UNFPA SURGE RESPONSE ROSTER – Logistics in Emergencies Specialist

UNFPA is building a roster of highly qualified Logistics in Emergencies Specialist ready to be deployed to humanitarian crises worldwide. As a member of our roster, you will be called upon to provide critical support in ensuring the timely and efficient delivery of essential supplies and services to affected populations. This is a unique opportunity to make a tangible impact on the lives of millions of people.

UNFPA is the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency. Our mission is to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.

We promote gender equality and empower women, girls, and young people to take control of their bodies and their futures. We work with partners in more than 150 countries to provide access to a wide range of sexual and reproductive health services. Our goal is ending unmet need for family planning, preventable maternal death, and gender-based violence and harmful practices including child marriage and female genital mutilation by 2030.

What We Offer:

• The opportunity to make a direct impact during humanitarian emergencies, protecting the health and rights of women and girls.
• Deployment for short term (3 to 6 months) surge missions as part of UNFPA humanitarian response.
• A platform to utilize your expertise in Logistics and Supply Chain Management

Key Responsibilities (upon deployment):

• Support the overall logistics for UNFPA supplies in close collaboration with the CO operations team.
• Work to update and implement the Concept of Operations for logistics including the flow such as importation channels, movement of goods (corridors), storage (hubs), and distribution network to the affected area.
• Work with the CO staff to process movements of supplies into the affected area from relevant access points, working closely with logistics cluster / other mechanisms, conduct receipt and inspection of goods and process storage, and onward dispatch to service delivery points in line with last mile assurance.
• Engage with all relevant humanitarian partners to optimize UNFPA’s supply chain and coordinate with health sector partners and UN agencies in terms of planning and development of the health supply chain for a response.
• Ensure availability of medical logistics and pharmacy equipment based on the needs as requested.
• Coordinate with the Logistics Cluster and the Health Cluster, as needed, to ensure gaps and needs are raised, and to leverage Logistics Cluster facilitated services and information for UNFPA’s operation.
• In coordination with operations manager and procurement team, maintain visibility on the procurement plan based on forecasted needs and response plan of UNFPA.
• Coordinate and monitor incoming procurement of medical supplies in close coordination with the UNFPA country office procurement team, RO, and HQ team.
• In line with requirements, ensure proper compliance with importation procedures and processes as defined by national authorities, OCHA, or UNCT.
• Identify suitable warehousing structures and transporters to store and manage medical supplies.
• Establish / maintain a stock management system including but not limited to physical movement, warehouse access rules, stock cards, bin cards, shelf-life, and recording of movements both in hard documents and software.
• Ensure proper record-keeping as per the organization’s policies and procedures.
• In close coordination with the programme team, ensure the distribution plan is clear and implemented
• Oversee/implement assessment of IPs and health facilities to ensure they are able to maintain the quality of goods. If needed, raise potential procurement needs for infrastructure, propose mitigation measures, or conduct capacity building for staff at health facilities for goods management.
• Provide technical inputs to financial proposals including lead-time for medical commodities, correct financial value for products, shipping, clearance and to budget additional costs for management of supplies.
• Establish a monitoring and reporting system to disseminate timely information to key stakeholders.
• Lead and coordinate, on the job training for relevant CO staff including for subcontracted warehouse staff on the WHO Good Storage and Distribution practices with a particular focus on the handling of cold chain medicines.
• To facilitate the coordination between the stakeholders national and international partners and the UN agencies in logistics.
• Advice on fleet management and support daily movement plans as requested
• Coordinate and oversee any logistics needs for the UNFPA guest house(s) and offices as required

What we’re looking for:

• Advanced degree in logistics management or equivalent relevant professional certification in areas such as transport, distribution and supply chain management. A first university degree, with relevant experience may be considered in lieu of an advanced degree.
• 5 to 7 year field experience in emergency settings
• Managing medical supplies in emergency settings is required
• Certification in humanitarian medical logistics is an advantage
• Experience and knowledge with INGO and UN systems, especially UNFPA is an advantage.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work in stressful environments, strong leadership skills also highly desired.
• Good knowledge of humanitarian response.
• Proficiency in English and in other official languages or the UN required

How You’ll Be Assessed?

• Resume & Application Review: Our vetting committee will examine your resume, application, and supporting paragraph to determine if your experience and skills align with UNFPA’s surge needs.
• Technical & Soft Skills Assessment: You may be asked to complete a technical assessment tailored to Logistics and Supply chain area of expertise to evaluate your knowledge and problem-solving abilities. You may also have to answer questions relating to soft skills.
• Video Interview: Candidate may be invited to a recorded video interview where you’ll answer questions covering both technical and behavioral aspects relevant to humanitarian work.
• Reference Checks: As a final step, we may request your professional references to gain further insights into your work ethic, performance under pressure, and suitability for surge deployments.

We look at the whole picture, considering your technical and soft skills, adaptability, commitment to UNFPA’s mission, and potential to successfully contribute in crisis settings.

Selected candidates will be added to UNFPA’s Surge Response Roster and contacted for any opportunities that meet their profile.