Summary of key functions/accountabilities:
Under
the supervision and guidance of the Supply Chain Manager – Strategy Development
& Implementation, the incumbent will work in close collaboration with
UNICEF country and regional offices and both Supply Division (SD) and Programme
Group (PG):
Regional Leadership & Strategic
Coordination:
- Act as the Supply Chain Strengthening
Center/Unit focal point for ESARO and beyond, ensuring the adoption and
mainstreaming of supply chain strengthening activities in regional and
country plans. Support the Regional Office to develop and implement regional
systems strengthening strategies. Serve as the primary representative for
the Supply Chain Strengthening Unit in countries and regions, and with PG
Health, Immunization and Child Survival Center.
- Represent UNICEF in existing and donor meetings,
leveraging funding mechanisms to direct resources toward catalytic
activities and country support. In collaboration with PG Health,
Immunization, and Child Survival, we provide expert guidance and support in
aligning supply chain strategies with organizational strategies and
country and regional plans while leveraging UNICEF’s comparative
advantages. Manage technical assistance, resource mobilization efforts,
implementation, and deliverables from partners to ensure coordinated and
effective regional supply chain strengthening initiatives.
Country Support & Evidence-Based Implementation:
- Provide targeted support to champion countries
in implementing priority supply chain activities. Support and guide
champion countries in articulating areas of need based on triangulation of
already existing data from assessments conducted. Identify and implement
the Menu of Services for identified champion countries and support the
development of comprehensive country roadmaps.
- Under country leadership, drive comprehensive
supply chain assessments to ascertain service performance and identify
areas for improvement using tools such as the UNICEF Maturity Model,
System Design, and Access and Coverage Evaluation Tool (ACE). Support
roadmap design, implementation, and progress monitoring to ensure
sustainable improvements.
- Define and support the adoption of
evidence-informed supply chain interventions that align with national
strategies and UNICEF’s capabilities. Recommend strategic approaches aimed
at enhancing the maturity and effectiveness of supply chains at all levels,
from national to community. Define and demonstrate how to link and/or
integrate immunization supply chains with other supply chains serving
primary health care needs, and share learnings of shared value from
context-dependent improvement initiatives and partnerships with UNICEF
program and supply staff and external partners.
Capacity Building & Knowledge Management:
- Support the development and dissemination of
training materials and organize capacity building initiatives such as
webinars and workshops to build the capacity of regional and country-level
supply chain champions. Develop new and disseminate existing guidance,
tools, and frameworks aimed at demonstrating system design and supply
chain contributions to program outcomes.
- Document comprehensive case studies, monitor
implementation progress and results, and capture best practices and
lessons learned in the field of nutrition and health supply chain
management to facilitate organizational learning and knowledge sharing.
Contribute to defining and organizing the Supply Chain Strengthening
community of practice to ensure effective knowledge transfer and peer
learning across regions and countries. Share documented learnings and
evidence of impact with both internal UNICEF teams and external partners
to promote adoption of proven approaches.
Community of Practice & Collaboration:
- Establish and support a vibrant and effective
Supply Chain Strengthening community of practice that fosters
collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement across the African
continent and beyond. Define the structure, governance, and engagement mechanisms
for the community to enable effective peer-to-peer learning,
problem-solving, and sharing of innovations.
- Create platforms and opportunities for supply
chain champions to connect, exchange experiences, and collectively address
common challenges. Facilitate regular interactions and knowledge exchange
sessions that promote the adoption of best practices and innovative
approaches across different country contexts.
Monitoring, Evaluation & Performance
Tracking:
- Manage, improve, and maintain the Country
Coordination Activity Tracker, ensuring enhanced functionality and
increased user engagement across regions and countries. Continue
monitoring CSI H.9.3.1 and the new Strategic Plan indicator on Supply
Chain Strengthening to guide interventions around strategic planning and
implementation.
- Track and analyze progress on country roadmap
implementation, supply chain maturity improvements, and the impact of
strengthening interventions on program outcomes. Use monitoring data to
inform strategic decisions, identify areas requiring additional support,
and demonstrate the value and impact of supply chain strengthening
investments to stakeholders and donors.
Innovation & Systems Improvement:
- Contribute to the design and revision of health
and immunization supply chain and systems strengthening methods, models,
and tools that assess and enhance supply chain processes and performance.
Lead efforts to identify and pilot innovative approaches that can improve
supply chain efficiency, effectiveness, and resilience. Recommend
strategic approaches aimed at enhancing the maturity and effectiveness of
supply chains at all levels, from national warehouses to community
distribution points.
- Explore and demonstrate integration
opportunities between immunization supply chains and other health supply
chains to maximize efficiency and coverage. Promote continuous improvement
culture by identifying opportunities for optimization, testing new solutions,
and scaling successful innovations across countries and regions.
Donor Relations & Grant Management:
- In close collaboration with the partnership
specialist, lead the development of donor proposals that articulate supply
chain strengthening needs, strategies, and expected outcomes. Ensure
timely and high-quality activity reporting to donors, demonstrating
progress, impact, and value for money. Ensure effective grant management
including budget tracking, compliance with donor requirements, and
achievement of agreed deliverables. Maintain strong relationships with
donors through regular communication, transparency, and responsiveness.
- Leverage donor partnerships to mobilize
resources for catalytic activities and scale up proven supply chain
strengthening interventions. Demonstrate shared value from improvement
initiatives and partnerships to UNICEF program and supply staff as well as
external partners to attract continued investment and support.
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will
have…
Education:
- Advanced University Degree (master’s degree) in
Supply Chain Management, Public Health, Logistics Management, Operations
Management, Strategic Management or other related field, is required.
- A 1st University Degree/bachelor’s degree may be
accepted in lieu of advanced degree along with 7 years of strong relevant
experience.
Work Experience:
- A minimum of five (5) years of relevant work
experience in a professional capacity in supply chain management in the
public or private sector, with a focus on quantitative analysis, modeling,
simulation, planning, or business operations of the immunization supply
chain is required.
- Strong understanding of public health supply
chain strengthening activities and in-country health systems
- Demonstrated experience with identifying and
implementing public health supply chain solutions and initiatives in
countries, working with a broad range of in-country health systems
partners and documenting evidence from implementing these activities.
- Demonstrated understanding and experience with
managing in-country health supply systems gaps and bottlenecks analysis,
health programming and implementation, .
- Experience in coordinating with global,
regional, and national partners, including ministries of
health/government. Knowledge and experience with supply chain private
sector providers and integration
- Demonstrable experience with global, regional,
and national partner coordination and collaboration, including with
ministries of health/government Ability to establish harmonious
work-relationships with colleagues in an international and multicultural
environment.
- Experience with and ability to manage and
monitor regional and national supply chain capacity building initiatives.
Familiarity with UNICEF and experience working with international
humanitarian organizations (WHO, NGOs, donors) is an asset
How to Apply
