UNDP Careers
You are tasked with supporting the Head of Country Support and Monitoring on regional efforts to strengthen national forecasting/quantification, procurement planning, introduction of new products, and potential suppliers and strengthening downstream supply chain management, ensuring “end-to-end” visibility and effective distribution of UNFPA donated commodities, and identifying, troubleshooting, and providing follow-up and technical assistance for the implementation of Last Mile Assurance (LMA) process recommendations for the countries in the Region. You will apply an integrated, coordinated, and systems-strengthening approach to support country offices to respond to governments and other implementing partners’ needs, which is fundamental to UNFPA’s overall strategy of building a ready, responsive, and resilient supply chain required for sustained and equitable access to and delivery of Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) commodities and emergency supplies.
How You Can Make a Difference
UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.
In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.
UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.
UNFPA occupies a unique position in the Reproductive Health Commodity ecosystem as a critical player in supply chain management, a leading public procurer of reproductive health commodities, a trusted partner to national governments, and one of the few organizations with the scale and partnerships necessary to build accountability for last mile delivery. Additionally, in humanitarian settings, UNFPA is responsible for ensuring the availability of lifesaving sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence prevention and response commodities to those hardest to reach, and commodities to enable operational programme implementation in the hardest to operate settings.
The Supply Chain Management Unit, which was established in January 2022, ensures that UNFPA can support the delivery of life-saving reproductive health products and other programme supplies effectively and efficiently to the end user when and where they are needed. To do so, it provides enabling services to Regional Offices and Country Offices and ensures coordination, end-to-end visibility, and accountability on all supply-chain-management related activities, across all UNFPA Programmes.
Job Purpose
As Regional Supply Chain Management Specialist, you will support the Head of Country Support and Monitoring on regional efforts on oversight for sexual and reproductive health supply chain initiatives in the Region, providing advice and support to ensure that UNFPA Country Offices lead the access to quality assured contraceptives, essential, lifesaving maternal health commodities, and other related core reproductive health commodities. You will support the provision of technical and programmatic guidance to Country Offices to develop and implement supply chain management strategies applicable in development and humanitarian settings, and to ensure programme supplies are effectively managed and safeguarded in accordance with the applicable supply-chain management and procurement policies, procedures, and related guidelines.
In the broadest definition, this role is multi-sectoral and crosscutting, engaging in all issues affecting commodity security, health system strengthening, supply management and quality assurance, as well as promoting availability, accessibility, and sustainability of SRH commodities. The role will also contribute to relevant data collection and consolidation processes, developing guidelines and tools, and ensuring interagency coordination and maintaining relevant partnerships and facilitating/monitoring compliance with policies. You will support the provision of relevant advice and capacity building in the forecasting/quantification as well as development and validation of national supply plans, procurement plans for countries in the Region, and guidance on distribution, inventory, and warehouse management, in line with good storage and distribution practices for health products.
You will work in close collaboration with the Technical Division, UNFPA Supplies Partnership, Supply Chain Management Unit, Humanitarian Office, RHCS regional advisor, LACRO’s humanitarian response team and Country Offices in the Region, Third-Party-Procurement clients and Donors, ensuring timeliness, adequacy, relevance and quality of substantive outputs.
You Would Be Responsible For
You will support the Head of Country Support and Monitoring on regional efforts to:
- Strategic Technical Oversight and Leadership
- Lead strategies to strengthen the capacities of the Country Offices to support Governments and Implementing Partners across the functional areas of SCM covering forecasting and supply planning, regular and emergency procurement, national logistics management, inventory accounting and control, warehousing, distribution and good storage practices, LMA, and data collection and monitoring.
- In close collaboration with the Humanitarian Office, SCMU Emergency & Logistics Team, RHCS Regional Adviser and LACRO’s Humanitarian Response team, advise Country Offices on timely coordination of delivery of supplies for humanitarian response, including prepositioning.
- Guide UNFPA Country Offices, including those in humanitarian settings, to implement SCM practices, logistics preparedness and contingency planning where required, to enable continuity and scale up of lifesaving services.
- Promote technical guidance on pharmaceutical management in accordance with the World Health Organization (WHO) policies Good Storage Practices/Good Distribution Practices and the Model Quality Assurance System).
- Identify and analyze global and regional trends, threats, and risks in Reproductive Health Commodity Security (RHCS) that may have an impact on the SDGs, 2030 Agenda and UNFPA’s work and guide countries in mitigating them.
- Work with RHCS advisors to identify regional priorities and develop UNFPA strategic positions and related policies, frameworks, evidence-based arguments, and operational strategies, in collaboration and coordination with other branches, for overall system strengthening.
- Lead UNFPA’s contribution to technical assistance efforts (including LMIS) with regional partners such as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and other technical agencies and foundations and develop joint RHCS initiatives and approaches for UNFPA regional leadership in this area.
- Provide strategic technical oversight and capacity building to Government, Implementing Partners and Country Offices in consensus-driven national RH commodity forecasting with all local stakeholders, including Government ministries, bilateral donors, major non-Government Organizations, and other development partners having presence in countries, as well as partners using UNFPA´s Partner Supply Chain Services.
