Supply Chain & Operations Manager

Job Title: Supply Chain & Operations Manager (Sudan/Cross Border Operations)

Location: N’Djamena, Chad (With frequent visits to Sudan/Cross Border Areas)

Reports to: Deputy Country Director – Operations/Support

Direct reports: Sudan SCO team and Chad/Darfur Border SCO staff

About RI

Relief International is a leading non-profit organization working in 20 countries to relieve communities from poverty, ensure well-being and advance dignity. RI specializes in fragile settings, responding to natural disasters, humanitarian crises and chronic poverty. Relief International combines humanitarian and development approaches to provide immediate services while laying the groundwork for long-term impact. Our signature approach — which RI calls The RI Way — emphasizes local participation, an integration of services, strategic partnerships, and a focus on civic skills. In this way, RI empowers communities to find, design and implement the solutions that work best for them. RI believes that gender equality is a basic right for all people, and it is critical to directly address gender-based discrimination and promote gender equality to ensure sustainable development.

Position Summary

The Supply Chain and Operations Manager (Sudan/Cross Border Operations) will be responsible for overseeing and optimizing the supply chain and operations functions. The SCO Manager will provide the RI Sudan Country Program with leadership that contributes to improved systems and standards in Logistics and procurement, ensuring the efficient flow of goods, managing inventory, supporting cross border operatons and enhancing operational processes to support the organization’s goals. The position is a standard-bearer for Relief International’s core policies in procurement, business ethics, code of conduct and conflict of interest policies. The position is integral to the smooth functioning of the RI Country Office, with support systems geared to ensure efficient and effective operations in the RI field offices toward successful project cycle implementation, staff care and operational integrity at all levels. SCO Manager to provide coordination for field offices to report to the Country Office on the same operational standards and systems toward ensuring RI Country, institutional and audit systems are policy compliant and fully functional.

Key Areas of Accountability: –

• Co-ordination and overall responsibility of all program logistics both in-country and cross-border and strict adherence to RI’s procedures, guidelines and policies for the management of logistics (facilities, vehicles fleet and warehouses), vehicle fleets, communication systems, emergency preparedness, IT and asset in line with RI guidelines and procedures;
• Ensure that RI’s minimum standards of logistics /procurement /IT procedures and country policies are understood and throughout the area program, briefing and training all relevant staff as required;
• As part of the extended Country Senior Management Team contribute to the development and implementation of the country strategy;
• Assisting the country and area SCO teams and program team in developing the operation dept. elements of their project plans and budgets;
• Develop the annual field operation department strategy and implementation plan for the logistics teams;
• Work in close collaboration with members of the Chad Team Leader, CO Technical Team, Project Managers, sharing information on the assessments and proposed interventions, providing overviews of logistics requirements for the development of project proposals and subsequent projects;

Essential Position Responsibilities and Duties: –

General Coordination: –

• Participate as an extended member of the Country Senior Management Team under the Country Director’s leadership, contributing to action planning, strategies, problem solving, and providing reports on operations department’s activities;
• Take the lead on cross border operations, managing necessary FWAs, legal requirements regarding importation and exportation of supplies from/to Chad and Sudan.
• Establish and maintain relationships with suppliers and other stakeholders including representing RI at external logistics related fora –such as log cluster.
• Ensure integration of all operations department activities (Procurement & Logistics, IT Administration and Security) with Programs Management teams to ensure that operational aspects are fully in alignment to Rl’s mission and implementation of quality programming and living and working environments at the highest standard;

Procurement: –

• Ensure that all RI Sudan procurement are in line with RI’s and donor policies and procedures;
• In case of any changes to the procurement policies, ensure the changes are disseminated in a timely manner and that all appropriate staff are trained and competent;
• Ensure local, national and international procurement practices are in compliant with donor rules and regulations;
• Participate in mobilization efforts and meeting for all new projects and project extensions;
• suport Project Managers in the preparation and finalization of Procurement Plans as part of the Project Implementation tool (PITs) for all grants;
• Monitor market trends, initiate market surveys, industry developments, and emerging technologies to drive innovation and improvement;
• Centralize the program supply chain by setting up effective order management systems including preferred (Prequalified) suppliers and as the market may allow, establisha and put in place Framework Agreements for key key supplies and services;
• Lead on all international procurements especially for medical commodities ensuring also that donor and RI’s policies and regulatios are adhered to;
• Ensure that the supply chain is appropriate and cost effective, based on budget, markets, infrastructure, nature of the RI programs, and need for timely delivery;
• Lead in the preparation of the Country procurement and sourcing strategies for non-medical supplies and services and with support from RSO/GSO work on the medical commodities sourcing strategies;

