Supply Chain and Operations Manager

Terms of Reference (TOR)

Job Tittle: Supply Chain and Operations Manager

Duty Station: Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh

Report To: Country Director, Bangladesh

Contract Duration: 12 Months (With possibility of extension subject to funding, program needs and performance of incumbent).

About RI:

Relief International, headquartered in USA, is a leading international non-government organization working in 16 countries to relieve poverty, ensure well-being and advance dignity. We specialize in fragile settings, responding to natural disasters, humanitarian crises and chronic poverty.

Relief International (RI) has been working in Bangladesh since 2004, implementing programs covering emergency response, health, economic opportunity, trafficking in persons, gender equality and youth empowerment. RI has been present in Cox’s Bazar since 2014 where it was implementing a trafficking in person’s project in Ukhiya and Teknaf supporting old caseload refugees as well as host communities prior to the large-scale influx. Since 2017, RI has scaled up its operations in Cox’s Bazar to support the emergency response by providing integrated, multi-sectoral programming for refugee and host communities, covering health services, including a 132 bed COVID-19 Isolation and Treatment Center in Ukhiya, child protection, SGBV, complimentary food and livelihoods opportunities to support social cohesion. Relief International is currently implementing a large scale refugee response program in Coxs Bazar in Bangladesh in collaboration with multiple partners including UNHCR, WFP, USAID.RI maintains a country office in Dhaka with multiple field offices in Coxs Bazar.

Relief International combines humanitarian and development approaches to provide immediate services while laying the groundwork for long-term impact. Our signature approach which we call the RI Way emphasizes local participation, an integration of services, strategic partnerships, and a focus on civic skills. In this way, we empower communities to find, design and implement the solutions that work best for them.

Position Summary:

The Supply Chain and Operation Manager (SCO) is responsible for RI’s supply chain management, including procurement, warehousing, distribution support as well as fleet management, asset management and IT. As a member of the country senior management team, the SCO Manager ensures compliance with RIs policies and procedures as well as national law and donor regulations.. The scope of the position includes strategic planning for supply chain & operations, training and capacity building incoming and existing staff and supporting program teams on aspects of program implementation in refugee camps.

Responsibilities & Duties:

Procurement

• Ensure that RI procurement policies and procedures are adhered to through RI offices. Ensure changes are disseminated in a timely manner and that all appropriate staff are trained and competent. Ensure local, national and international procurement practices are compliant with donor regulations.
• Participate in mobilization efforts and meeting for all new projects and project extensions. Ensure Procurement Plans are completed and kept up to date for all active grants.
• Actively participate in monthly grant meetings and BVA meetings.
• Centralize the program supply chain by setting up of strategic sourcing plans including supplier lists, pre-approved suppliers and framework agreements.
• Ensure that the supply chain is appropriate and cost effective, based on budget, markets, infrastructure, nature of the RI programs, and need for timely delivery.
• Support management with audit preparation and response to audit inquiries. If required, develop corrective actions plans and ensure actions are taken to address audit findings.

Warehouse and Stock Management

• Provide support to the warehouse team and make sure systems and reporting is in place to allow effective storage and distribution of transit and centralized stocks.
• Make sure stock management systems are implemented and all key staff know and adhere to policies.
• Oversee the stock management of pharmaceutical drugs; ensuring that minimum standards are enforced in the management; inventory and transportation.
• Ensure warehouse and stocks are secure, well managed and documented. Improve on and ensure accuracy of reporting and tracking databases.
• Ensure regular rotation of stocks (particularly medical items) ensuring limited losses due to expiration
• Assist in the preparation of analysis and reports on inventory tracking, movements, etc. Analysis, reporting and follow up of such findings.
• Oversee routine physical stock counts, document discrepancies and report losses to management.

Assets

• Ensure a centralized asset register is maintained; ensure that all office and program assets are logged. For all assets maintain tracking system and ensure all assets are issued with unique RI asset number, ID tag and are tracked.
• Ensure assets and property are effectively managed, asset list is updated regularly and assets are disposed of according to RI and/or donor regulations. Ensure annual (or bi-annual) asset checks are completed; damage and losses are reported immediately.
• Ensure donor reports for assets are timely completed and submitted to the Finance/Program and other departments as appropriate. Ensure appropriate and timely disposal of assets as necessary according to donor standards and regulations.

Transport, Travel & Fleet

• Ensure management of vehicle fleets is in line with RI standards; ensure that appropriate allocation and safe use of vehicles is achieved throughout the program and ensure servicing and maintenance schedules are adhered to.
• Ensure transport services are cost efficient and reliable. Ensure the efficient coordination timely delivery of supplies to projects.
• Ensure systems are in place to effectively plan, coordinate and monitor staff travel by road or air (national or international).
• Manage national flight bookings for RI staff through approved travel agent services.

Staff Management:

• Proactively develop the skills and provide opportunities to RI SCO staff to build capacity to improve support to projects.
• Ensure all staff have accurate and up to date job descriptions and actively participate in the performance review and management processes of all staff being managed directly and indirectly.
• Continue to work with Country Management to support any restructure of the SCO team that best aligns with RI country strategy and structure.
• Visit Field offices on regular basis to identify capacity-building opportunities to strengthen the capacity of RI Operations staff, identify operational needs and ensure that issues are raised with CD, Department leads and other staff, as needed, to ensure they are included in new budget development.
• Provide feedback through regular performance evaluations and ensure staff is held accountable in accordance with the RI Human Resource policies.

Administration & Information Technology (IT):

• Facilities management – Ensure all properties including office, warehouse(s) and guest house(s) are functioning well and any maintenance and landlord issues are addressed in a timely fashion.
• Oversee administration functions such as reception, office consumables, storeroom management, etc.
• Ensure office compliance to global IT policy and procedure, standard equipment and licenses.

Other

• Working with Security, make sure practical and effective implementation of the country security guidelines in camps and are in place for all logistics activities.
• Actively participate in all award project cycle activities – proposal development, budgeting, mobilization, BvAs, grant meetings, close out and audit.
• Provide regular SCO reports to all project stakeholders and regional and global support offices as required. Ensuring stakeholders are informed about key aspects and challenges in supply chain.
• Liaise with government, UN and other agencies as necessary. Represent RI at LogCluster and other relevant meetings.
• Comply with all relevant RI policies and procedures with respect to child protection, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies.

Qualifications and Requirements

• This position demands a dynamic individual with a demonstrated ability to achieve results in a demanding and fast paced environment.

• Master’s degree in supply chain or logistics or commensurate level of work experience.

• At least 5 years of progressive fulltime employment in a similar position preferably with an international NGO.

• Prior experience supporting interventions in refugee camps is beneficial.

• Prior experience working in Bangladesh is beneficial.

• Excellent organizational, interpersonal and communication skills.

• Ability to prioritize and deal with competing demands.

• Previous experience of staff supervision and capacity building.

• Fluent in English.

• A team builder with excellent people skills; culturally sensitive and has the ability and interest to identify and work with a multicultural team

Safeguarding and Gender Sensitiveness

• Be part of embedding an organizational culture that is committed to protecting clients from harm.
• Ensure that the team understands and abide by the organization culture of safeguarding
• RI Bangladesh has a non-negotiable policy of ZERO TOLERANCE towards Safeguarding. All employees are expected to abide by the Code of Conduct, Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA), Child Protection Policy and Human Trafficking Policy of Relief International.

RI VALUES

We uphold the Humanitarian Principles: humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and operational independence. We affirmatively engage the most vulnerable communities. We value:

• Inclusiveness
• Transparency and Accountability
• Agility and Innovation
• Collaboration
• Sustainability