- Organization: UNDP - United Nations Development Programme
- Location: Geneva
- Grade: P-4, International Professional - Internationally recruited position - Mid level
-
Occupational Groups:
- Operations and Administrations
- Logistics
- Procurement
- Supply Chain
- Women's Empowerment and Gender Mainstreaming
- Closing Date: 2019-02-13
What does it mean?
Click "SAVE JOB" to save this job description for later.
Sign up for free to be able to save this job for later.
Procurement, Supply Chain Management Specialist
Geneva (Switzerland)
Background
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN’s global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life, as envisaged by 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We are on the ground in more than 170 countries and territories, working with governments and people on their own solutions to global and national development challenges to help empower lives and build resilient nations.
The Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s 2018-2021 Strategic Plan and help countries to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
UNDP is a founding cosponsor of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), a partner of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, and a co-sponsor of several other international health partnerships. UNDP’s work on HIV, health and development, as described in the HIV, Health and Development Strategy 2016-2021: Connecting the Dots, leverages UNDP’s core strengths and mandates in human development, governance and capacity development to complement the efforts of specialist health-focused UN agencies. UNDP delivers three types of support to countries in HIV, health and development.
First, UNDP helps countries to mainstream attention to HIV and health into action on gender, poverty and the broader effort to achieve and sustain the Sustainable Development Goals. Second, UNDP works with partners to address the interactions between governance, human rights and health responses. Sometimes this is done through focused or specialized programmes, such as promoting attention to the role of the law and legal environments in facilitating stronger HIV responses, including the use of flexibilities in intellectual property law to lower the cost of medicines and diagnostics. UNDP also works to empower and include marginalized populations who are disproportionately affected by HIV, such as sex workers, men who have sex with men and people living with HIV. Beyond these focused efforts, UNDP plays a role in ensuring attention to HIV and health within broader governance and rights initiatives, including support to municipal action on SDGs, sustainable responses for Health and HIV such as improving sustainability of AIDS financing, sustainable health procurement, strengthening of national human rights institutions and increasing access to justice for key populations.
Third, as a trusted, long-term partner with extensive operational experience, UNDP supports countries in effective implementation of complex, multilateral and multi-sectoral health and development projects, while simultaneously investing in capacity development so that national and local partners can assume these responsibilities over time.
UNDP’s Partnership with the Global Fund:
UNDP’s partnership with the Global Fund is an important part of this work, facilitating access to resources for action on SDG 3 by countries that face constraints in directly receiving and managing such funding. UNDP partners with countries in crisis/post-crisis situations, those with weak institutional capacity or governance challenges, and countries under sanctions. When requested, UNDP acts as interim Principal Recipient in these settings, working with national partners and the Global Fund to improve management, implementation and oversight of Global Fund grants, while simultaneously developing national capacity to be able to assume the Principal Recipient role over time. UNDP’s partnership with the Global Fund and other health partners (eg GAVI) is overseen by the Global Fund Health Implementation Support Team, HIV, Health and Development Group, Bureau of Policy and Programme Support (GF/HIST).
Health product procurement and supply chain management support, are an integral part of development solutions and support services that UNDP provides for the implementation of large and complex health and development programmes, to contribute to the equitable delivery of essential services.
The national and international health landscapes are rapidly changing. New health initiatives are emerging, particularly in relation to non-communicable diseases, which brings to light pressing challenges linked to health systems strengthening including, health product procurement and supply chain management. These opportunities go beyond UNDP’s partnership with the Global Fund and require a new modus operandi to optimize UNDP’s investments into global health. Increasingly, UNDP is supporting governments in thematic area of health product procurement and supply chain management with funding from national budgets. In addition, UNDP is expanding opportunities for partnerships with key stakeholders on health product procurement including with UNICEF, UNFPA and UNOPS/Global Drug Facility (GDF), and supporting the development and management of national supply chains with partners such as GAVI, WHO, and WFP.
Under the overall supervision of the GF/HIST Senior Health PSM Advisor, the Procurement, Supply Chain Management Specialist shall play a key role in the thematic area of health products procurement and Procurement Supply Management (PSM) in providing advisory support services to UNDP Country Offices (COs) implementing health and development programme throughout the grant life cycle. The Specialist will work in coordination with GF/HIST and in close collaboration with COs, Regional Bureaus (including Hubs), Bureau of Management Services, Legal Office, Office of Audit and Investigations, Global Fund, and other health stakeholders (GAVI, GDF, WHO, UNICEF, WFP).
