The Position:
The Regional Humanitarian Supply Chain Specialist is responsible for working in close collaboration with counterparts in divisions across UNFPA, as well as country office staff, implementing partners, and other agencies to strengthen UNFPA’s humanitarian supply chain, build capacity at regional and country office levels, and coordinate logistics support in emergencies through the Regional Prepositioning Initiative, phase III (January 2021- December 2024), a regional humanitarian preparedness initiative funded by Australia.
You will report directly to the Regional Humanitarian Adviser.
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 new strategic plan (2018-2021), focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices.
UNFPA is investing in Humanitarian Supply Chain Preparedness through building regional and national logistics expertise to improve effectiveness and efficiency of the commodities that UNFPA uses in emergencies and to identify innovative, more effective and environmentally-sustainable supply chains through qualified Humanitarian Logisticians at the regional level.
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.
Job Purpose:
The Asia Pacific region is the most disaster prone region in the world, affected by frequent and intense natural disasters and also by protracted crises and conflicts. UNFPA plays a critical role in supporting Governments to ensure that sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence needs are supported in humanitarian response. A key component of this is strengthening humanitarian preparedness, including prepositioning of essential sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence supplies for immediate distribution and use.
Under the direct supervision of the Regional Humanitarian Adviser, the Regional Humanitarian Supply Chain Specialist will work in close collaboration with the Regional Humanitarian Project Coordinator, country office staff, implementing partners, and other agencies to strengthen UNFPA’s humanitarian supply chain, build capacity at regional and country office levels, and coordinate logistics support in emergencies.
In particular, you will support timely, applicable and cost-effective forecasting, procurement and supply chain management of inter-agency reproductive health (IARH) kits, and SRH and GBV supplies to strengthen emergency preparedness and response across the region. You will play a technical role in the region to support advocacy, engagement, and implementation of the DFAT supported Regional Prepositioning Initiative, which is aligned to the UNFPA 2020 Humanitarian Supplies Strategy.
You will support Country Offices prepositioning emergency supplies, including on warehousing, inventory management, and reporting. You will have the skills to mentor and provide trainings and capacity building to UNFPA staff and partners related to humanitarian supply chain management and logistics.
Requirements:
Qualifications and Experience
Education:
Advanced university degree in supply chain or logistics management, humanitarian response, or a related field. Qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Degree in public health, medicine or pharmacy an asset.
Professional certification in areas such as medical logistics and/or humanitarian logistics highly desirable.
Knowledge and Experience:
• Five years of professional work experience in medical and/or humanitarian supply chain management or logistics;
• Managing medical supplies distribution, storage, transportation operations in emergency settings (military, commercial, NGO, or with an international organisation);
• Experience in challenging and complex humanitarian/emergency settings;
• Experience in the development, implementation and facilitation of adult learning programmes/trainings is desirable; and
• UN common system knowledge and experience, especially field experience, is desirable.
Languages:
Fluency in English is required; working knowledge of another official UN language is desirable.