Supply and Logistics Associate

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

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For every child, support

Why working for UNICEF video

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programmes, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

The vision of the proposed country programme is that all children in Bosnia and Herzegovina will benefit from an equitable realization of their rights to health, education, protection, and participation, overcoming the existing bottlenecks and in line with the Sustainable Development Goals. The Theory of Change is that children will have more chances to survive, thrive and develop to their full potential if more children, from birth through adolescence, enjoy greater access to and use of strengthened service-delivery systems in health, nutrition, early childhood development, inclusive education, social protection, care and justice systems, and if parents and communities are enabled to fulfil children’s rights through positive social norms and practices.

How can you make a difference?

The Supply and Logistics Associate performs highly skilled work on UNICEF supply chains, and manages the more complex cases and client requests, which frequently requires the evaluation of difficult situations and adaptation of procedures and processes to resolve such cases. This is the senior GS level for specialized supply chain work and requires advanced specialized knowledge acquired through formal training and experience.

Key function, accountabilities and related duties/tasks

Supply Chain Service Delivery and Response

Planning: In consultation with supervisor, provide input to the Country Programme Action Planning and advise on Supply requirements for the Plan of Operations and Annual Work Plans. Participate in the forecasting, 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. Support supply emergency preparedness and response activities including establishment of Long Term Arrangements (LTAs), Logistics Capacity Assessment and Contingency Plan update, and pre-positioning of stock. Procurement/contracting: Provide input to and advice on the annual supply plan. Conduct data review and analysis for category management and development of procurement strategies. Conduct market research in relevant areas for UNICEF and advice on best approaches to obtain best value for money and sustainable procurement. Support product innovation and market shaping initiatives for specific categories of supplies and services. Liaise with clients in planning procurement and contracting initiatives, supporting development of appropriate specifications, terms of reference, and logistics arrangements and timelines. Take into account opportunities to strengthen sustainability of supply chains. Ensure establishment of Long Term Arrangements (LTAs) and act on specific procurement requisitions as might be required. Prepare and process Request for Quotations (RFQs), Invitations to Bid (ITBs) and Requests for Proposals (RFPs), as might be requested by the Supervisor. Organize bid openings, and conduct technical and financial analysis of offers as might be required. Conduct clarifications and negotiations with suppliers. Maintain highest level of integrity, ethical standards and accountability in the procurement of goods, contracting of services and construction work. Prepare requests for award including submissions to Contract Review Committee. Prepare purchase orders and contracts in SAP (ERP – Enterprise Resource Planning system), and submit for relevant approvals, ensuring completeness of documentation in UNICEF systems. Keep stakeholders/partners informed on the progress. Liaise with suppliers, ensuring timely follow-up on delivery schedules Implement appropriate vendor management practices supply performance reviews. Ensure appropriate filing of procurement cases and maintain up to date records for future reference including for audit. In-country logistics: Provide logistics input to the supply plan, including advising on infrastructure constraints ( customs clearance, port capacity, transport options and warehousing capacity) and different delivery mechanisms. Advise on budget requirements for various delivery modalities, and ensure establishment of budget with clients. Liaise with supply colleagues as well as clients and using supply dashboards to ensure pipeline monitoring and establishment of appropriate logistics capacity. Monitor progress of offshore and/or regional procurement and take action to ensure timely customs clearance of supplies entering the country. Perform research, collect data and conduct analysis, produce reports and ensure information accuracy in corporate systems to enable informed decision-making. Provide specialized support in the area of logistics, following standard processes and contributing, directly or indirectly, to the effective delivery of programme supplies. Liaise with internal and external stakeholders to support logistics operations management and contribute to effective service delivery. Identify needs for contracting of logistics third party services ( customs clearance, warehousing, transport, distribution) and manage contracting of such service providers including establishment of KPIs and performance monitoring mechanisms. Manage documentation processing for execution of logistics operations ( customs clearance, invoice verification), and take appropriate actions to resolve operational issues, escalating complex issues to the supervisor. Warehousing and inventory management: Manage UNICEF warehouse facilities and operations in line with UNICEF policies and procedures. Assess warehousing capacity including facilities, conditions of equipment, manpower, and processes. Propose corrective actions to supervisor. Assess new warehouse facilities when required. If necessary, implement and organize new warehouse facilities which may include installation and assembly of temporary warehouse structures ( Wiik-Halls/Rub Halls). Maintain appropriate warehousing and inventory management processes in support of the country programme implementation. Ensure accurate and complete accounting, reporting and internal control systems are in place, and relevant records are properly maintained. Assess availability of space and prepare stacking and storage plans to ensure appropriate storage and optimize use of space. Supervise receipt of consignments and dispatch of supplies. Prepare stock reports. Monitor inventory to track trends and account for the inventory status from source to beneficiary. Carry out regular physical counts of inventory in the warehouse. Prepare documentation for commodity disposal through Property Survey Board committee. Alternative delivery mechanisms and procurement services: Support assessment of and collaboration with implementing partners including civil society, for establishment of Programme Cooperation Agreements (PCAs), and monitoring of supply components under Harmonized Approach to Cash Transfers (HACT). Participate in events/meetings that build partnerships and collaborative relations with UN organizations to support harmonized and collaborative procurement and logistics arrangements. Facilitate Procurement Services (PS) transactions in collaboration with programme sections and UNICEF Supply Division (SD). As appropriate, support CO counterparts on forecasting and costing of PS-channel supplies. Monitor the issuance of Purchase Orders (POs) and/or Copenhagen Warehouse Stock Transfer Orders on PS Sales Orders. Follow up with SD and UNICEF freight forwarders as needed on timely delivery/shipment of PS orders. Support communications and follow up with COs with regard to partnership requests and negotiations as required. Maintain up-to-date files for all Procurement Service transactions, including a system for monitoring the different stages of each transaction. Monitor the incoming pipeline of PS shipments. If required based on the division of responsibilities agreed in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Cost Estimate (CE), supervise the arrival, customs clearance, storage, packing and in-country distribution of PS commodities to the agreed delivery point. In collaboration with Supply colleagues and Programme Sections, identify opportunities for capacity building of Government counterparts and improving the supply chain process to make it more effective. Other duties/responsibilities: In cases where the incumbent has managerial responsibility of lower level GS staff, the incumbent will ensure timely and effective performance management of staff, providing practical advice and guidance to ensure individual and team objectives are met. In collaboration with supervisor, Supply Division, Regional Office and the global supply community, provide input to help ensure knowledge exchange and learning is prioritized to continuously build capacity of individuals and the team. Develop and facilitate training of newcomers, establish processes or manuals to support effective workflows.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Education:

