Supply & Logistics Assistant at UNICEF Ghana

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfil their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, deliver.

In Ghana, UNICEF cooperates with the Government and other partners to defend the rights of children and help them fulfil their potential. With offices in Accra and Tamale, the UNICEF team seeks to achieve results in strategic programme areas. The overall goal is for every child to survive and thrive, to live in a safe and clean environment, to learn, to be protected from violence and exploitation, and to have an equitable chance in life.

The current Country Programme of cooperation is aligned with the Government priorities, the UN Sustainable Development Partnership (UNSDP), and Key Results for Children (KRCs) in the West and Central African Region (immunization, nutrition, learning outcomes, ending child marriage, and ending open defecation). UNICEF main strategies include evidence-based advocacy, system strengthening, integrated programming across sectors, emergency preparedness and response, and innovation.

How can you make a difference?

The Supply and Logistics Assistant is responsible for assisting the uninterrupted supply of affordable and good quality supplies and services, adapted to the particular context and through compliance with UNICEF’s policies, procedures and ethics standards.

Key functions, accountabilities and related duties

Procurement/contracting:

• Provide input to the formulation of the annual Supply Plan. Conduct data review and analysis for category management and assist in the development of procurement strategies. Support market research in relevant areas for UNICEF and assist in gathering evidence on the best approaches to sustainable and best value for money procurement.
•  Support product innovation and market-shaping initiatives for specific categories of supplies and services providing relevant data.
• Liaise with colleagues from respective programme sections in planning procurement and contracting initiatives, supporting the development of relevant specifications, terms of reference, and logistics arrangements and timelines.
• Prepares documentation for the establishment of Long-Term Arrangements (LTAs) and work on specific procurement requisitions as well as Request for Quotations (RFQs), Invitations to Bid (ITBs) and Requests for Proposals (RFPs) when required.
• Keep stakeholders/partners informed on the progress of procurement processes. Liaise with suppliers, ensuring timely follow-up on delivery schedules Implement appropriate vendor management practices e.g. supply performance reviews.
• Regularly monitor dashboard reports and coordinate to ensure necessary supply action is taken in a timely manner in support of UNICEF Programmes.
• Regularly extract reports on the status of the existing LTAs, contracts, Purchase Orders (POs) and take necessary action in coordination with the relevant Programme.
• Conduct local market surveys on an ongoing and regular basis for the identification of potential suppliers to procure the goods and services at competitive costs.

In-country logistics:

• Provide input on the logistics component of the supply plan, including advising on infrastructure constraints (e.g. customs clearance, port capacity, transport options and warehousing capacity) and different delivery mechanisms. Calculate budget requirements for various delivery modalities and ensure the establishment of the budget with colleagues from the respective programme sections.
• Liaise with supply colleagues and colleagues from respective programme sections, use supply dashboards to ensure pipeline monitoring establishment of appropriate logistics capacity. Monitor progress of offshore/regional procurement and ensure timely customs clearance of supplies entering the country. Perform research, collect data and conduct analysis, produce reports and ensure information accuracy in corporate systems to enable informed decision-making.
• Provide support in logistics, following standard processes and contributing, directly or indirectly, to the effective delivery of programme supplies. Liaise with internal and external stakeholders to support logistics operations management and contribute to effective service delivery.
• Maintain and process documentation for the execution of logistics operations (e.g. customs clearance, invoice verification), and take appropriate actions to resolve operational issues, escalating complex issues to the supervisor.

Warehousing and inventory management:

• In compliance with UNICEF policies and procedures, assess warehousing capacity including facilities, conditions of equipment, manpower, and processes. Propose corrective actions to supervisor. Assess new warehouse facilities when required. If necessary, assists the implementation of new warehouse facilities which may include installation and assembly of temporary warehouse structures
• Support maintenance of appropriate warehousing and inventory management processes in support of the country programme implementation. Ensure accurate and complete accounting, reporting and internal control systems are in place, and relevant records are properly maintained
• Assess availability of space and prepare stacking and storage plans to ensure appropriate storage. Supervise receipt of consignments and dispatch of supplies.
• Prepare stock reports. Monitor inventory to track trends and account for the inventory status from source to the beneficiary. Carry out regular physical counts of inventory in the warehouse. Prepare documentation for commodity disposal through the Property Survey Board committee. Keep track of near to expiry supplies ensuring FIFO and FEFO approaches.

Alternative delivery mechanisms and procurement services:

• Ensures continuous availability of data related to procurement, including forecasting, requisitions received, orders placed, incoming goods, actual delivery schedules. Prepares periodic reports, and ad-hoc reports as needed.

• Support assessment of and collaboration with implementing partners including civil society, for establishment of Programme Cooperation Agreements (PCAs), and monitoring of supply components under Harmonized Approach to Cash Transfers (HACT).
• Assist in activities that lead to building partnerships and collaborative relations with UN organizations to support harmonized and collaborative procurement and logistics arrangements.
• Maintain up-to-date files for all Procurement Service transactions, including a system for monitoring the various stages of each transaction.

To qualify and deliver for every child you will have…

• Completion of secondary education is required, preferably supplemented by technical or university courses related to supply chain, business administration, contract/commercial law, or another relevant technical field.
• A minimum of 5 years of relevant administrative experience in supply chain management or a commercial context is required. Understanding development and humanitarian work is an advantage.
• Demonstrated understanding of relevant supply chain processes and ability to consistently apply relevant policies, procedures and good practices in the daily work.
• Ability to work in a team environment to achieve common goals
• Ability to use supply related modules within UNICEF ERP system (SAP).

• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA).

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

Core competencies

• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (1)
• Works Collaboratively with others (1)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (1)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (1)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (1)
• Drive to achieve impactful results (1)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (1

Functional Competencies:

• Analyzing (I)
• Learning and Researching (I)
• Planning and organizing (I)
• Following Instructions and Procedures (I)

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

CLOSING DATE: 25th Jan, 2022