Supply Chain Associate (Country Capacity Strengthening) G6 Bishkek
WFP encourages female candidates and people with disabilities to apply.
WFP seeks candidates of the highest integrity and professionalism who share our humanitarian principles. Selection of staff is made on a competitive basis. We are committed to promoting diversity and the principle of equal employment opportunity for all our employees and encourage qualified candidates to apply irrespective of religion or belief, ethnic or social background, gender, gender identity and disability.
Job Title: Supply Chain Associate (Country Capacity Strengthening)
Grade: G6
Type of contract: Fixed-term
Duration: 12 months renewable
Duty Station: Bishkek
Vacancy Number: 828417
Date of Publication: 14 July 2023
Deadline of Application: 30 July 2023
This vacancy announcement is for Nationals from the Kyrgyz Republic.
Terms and Conditions:
WFP offers a competitive benefits package including salary, pension, leave plus a medical insurance (https://www.un.org/Depts/OHRM/salaries_allowances/salaries/kyrgyzst.htm).
JOB PURPOSE
In the delivery of this wide variety of programmatic offerings and services, a strong logistics team within the Supply Chain function is key to success, offering a work environment with access to international expertise https://www.wfp.org/supply-chain. WFP recognizes strong and sustained national capacities are critical to addressing the multiple causes of hunger and responding to the food security and nutrition needs of vulnerable populations over the long-term. Applying a holistic and systems-strengthening approach to its interventions, WFP supports stakeholder capacities along five critical pathways: (i) Policies and legislation; (ii) Institutional effectiveness and accountability; (iii) Strategic planning and financing; (iv) Stakeholder programme design, delivery and M&E; and (v) Engagement and participation of communities, civil society and private sector.
To provide coordination, technical advice and administrative services as well as research and assessments to support the efficient and effective logistics services provision and contribute to design/implementation of Country Capacity Strengthening (CCS) activities, specifically initiatives aimed at strengthening the national emergency preparedness, incl. humanitarian logistics systems (warehousing best practices, systems and tools, warehouse infrastructure improvements, etc.) as well as food systems solutions (waste & loss prevention, food price stabilisation measures, market access and retail solutions that benefit vulnerable populations).
Supervision received: Under the direct supervision of the Head of Supply Chain Unit and with overall guidance from the Deputy Country Director, the Supply Chain Associate provides logistics services and is closely engaged in CCS offerings of the WFP Kyrgyz Republic Country Office ensuring their effectiveness, transparency and integrity. The Supply Chain Associate promotes a client, quality and results oriented approach.
The Supply Chain Associate works in close cooperation with Programme, RAM, External Relations, Budget & Programming and other relevant units within Country Office and Sub-Office, and WFP Regional Bureau and Headquarters’ staff for resolving logistics and CCS related issues and information delivery.
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES
1. Provide specialized support to WFP’s and partners’ logistics operations and activities, following standard processes and contributing, directly or indirectly, to the effective delivery of food assistance to beneficiaries in line with WFP Logistics Associate standard job profile.
2. Provide technical support and assist in the development and implementation of country capacity-strengthening activities and processes within the specific area of responsibility (incl. logistics/warehousing and other supply chain enhancement in food systems / emergency preparedness and response).
3. Within the specific area of responsibility, compile data and support analysis and preparation of reports (e.g. capacity assessments and findings/recommendations, capacity strengthening implementation plans, resource utilization, programme status, performance) in order to support operational decision-making.
4. Liaise with internal counterparts to support effective collaboration and programmatic linkages when implementing and monitoring country capacity-strengthening activities under own area of responsibility.
5. Contribute to pilot food system enhancement / market development activities in coordination with other CO units (as well as HQ & regional bureau) in particular in collaboration with Programme staff, cash-based transfer experts and the RAM unit, supporting initiatives that aim at linking production units, smallholder farmers and/or retailers to populations that WFP serves.
6. Support CO undertake market diagnosis (in-depth market analysis and supply chain network mapping) where required, to identify main inefficiencies and opportunities to strengthen local markets with objectives to improve customer’s value equation
7. In collaboration with External Relations and Programme units, monitor national policies, plans and legislation and institutional capacity to identify entry points for WFP’s global and local supply chain expertise to be offered along the CCS pathways.
8. Support the capacity strengthening of WFP staff in the specific areas of responsibilities (CCS activities on logistics/warehousing/retail), cooperating partners and national government as relevant.
9. Follow standard WFP procedures and guidance relating to due diligence and engagement with partners in a capacity-strengthening context.
10. Liaise with internal and external stakeholders to support logistics operations management and contribute to effective service delivery as well as national systems improvements.
11. Supervise the work of support staff, providing practical advice and guidance, to ensure individual and team objectives are delivered to agreed standards and deadlines for all assistance modalities.
12. Support logistics emergency preparedness and response activities including Logistics Capacity Assessment and Contingency Plan update, to support WFP’s and national partners’ response in emergencies.
13. Other as required.
STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
EDUCATION
Completion of secondary school education. A post-secondary certificate in the related functional area.
WORK EXPERIENCE
At least six years of practical commercial/professional experience in one or more of the transportation and ancillary sectors: port operations, shipping, clearing and forwarding, air operations, large scale road/rail transport and distribution management.
- Experience maintaining corporate systems and running queries.
- Experience in compiling contract documentation and contract execution for logistics services.
- Experience in Supply Chain budget monitoring and reporting.
