Vice President, Distribution

Cherokee Pharmaceuticals (http://www.cherokee-pharma.com/) is an active pharmaceutical (API) ingredient manufacturer with a 55-year history in fine chemical manufacturing.

The Vice President, Distribution will be responsible for the overall performance of Cherokee’s logistics and distribution management business unit and its service offerings. He or she will be responsible for developing and growing a business designed to help shippers, particularly those in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries, to manage their inventory and distribute their specialized products globally.

Headquartered in Philadelphia and working closely with the existing laboratory support services, warehouse, distribution and other shared administrative resources of Cherokee’s manufacturing business unit in Danville, he or she will be responsible for the inventory management, warehouse and distribution operations, and the sales and marketing, customer service, and information management systems of Cherokee Logistics and Distribution Management. He or she will have full P&L responsibility for the Distribution business unit and be accountable for developing and executing a strategic plan, achieving the business unit’s desired growth, revenue, and profit goals.

Comfortable and effective in a matrix organization, the Vice President, Distribution will be responsible for building and leading the sales and customer service organization and developing the requisite systems and processes necessary to support the Distribution business unit. He or she will partner with Cherokee Pharmaceutical’s Plant Manager to establish inventory management and warehouse and distribution performance standards and objectives. The Cherokee Pharmaceuticals business will provide support to the distribution business through a shared-services agreement. Legal and human resource services for the Distribution business will be provided by the parent company, PRWT Services.

The ideal candidate will be an entrepreneurial multidisciplinary professional with a track record of successfully growing a business. He or she will have demonstrated experience in strategic planning, sales and marketing, and building and managing a team that includes internal and external supply chain management professionals. Prior experience in inventory control, warehouse management, distribution management and overall supply chain management serving the pharmaceutical, chemical or food ingredient industries is highly desirable. He or she must be able to positively influence decision makers to achieve business objectives and be recognized as a leader by customers, team members and internal and external business partners. The selected candidate will be a highly effective communicator with outstanding negotiation and problem solving skills. He or she will have the demonstrated ability to create and deliver persuasive presentations that translate sales objectives into customer acquisition strategies. As the Vice President, Distribution, he or she must be able to effectively serve as the face of the company to customers and to the trade. He or she with have experience working in a fast-paced, high-growth environment with the demonstrated management skills to effectively lead and motivate a highly talented team of internal staff and external partners, and to work as a part of a team, both in a leadership role and as a contributing member, effectively influencing decisions and overcoming obstacles to achieve business goals.

Major Area of Responsibilities:

Development and execution of a global logistics and distribution management business plan, including strategies to support the acquisition of pharmaceutical, chemical, food ingredient, government, military and NGO clients.
Lead, develop, and continually motivate a team to execute the business plan.
Achieve prescribed Company objectives with regard to business growth, revenue, profit, customer service, productivity, quality and cost controls
Participate as a member of the Company senior management team in developing and executing business strategies
Partner with internal staff and external partners to achieve business goals and objectives
Establish and install procedures to ensure logistics and distribution management best practices
Install, maintain and monitor management information systems to assure that customers and external partners are provided with information and supply chain solutions that meet their needs.
Ensure coordination and implementation of standards and processes with other Cherokee business units and external partners.
Direct day-to-day activities of the Distribution business unit team.
Recruit staff, providing guidance, training and supervision relative to their responsibilities, fostering team work.

Experience/Skills Required:

The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor’s and preferably a Masters degree in a relevant field with 10 or more years of management experience with knowledge of inventory control, warehouse and distribution management systems, logistics, and supply chain management, preferably in the pharmaceutical or chemical industry, including at least 3 years of sales and marketing management experience. He or she will also have at least five years of supervisory experience in a matrix organization, including managing business operations in multiple locations and working with a multicultural team of internal staff and external partners.

He or she will have work experience that demonstrates:

Experience growing a business organically and through acquisition
Experience managing a P&L and achieving revenue and profit goals
Deep and broad knowledge of worldwide logistics, distribution management, and supply chain management practices
A track record of effective collaboration with internal and external business partners
A track record of developing and leading a highly effective and productive sales and marketing team
A track record of effectively managing an organization, including the ability to prioritize tasks and establish and met deadlines, and direct multiple initiatives simultaneously
Experience working in a fast-paced, high-growth environment
Management skills to effectively lead and motivate a talented team of internal staff, external partners, and to work as a part of a team, both in a leadership role and as a contributing member.
A track record of effectively influencing decisions and overcoming obstacles.

In addition he or she will have the following characteristics:

Ability to set clear priorities for the business unit team (internal staff, external partners) in support of business objectives.
Possess strong working knowledge of business systems related to inventory control, warehouse and distribution management, supply chain management, and the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, chemicals and food ingredients.
Flexibility in responding to changing priorities or dealing with unexpected events.
Creativity and innovation in approach to problem solving.
Ability to delegate decision-making to the appropriate level, removing obstacles, where necessary.
Behaviors that represent sponsorship of a high performance organization—walking-through the department, one-on-one coaching of staff, informal discussions, staff meetings etc.
Behaviors that represent an entrepreneurial mind-set and work ethic, e.g., hands-on, decisive, sense of urgency

Compensation:

Cherokee offers an excellent total compensation package including competitive base pay and bonus, and health benefits.

