Consultant - Supply Chain Officer (Normative Guidance) - Rome, Italy

Consultancy opportunity in Rome, Italy

Are you a Supply Chain specialist and interested in humanitarian work?

If yes, this opportunity is for you!

We are looking for candidates of the highest integrity and professionalism who share our humanitarian principles. We select our candidates on a competitive basis, and we are committed to promoting diversity and gender balance.

Currently, we are looking for candidates to support our operations in HQ Rome, Italy.

ABOUT WFP

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is the largest humanitarian organisation delivering food assistance to over 90 million beneficiaries in 80 countries on a yearly basis. With over 5000 trucks, 20 of its own contracted ships carrying WFP assistance and close to 100 planes on the move every single day, WFP, together with its partners, operates a global network to deliver life-saving food assistance to the most hard-to reach places.

JOB PURPOSE

The primary role of the Supply Chain Field Support Unit (FSU) is to act as the main point of contact for Country Offices and Regional Bureaux to avail HQ Support from across the Supply Chain Division, with a strong focus on Emergency Response, Technical support, and Oversight. FSU provides support to the field through partnering with key supply chain functions to ensure an integrated supply chain approach to meeting the food assistance needs of beneficiaries. As part of the technical support, FSUs key role is to oversee the management and updating of WFP corporate Supply Chain Normative Guidance to ensure Supply Chain staff globally have access to the latest, most relevant guidance to support efficient and effective operations.

To ensure the required support, a dedicated Supply Chain officer is required to contribute to HQ Supply Chain Division and FSU activities, to manage the Normative Guidance activities, as well as contribute to the planning and coordination of field supply chain operations, and to ensure an effective and integrated supply chain approach meeting the food assistance needs of beneficiaries and service provision requirements for partners.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

• Manage updates to WFP Supply Chain Normative Guidance activities at the headquarters level. This includes updating of key manuals, SOPs (standard operating procedures), and other guidance through coordination with other stakeholders.
• Lead the timely and relevant dissemination of Supply Chain Normative Guidance material to the field, ensuring accessibility to as well as regular sharing of updates through standard channels.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of supply chain plans and procedures, in line with the global WFP supply chain strategy and regional/functional strategies, policies and plans, to achieve operational cost efficiency, agility, reliability, quality and to support national capacity strengthening.
• Identify opportunities for improvement and innovation initiatives analysing best practices from the humanitarian and development fields, academia and private sector and ensure it aligns and is embedded with WFP normative guidance.
• Plan and manage implementation of innovative supply chain operations, initiatives, and services to ensure timely, cost-effective, and integrated approach. Ensure that innovative activities and services are implemented in line with WFP normative guidance and propose any necessary changes to standard corporate practices.
• Perform analyses and detailed conceptual work by putting together comprehensive reports identifying opportunities for improvement and effective operationalization of supply chain within the area of responsibility.
• Identify and build productive partnerships mostly at the operational level and collaborate with counterparts in the key supply chain functions contributing to an integrated supply chain approach to food assistance and cross-functional operational alignment.
• Provide technical contribution to market analysis and supply chain network mapping to inform the selection of an appropriate operation modalities to improve supply chain performance.
• Contribute to the management of supply chain operations, or manage less complex supply chain operations, in compliance with the established supply chain strategies, policies, procedures and controls, and following corporate standards, with special emphasis on quality control, loss prevention, risk mitigation and cost effectiveness.
• Constantly monitor the performance of supply chain operations to ensure that appropriate internal controls are in place
• Guide staff, acting as a point of referral, providing training, and supporting them with more complex analysis and queries.
• Contribute to preparedness actions, providing technical recommendations and guidance and monitoring the management of specific supply chain risks to enable WFP, governments, and other partners to quickly respond and deploy food and resources at the onset of the crisis.
• Other as required.

STANDARD MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Education

• Advanced University degree in Transport Economics, Supply Chain, Logistics, Engineering, Business Management or other related field, or First University degree with additional years of related work experience and/or training/courses.

Experience

• Minimum of six years of relevant postgraduate experience in supply chain/logistics management and coordination.

Knowledge and Skills

• Experience with the development and management of normative guidance material including manuals and documentation.
• Experience evaluating and selecting service providers and third parties.
• Experience identifying transportation operations risks and maintaining documentation on emergency logistics preparedness.
• Experience supervising professional staff.
• Experience in working in insecure and difficult environments.
• Experience working with interagency partners to assess and coordinate emergency/non-emergency response.
• Experience in managing an area of supply chain operations including coordination with internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience in implementing operational supply chain strategies in a country.
• Experience in designing and implementing supply chain, retail, and partnership networks.

Language

• Fluency in both oral and written communication in English and a second UN language. Solid working knowledge of French and Spanish are highly desired.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

WFP offers a competitive compensation package which will be determined by the contract type and selected candidate’s qualifications and experience.

Please visit the following websites for detailed information on working with WFP:

http://www.wfp.org Click on: “Our work” and “Countries” to learn more about WFP’s operations.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

Application deadline: 03 July 2022 (midnight Rome time)

Your CV must be submitted in English

Women applicants and qualified applicants from developing countries are especially encouraged to apply. WFP has zero tolerance for discrimination and does not discriminate on the basis of HIV/AIDS status. 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.