ERT Supply Chain Coordinator

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.

The IRC’s Global Surge Team (GST) is a roster of highly qualified humanitarian professionals who deploy on short notice to emergency and non‑emergency contexts to support the IRC’s mission. GST members provide specialized, time‑bound support where capacity gaps exist, typically for deployments of up to three months. The GST is a flexible, occasional employment opportunity. Deployment needs vary based on demand. Staff can take on additional deployments as opportunities arise and if they are interested.

Deployment opportunities depend on organizational and operational requirements and may vary over time; as such, deployments cannot be guaranteed. Staff supporting emergency responses must be prepared to deploy within 72 hours as needs arise.

Role Bakground:

Responding to the world’s worst humanitarian crises in a great variety of roles, the International Rescue Committee’s staff is a force for humanity and hope. If you are skilled and passionate, we would like to add your energy to ours. Through its Emergency Unit (EmU), the IRC is one of the world’s largest humanitarian agencies leading rapid emergency responses that provide life-saving assistance, early recovery, and stabilization support to people affected by conflict, displacement, natural disasters, and complex emergencies across multiple contexts worldwide. We are committed to innovation, agility, and strong partnerships to deliver timely and effective humanitarian action.

Active in public health, education in emergencies, livelihoods, women's empowerment, youth development, and protection and promotion of rights, we assist people from harm to home. The IRC recognizes that people affected by crisis and the actors closest to them are best placed, have the right, and should have the power and resources to respond and drive lasting change. We commit to increasing the share of funding channeled to local actors in emergencies, asking “Why not partner?’ whenever we plan programming, and partner as equals.

None of this work would reach clients without a supply chain that can keep pace with a crisis. The IRC's Global Supply Chain (GSC) team makes that possible, providing supply chain support to every IRC office worldwide. GSC specialists design and deliver supply chain activities that keep programs moving, in line with internal policy and donor requirements, so that life-saving assistance reaches people affected by conflict, displacement, and disaster without delay.

Fluency in both written & spoken French Required.  

Scope of work

The Emergency Response Team is a specialized group within the Emergency Unit, and members are deployed to either support existing country programs in their emergency response or to initiate a new program in the crisis zone. The overall responsibility of the team is to rapidly and effectively design, develop and manage the IRC’s on-site humanitarian response to meet the immediate needs of the affected population. The ERT is also responsible for supporting the transfer of responsibilities and knowledge to the long-term staff to ensure the continuity of IRC programming and operations. All IRC ERT staff are expected to be deployed in the field, either in an emergency or roving capacity, for up to 65% of the time and must be able to deploy to the site of an emergency within 72 hours of notification. 

The IRC ERT Supply Chain Coordinator provides leadership and direction to ensure an effective, high-quality, and timely emergency supply chain response, coordinating across components such as procurement, warehousing and inventory, fleet and logistics, and medical/pharmaceutical supply chains in emergency and outbreak responses, and is a member of both the IRC's Global Supply Chain and the Emergency Unit. The ERT SC Coordinator reports to the Director, Emergency and Health Supply Chain on an ongoing basis and during periods of non-deployment. During emergency deployments, ERT staff work under the direction of IRC's Emergency Response Director or the designated country/regional emergency lead, with technical backstopping provided by the Director, Emergency and Health Supply Chain in the Emergency Unit.

Major Responsibilities

Leadership

• Provide technical oversight of all Supply Chain functions for emergency response.
• Ensure that processes follow IRC GSC standard operating procedures in all aspects as followed.
• Contribute to field leadership, EmU SAP IP and GSCs strategic workplans,
• Be a voice for the supply chain team within the unit.
• Where applicable s/he will be sent to existing programs to gap fill or provide extra capacity to in country teams
• Be a Subject matter expert (SME) in IRCs ERP, Integra, training and mentoring supply chain and program staff

Planning

• Proactively participate in Project Cycle Meetings, including project design, project planning, project opening, project review, project close-out and project learning meetings to ensure that supply chain related issues are well articulated to all stakeholders and resolved for successful project delivery.
• Prepare and maintain emergency procurement plans and develop/maintain country program sourcing strategy for all active and pipeline grants in collaboration with program Technical Coordinators and Managers,
• Ensure that supply chain department is well staffed and roles and responsibilities of each have clear job description.

Procurement

Ensure:

• Compliance to IRC and donor policies for all goods and services procurement (including pharmaceuticals and medical equipment)
• In collaboration with the in-country GSC team(s) review and utilize the Procurement contracts (MPA, MSA) in place for the purchases of goods and services.
• The implementation of GSC procurement and contracting SOPs.
• The accuracy of GSC data collected; timely submission of required report(s) to advise the decision-making process.
• Disseminate through trainings the existing procurement process as well the procurement tools to all EmU GSC team members.
• Ensuring all required procurement documents are included in waivers request files (Purchase Requests, Market Surveys Proforma (3), ATC etc.)
• Management of all waivers with details of the emergency procurement circumstances, including the country program leadership approval (CD, DDO) before its approval by either the RSCD or the CGSCO.
• The suppliers’ files prepared by the procurement team are historically documenting the supplier(s) performance feedback provided by the EmU services requesters after the goods/services deliveries.
• The existence of segregations of duties in the procurement functions during the emergency deployment.
• The program requirements for supplies of items and services are timely met.
• The Grant (s) procurement and distribution plans are developed, regularly reviewed and all related issues are timely resolved or raised in collaboration with leadership.
• The end-to-end procurement processes are conducted through IRCs ERP System, Integra 
• Any IRC procurement process deviations are identified, documented, and timely reported following the approved mechanism.
• Follow the Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance Policy in procurement and delivery of medical commodities.

