Head of Dispatch Section

**General Information**:
**Vacancy number**
- 1035/2025

**Recruitment type**
- External recruitment (international)

**Type of contract**
- Fixed-term appointment

**Posted date**
- 25-Jul-2025

**Deadline to apply**
- 01-Sep-2025

**Duty station**
- Strasbourg

**Grade**
- A1/A2

**Entity**
- European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines and HealthCare

**Description & Requirements**:
**Your Team**

The **European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & Healthcare (EDQM)** is a leading organisation whose mission is to contribute to public health protection by engaging with an international community of experts and stakeholders. We achieve this by promoting acces to safe medicines and healthcare through the elaboration of quality standards, which are recognised as a scientific bookmark worldwide. the EDQM's standards for medicines and their ingredients, compiled in the European Pharmacopeia, are legally binding in its 39 member states (and the European Union) and are also widely used across the globe in the human and animal health sectors. The EDQM also plays a crucial role in the areas of blood transfusion, organ, tissue and cell transplantation and in developing and setting consumer health standards, such as for cosmetics and food contact materials.

The team within which you will work, the Supply Chain Department (SCD), is responsible for supply and operation planning, scientific procurement of raw materials, manufacturing, logistics operations (warehousing and dispatch), processing orders and dealing with related queries. Within SCD’s Logistics Division, you will head the section responsible for the international dispatch of reference standards and other EDQM products, while ensuring regulatory compliance, efficient logístical performance and a high-quality service to users, member states and international partners.

**Your Role**

As the Head of the Dispatch Section, you will:

- organise and manage the human and financial resources allocated to the Section to ensure that it is effective, efficient and results-oriented, including:

- leading, motivating and co-ordinating staff members from a variety of professional backgrounds; fostering team spirit and a positive working environment;
- preparing and supervising the budget and other resources required for the Section’s activities;
- continuously enhancing workflows and processes to boost efficiency and performance, while also identifying and leveraging synergies with other activities within the Division and Department.
- manage dispatch activities, including:

- co-ordinating all shipments of reference standards, samples and publications (including specific goods such as dangerous goods and biological material) and ensuring they are shipped in strict compliance with transport regulations for shipment by road, air and sea, working closely with service providers/suppliers and carriers;
- ensuring smooth and appropriate communication with external and internal clients;
- managing the picking stockrooms for EDQM finished products (reference standards and publications) as well as various packaging materials, including assigning storage spaces and monitoring storage capacity; ensuring compliance with rules for occupational safety, hygiene and working conditions in these areas;
- identifying, analysing, formulating and testing solutions for different issues in collaboration with other EDQM entities.

Important: trips to the EDQM’s secondary site in Ars-Laquenexy (Metz) may be required.

**Requirements to apply**

You must:
OR
- hold a higher education degree or qualification equivalent to a bachelor's degree (1st cycle of the **Bologna process framework of qualifications for the European Higher Education Area**) and at least 6 years’ professional experience, at least 4 years of which in a supervisory or managerial role related to the management of different types of dispatch/transport;
- have proven knowledge of international customs regulations and Incoterms, especially in the context of controlled substances or temperature-controlled goods;
- have proven knowledge of regulations for the transport of dangerous goods (ADR and IATA);
- have a very good knowledge of English or French and good knowledge of the other language.

You must also:

- be a citizen of one of the member states of the Council of Europe and fulfil the conditions for appointment to the civil service of that state;
- have discharged any obligation concerning national service (military, civil or comparable);
- not be the parent, child, stepchild or grandchild of a serving staff member of the Council of Europe;
- be under the age of 65 years.

**Key competencies**
- Managerial - Management of teams
- Managerial - Decision making
- Operational - Planning and work organisation
- Interpersonal - Service orientation
- Professional and technical expertise:

- ability to design and implement logistics strategies that align with organisational goals, ensuring timely, secure and cost-effective