Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The Associate Supply Officer supports all activities pertaining to the supply chain function including planning, sourcing, transport, shipping, customs clearance and warehousing management within the Area of Responsibility (AoR). The position may be located at Headquarters (within DESS), in a Regional Bureau or in a Country Office.
The incumbent is normally supervised by the (Senior) Supply Officer or other senior staff with supply oversight function who defines the objectives and provides general guidance. S/he will also refer to UNHCR manuals and relevant policy papers. The incumbent normally supervises some staff and/or AWF.
In Bureaus and country operations s/he maintains regular contacts on working level with other UN agencies, UNHCR Partners, NGOs, government partners and commercial contractors in the area of operation.
S/he will support effective supply chain that enables the office to meet the needs of persons of concerns as well as timely delivery of quality goods and services to persons of concern. Further, the incumbent will assist in the maintenance of a supply chain infrastructure that is robust and flexible enough to accommodate the needs of the operation and that enables timely emergency responses, along with effective partners to support supply activities.
The Associate Supply Officer maintains impartial, ethical and customer-oriented relations with suppliers and Partner organizations; exchanges information with counterparts in other UN agencies, and International Organisations within the limits established by UN /UNHCR Procurements Rules and assists with joint procurement actions if, as and whenever necessary.
The incumbent will support the coordination of the delivery of assistance from the regional warehouse, if applicable. S/he will liaise with SMS staff who manage the Global Stockpiles and who manage the Global Asset and Fleet Management, if and as required and if applicable.
All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCR¿s core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.
Duties
– Support all activities pertaining to the supply chain function including planning, sourcing, transport, shipping, customs clearance, warehousing, asset and fleet management, as applicable.
– Support the procurement process to ensure timely, cost-effective and adequate delivery of commodities and services to support operational needs.
– Identify partners for supply chain projects based on objectives, priorities, strengths and resources of the UNHCR Partner and/or contractor, according to criteria consistent with UNHCR rules and regulations.
– Develop relevant contacts and build constructive relations with UN agencies, UNHCR Partners, government authorities and other partners as applicable.
– Ensure accurate and comprehensive records on supply activities and provide timely reports and updates both periodically and on request.
– Manage the vendor related processes including identification, assessment and selection of vendors based on their capability for delivering commodities and services. Ensure vendor and item master databases are up to date.
– Oversee tender processes and manage the preparation of proposals for award of contracts to the relevant CoCs.
– Ensure the quality standards for commodities and services are respected by vendors in relation to the needs of the location and tender/purchase specifications.
– Prepare plans for delivery of relief and other non-food items according to the operational needs and regularly update the information in UNHCR IT systems.
– Apply UNHCR’s sourcing and procurement strategy when planning for purchase of important commodities and services.
– Ensure timely customs clearance of consignments and establishment & maintenance of warehousing according to “best practices” and UNHCR rules and regulations.
– Manage an efficient system for the release, and redeployment of goods.
– Oversee and coordinate as required the release and transportation and of relief and other non-food items.
– Monitor the quality and accuracy of supply chain related data in relevant business systems. Compile and analyse statistical information, identify trends and developments in supply chain related matters that will assist in decision making
– Implement supply operations based on interpretations of the situation and conclusions to how the operation can be best implemented.
– Resolve difficulties in the local supply chain by finding solutions to problems and bottlenecks, and provide regular reports on supply chain activities, the status of requests and the availability of items in the supply chain.
– Disseminate, promote commitment to and monitor compliance with UNHCR’s global policies, standards and guidance on supply chain management.
– Support effective information flow in the supply chain and adapt process and documents to the prevailing environment.
In the Regional Bureaux:
– Support Country Operations in implementing supply operations based on interpretations of the situation and conclusions to how the operation can be best implemented particularly in emergency context.
– Assist country operations achieving full compliance with rules & regulations in all supply activities.
– Track the progress of specific periodic operations and provide guidance that ensures timely implementation.
– Facilitate training of supply staff and assist in coaching and advising individuals or Supply teams as requested.
– Track global Supply KPIs for the region and devise regional ones as required.
