Senior Specialist, Quality Assurance

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MSD is seeking a Senior Specialist, Quality Assurance in Dubai to serve as Pharmacist in Charge for the newly established MEA Regional Distribution Center, ensuring GDP compliance, local regulatory alignment and adherence to our quality standards across storage, transportation and distribution of pharmaceutical products. The role centers on overseeing GDP for inbound and outbound operations, ensuring 3PL partners meet regulatory and contractual expectations, collaborating with regional quality management and supply chain teams, and managing audits, recalls, deviations, CAPA and change control with strong risk assessment and documentation discipline. Candidates should hold a pharmacy degree, be licensed in the UAE, have wholesale or QA experience, and be fluent in English and Arabic; showcase proven QA leadership, cross functional collaboration, and the ability to write and approve GDP related procedures, verify validation, and maintain the document management system. To apply you should tailor your resume to prove GDP oversight, 3PL governance, audit success and regulatory liaison with UAE authorities, highlight temperature excursion handling, complaint management and Quality Metrics examples, and emphasize your capacity to operate in a hybrid, regional role with relevant licenses and a valid UAE pharmacist designation; note the posting ends on August 26, 2026 and applications should be submitted by August 25, 2026 to be considered.

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Job Description

Job Purpose

The Senior Specialist, Quality Assurance will take the role of Pharmacist in Charge and provide quality oversight for the newly established Middle East & Africa (MEA) Regional Distribution Center in the United Arab Emirates. The role is responsible for ensuring compliance with Good Distribution Practices (GDP), local regulatory requirements, and our Company´s  Quality standards related to storage, transportation, handling, and distribution of pharmaceutical products.

Key responsibilities:

• Ensures compliance with GDP and local regulatory requirements for transportation (in- and outbound activities), storage and product handling.
• Ensures that third-party logistics (3PL) provider complies with GDP and local regulatory requirements and aligns with Quality Agreement. Monitors all tasks delegated to 3PL and listed in this Agreement and takes action if notices any non-compliance or gap.
• Collaborates with and supports the relevant QRP, regional Quality Management, supply chain functions and other internal departments of our Company on quality matters and makes notifications as required.
• External communication and collaboration:
  • Communicates with the competent Health Authority in UAE.
  • Communicates with service providers and subcontractors.
  • Communicates with and supports representatives of target markets/target countries.
  • Communicates with Marketing Authorization Holders.
  • Manages and participates in audits/inspections, recalls.
  • Writes, approves & reviews procedures with GDP impact.
  • Performs self-inspection and deviation investigation.
  • Manages, documents and monitors deviation, CAPA, change control, risk assessment.
  • Ensures facility, equipment, system validation is performed, and results meet requirements.
  • Reviews and approves contracts that concern quality assurance.
  • Maintains the Document Management System.
  • Applies principles of Quality Risk Management.
  • Handles the complaints reported from the markets supplied and in accordance with Manufacturing Division complaint handling process.
  • Assesses temperature excursions.
  • Manages and documents all relevant tasks with GDP impact.
  • Management Review and Quality Metrics.

• The responsibilities above also include authority to issue instructions, act and take decisions to fulfill HA requirements and to safeguard patient health. The responsible person must always make decisions based on their own evaluation and the information they have acquired.

Education & Licensing Requirements

• University degree in Pharmacy.
• Licensed Pharmacist in the United Arab Emirates. Pharmacist license may be issued by:
  • Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP), under a federal pharmacist license; or
  • A local health authority, including: Dubai Health Authority (DHA) or Department of Health Abu Dhabi (DoH Abu Dhabi).
• The candidate must be eligible to serve as the designated Pharmacist in Charge in accordance with applicable UAE regulatory requirements.
• Experience in pharmaceutical wholesale and quality assurance preferably.
• Good knowledge of wholesale and distribution operations.
• English and Arabic communication skills (both spoken and written).

Required Skills:

Distribution Management, Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance, Quality Auditing, Quality Management Standards, Quality Standards, Regulatory Compliance, Risk Management, Strategic Planning, Warehouse Administration

Preferred Skills:

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully 
Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company.  No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails. 

Employee Status:

Regular

Relocation:

VISA Sponsorship:

Travel Requirements:

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Hybrid

Shift:

Valid Driving License:

Hazardous Material(s):

Job Posting End Date:

08/26/2026

*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.