Inventory, Warehousing, Assets and Property

• The implementation of the IRC inventory policies during the emergency support for all Project Items (cycle count, reporting discrepancies, pharmaceutical quality assurance as well as cold chain policies where applicable).
• The grant inventory report is accurate, regularly produced, reviewed, and approved before the Grant closing date.
• The warehousing safety and security requirements are in place.
• The assets maintenance plans are in place as per IRC policies.

Fleet and Logistics

• The vehicle safety policies are in place, disseminated and followed by all vehicles users.
• Effective fuel consumption management tools are developed and in use.
• The fleet legal status (registration, licenses, insurance) are updated;
• The vehicle monthly reports are regularly issued, reviewed and used to inform the leadership strategic decision-making process.
• The vehicle movement planning and tracking tool(s) are in place;
• The driver management policy is developed and followed.

Learning and Development

• Every new starter in the SC team receives 90-day objectives
• Accurate staff development plans are developed based on the documented training needs assessment process, discussed with the unit leadership, approved and implemented.
• Each team members' objectives are set following the organizational unit visions as well as operations context(s);
• Ensure all SC staff are trained to standard and sign the IRC code of conduct, conflict of interest following the SOPs recommendations.
• Ensure all counterparts who deal with supply chain processes are trained to standard.

Compliance and Ethics

• Identifies and sets mitigation plan to handle Supply Chain risks, including identification of red flags, and implementing internal and external audit corrective action plans to ensure all supply chain activities are conducted in an ethical manner.
• Ensures compliance to IRC and donor policies in the procurement and distribution of program supplies and assets.
• Ensure that assessments of supply chain policies, procedures, controls, and performance is conducted and any deviations addressed in the country program where designated
• Take lead in donor and IRC Internal Audit process of the SC department, develop and support implementation of post-audit corrective action plans and other improvement plans

Emergency Preparedness

• Work with the Emergency Unit and high risks country programs to implement emergency preparedness through in country training, mentoring and remote technical support.
• Participate in, and contribute to content for Emergency Unit trainings and conferences

Partnerships:

• Champion a culture of effective and respectful partnerships. Promote partner-led programming in line with IRC’s “why not partner?” and “partner as equals” approach
• Actively contribute to the relevant sections of Partner Capacity Analysis (PCA) and the subsequent development of partner support plans
• Be deliberate and intentional in determining whether a partner was capable of key supply chain activities in emergencies or whether IRC needed to take the lead
• Manage the implementation of action items in the Supply Chain sections of partner support plans
• Work collaboratively with partners to ensure that project budgets reflect fair market value
• Ensure appropriate budget allocation for IRC to support partners in alignment with the overall response/program design
• Actively participate in the Partnership Working Group (PWG) if applicable

Key working relationships

Position Reports to: Director, Emergency Supply & Health Supply Chain (while not deployed),

Position directly supervises: On deployment only

Works closely with: Other ERT and GSC staff, country program supply chain and management team.

Indirect Reporting: Emergency Team Leader/Country Director (while deployed)

Requirements

• Advanced Degree, 3-6 years or more of progressive Supply Chain professional experience or equivalent education and experience
• Proven experience developing and managing supply chain/logistics functions in an INGO, including in emergency/conflict areas
• Demonstrated success as a Supply Chain leader across all disciplines including planning, procurement and logistics.
• Demonstrable knowledge and experience in medical logistics and the procurement, storage, transport and distribution of pharmaceuticals
• Broad knowledge and experience in Supply Chain strategies, market analysis techniques, procurement and contracting, vehicle and fleet management, inventory, property and asset management
• Demonstrated skills in building strong teams and establishing new operations, including strong ability to communicate and work effectively with senior management, operating and program staff and functions

• Proven leadership of multi-disciplinary, cross-cultural teams, with strong mentoring, coaching, motivational, and team-building skills
• Demonstrated commitment to inclusion and fair treatment of staff, and ability to identify and address barriers to inclusion for marginalized groups in emergency response

• Strong collaborator and influencer with effective interpersonal and analytical skills who is able to work seamlessly across countries, cultures, and organizational units
• Proven experience in remote management
• Strong financial management and budgeting skills
• Strong computer, radio and communication equipment skills, and licensed and able to drive manual transmission, 4WD vehicles
• Resilient, organized, hard-working, with positive attitude
• Bilingual English and French mandatory; Arabic and Spanish advantageous

Professional Standards: All International Rescue Committee workers must adhere to the core values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. Our Standards are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Safeguarding, Conflicts of Interest, Fiscal Integrity, and Reporting Wrongdoing and Protection from Retaliation. IRC is committed to take all necessary preventive measures and create an environment where people feel safe, and to take all necessary actions and corrective measures when harm occurs. IRC builds teams of professionals who promote critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity to deliver the best possible services to our clients.

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Equal Opportunity Employer: IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.