– Monitor all periodic Supply exercises such as monthly reconciliations, quarterly physical inventory exercises, and year-end accounts closure procedures and ensure that they are implemented throughout the region and provide relevant reports to senior managers.
– Support the analysis of country financial reports and work with the Country Operations Supply Team leaders to address red areas relating to Supply aspects of operations.
– Support the country needs assessment plans and assist in combining them into regional procurement plans and monitor their timely implementation and changes based on operational needs.
In the Country Operations:
– Adapt standard supply chain structures to the local environment that are consistent with the operational needs.
– Assist the office should they need additional office space or extensions to their office leases, lease hold improvements or other construction. Carry out the procurement aspect of the establishment of office leases or extensions.
– Assist in the coordination with CBI stakeholders the design and implementation of the market assessment and market monitoring to determine if CBI is option. Carry out the procurement action to contract Financial Service Providers (FSP).
– Support the establishment and maintenance of an efficient and skilled workforce that is capable of supporting on-going operations.
– Support the identification of partners for supply chain projects based on objectives, priorities, strengths and resources of the Partner and/or contractor, according to criteria consistent with UNHCR rules and regulations.
– Implement effective asset and fleet management that regularly monitors the asset/fleet pool, increases efficiency safeguards the investment of the organisation.
– Support the coordination activities of Partners and/or contractors performing supply related activities, and ensure that they understand and adhere to relevant UNHCR rules and procedures.
– Maintain an up-to-date overview of the location’s supply chain capacity and preparedness, as well as, that of its partners to ensure that adequate capacity exist also to cover emergencies.
– Depending on the size of the operation act as ex-officio in the LCC Review and clear procurement cases for the relevant procurement authority.
– Perform other related duties as required.
Minimum Qualifications
Education & Professional Work Experience
Years of Experience / Degree Level
For P2/NOB – 3 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 2 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 1 year relevant experience with Doctorate degree
Field(s) of Education
Supply Chain Management; Business Administration; International Commerce; Engineering;
or other relevant field.
(Field(s) of Education marked with an asterisk* are essential)
Certificates and/or Licenses
Certificate from Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supplies, e.g. CFIPS, CMIPS, MCIPS;
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)
Relevant Job Experience
Essential:
Proficient knowledge of logistics/supply systems with proven experience at previous work positions, preferably UN. Good working knowledge and experience in handling contract issues in the context of UN policies and standards. Experience in contract negotiations; ability to provide technical guidance to subordinate staff; ability to plan and organise work assignments, often under close deadlines. Proven ability to deal with multiple tasks with speed, in a courteous and service oriented manner.
Desirable:
Database management skills and experience and working knowledge of ERP systems, ideally of UNHCR¿s MSRP Supply Chain Module would be an advantage. Strong interpersonal and negotiation skills to deal with persons of different cultural and educational backgrounds. Technical knowledge of types of services, supplies and goods purchased by UNHCR for Headquarters, Regional and Field Offices would be an advantage. Relevant training, such as CIPS, or other public procurement trainings. Knowledge of UN and UNHCR Financial Regulations and Rules relating to procurement and UNHCR Chapter 8. Aviation services knowledge for movements of goods/passengers. Proven ability to manage a team.
Functional Skills
SC-PeopleSoft Supply Chain Management
SC-Supply Planning
SC-Warehouse Management
SC-Asset Management
SC-Fleet Management
UN-UN/UNHCR Administrative Rules, Regulations and Procedures
SC-UN/UNHCR Procurement Rules and Procedures
IT-Computer Literacy
SC-Customs clearance
SC-Logistics
(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)
Language Requirements
For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.
For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.
For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.
All UNHCR workforce members must individually and collectively, contribute towards a working environment where each person feels safe, and empowered to perform their duties. This includes by demonstrating no tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment including sexual harassment, sexism, gender inequality, discrimination and abuse of power.
As individuals and as managers, all must be proactive in preventing and responding to inappropriate conduct, support ongoing dialogue on these matters and speaking up and seeking guidance and support from relevant UNHCR resources when these issues arise.
This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR jobs with this job title and grade level. The Operational Context may contain additional essential and/or desirable qualifications relating to the specific operation and/or position. Any such requirements are incorporated by reference in this Job Description and will be considered for the screening, shortlisting and selection of candidates.
