Regional logistics delegate - Africa at Norwegian Red Cross

Job Details

Seconded to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent societies (IFRC), the main role of the Regional Delegate is to coordinate, lead, develop and ensure the effective implementation of the National Society Logistics Development Program. While developing capacities is envisioned to take place through a long-term timeframe, immediate short-term support requested by National Societies in response to on-set disasters or humanitarian crises is also expected from the selected candidate.

Based in Nairobi, Kenya the employee will focus its work in the sub-regions of East Africa and Indian Ocean Islands and Southern Africa, supervised from Nairobi by the Manager of the Operational Logistics, Procurement and Supply Chain Services for the Africa Regional Office who will avoid that ad-hoc sudden requests do affect the Capacity Development Program. Emergency response support –either remote or in-country deployment– should be considered as a surge capacity using around maximum 30% of the Regional Delegate’s workload, covering the immediate gap until additional resources are mobilised.

Main responsibilities:

• Development of logistics capacities of the IFRC member National Societies
  • Champion the National Society Logistics Development Program within the sub-regions assigned in Africa.
  • Coordinate regionally development projects in close collaboration with other departments, IFRC country cluster/cluster teams, National Societies and ICRC. It includes the different project phases: scoping; capacity assessment; recommendations/project definition; implementation; monitoring, evaluation and learning.
  • Ensure cross functional coordination to identify improvement opportunities and work with IFRC regional management to prioritize and plan logistics development initiatives.
  • Support the development, harmonisation and enhancement of the tools to assess the current strengths and weaknesses of the end-to-end supply chain capacity of the National Societies (organization, processes, tools, assets and systems in areas like warehousing, logistics, sourcing, procurement, fleet management, quality assurance).
  • Coach, mentor, train and support logistics development team members, logistics counterparts in National Societies and operational resources to ensure an understanding and acceptance of a culture of continuous improvement.
  • Identify, plan and coordinate training needs in logistics, procurement and fleet management. Facilitate training sessions/workshops, if required.
  • Support the enhancement of the Regional Disaster Response Teams (RDRT) for logistics in Africa, and promote the use of that pool of regional specialists to support logistics development projects and/or peer-to-peer collaboration.
  • Support the mapping of logistics capacity initiatives in the region, either implemented multilaterally or bilaterally.
  • Ensure learning is captured and shared across the regional teams within Africa but also through the logistics development global team.
• Surge support to humanitarian crisis / emergency operations
  • Act as the focal point for LPSCM in the sub-regions (getting logistics support requests from IFRC or NS staff), escalating technical or advanced support to relevant logistics teams under the coordination of LPSCM Manager for the Africa Regional Office.
  • Be deployed within 48h for in-country support, if necessary. Otherwise provide remote support when requested.
  • To assess the current logistics set-up, logistics management and staff structures of IFRC/NS relating to the relief operations and make recommendations to adjust it to adequately support the operations.
  • To identify bottlenecks affecting the logistics operations and analyse the nature of the constraints and make concrete recommendations to rectification.
  • To coordinate and manage the supply and logistics support for IFRC operations including requisitioning, receiving, storing and issuing goods ensuring compliance with IFRC policies, standards, practices and procedures in multilaterally-funded operations, in conjunction with NS Logistics counterpart.
  • To develop the logistics strategy for the operation in order to provide efficient logistics services to all programs. Special focus should be put in including: a) a clear exit strategy where operational logistics activities could be handed over to the Operating National Society; b) a logistics capacity component as part of the external support provided.
  • Promote the deployment of RDRT logistics in the African region and support the strengthening of that tool.
  • Use emergency response operations as an entry point for the Logistics Development programme.
  • To prepare timely monthly reports detailing specifics according to the needs and distributing them to Head of LPSCM.
• Specific support to Health, Innovation Energy pilot program and IFRC green Initiative
  • Collaborate with the health department to ensure appropriate evaluation of gaps in cholera equipment and materials are carried out and relevant actions are taken to ensure prepositioning of such.
  • Work on the Household Energy Efficiency project pilot as and where required.
  • Focal point for the information gathering and implementation of IFRC Green LPSCM Policy.
  • Support data gathering for EOC and Go platform.

Qualifications and Personal Skills we are looking for:

Formal Requirements:

• A relevant master's degree or bachelor degree with more than 5 years relevant field experience is required.
• Minimum 3 years of experience in operational logistics and financial management.
• Experience of working in an International Organisation.
• Experience in Personnel Management.
• Basic Delegate Training Course or equivalent knowledge.
• Proven experience in Emergency response management.
• Willingness to travel up to 70% of the time.

Skills and Knowledge:

• Basic to intermediate knowledge of Red Cross & Red Crescent Movement.
• Advanced knowledge of humanitarian field work.
• Advanced knowledge of project management.
• Knowledge of Cholera preparedness and response programmes.
• Ability to work in partnerships with NS and counterparts employing distance management processes of support.
• Intermediate knowledge of relevant IT tools and systems.

Languages:

• Fluent written and oral skills in English, knowledge of French is an asset.

We offer:

• A meaningful job in the world's largest humanitarian organization.
• Valuable field experience.
• Salary/benefits according to the Norwegian Red Cross’ salary system and relevant qualifications.

Other:

• Contract period: 12 months starting as soon as possible.
• Family posting: no
• Position involves strong field presence so great mobility required