- Experience in working with national counterparts, with a track record in adjusting UN/WFP operating principles and best-practices to offer advice and guidance aimed at improving national systems with due consideration of the Kyrgyz context and of WFP’s mandate to strengthen social and civil protection systems for improved food security and nutrition.
- Experience in collaboration with technical/programme teams (i.e. RAM, Nutrition, etc.), own programme implementation experience and involvement in policy discussions desirable.
EDUCATION AND WORK EXPERIENCE result in following knowledge and skills:
- Supply Chain Management and Optimization: Demonstrates ability to design basic supply chain networks, including appropriately assessing and escalating challenges to ensure that WFP is able to provide consistent and uninterrupted service to its beneficiaries and partners.
- Planning, Project & Resource Management: Collects and analyses relevant technical data from diverse sources to forecast operational needs under various scenarios and makes evidence-based proposals.
- Information Management & Reporting: Liaises with internal and external stakeholders to consolidate preliminary data analysis, draft reports and disseminate information that represents concerns and trends.
- Market Analysis, Contracting and Operational Execution: Demonstrates ability to collect market information and process and analyse proposals in line with WFP standard rules and regulations in order to deliver efficiently.
- Warehouse and Inventory Management: Demonstrates ability to implement operational warehouse procedures and normative guidance in order to manage WFP’s warehouse, handle inventory effectively through corporate systems, and ensure loss mitigation.
- Technical Assistance and Coordination: Demonstrates abilities to provide basic technical advice and maintain effective (inclusive, collaborative, unified) logistics coordination mechanisms with humanitarian partners and other relevant stakeholders.
KEY COMPETENCIES
- Familiarity with WFP’s mandate, Country Strategic Planning process, intervention modalities, programme and project lifecycle tools, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation desirable and ability to quickly familiarize with and apply the WFP CCS approach and tools.
- Demonstrated ability to produce high-quality written outputs and ability to present in English, as well as in the working language of the Country Office.
- Ability to work with accuracy under time constraints and pressure; to deal patiently and tactfully with colleagues and external partners, demonstrating WFP’s core values, initiative and good judgment.
- Sound judgment; ability to extract, interpret, analyse and format data and to resolve operational problems.
- Well organized work with accurate information/databases/reports/records and experience in utilising computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.), advanced knowledge of automated procurement systems, experience with web-based management systems.
LANGUAGE
- Proficiency (level C) in both oral and written communication in English and fluency in the duty station’s language(s) (Russian or Kyrgyz, both considered an advantage).
All WFP Employees are expected to demonstrate the competencies and standards of behaviour aligned with our core values and defined in the WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK, namely:
Leading by example with integrity,
Driving results and delivering on commitments,
Fostering inclusive and collaborative teamwork,
Applying strategic thinking,
Building and maintaining sustainable partnerships.
HOW TO APPLY
To be considered, interested candidates are invited to apply via (https://www.wfp.org/careers/job-openings). Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
WFP will not request payment at any stage of the recruitment process including at the offer stage. Any requests for payment should be refused and reported to local law enforcement authorities for appropriate action.
Request for Disability related Reasonable Accommodations:
It is important to WFP to create an accessible and inclusive workplace for everyone. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions. If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the selection and hiring process, please direct your request and inquiries to the Diversity and Inclusion team on: [email protected], cc’ing [email protected]. A member of the reasonable accommodation team will contact you to confidentially discuss your needs.
This email is only to be used for any disability related accessibility requirements, and not for sending the application itself. Due to volume of applications, any applications or CVs sent through this email address will not be considered as a formal application and will not receive a reply from WFP.
Please note that WFP may keep candidates who successfully passed recruitment tests and interviews, but were not the first-choice candidate selected for a position, on a roster for similar (or lower-level) upcoming positions or short-term opportunities for direct contracting. Successful candidates will be informed about their inclusion into the roster.
ABOUT WFP
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. The mission of WFP is to help the world achieve Zero Hunger in our lifetimes. Every day, WFP works worldwide to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry and that the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly women and children, can access the nutritious food they need.
ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT
WFP’s vision is that people in the Kyrgyz Republic will have substantially increased access to national social protection systems that safeguard and foster their ability to meet their food security, nutrition and associated essential needs, and to manage the risks and shocks they face, with ample opportunity to graduate from poverty and contribute to sustainable food systems, national disaster risk management efforts and social cohesion.
WFP, the second largest UN agency in the Kyrgyz Republic, will support and promote the inclusion of people with diverse and often intersecting vulnerabilities and inequalities, by supporting nationally led social and civil protection systems and programmes (strengthening the government’s ability for anticipatory action and ensuring that no one is left behind) and by modelling new approaches within complementary WFP interventions (which can be adopted or transitioned), leveraging WFP’s global expertise in promoting healthy diets and sustainable food systems, climate risk management, warehousing, food safety, smallholder market access and innovations such as private sector-oriented solutions, micro-insurance and digital public goods.
Derived from the UN Cooperation Framework and national priorities, promoting participatory community engagement and nutrition-sensitive approaches, the 2nd generation Country Strategic Plan (2023-27 EN|RU) continues WFP’s human capital development, capacity building and productive asset creation activities to enhance the resilience and livelihoods of the poor and vulnerable, with a focus on food systems strengthening across three core pillars: (i) Social Protection and Active Labour Market strengthening; (ii) Climate Change Adaption, Disaster Risk Management & Emergency Preparedness; and (iii) Schools as platforms for healthy diets. In addition, a contingent emergency response outcome can be activated in case of need.
WFP is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce. WFP has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, abuse of authority or discrimination. All selected candidates will, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.
No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.
