Supply & Logistics Specialist at the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF)

United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Supply & Logistics Specialist

Job No: 563414
Location: Abuja
Contract Type: Fixed Term Appointment
Categories: Supply Management
Level: P-3

How Can You Make a Difference?

• The Supply and Logistics Specialist reports to the Chief of Supply and Logistics as per the Country Office (CO) set-up and is responsible for managing the supply chains of a small sized country office, and/or small sized emergency response operation, or elements of the supply chains of a larger supply operation.
• The supply chain operations include planning, procurement, contracting, customs clearance, warehousing, in country transport and distribution, as well as monitoring of supplies, services and construction works.
• The incumbent supports management collaboration with programmes in defining supply interventions to meet programmatic needs and achieve results for children, and provides technical and advisory support to governments, national systems and partners on supply chain management.

Key function, Accountabilities, and Related Duties / Tasks
Management of the Supply team:

• Prepare the annual work plan for the Supply team; determine priorities/targets and performance measurements and monitor work progress to ensure that results are achieved according to schedule and performance standards.
• Supervise and coach team members, ensure timely performance management of staff. In collaboration with Supply Division, Regional Office and the global supply community, ensure knowledge sharing and learning is prioritized in order to continuously build capacity of individuals and the team.
• In consultation with supervisor, ensure establishment and maintenance of operational capacity to handle CO supply chains, including staffing (appropriate staffing structure, timely recruitment, clarity of roles and responsibilities) and contracting of third-party services if applicable (e.g. customs clearance, warehousing, transport, distribution)

 Supply chain service delivery and emergency response

• In consultation with supervisor, provide input to the Country Programme Action Planning and advice on Supply requirements for the Plan of Operations and Annual Work Plans. Ensure appropriate planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the supply chain operations, including establishment of performance indicators, and assessment of fit for purpose of products and services.
• Analyze supply spend and develop procurement strategies based on category management in order to focus on strategic, essential supplies and services that contribute to results for children, including establishment of long-term agreements (LTAs) where relevant. Ensure effective procurement of goods, contracting of services and construction works, while maintaining the highest level of integrity, ethical standards, and accountability.
• Ensure timely customs clearance of supplies entering the country. Ensure appropriate warehousing, inventory management and in-country transport in support of the country programme implementation.
• Ensure appropriate vendor management practices e.g., supply performance reviews are established and applied.
• Analyze supply dashboards, implementation rates of key performance indicators and supply information/data from various systems and conduct root cause analysis of supply chain bottlenecks and challenges, with a view to drive improvements and ensure efficient and effective supply chains for children.
• In consultation with supervisor, develop an emergency supply & logistics strategy based on risk assessment analysis and Programme assumptions. Ensure an emergency supply and logistics preparedness action plan for the CO is established in line with Core Commitments for Children in Humanitarian Action (CCC) and implemented (establishment of relevant LTAs and frame agreements for emergency response, prepositioning of stock, and training of staff in the country office).
• Participate in high level emergency coordination, implementation and monitoring meetings with internal and external partners and establish close collaboration with Logistics Cluster/National Logistics Working Group if such is activated/existing.
• In collaboration with supervisor, establish strong working relations with Regional Chiefs of Supply/Regional Chief of Operations, as well as Supply Division, to align with global and regional approaches and initiatives in supply chain management.

Collaboration with programme and implementing partners

• In collaboration with supervisor, develop close collaboration with programme sections through involvement in programme design, planning, and preparation for implementation of supply components as well as monitoring and evaluation. Establish accountability framework with programmes, for delivery of results for children.
• Provide supply input to donor dialogue, and support development of supply components of proposals to donors including budgeting and use of innovative financing mechanisms for supplies, services and construction works.
• Support assessment of and collaboration with implementing partners including civil society, establishment of Programme Cooperation Agreements (PCAs), and monitoring of supply components under Harmonized Approach to Cash Transfers (HACT).
• Develop and maintain partnership and collaborative relations with Government, UN organizations and bilateral counterparts in supply and logistics activities including harmonized and collaborative procurement.

Technical and advisory support to government/national systems

• Promote/drive supply chain strengthening and change management initiatives with governments and partners, to ensure efficient and effective supply chains for children.
• Provide input to capacity development initiatives in the area of supply chains for children, in close collaboration with programme colleagues. Support supply components of health systems strengthening as might be relevant in the country context.
• Advisory support to Governments/national systems in defining and determining supply solutions for children, such as use of procurement services; supply financing solutions; local market development; private sector engagement.

Innovation, products and markets

• Contribute to pilots and support the actual roll-out of new products and services, in close collaboration with Supply Division.
• Promote critical thinking, innovative approaches and good practices on supply chain management within the organization as well as with externals to ensure effective and efficient supply chains for children.
• Further to analysis of supply spend and related procurement strategies, in collaboration with supervisor run initiatives to ensure local market development where relevant.

Qualifications
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have:

Education:      

• An Advanced University Degree is required in Business Administration, Management, Economics, Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Procurement, Contract/Commercial Law, International Development, Health or related Social Science field, or relevant first-level university degree (Bachelor’s) in conjunction with a valid relevant professional certification is required.
• A first level University Degree (Bachelor’s) in a relevant technical field (as identified above), in conjunction with seven (7) years of relevant work experience in supply, logistics, procurement, contracting, administration and/or other directly related technical field, may be taken in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Experience:

• A minimum of five (5) years of relevant experience, at the national and international levels, in supply, logistics, procurement, contracting, administration and/or other directly related technical fields is required.
• Understanding of development and humanitarian work.
• Emergency experience an advantage. Health supply chain management experience an advantage.

Language Requirements:      

• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate:

• UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF competencies required for this post are:

• Builds and maintains partnerships
• Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
• Drive to achieve results for impact
• Innovates and embraces change
• Manages ambiguity and complexity
• Thinks and acts strategically
• Works collaboratively with others and
• Nurtures, leads and manages people).
• During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

Benefits

• We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

Application Closing Date
9th July, 2023 (W. Central Africa Standard Time).

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Note

• Nigerian Nationals Not Eligible to Apply
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.
• UNICEF’s active commitment towards diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable female are encouraged to apply.
• Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.
• UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions.
• Appointments are also subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF.
• UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.