Supply Chain Specialist (Nutrition), P-3, Fixed Term, Post#86204, (Supply Chain Strengthening Center), Supply Division, Outposted to Amman, Jordan

The incumbent will use his/her technical knowledge and specialized experience to drive the implementation of tools and structured approaches to analyze and solve national supply chain problems relevant to UNICEF programmes, specialized UN agencies, governments, institutions, and non-governmental organizations in nutrition, health in general, WASH and Education. The incumbent will use his/her technical knowledge and specialized experience to develop and disseminate guidance and tools to encapsulate Nutrition Supply Chain Management within governments' Health System Strengthening agendas. The incumbent will also facilitate exchanges of best practices, and work with partners and counterparts in the nutrition programme area on supply chain and logistics issues.

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For every child, Nutrition

Organizational Context and Purpose for the job

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, 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 favouritism. 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 fulfil 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 Organizational context

Under the supervision of the Supply Chain Manager, Strategy Development and Implementation, and working closely with colleagues in SCSC, Supply Division, Programme Division, Regional Offices, and Country Offices, the incumbent will support the development and use of supply chain management strategies in select countries for priority Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) and other nutrition/and health supply chains with direct impact on programme results with a geographic focus in the MENA region.

How can you make a difference?

Purpose of the job  

The incumbent will use his/her technical knowledge and specialized experience to drive the implementation of tools and structured approaches to analyze and solve national supply chain problems relevant to UNICEF programmes, specialized UN agencies, governments, institutions, and non-governmental organizations in nutrition, health in general, WASH and Education.

The incumbent will use his/her technical knowledge and specialized experience to develop and disseminate guidance and tools to encapsulate Nutrition Supply Chain Management within governments' Health System Strengthening agendas.

The incumbent will also facilitate exchanges of best practices, and work with partners and counterparts in the nutrition programme area on supply chain and logistics issues.

Summary of Key functions/accountabilities

The UNICEF Supply Chain Specialist (Nutrition Specialist) will be directly accountable for delivering tangible results in the development and enhancement of nutrition supply chains and the deployment of effective SCS tools and approaches in countries, with a focus on the MENA region and beyond. The incumbent will work closely with internal and external stakeholders to devise and implement sustainable solutions and enable national champions to achieve sustainability and impact.

The specific accountabilities include:

Regional Leadership & Advocacy: Act as the champion for Supply Chain Strengthening Centre (SCSC) within the MENA region (and beyond), ensuring the adoption and mainstreaming of supply chain strengthening activities in regional and countries plans.

Capacity Building & Knowledge Management: Support the development and dissemination of training materials and the organization of capacity building initiatives such as webinars, workshops to build the capacity of regional and country-level supply chain champions. The incumbent will contribute to define and organize SCS community of Practice. The staff member will lead Technical Assistants specifically for national Nutrition Supply Chain aspects not only limited to one geographical area.

Innovation & Continuous Improvement: Contribute to the design and revision of Supply chain and Systems strengthening methods, models, and tools that assess and enhance supply chain processes and performance.

Strategic and Operational Guidance: Provide expert guidance and support in aligning supply chain strategies with nutrition, health, education and WASH systems strategies, and country and regional plans while leveraging UNICEF's comparative advantages.

Deployment of Evidence-Based Interventions: Define and support the adoption of evidence-informed supply chain interventions that align with national strategies and UNICEF's capabilities.

Supply Chain Assessment: Under country leadership, drive comprehensive supply chain assessments to ascertain service performance and identify areas for improvement using UNICEF Maturity Model tool, System Design, Access and Coverage Evaluation Tool (ACE), and others. Support Roadmap design, implementation and progress monitoring.

Formulation of recommendation: Recommend strategic approaches aimed at enhancing the maturity and effectiveness of supply chains at all levels, from national to community.

Sustainability: Engage in activities that promote sustainable and resilient government supply chains as part of UNICEF's broader humanitarian strategy.

Documentation & Best Practice Sharing: Document case studies, monitoring implementation progress, results and best practices, and lessons in the field of nutrition supply chain management to facilitate learning and knowledge sharing.

Field Mission Participation: Provide on-site technical assistance and engage with field operations to address specific supply chain challenges.

Donors' commitment:  In close collaboration with the partnership specialist lead the donor’s proposal writing, and activities report, progress reporting, and ensure an effective grant management.

Adaptive Support: Responsively undertake additional duties as requested by the supervisor in service of UNICEF's mission and goals.

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

The following minimum requirements:

Education: 

Advanced university degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics Management, Operations Management, Project Management, Strategic Planning, or related field.  Two years of applicable experience acceptable in lieu of an advanced degree.

Work Experience:

Minimum five (5) years of relevant and progressively responsible work experience in a professional capacity in supply chain management in the public or private sector. Work experience in an international setting and/or development cooperation is an advantage.

Professional experience from humanitarian emergencies and complex inter-agency operating environment is preferred.

Work experience in SAP in terms of UNICEF’s reporting is also an advantage.

Technical Knowledge:

Knowledge of RUTF and other essential nutrition supplies relevant in nutrition programmes

Technical experience in distribution planning, network design and optimized distribution models

Knowledge of information systems and data management in resource-limited settings

Ability to write reports and prepare presentations for both high-level and technical audiences.

Language Requirements: 

Written and oral fluency in English is essential. Written and oral fluency in French is an advantage. Knowledge of Arabic 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

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drive to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with others.

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority, and discrimination. UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF’s active commitment to diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable candidates are encouraged to apply.

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.