strategic planning, goal formulation, budget management, and organizational growth initiatives.
• Experience managing operations and supply chains, with emphasis on production oversight, process refinement, and quality control in regulated environments.
• Strong stakeholder engagement leveraging communication, negotiation, and partnership skills across various groups.
• Firm knowledge of regulatory and compliance frameworks relevant to pharmaceuticals or healthcare sectors covering quality, safety, and governance.
• Ability to analyze complex data, evaluate risks, and make strategic decisions under pressure.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Management, Pharmacy, or related discipline; master’s degree such as an MBA is preferred.
• Proven senior management experience within pharmaceutical, healthcare, manufacturing industries, or comparable regulated sectors in East Africa or similar markets.
• Capacity to be based in Kampala and periodically travel regionally, adapting effectively to a dynamic multinational operational environment.