ZAMMSA Director General Position 2026 | Full Job Details and the Remarkable Leadership Turnover Behind It

ZAMMSA Director General Position: We know that a “Director General job at Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency” listing raises an obvious question once you check the dates: this particular vacancy closed months ago, so is the role still open, and what does that turnover actually say about the position? This guide covers the full job requirements from that advertisement in detail, and because it matters for anyone genuinely considering this role, the extraordinary leadership instability ZAMMSA has experienced since its founding.

About ZAMMSA

The Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency (ZAMMSA) is a Statutory Body established by the Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Act No. 9 of 2019, charged with the procurement, storage, and distribution of medicines and medical supplies to all public health facilities in Zambia. The Agency carries out this responsibility on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Zambia, working to ensure essential medicines and medical supplies are available and accessible to the public, while maintaining quality and safety through strict quality assurance protocols and regulatory compliance.

Status Check: This Specific Vacancy Has Closed

The Director General vacancy referenced in this listing was posted on 28 April 2026, with a closing date of Friday, 8 May 2026 at 17:00hrs — meaning it has been closed for several months as of this writing. Applications were addressed to the Board Chairperson, Brigadier General Gershom Chungu (Rtd), and only shortlisted candidates were to be contacted.

Given ZAMMSA’s documented history (detailed below), it would be reasonable to check current news or ZAMMSA’s own official channels (zammsa.co.zm) to confirm who currently holds the Director General position and whether a new vacancy has since been advertised, rather than assuming the outcome of this specific recruitment round.

Full Position Details (For Reference)

Job Purpose

To oversee the procurement, storage, and distribution of quality and cost-effective medicines and medical supplies to all Public Health Facilities in Zambia, ensuring ease of access and reduction of the national disease burden at facility level.

Key Accountabilities

• Overseeing development and implementation of policies, guidelines, strategies, and procedures for legal and regulatory compliance
• Preparing quarterly reports to the Agency Board Committees and Board
• Preparing the Agency’s strategic and operational plans, aligned to budgets and work plans
• Overseeing selection, forecasting, and quantification of medicines and medical supplies
• Overseeing timely procurement, storage, and distribution of medical products
• Managing the medicines and medical supplies fund
• Managing staff training and development
• Leading stakeholder engagement, including local and international agreements and MOUs
• Overseeing ICT, equipment, and building infrastructure
• Monitoring and evaluating strategic and operational plan progress
• Preparing Board and mandatory reports
• Managing individual work plans of Directors and Senior Managers

Qualifications

• Full Grade 12/Form 5 Certificate with a minimum of 5 ‘O’ Level Credits, including English and Mathematics
• Bachelor’s Degree in Public Health, Pharmacology, Pharmacy, Supply Chain Management, Business Management, Accountancy, or equivalent
• Postgraduate Degree in Business Management, Public Health, Pharmacology, Pharmacy, Supply Chain Management, Accountancy, or a relevant field
• Membership of a relevant professional body, with a valid practicing certificate
• Certificate in Corporate Governance
• A PhD is an added advantage

Experience and Reporting Line

• At least ten (10) years of relevant experience, with a minimum of five (5) years at Senior Management level
• Experience working in the health sector is desirable
• Reports directly to the Board Chairperson, ZAMMSA

Required Skills

Clear strategic and analytical report writing; excellent oral, written, and public relations communication; team building; interpersonal skills; tact and diplomacy; high proficiency with Microsoft Office; ability to work under tight deadlines; strong decision-making and problem-solving skills.

The Bigger Picture: Why This Role Has Been Filled Repeatedly

This is genuinely important context if you’re evaluating this opportunity, since ZAMMSA’s Director General position has experienced extraordinary turnover since the Agency’s creation in 2019. Multiple independent investigative reports document the following pattern:

Given genuinely conflicting reporting across sources on who currently holds the role, treat this table as an illustration of the pattern rather than a definitive current org chart, and verify the sitting Director General directly through zammsa.co.zm or recent, dated news coverage before relying on any single account.

A Structural Root Cause Worth Understanding

Investigative reporting on ZAMMSA’s governance has identified a specific structural issue behind this turnover: by law, the Ministry of Health’s role ends with the appointment of the ZAMMSA Board, which is then responsible for hiring the Director General. When a functional board has not been in place, this creates a governance vacuum that effectively hands direct control to the Ministry of Health, bypassing the normal institutional checks and balances the Board structure is meant to provide. This dynamic — periods without a fully functioning board, followed by Ministry-driven leadership changes — has been repeatedly cited as a core driver of the instability documented above, alongside procurement scandals and quality control controversies.

What This Means If You’re Considering a Future ZAMMSA Leadership Application

• The qualifications bar is genuinely high – a postgraduate degree, ten years of experience with five at senior management level, professional body membership, and a Corporate Governance certificate are all required, reflecting the seriousness of the role’s mandate.
• Understand the institutional context before applying. This is a role operating in a documented environment of governance instability; candidates should go in with clear eyes about the political and structural pressures the position has faced.
• Verify current status directly before investing significant application effort — check zammsa.co.zm and recent dated news coverage to confirm whether a Director General is currently substantively appointed, and whether the Board is fully constituted, since this affects the actual authority and stability of the role at any given time.
• Watch for future vacancy notices through ZAMMSA’s official channels and legitimate Zambian job boards, applying the same document-preparation principles (certified NRC, academic/professional qualifications, professional body membership proof, detailed CV with three references) outlined in the original notice.

Standard Application Requirements (For Future Reference)

Based on this notice’s Application Mode, future ZAMMSA senior vacancies are likely to require:

1. A written application addressed to the Board Chairperson, ZAMMSA, P.O. Box 30207, Lusaka.
2. Certified copies of your National Registration Card, academic and professional qualifications.
3. Proof of membership with the relevant regulatory/professional body, and your latest practicing licence, where applicable.
4. A detailed CV with three references, including contact numbers.
5. Confirmation that all professional qualifications are accredited, recognised, and validated by the Zambia Qualifications Authority.
6. Hard copies are explicitly not considered — applications must follow the specified submission channel.

A Genuine Scam Warning Worth Repeating

Job platforms carrying this listing explicitly caution: never pay money during a recruitment process. Scams specifically targeting job seekers with fraudulent “psychometric test” fees have been flagged as a real risk in the Zambian job market. Legitimate applications to ZAMMSA or any statutory body do not require any payment from candidates at any stage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the ZAMMSA Director General position still open? This specific advertised round closed on 8 May 2026. Given ZAMMSA’s documented pattern of frequent leadership change, verify current status directly through zammsa.co.zm or recent news before assuming this round’s outcome.

Why has ZAMMSA had so many Directors General? Investigative reporting points to a combination of procurement scandals, quality control controversies, and a structural governance gap — when the ZAMMSA Board isn’t fully constituted, the Ministry of Health effectively drives leadership changes directly, bypassing normal board-level oversight.

What qualifications are required for the ZAMMSA Director General role? A Bachelor’s degree plus a postgraduate degree in a relevant field (Public Health, Pharmacology, Pharmacy, Supply Chain Management, Business Management, or Accountancy), professional body membership with a valid practicing certificate, a Certificate in Corporate Governance, and at least ten years of experience with five at senior management level.

Is there a fee to apply for ZAMMSA positions? No. Legitimate applications require no payment at any stage; be cautious of any scheme requesting fees for “psychometric tests” or other supposed recruitment steps.

Who does the ZAMMSA Director General report to? The Board Chairperson, ZAMMSA — a reporting line that depends on a functioning, appointed Board being in place.