Contact Information:

For further information, contact:

Carolyn Oakley Lowe
Executive Vice President
DHR International
215.246.3440/312.953.0753
clowe@dhrinternational.com

Amy Geiger
Senior Associate
DHR International
262.879.0850
ageiger@dhrinternational.com



		Posted 08/05/08
	Vice President, Distribution Philadelphia PA Cherokee Pharmaceuticals (http://www.cherokee-pharma.com/) is an active pharmaceutical (API) ingredient manufacturer with a 55-year history in fine chemical manufacturing. The Vice President, Distribution will be responsible for the overall performance of Cherokee’s logistics and distribution management business unit and its service offerings. He or she will be responsible for developing and growing a business designed to help shippers, particularly those in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries, to manage their inventory and distribute their specialized products globally. Headquartered in Philadelphia and working closely with the existing laboratory support services, warehouse, distribution and other shared administrative resources of Cherokee’s manufacturing business unit in Danville, he or she will be responsible for the inventory management, warehouse and distribution operations, and the sales and marketing, customer service, and information management systems of Cherokee Logistics and Distribution Management. He or she will have full P&L responsibility for the Distribution business unit and be accountable for developing and executing a strategic plan, achieving the business unit’s desired growth, revenue, and profit goals. Comfortable and effective in a matrix organization, the Vice President, Distribution will be responsible for building and leading the sales and customer service organization and developing the requisite systems and processes necessary to support the Distribution business unit. He or she will partner with Cherokee Pharmaceutical’s Plant Manager to establish inventory management and warehouse and distribution performance standards and objectives. The Cherokee Pharmaceuticals business will provide support to the distribution business through a shared-services agreement. Legal and human resource services for the Distribution business will be provided by the parent company, PRWT Services. The ideal candidate will be an entrepreneurial multidisciplinary professional with a track record of successfully growing a business. He or she will have demonstrated experience in strategic planning, sales and marketing, and building and managing a team that includes internal and external supply chain management professionals. Prior experience in inventory control, warehouse management, distribution management and overall supply chain management serving the pharmaceutical, chemical or food ingredient industries is highly desirable. He or she must be able to positively influence decision makers to achieve business objectives and be recognized as a leader by customers, team members and internal and external business partners. The selected candidate will be a highly effective communicator with outstanding negotiation and problem solving skills. He or she will have the demonstrated ability to create and deliver persuasive presentations that translate sales objectives into customer acquisition strategies. As the Vice President, Distribution, he or she must be able to effectively serve as the face of the company to customers and to the trade. He or she with have experience working in a fast-paced, high-growth environment with the demonstrated management skills to effectively lead and motivate a highly talented team of internal staff and external partners, and to work as a part of a team, both in a leadership role and as a contributing member, effectively influencing decisions and overcoming obstacles to achieve business goals. Major Area of Responsibilities: Development and execution of a global logistics and distribution management business plan, including strategies to support the acquisition of pharmaceutical, chemical, food ingredient, government, military and NGO clients. Lead, develop, and continually motivate a team to execute the business plan. Achieve prescribed Company objectives with regard to business growth, revenue, profit, customer service, productivity, quality and cost controls Participate as a member of the Company senior management team in developing and executing business strategies Partner with internal staff and external partners to achieve business goals and objectives Establish and install procedures to ensure logistics and distribution management best practices Install, maintain and monitor management information systems to assure that customers and external partners are provided with information and supply chain solutions that meet their needs. Ensure coordination and implementation of standards and processes with other Cherokee business units and external partners. Direct day-to-day activities of the Distribution business unit team. Recruit staff, providing guidance, training and supervision relative to their responsibilities, fostering team work. Experience/Skills Required: The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor’s and preferably a Masters degree in a relevant field with 10 or more years of management experience with knowledge of inventory control, warehouse and distribution management systems, logistics, and supply chain management, preferably in the pharmaceutical or chemical industry, including at least 3 years of sales and marketing management experience. He or she will also have at least five years of supervisory experience in a matrix organization, including managing business operations in multiple locations and working with a multicultural team of internal staff and external partners. *He or she will have work experience that demonstrates:* Experience growing a business organically and through acquisition Experience managing a P&L and achieving revenue and profit goals Deep and broad knowledge of worldwide logistics, distribution management, and supply chain management practices A track record of effective collaboration with internal and external business partners A track record of developing and leading a highly effective and productive sales and marketing team A track record of effectively managing an organization, including the ability to prioritize tasks and establish and met deadlines, and direct multiple initiatives simultaneously Experience working in a fast-paced, high-growth environment Management skills to effectively lead and motivate a talented team of internal staff, external partners, and to work as a part of a team, both in a leadership role and as a contributing member. A track record of effectively influencing decisions and overcoming obstacles. In addition he or she will have the following characteristics: Ability to set clear priorities for the business unit team (internal staff, external partners) in support of business objectives. Possess strong working knowledge of business systems related to inventory control, warehouse and distribution management, supply chain management, and the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, chemicals and food ingredients. Flexibility in responding to changing priorities or dealing with unexpected events. Creativity and innovation in approach to problem solving. Ability to delegate decision-making to the appropriate level, removing obstacles, where necessary. Behaviors that represent sponsorship of a high performance organization—walking-through the department, one-on-one coaching of staff, informal discussions, staff meetings etc. Behaviors that represent an entrepreneurial mind-set and work ethic, e.g., hands-on, decisive, sense of urgency Compensation: Cherokee offers an excellent total compensation package including competitive base pay and bonus, and health benefits. Contact Information: For further information, contact: Carolyn Oakley Lowe Executive Vice President DHR International 215.246.3440/312.953.0753 clowe@dhrinternational.com Amy Geiger Senior Associate DHR International 262.879.0850 ageiger@dhrinternational.com