Desired Candidate Profile
UNHCR delivers life-saving core relief items to People Forced to Flee. Operations have been growing exponentially, with further risks of escalation due to climate disasters. By 2050, around 200 million people will be in need of humanitarian assistance annually due to the effects of climate change.
To handle growing demands, UNHCR is redesigning its supply chain to become simple, swift, and sustainable. Through this strategy, implemented by the Business Transformation Program (BTP) which manages the organization’s digital transformation, as well as the UNHCR’s Strategic Framework for
Climate Action1, UNHCR will simultaneously shift to a new Cloud ERP (powered by Oracle Fusion Cloud)while simplifying processes and adopting sustainable practices across strategic, tactical, and operational levels of the supply chain.
By July 2023, 800+ Supply colleague across all UNHCR operations across the globe will use all Cloud Source-to-Receipt (S2R), Logistics and Inventory (LOG & INV), Product Data Hub (PDH) and Oracle Transportation Management (OTM) applications.
To better define and implement a comprehensive transformation of our Supply processes and actions across different geographical scopes (global, regional, and country levels), a need was identified to further support the Regional Bureaus of UNHCR in both digital transformation and sustainability
initiatives, and ensure they are integrated in over-all coordination plans (eg. sustainability footprints are properly accounted, embedded and implemented in the Cloud ERP and vice versa).
The transformation has three (3) phases:
(1) Pre-deployment (January – June 2023)- collaboration with the Change Management Officer, Deployment Officer, and business process owners (BPOs) to design training materials, organize webinars and in-person trainings, and act as the regional, ‘on-the-ground’ focal point for training and deployment pre-requisites.
(2) Deployment (July 2023) – collaboration with Change Management Officer, Deployment Officer, business process owners (BPOs), and application process owners (APOs) to ensure the smooth adoption of the Cloud ERP in the field by acting as ‘regional Level 1/2 support’ for queries and bugs, and escalating to Level 3 when needed.
(3) Post-deployment (August – December 2023 onwards) – After hypercare and once the Cloud stabilizes, collaboration with the Sustainability Team to improve the sustainability of the supply chain from planning, sourcing, contents, manufacturing processes, procurement, delivery and lifecycle management of core relief items and other goods. Specifically:
• Supply Planning and Network Design to align procurement actions to demand inventory items, optimize and integrate storage and inventory standards across UNHCR operations, and implement a structured approach to Core Relief Items (CRI) sourcing, procurement, logistics and distribution.
• Enhanced sourcing of “greener” products with new or current markets, suppliers and products.
• Focus on sustainable procurement, with a lifecycle view of “Value for Money” in product specifications, bid evaluation, and procurement decisions.
• Lean approach to logistics and inventory management, with proximity sourcing and intermodal transport arbitration, green packaging, full container loads global consolidation of inventory.
• Field-based product lifecycle sustainability management, including post-distribution product use, durability, user preference evaluation, circularity, and waste management.
Therefore, the Division of Emergency, Security and Supply (DESS) / Supply Management Service (SMS)has identified the need for an Associate Supply Officer (Sustainable Supply and Digital Transformation)to support Regional Bureaux.
DUTIES
The Associate Supply Officer (Sustainable Supply and Digital Transformation) will assist the Regional Bureaus in operationalizing the ‘simple, swift, and sustainable’ strategy. It is a dual role, focusing on two main workstreams of Sustainable Supply and Digital Transformation, and ensuring all related
initiatives are integrated, centralized, and coordinated through a single focal point.
From the Digital Transformation perspective, s/he will be the liaison between the Regional Bureau and Cloud ERP Project Team in supporting the ERP deployment in terms of training, hypercare, and support. S/he will support the design and implementation of the overall training strategy, lead regional
trainings for Supply-related modules, answer tickets, help build knowledge base, and continuously update reference documents.