Completion of secondary education is required, preferably supplemented by technical or university courses related to supply chain, business administration, contract/commercial law, or another relevant technical field.

Work Experience:

A minimum of 6 years of relevant administrative experience in supply chain management or a commercial context is required. Understanding of development and humanitarian work is an advantage. Previous UN experience in the Supply and Logistic area would be considered as an asset.

Skills:

Thorough knowledge of a range of specialized topics, including the relevant supply chain policies, partnership mechanisms, rules and regulations. High level of proficiency or skill is required in the interpretation and application of specialized rules and regulations to the particular circumstances of complex individual cases. Experience using MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and other UNICEF office tools. Demonstrated understanding of the relevant supply chain processes and ability to consistently apply relevant policies, procedures and good practices in the daily work. Good judgement in order to handle complex cases including considerations for exceptions. Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with clients, suppliers and colleagues and gain the assistance and cooperation of others in a team endeavor. Ability to use supply related modules within UNICEF ERP system. Ability to establish priorities and plan his/her own work and plan, coordinate and monitor the work of those under his/her supervision. Ability to draft clear and concise reports or rationale for supply related decisions on key issues.

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…

Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (1) Works Collaboratively with others (1) Builds and Maintains Partnerships (1) Innovates and Embraces Change (1) Thinks and Acts Strategically (1) Drive to achieve impactful results (1) Manages ambiguity and complexity (1)

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