Senior Officer, Medical Sourcing

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with a network of 191-member National Societies (NSs). The overall aim of the IFRC is “to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by NSs with a view to preventing and alleviating human suffering and thereby contributing to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and peace in the world.”  The IFRC works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises.

IFRC is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (Movement), together with its member National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The work of the IFRC is guided by the following fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality.

IFRC is led by its Secretary General, and has its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The Headquarters are organized into four main Divisions: (i) National Society Development and Operations Coordination; (ii) Global Relations, Humanitarian Diplomacy and Digitalization; and (iii) People and Strategy (iv) Legal, Governance Support and accountability.

IFRC has five regional offices in Africa, Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Europe, and the Americas.  IFRC also has country cluster delegations and country delegations throughout the world. Together, the Geneva Headquarters and the field structure (regional, cluster and country) comprise the IFRC Secretariat.

IFRC has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment and other forms of harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination, and lack of integrity (including but not limited to financial misconduct). IFRC also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles.

The IFRC’s Supply Chain Department is a core function supporting the IFRC humanitarian action. The Department has a global network including:

▪ a headquarters-based Supply Chain Management Department in Geneva

▪ a Logistics Hub and Global Fleet office in Dubai

▪ Five regional operational supply chain units located in Panama, Kuala Lumpur, Nairobi, Beirut and Budapest

▪ logistics hubs

▪ country-based logistics set-up

Supply Chain Management is a function dedicated to:

• Provide the goods and services as needed by IFRC to deliver to the most vulnerable;
• Provide services to deliver visible value to the members, improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the supply chain and strengthening its control;
• Developing talents & future leaders

Reporting to the Global Lead, Procurement, this role shall ensure that medical supplies (pharmaceuticals and medical devices (including health commodities) are safely sourced, quality‑assured, compliant, and delivered on time to support humanitarian operations. The role links pharmaceutical expertise with operational supply chain and procurement, ensuring that organizational standards, donor requirements, and global health regulations are met. The incumbent will also support the localization strategy for medical procurement.

Support the operations on sourcing and quality assurance of medical supplies (pharmaceuticals and medical devices). Actively perform market intelligence, leading the end‑to‑end sourcing and procurement of medical supplies including market research. The role will also ensure effective implementation of the quality management system and the policies related to medical supplies working in close coordination with regional procurement teams, the health department, and operations. This role supports compliance with IFRC supply chain standards related to medical supplies globally, ensuring that global and local policies and procedures are adhered and conveyed to end users in the procurement of medical supplies.

Key Accountabilities

• Perform supply market intelligence for medical supplies: pricing trends, availability, lead times, geopolitical risks. Lead end‑to‑end sourcing of medical supplies (pharmaceuticals and medical devices), including market research, supplier selection, RFQs, bid evaluations, and contracting and establishing long term FAs, where applicable and possible. Develop a mechanism of handling long term FAs, including amendments within the validity of the agreements and the involvement of legal and in line with IFRC regulations.
• If applicable and required, manage the whole process of Framework Agreement call-off orders within the core categories assigned to this role, including quote requests, PO placement, monitoring, and supporting the finance with the payment process.
• Ensure prequalification of potential suppliers, both local and International, conduct supplier onboarding, monitor performance indicators and manage supplier audits

• Maintain and develop a sustainable network of qualified suppliers to ensure the Approved Vendor/Supplier List is always up to date.
• Support, when requested, all requesters and National Societies in the review of the lists of medical supplies to ensure that they are compliant with National Essential Medicines Lists (EML) or WHO model EML.
• Provide support for the development of appropriate specifications and quality standards for medical supplies.
• Provide support on the technical and regulatory assessment of offers submitted for QA review from all IFRC regional offices for compliance with IFRC QA requirements and to recommend compliant offers for procurement.

• Ensure that the different regions execute the Medical sourcing strategy and actions as required and agreed. Where compliance is an issue, find and eliminate root causes.

• Assist in ensuring compliance of medical donations.
• Ensure compliance with WHO, national regulatory authority (NRA) requirements, and donor‑specific QA rules. Provide QA guidance to logistics, operations, and country teams (e.g., shelf-life, stability, cold chain conditions).
• Assist with investigations into quality issues, recalls, adverse events, or product failures and maintain risk logs for medical supply chain and propose mitigation strategies.
• Identify and drive cost reduction opportunities at global and regional level for the medical categories assigned to the role, with consideration to quality, cost, speed and service requirements, market conditions, risks and exposures, competitive landscape, and projected changes.
• Support in the implementation of the revised Procurement and QA procedures for medical supplies in line with IFRC quality requirements of medical supplies and Good Distribution Practices.

• Assist in the development of training materials related to quality assurance on pharmaceutical and medical products and ensure its proper dissemination organisation wide
• Work closely with the relevant IFRC Health units, as needed.
• Execute the tasks delegated to him/her by the Global Lead, Procurement, respecting GDP regulations.
• Manage complaint file related to pharmaceutical products and produce regular reports as required
• Represent the IFRC externally at seminars, workshops, presentations in the medical procurement and pharmaceutical field.

Duties applicable to all staff

1.    Actively work towards the achievement of the Federation Secretariat’s goals 
2.    Abide by and work in accordance with the Red Cross and Red Crescent principles
3.    Perform any other work related duties and responsibilities that may be assigned by the line manager

• Required degree in pharmacy, health science or related field. Master’s degree in drug regulatory affairs or pharmaceutical quality assurance

• Required minimum of 5-8 years of relevant experience in managing medical/pharmaceutical operations/procurement in Humanitarian sector and/or commercial sector
• Preferred experience of working with global suppliers of medicines and medical devices
• Required Red Cross/Red Crescent knowledge and experience 

• Preferred in-depth grasp of pharmacology
• Required broad knowledge of humanitarian pharmacy issues
• Required very good understanding of the pharmaceutical industry
• Preferred good knowledge of the state of the world in pharmaceutical regulations and pharmaceutical markets
• Required knowledge of Good Distribution Practices
• Required Knowledge of Good Manufacturing Practices
• Required knowledge of Regulatory Affairs
• Required knowledge of drugs
• Required ability to synthesise and analyse complex data
• Preferred a broad understanding of humanitarian issues, disaster recovery and related organization 

   

• Required fluently spoken and written English
• Preferred good command of another IFRC official language (French or Spanish or Arabic)
• Values: Respect for diversity; Integrity; Professionalism; Accountability
• Core competencies: Communication; Collaboration and teamwork; Judgement and decision making; National society and customer relations; Creativity and innovation; Building trust