Duties and Responsibilities
1)Advisory and Support Services to UNDP Country Offices (COs) in the implementation of health and development programmes to strengthen health products procurement and supply chain management systems, with the following key responsibilities:
- Advises COs throughout the grant life cycle from the formulation of health product lists to grant closure and supports the preparation, implementation and monitoring of Procurement Action Plans and Quality Assurance Plans;
- Supports COs prepare and respond to PSM related sections of progress updates /disbursement requests, Global Fund and other partners’ performance reviews;
- Advises COs on UNDP procurement architecture and supports in negotiations with suppliers, service providers, in coordination with GF/HIST (Copenhagen);
- Supports COs formulate quality and timely submissions to the CAP, RACP and ACP and respond to queries; and
- Maintains close relationships with Global Fund Health Procurement Managers and supports COs in their dialogue with Global Fund Country Teams on PSM related issues and other health partners.
2)Advisory and Support Services to UNDP COs and national counterparts to strengthen health products procurement and supply chain management systems, with the following key responsibilities:
- Provides technical support to COs and national counterparts to strengthen national supply chains including product selection, forecasting/quantification, quality assurance, Logistic Management Information Systems, inventory management, distribution, storage and waste management;
- Identifies weaknesses and areas of improvement within in-country PSM systems and supports COs and national counterparts to develop and monitor action plan(s) for strengthening the identified areas;
- Advises COs on best practices and existing tools in the thematic area of PSM; and
- Supports the development of the capacity development plans for COs and national counterparts in the thematic area of PSM, through capacity building initiatives (e.g., trainings, guidance materials, tools, systems).
3)Assesses and monitors UNDP’s risks in the thematic area of health products procurement and supply chain management and quality assurance compliance, with the following key responsibilities:
- Supports COs to complete detailed health products procurement and supply chain management risk mapping and identify mitigations strategies;
- Supports COs to recruit and monitor the performance of PSM staff and to identify external PSM consultants strategies (including support to develop terms of reference, recruitment processes) to adequately address actions detailed in risk mitigation;
- Advises COs on the establishment of dashboards and tools to regularly monitor the level of stocks to mitigate the risk of stock out; and
- Supports COs monitor and respond to UNDP’s Office of Audit and Investigations audit and investigation findings and recommendations in the thematic area and analyse findings and recommendations on an annual basis to be translated to tools, guidance materials.
4)Contributes to knowledge management in the thematic area of health products procurement and supply chain management of health products and other commodities with the following key responsibilities:
- Promotes corporate knowledge management health product procurement and PSM activities, to better guide COs in the implementation of health programmers and to influence/advance dialogue in the thematic area at international level;
- Performs analysis/and collects best practices from countries in the thematic area, and ensures that implementation is in line with international guidelines and recommendations from GF/HIST;
- Develops, maintains and updates UNDP health product procurement and PSM resources and information in operational manuals, PSM Online training course, SharePoint resources and contributes and participates in relevant external networks, meetings, workshops, interagency working groups and partner meetings; and
- Acts as the GF/HIST focal point to regularly monitor updates on specific diseases (e.g., WHO treatment guidelines, WHO Prequalification lists, WHO EML, Global Fund lists, and other sources).
Competencies
Corporate competencies.
Innovation:
- Ability to make new and useful ideas work.
Leadership:
- Ability to persuade others to follow.
People Management:
- Ability to improve performance and satisfaction.
Communication:
- Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform.
Delivery:
- Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement.
Technical/Functional
HIV, Health and Development:
- Access to Treatment: Knowledge of HIV/AIDS access to treatment policy and principles and strategic and/or practical situations.
Procurement:
- The ability to acquire goods, services or works from an outside external source.
Procurement Supply Management:
- Knowledge of procurement and supply management concepts, principles and methods, and ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations.
Communications & Relationship Management:
- Ability to engage with other parties and forge productive working relationships.
Risk Management:
- Ability to identify and prioritize risks, and organize action around mitigating them.
Knowledge Management:
- Ability to capture, develop, share and effectively use information and knowledge.
Capacity Development:
- Ability to strengthen and maintain the capabilities of individuals, societies, organizations and governments to set and achieve development objectives over time.
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- Master’s Degree or equivalent in Pharmacy, Procurement and Supply Management or related field; Complimentary qualifications in public/international health or health economies is desirable.
Experience:
- A minimum of 7 years progressive relevant professional experience in procurement and supply chain management for health programmes including at least 3 years of international experience;
- Sound knowledge of Global Fund polices and processes and experience working on Global Fund programmes is desirable;
- Work experience in developing countries.
- Strong familiarity with the UN or UNDP procurement systems, rules and procedures, desirable;
- Solid experience in the management of people and systems in high-pressure environments.
- Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages and web-based management systems.
Language Requirements:
- Proficiency in English both written and oral. Working knowledge of other UN language desirable.
Other: Availability to travel to developing countries.
Disclaimer
Important information for US Permanent Residents ('Green Card' holders)
Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment.
UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.
Applicant information about UNDP rosters
Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
Workforce diversity
UNDP is committed to achieving diversity within its workforce, and encourages all qualified applicants, irrespective of gender, nationality, disabilities, sexual orientation, culture, religious and ethnic backgrounds to apply. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.
Scam warning
The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.