Warehouse and Stock Management: –

• Secure necessary approvals regarding use of transit warehouse in Chad and at Chad-Sudan borders and safe delievery to RI operating areas.
• Provide support to the warehouse team and make sure procedures, systems and reporting is in place to allow effective storage and distribution of stocks.
• Make sure stock management systems are implemented and all key staff know and adhere to policies;
• Support in monitoring projects stock levels and advise on appropriate stocking and replenishment levels to meet project demands;
• Oversee the stock management of medical commodiries, non-medical and all GIKs and ensure that the minimum standards are enforced in the management; reception, storage, dispatch and transportation of the respective stocks;
• Ensure warehouse and stocks are secure, well managed and documented for purposes of accountability;
• Improve on and ensure accuracy of reporting and tracking databases for both medical commodities and non-medical items;
• Ensure regular rotation of stocks (particularly medical items) ensuring limited losses due to expiration;
• Ensure the efficient coordination and timely delivery of supplies to projects;
• Assist in the preparation of analysis and reports on inventory tracking, movements, etc;
• Oversee routine physical stock counts, document discrepancies and report losses to finance;
• Lead on the yearend stock count process and generate final yearend stock count report;
• Ensure receipt and reconciliation is done for all stocks which have been transferred from the warehouse to another RI location.

Assets Management: –

• Ensure a centralized asset register is maintained (and implement automated asset tracker); ensure that all office and program assets are tracked;
• For all assets, maintain tracking system and ensure all assets are issued with unique RI asset number, ID tag and are tracked for purposed of reporting and accountability;
• Ensure assets and property are effectively managed, asset list is updated regularly and assets are appropriately disposed of according to RI and/or donor regulations;
• Ensure annual (or biannual) asset physical verification (checks) are conducted as mandated and completed; any findings; damage and losses are reported immediately;
• Ensure donor reports on assets are timely completed and submitted to the Finance/Program grants departments as appropriate.

Transport, Travel & Fleet: –

• Ensure management of vehicle/fleet is in line with RI standards; ensuring that appropriate allocation and safe use of vehicles is achieved throughout the program;
• Ensure servicing and maintenance schedules are in place and adhered to;
• Ensure vehicle management and movement is cost efficient and reliable;
• Ensure systems are in place to effectively plan, coordinate and monitor staff travel by road or air (national or international).
• Optimize inventory levels and reduce carrying costs.

Staff Management: –

• Proactively develop the skills of RI staff to understand and utilize appropriate tools and services to design and implement quality programming;
• Visit Field offices on regular bases and work with field staff to identify operational needs and ensure that issues are raised with DCD Operations/Support, Department leads and other staff as needed to ensure they are included in new budget development;
• Design and implement capacity-building opportunities to strengthen the capacity of RI supply chain nad operations staff;
• Provide feedback through regular performance evaluations and ensure staff is held accountable in accordance with the RI Human Resource policies;

Confidentiality: –

The Supply Chain and Operations Manager (Sudan/Cross Border Operations) is expected to maintain the highest level of confidentiality regarding organizational information and sensitive data.

Other

• Working with security team, make sure the practical and effective implementation of the country security guidelines are in place for all logistics activities in Chad and Sudan.
• Monitor appropriate sections of the budgets. Review Budget vs. Actual expenditure reports and provide feedback to DCD Operations/Support and Program Team;
• Review monthly Logistics’ reports and give feed-back to all operations staff, Department Managers and other key staff as needed;
• Work in close collaboration with other members of the RI team; sharing information on the assessments and proposed interventions, providing overviews of logistics requirements for the development of project proposals and subsequent projects;
• Liaise with government, UN and other agencies as necessary. Represent RI at LogCluster and other relevant meetings.
• Comply with all relevant RI policies and procedures with respect to child protection, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies;

Qualifications & Requirements

This position demands a dynamic individual with a demonstrated ability to achieve results in a demanding and fast-paced environment.

• Master’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, International Development, Social Sciences, Humanitarian/Development field and/or equivalent experience in a related field.
• Five – ten years progressive management and leadership experience with at least 5 years international experience in supply chain management in an emergency environment including procurement, transport and distribution, warehouse and stock management;
• Experience in managing institutional partnerships with national and international NGOs and donors;
• Previous INGO experience in staff management, Logistics, and project follow up and experience of security and risk management within a volatile context added advantage;
• Solid knowledge and understanding of practical Supply Chain procedures and maintaining supply pipelines in areas with weak infrastructure;
• Demonstrated excellence in training and capacity-building of specialist and non-specialist staff in Supply Chain Management;
• Demonstrated ability to achieve results in a demanding and fast-paced environment. Strategic thinking, creativity, flexibility and strong work ethics are highly valued;
• Strong grant management experience, familiarity with multiple donors ECHO, EU, FCDO, USAID, BHA, UNICEF, WHO, WFP, Italian Corporation and Sudan Health Fund Pool Funding and knowledge of donor guidelines;
• Comprehensive knowledge of supply chain principles, logistics, and inventory management;
• Demonstrated ability to drive process improvement and cost-saving initiatives;
• Knowledge of relevant regulations and compliance standards;
• Excellent English writing and communication skills (knowledge of French and Arabic is an added advantage);
• Excellent IT skills, strong computer competency with word processing, spreadsheets, and databases. Proficiency in using supply chain management software and tools;

RI Values:

We uphold the Humanitarian Principles: humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and operational independence. We affirmatively engage the most vulnerable communities. We value:

• Inclusiveness
• Transparency and Accountability
• Agility and Innovation
• Collaboration
• Sustainability