HEAD OF SUPPLY CHAIN (BASED IN ANY OCBA HUB)

GENERAL CONTEXT

Médecins Sans Frontières is an international independent medical-humanitarian organization, which offers assistance to populations in distress, to victims of natural or man-made disasters and to victims of armed conflict, without discrimination and irrespective of race, religion, creed or political affiliation.

MSF OCBA is seeking a dynamic and experienced professional to fill the role of Head of Supply Chain. This position is pivotal in advancing the organization's logistics and supply chain priorities, which are as follows:: strengthening applied security, contribution to improving quality of care, field-oriented logistics and supply chain, contributing to safeguarding of patients & communities, working in collaboration, building an effective, efficient, reliable, sustainable & accountable logistics and supply chain, maximizing Our Potential and improved logistics and supply chain emergency preparedness and response.

PURPOSE OF THE POSITION

Reporting to the Director of Logistics and Supply chain, The Head of Supply Chain has a critical leadership role responsible for shaping, executing, and evaluating the organization's supply chain strategy. This role holds significant responsibility in providing guidance and direction to the Supply Chain Unit while ensuring effective leadership for all supply chain-related roles within MSF OCBA. The Head of Supply Chain works in close collaboration/communication with other departments and units, such as operations, medical, operational logistics, and finance, to provide comprehensive support and guidance to MSF operations (regular and emergency)

The position plays a crucial role in steering continuous improvement within the Supply Chain Unit. This role involves leading efforts to enhance processes, systems, and capabilities to optimize the end-to-end supply chain operations, particularly considering the ongoing development and implementation of the Akiba integrated supply solution. The Head of Supply Chain works closely with internal stakeholders and external partners to identify improvement opportunities, define strategic initiatives, and implement changes aimed at increasing efficiency, transparency, and effectiveness across all supply chain functions.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Leadership in supply chain operations:

• Vision and Strategy: defining a vision and strategy for optimizing the supply chain to meet the department goals.
• Communication: Effective communication with stakeholders (internal and external), to ensure alignment with the supply chain goals and objectives.
• Fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement within the supply chain team.
• Problem Solving and Decision Making: making informed decisions under pressure. leveraging data analytics, risk management techniques, and cross-functional collaboration to identify and address challenges in the supply chain.
• Adaptability and Resilience: Work closely with logistics advisors in ensuring field supply chain operations are adaptable and resilient, capable of quickly responding to changes and implementing contingency plans as needed.
• Performance Measurement and Continuous Improvement: Monitor KPIs, analyze performance data, and implement initiatives to optimize processes, reduce costs, and enhance overall efficiency.
• Ethical and Sustainable Practices: Responsible promoting ethical and sustainable practices throughout the supply chain. This includes ensuring compliance with regulations, minimizing environmental impact, and promoting fair labor practices among suppliers and partners.
• Develop and manage annual budget for the Supply Chain Unit, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities and available funding.

Supply Chain team management:

• Clear Communication: provide clear guidance, set expectations, and encourage open dialogue to foster collaboration and alignment. Holds regular team meetings and communication channels within the Supply Chain Unit to discuss field support execution and optimization topics.
• Goal Alignment: Ensure that the goals and objectives of the supply team align with the broader strategic goals of the supply chain unit.
• Team Building and Development: Invest in building a strong and cohesive supply chain team by providing training and development opportunities and fostering a supportive and inclusive work environment. Encourage teamwork, collaboration, and knowledge sharing among team members.
• Performance Management: Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the performance of the supply chain team and individual team members. Regularly monitor performance against these metrics and provide feedback and recognition to encourage continuous improvement.
• Empowerment and Accountability: Empower team members to make decisions and take ownership of their work. Provide them with the tools, resources, and authority they need to succeed, while also holding them accountable for results.
• Stakeholders Relationship Management: Build and maintain strong relationships with stakeholders to ensure a reliable and efficient supply chain.
• Risk Management: Identify potential risks and vulnerabilities in the supply chain and develop strategies to mitigate them.
• Technology Utilization: final responsibility for ensuring the availability and effectiveness of supply chain enablers for field operations. This includes overseeing the development, implementation, and maintenance of systems, procedures, guidelines, and support mechanisms necessary to facilitate supply chain activities in diverse and challenging operational contexts.
• Continuous Improvement: Foster a culture of continuous improvement within the supply team by encouraging feedback, identifying opportunities for optimization, and implementing initiatives to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and increase customer satisfaction.
• Ethical and Sustainable Practices: Promote ethical and sustainable practices throughout the supply chain, including responsible sourcing, environmental stewardship, and fair labor practices. Ensure compliance with relevant laws, regulations, and standards.

Working in Collaboration

Internal stakeholders

• Work closely with colleagues from other units within logistics and supply chain department particularly operational logistics and technical logistics units as well as other departments (Medical, operations, finance etc)
• Participate in cross-functional meetings and working groups involving operations, medical, logistics, and finance departments to discuss collaborative processes and topics.
• Work closely with operational logistics and logistics advisors to establish multi-level coordination mechanisms, such as mission coordination cells or task forces, to address specific operational challenges and opportunities.
• Engage with middle and senior management of other functional departments to align supply chain strategies and priorities with organizational objectives.

External stakeholders

• Maintain regular communication with MSF supply entities and other MSF Operational Centres to coordinate supply chain management activities and ensure timely delivery of essential supplies.
• Engage with senior and middle management, as well as subject matter experts, to exchange insights, best practices, and lessons learned in supply chain management.
• Collaborate with the MSF International Office on supply chain strategic initiatives and projects related to supply chain optimization and innovation.
• Based on demand, participate in intersectional supply chain platforms to exchange information and align strategies with other MSF entities.
• Based on demand, participate in intersectional projects or working groups focused on specific supply chain challenges or opportunities that require cross-entity collaboration.

SELECTION CRITERIA

• Degree in Supply Chain, Engineering or similar
• Minimum 10 years’ experience in supply chain management, of which at least 5 years field experience with humanitarian organizations preferably with MSF (Previous Supply Coordinator, MST Supply or HQ supply experience will be higly valued)
• Experience with complex program management and organizational leadership
• Fluent written and spoken English.  French and/ or Spanish would be an asset

CONDITIONS

• Position based in any MSF OCBA hubs/headquarters (Dakar, Nairobi, Amman, Bogota and five offices in Spain) (subjected to local hiring requirements)

• Minimum of 3-years moral commitment in full time
• Annual gross salary: HQ Level 5 + secondary benefits, based on OCBA Reward Policy. Subjected to local conditions.
• Starting date:  mid-may

HOW TO APPLY

• To apply, all applicants should please attach their CV and cover letter over the application process
• Closing date: May 5th 2024 at 23:59 hours CET (Central European Time).

MSF is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, race, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. We are committed to achieving a balanced gender distribution and therefore encourage women to apply.

All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. MSF provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, teamwork, integrity and a healthy balance of work and life. MSF does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo reference checks.

Médecins Sans Frontieres, as a responsible employer, under article 38 of “Ley de Integración Social del Minusválido de 1982 (LISMI)” invite those persons with a recognized disability and with an interest in the humanitarian area to apply for the above-mentioned position.