Logistics Officer – Whole of Syria

Job Description

Background/IRC Summary:

The Syria crisis is often described as the worst humanitarian catastrophe since the end of the Cold War. Today, 13.4 million people in Syria - more than half of the country's population - are in need of humanitarian assistance with needs increasingly being exacerbated by economic decline. Of these, 6.8 million are refugees and asylum-seekers who have fled the country. This is no short-term humanitarian episode. The devastating human consequences to huge numbers of people will endure for decades. The destruction of relationships, communities, livelihoods, homes and infrastructure will take years to repair.

IRC is offering a robust humanitarian response to the Syria crisis a rapidly expanding portfolio, supported by more than 1000+ staff in Syria Country Program. IRC is undertaking programs in Syria and the neighboring countries of Turkey, Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan in the fields of health, child protection, early childhood development, education, women’s protection and empowerment, non-food items and food distribution, cash assistance, water and sanitation, protection and rule of law, and livelihood programming. Our work in these challenging settings gives rise to some of the most pressing issues facing contemporary humanitarian action, including questions of access, security, funding and coordination.

Job Overview/Summary:

The Logistics Officer Whole of Syria reports to the Deputy Director Operations, and is responsible for the efficient coordination and management of all warehousing, Logistics management functions for IRC Syria offices and commodities in Syria.

The position will also be responsible for the standardization of policies and good logistics practices across all field sites and will require regular supervision, monitoring, and technical support to field-based staff to ensure proper application of policies and procedures, and the proper implementation of Logistics activities including receipt of commodities, storage and dispatch of program materials and supplies, and proper management of medical and general-commodities warehouses. The position will also monitor cross-border shipments and ensure the application of effective pre-shipping inspections to guarantee the quality assurance measure are implemented.

The WoS logistics officer will focus on activities that will cover WoS serving all hubs. To achieve economies of scale and integration between various hubs, a direction towards framework agreements covering whole of Syria will be sought during this transition. Also this role will be responsible for carrying out processes/systems deployment related to Whole of Syria (such as FasTRAX Telematics Solution, and INTEGRA) including training and induction of logistics staff, under the supervision of the DDO. The logistics officer WoS will assist DDO in maintaining upto date Scorecards reporting and conducting scorecards quarterly update meetings for Syria CP.

Responsibilities:

Warehouse Management:

- Oversee the implementation and maintaining standard IRC inventory management policies and Supply Chain Operating Procedure of Field Pharma and non-pharma warehouses. - Monitor proper security measures are implemented in IRC’s storages and warehouses. - Distribute and generate monthly reports to inform DDO, HQ, donors, and other internal and external stakeholders of inventory levels, and to highlight any discrepancies, shortages, damages, and/or expiries. - Train and technically support Warehouse and Logistics staff in the field and in Amman office to ensure better application of good storage practices and good distribution practices. - Oversee proper receiving and dispatching of all kinds of commodities using standard policy to ensure the process of receiving and releasing of commodities are properly documented, tracked and reported. - Ensure that inventory cycle counts are conducted every 2 months for all Syria warehouses, while following up with field logistics staff to confirm cycle counts are done and reported accurately and in a timely manner. - Lead the end of year inventory and stock counts in all stores and warehouses in the field and in Amman office. - Informs DDO and Health coordinator on Pharma inventory levels and report any discrepancies in the warehouse, storage condition, structure, and temperature. - Ensure IRC Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for warehouse management are followed and advise the DDO of any warehouse-specific issues or required improvements. - Ensure application of efficient stock management control tools, such as Master asset list, Pharmaceutical Inventory Tools and Inventory tracking tools. - In coordination with Field Management, plan deliveries timelines and dispatches, while ensuring that the stores and warehouses have enough supplies of stocks and storage spaces. - Maintain and monitor the progress towards SC scorecard metrics related to warehouse management and analyze data to assess performance and develop improvement plans. - Reviewing monthly warehouse report and provide feedback and propose corrective actions and improvement plans. - Consolidate pharma and non-Pharma Inventory reports.

Assets and Property Management:

- Oversee IRC standard asset & property management policies & procedures and ensure the proper application of asset and property tracking including asset register, asset inventory list, expendable store inventory list, and monthly reports. - Oversee assets’ storages, asset movements and while ensuring assets are properly maintained and utilized. - Oversee & monitor the implementation of asset acquisition, maintenance and disposal plans in Jordan and remotely in the field offices. - Distribute and generate asset monthly reports to inform DDO, HQ, donors, and other internal and external stakeholders of assets status, disposition plans, and to highlight any losses, and/or damages. - Coordinates with DDO and Field Directors regarding assets specific issues or required improvements. - Conduct asset-need surveys to identify needs for asset renewal for Amman office and field sites. - Train and technically support logistics staff in the field and in Amman office to ensure proper staff knowledge and application of standard asset & property management policies & procedures. - Maintain and assure BIS licenses are properly track and up to date. And work in collaboration with IT department and Regional Supply Chain Director on new submissions. - Propose enhanced internal procedures to better manage assets and property management such as asset disposition and asset maintenance, while ensuring proper participation of field logistics staff.

Shipping:

- Act as the focal point for any international shipments and for cross-border shipments from international origins to Syria program areas. - Coordinate with 3rd party inspection companies before shipping to inside Syria to conduct on-site physical inspection, review inspection reports, highlight discrepancies to DDO, and propose corrective actions. - Coordinate with Partner organization to ensure presence of Partner Representative(s) at the border when clearance process is being conducted. - Draft authorization to receive letter(s) to ensure IRC Representative is present at the border when clearance process is being conducted for IRC shipments. - Follow up with Partner to ensure timely receiving of Delivery reports. - Follow up with supplier regarding the delivery of missing items, damaged items and act as the focal point for reporting discrepancies to Supplier(s).