- In consultation with LACRO´s technical teams, ensure Country Offices in the Region produce technically sound and expeditious procurement plans supported by consensus-based quantification, and distribution plans, and regularly monitor these plans to ensure they are up to date.
- Promote the establishment of technologies for tracking commodity procurement pre-commitments, budgets and expenditures from all stakeholders involved in national supply plans.
- Monitor Country Office management of core commodity transactions, including ordering, receipt, inspection, storage, issuance, and distribution of these items, to be fully compliant with UNFPA policies.
- Oversee Country Offices to ensure adequate levels of assurance are obtained on whether programme supplies: (i) are adequately managed and safeguarded by the Implementing Partners to which they are entrusted, preventing, or minimizing waste and fraud; (ii) timely and effectively reach the “last mile”, i.e., the service delivery points where beneficiaries can access them.
- Anticipate and respond to the Country Programmes´ supply chain management needs, in developing and updating policies, frameworks, guidance, standards, instruments/systems and tools.
- Thought Leadership, Knowledge Sharing and Advisory
- Champion UNFPA’s supply chain thought leadership through actively engaging with industry experts, participating in relevant forums, contributing to research and publications, and representing UNFPA’s expertise in various supply chain management discussions and initiatives.
- Foster an environment for knowledge retention and sharing and the creation of a community of practice for supply chain.
- Provide counsel and support on the full range of supply chain management issues, incorporating best practices and continuous improvement across UNFPA.
- Partnerships and Resource Mobilization
- Prominently contribute to the development of UNFPA’s value proposition and relationships with donors and partners.
- Support SCMU’s collaboration with the Division for External Relations to diversify funding opportunities.
- Support SCMU’s oversight of resource mobilisation proposals for quality assurance purposes
- Collaboration and Representation
- Establish effective collaboration with relevant stakeholders within UNFPA to ensure coordinated and effective tailored solutions for each area of intervention.
- Lead the fostering of relationships with key supply chain partners with the purpose of increasing the efficiency of UNFPA’s supply chain function.
- Represent SCMU and UNFPA in meetings related to supply chain management functions.
- Team Management (if applicable)
- Create a conducive working environment aligned with UNFPA’s 2030 People Strategy.
- Lead and supervise team.
- Carry out any other duties as may be required by the Chief, SCMU and LACRO IOM
Education
Qualifications and Experience:
Advanced university degree required. An advanced degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Logistics, Operations Management or equivalent field is an added advantage. Medical sciences or Pharmacy certifications would be an asset. A professional Supply Chain Management certification such as CIPS at Level 4 Advanced Diploma and/or CILT at any of the Level 4 qualifications and/or Supply Chain Operation Reference Professional (ASCM SCOR) would be an additional asset.
Knowledge And Experience
- A minimum of five years of relevant progressively responsible professional experience, including management experience of managing people and/or health projects at the international level, with ideally at least two years spent in low-resource or humanitarian settings.
- Demonstrated expertise in humanitarian preparedness and prepositioning.
- At least 5 years of knowledge and experience of supply chain operations in LAC countries.
- Experience in developing analytical tools for management reporting and performance metrics in supply chain.
- Basic knowledge of the principles and operational aspects of integrated SRH health care in the global development and humanitarian settings is an additional asset.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to identify and address supply chain issues and opportunities in the region.
- Working knowledge of global supply chain dynamics and international trade regulations.
- Ability to analyze and interpret data to drive improvements.
- Professional written and spoken presentation skills, including for the development of reports, presentations, and the ability to synthesize complex technical documents for both technical and non-technical audiences.
- Strong interpersonal skills and capability to develop and maintain broad diversified partnerships.
- Familiarity with UN agencies procurement and supply chain management policies, and guidelines is an asset.
Languages
Fluency in English and Spanish is required. Working knowledge of French is an asset.
Values
Required Competencies:
- Exemplifying integrity,
- Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system,
- Embracing cultural diversity,
- Embracing change
Core Competencies
- Achieving results,
- Being accountable,
- Developing and applying professional expertise/business acumen,
- Thinking analytically and strategically,
- Working in teams/managing ourselves and our relationships,
- Communicating for impact
Functional Competencies
- Strategically positioning UNFPA programme
- Delivering results-based programmes
- Strengthening the programming capacity of Country Offices
- Facilitating quality programmatic results
- Generating, managing and promoting the use of knowledge and information
- Providing conceptual innovation to support programme effectiveness
Managerial Competencies
- Providing strategic focus,
- Engaging staff and partners,
- Leading, developing and empowering people/creating a culture of performance,
- Making decisions and exercising judgment
Compensation And Benefits
This position offers an attractive remuneration package including a competitive net salary plus health insurance and other benefits as applicable.
UNFPA Work Environment
UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA’s workforce – click here to learn more.
Disclaimer
Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements.
UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants’ bank accounts.
Applicants for positions in the international Professional and higher categories, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.
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