From the Sustainability perspective, s/he will assist the Regional Bureaus in optimizing and promoting sustainability in the internal processes, provide up-to-date and reliable reports, and improve oversight of the regional sustainability supply activities, including monitoring operations compliance with Key
Performance Indicators (KPIs), sustainable supplier market analysis in the region and in-country, and life cycle analysis/waste management solution based research assistance. Further, s/he will provide sustainability-related reports to assist senior managers in identifying high risks and areas of noncompliance or weak management, contributing to capacity-building exercises as needed, and assisting in fundraising efforts.
The Associate Supply Officer (Sustainable Supply and Digital Transformation) will function under the direct supervision of the DESS Cloud ERP team in coordination with the SMS Sustainable Supply and Deliver.
ESSENTIAL MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
• 3 years relevant experience with an Undergraduate degree; or 2 years relevant experience with a Graduate degree; or 1-year relevant experience with a Doctorate degree
• Relevant working experience in the field of Supply Chain Management, Digital Transformation, Learning and Development, Change Management, Sustainability or other relevant field either in the private sector or development/humanitarian sector;
• Familiarity with Oracle Fusion Cloud supply-related modules (S2R, Supply Planning, Demand Planning, Inventory Management, Product Data Hub, Oracle Transport Management) or similar ERP systems.
• Proven track record in client-facing roles in systems deployment, training organization and delivery, hypercare, support, and change resistance across varying literacy levels
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, as well as outstanding presentation and facilitation skills. Ability to articulate complex, technical concepts in simple terms.
• Experience in data collection, monitoring and evaluation from structured and unstructured sources
• Dynamic communication and relationship management skills with the ability to influence and get buy-in from people not under direct supervision;
• Proactive, independent, collaborative with a service mindset, and digital-forward.
• Strong commitment in circular economy, sustainable development, and human-centered digital transformation
• Excellent fluency in English and one language relevant to the region
ADDITIONAL DESIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
• Education: Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Supply Chain Management, Information Technology, Public Administration, Business Management, International Commerce, Engineering, Social Sciences, Sustainability or other related studies:
• Understanding of biodegradable or/and recycled material, their production, reuse and disposal in terms of its whole life cycle; Experience with sustainable / Greenhouse Gas reducing Supply Chain Management, familiarity with sustainable processes/technologies/products in different
markets/contexts/life cycle analysis;
• Understanding of data management designs and associated risks and proven record of developing and using quantitative indicators;
• Excellent MS Excel and Powerpoint skills, including Power BI/Tableau, or similar tools.
• Experience working in ‘project mode’ with emphasis on ‘shortest time to launch’, and ‘continuous improvement’
• Certification in PMP/PRINCE 2 Project Management, PROSCI Change Management, and ITIL Service Delivery
• Knowledge of multiple UN official languages is an asset.
All UNHCR workforce members must individually and collectively contribute to a workplace where everyone feels safe and empowered to perform their duties. This includes demonstrating no tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment including sexual harassment, sexism, gender inequality, discrimination, and abuse of power.
As individuals and as managers, all must be proactive in preventing and responding to inappropriate conduct, support ongoing dialogue on these matters, speak up, and seek guidance and support from relevant UNHCR resources when these issues arise.
Functional Clearance
This position doesn’t require a functional clearance
Required languages (expected Overall ability is at least B2 level)
,
Desired languages
,
Additional Qualifications
Skills
IT-Computer Literacy, SC-Asset Management, SC-Customs clearance, SC-Fleet Management, SC-Logistics, SC-PeopleSoft Supply Chain Management, SC-Supply Planning, SC-UN/UNHCR Procurement Rules and Procedures, SC-Warehouse Management, UN-UN/UNHCR Administrative Rules, Regulations and Procedures
Education
BA: Business Administration (Required), BA: Engineering (Required), BA: Logistics (Required), BA: Marketing (Required), BA: Mathematics (Required)
Certifications
Institute of Purchasing and Supply – Other
Work Experience
UNHCR Salary Calculator
https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales
Other information
How to apply
For a full job description and to apply, interested candidates are requested to visit
bit.ly/3HjVcAd
The UNHCR workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages and opinions. UNHCR seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. Applications are encouraged from all qualified candidates without distinction on grounds of race, colour, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity.
Please note that UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process (application, interview, meeting, travelling, processing, training or any other fees).
Closing date of receipt of applications: 13 February 2023