Fleet Management:

- Works with DDO and Field Management to design a suitable and fit-for-purpose transport plan to better support programs implementation. - Provide technical support to field supply chain staff to equip them to better implement IRC standard vehicle policies and procedure, with attention to safety and security issues. - Conduct regular transport need assessment and fuel market surveys. - Develop vehicle cost analysis and manage vehicles safety. - Generate vehicles monthly usage reports, while ensuring to highlight any possible misuse and advice regarding corrective actions and proper utilization. - Supervise payment process conducted by the Logistics team for all rented vehicles inside Syria to ensure timely submission and to reduce irregularities and/or errors. - Ensure proper tracking and reporting of rented vehicles payment, and monitor the required reporting using the payment tracker tool, to reduce the occurrence of late payments.

Emergency & Preparedness:

- Function as emergency logistics focal point, in coordination with in-country Emergency team. - Support the country program team in the preparation of preparedness plan and response plan and update contingency stock when needed. - Supervise the relocation and/or disposition of assets and properties in cases of evacuation and/or relocation. - Track assets under the custody of Partners and coordinate with Partner organizations the relocation and/or disposition of assets in cases of evacuation and/or relocation.

Partnership Support

- Ensure appropriate proactive and reactive communications and engagement with IRC partners to implement sub-grant agreements and complete program deliverables specifically regarding Medical Supply Chain aspects.

Compliance and Ethics

- Implementing due diligence for suppliers as needed, this includes conducting reference checks, supplier visits etc. - Providing consistent and constructive support to other departments to ensure compliance with policies and procedures - Identifying and reporting logistics red flags across the operations. - Implementing corrective action plans (CAPs) in response to internal and/or external audit queries. - Implement corrective measures to mitigate existing identified gaps within procurement and any external/internal audit findings as directed by DDO.

Qualifications

Required Experience/qualification/Skills:

- Between 2-4 years of progressively responsible professional experience of logistics, warehouse/inventory management, fleet management, and assets management. - Previous experience in an emergency or conflict-afflicted setting and previous experience with INGOs is required.

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

- A commitment to IRC’s mission, vision, values and IRC Way – Professional Code of Conduct. - Credible written, presentation and verbal communication skills; ability to convey information effectively and solid experience providing training and staff development - Validated sense of professional discretion, integrity, and ability to handle complex situations diplomatically and to effective resolution. - Excellent management and interpersonal skills and a solid ability to promote harmonious/cohesive teamwork, in a cross-cultural context. - Validated ability to plan long-term, organize priorities and work under administrative and programmatic pressures with detail orientation and professional patience. - Highly collaborative and resourceful; ability to establish positive working relationships with senior level management and all other partners to maximize cooperation and productivity. - Curiosity, a desire to continually learn and develop and a sense of humor is a must. - Analytical ability in creating effective solutions to complex matters while adhering to labor laws and internal policies.

Language/Travel:

- English is required, while Arabic is desired. - Travel: 10% to field sites in Syria/Turkey as needed, as well as attending regional and global workshops and meetings.

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to: Deputy Director - Operations Position directly supervises: None

Indirect Reporting (If applicable): None Key Internal Contacts: Regular relationships with program staff, Operations staff and country Supply Chain staff at all levels.

Internal: All program sectors coordinators and managers, Field Manager and Deputy Field Manager in Northern Syria;

External: Vendors and Services providers.

The deadline to apply is: 16-February-2023

Professional Standards: IRC staff must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Global Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability and Equality. In accordance with these values, IRC operates and carries out policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti-Workplace Harassment, Respect at Work Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

Returning National Candidates: We strongly encourage national or returning national candidates to apply for this position. If you are a citizen of the Country in which this position is based and are currently located outside of your home country and possess over two years of international work experience, the Middle East Region has introduced an attractive remuneration package. The package includes competitive compensation, return flight to post, shipping allowance, temporary housing and a relocation allowance. Certain restrictions may apply. IRC strives to attract, motivate and retain qualified national staff in our programs.

Accountability to Clients: IRC staff must adhere to the commitment of contributing to the sustainability and development of its (CR) Client Responsiveness Mechanisms, preserving the culture of prioritizing the needs of our clients and affected communities by systematically listening to their perspectives and using their feedback to make programmatic decisions and give them greater influence over program design and delivery.

Gender Equality: IRC is committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols and other supportive benefits and allowances.

Diversity and Inclusion: at IRC MENA, we are passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. Organizations that are diverse in age, gender identity, race, sexual orientation, physical or mental ability, ethnicity, nationality, and perspective are validated to be better organizations. More importantly, creating a safe workspace environment where everyone, from any background, can do their best is the right thing to do. So, bring your whole self to work.

IRC is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, respectful and safe work environment where all persons are treated fairly, with dignity and respect. In keeping with our core values of Integrity, Service, Accountability and Equality, IRC strives to maintain a work environment built on mutual respect in which all individuals treat each other professionally, and free of bias, prejudice, and harassment. IRC expressly prohibits and will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or bullying of IRC Persons in any work setting. All IRC staff, wherever they are located, are accountable for creating an environment free of discrimination, harassment, bullying, and retaliation.

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