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Provincial Logistics Manager (North Kivu)

Provincial Logistics Manager (North Kivu) Location: Democratic Republic of Congo - Goma Responsible to: Provincial Director (North Kivu) Responsible for: Logistics team in North Kivu Works with: Provincial Management Team, Head Office Regional Logistics Advisor Duration: 24 months Start Date: ASAP Salary: £29,480 - £30,230 per annum (dependant on relevant experience), inclusive of annual Cost of Living Allowance Benefits: Insurance cover, accommodation, R&R), annual leave entitlement of 24 days per annum rising to 30 days at the completion of 12 months of continuous employment with Merlin.

Only short-listed applicants will be contacted. Due to the urgency of this position, applications will be shortlisted on a regular basis and we may offer this post before the closing date.

Please note: this is an unaccompanied position.

Merlin Undaunted and determined, Merlin saves lives. We deliver medical expertise to the toughest places. And we stay to help build lasting health care.

Our mission is to end the needless loss of life in the poorest countries caused by a lack of effective health care. We help communities set up medical services for the long term including hospitals, clinics, surgeries and training for nurses and other health workers.

We do whatever it takes and we stay for as long as it takes.

Context and Background The Democratic Republic of Congo is the second largest country in Africa and one of the poorest. Decades of dictatorship and civil war have left much of the national infrastructure destroyed.

Merlin has been operational in DRC since 1997. Merlin teams have provided emergency medical care to the most vulnerable populations in Maniema, Kasai Oriental , North Kivu and Orientale Provinces. Activities have included emergency response, support to primary and secondary health care facilities (including supervision, supply of drugs, and the payment of incentives), reproductive health, institutional capacity building, immunisation campaigns, nutrition, WASH, and the rehabilitation of health facilities.

From 1 January 2012 Maniema and North Kivu will operate as autonomous programmes, each reporting direct to head office in London; they will be supported by country offices in Goma and Kinshasa.

In North Kivu Merlin currently works in Rutshuru/Binza, Kayna, and Birambizu health zones, providing essential health care services to DPs and host populations; and will provide the health component of the rapid response to movements of population (RRMP) mechanism throughout the province.

Main purpose of the role The Provincial Logistics Manager (pLM) is responsible for managing and delivering an efficient and effective logistics service across all programmes and field sites in North Kivu. This includes implementing, monitoring and following-up across all logistics disciplines to ensure that Merlin’s standard policies and best practice is adhered to. The role will provide leadership, technical support and capacity building to the international and national logistics staff in all areas of their roles in North Kivu. The pLM represents logistics as an active member of the provincial management team and will ensure effective cross departmental interaction.

Overall Objectives (scope) • Develop the provincial programme logistics strategy and ensure its timely implementation. • Provide logistics guidance, advice and support to all programme and field sites in North Kivu and the logistics staff in those locations as necessary or as requested. • Ensure that Merlin’s policies, systems and guidelines are implemented, used and adhered to. • Ensure constructive and effective working relationships are developed and maintained with the provincial management team, Field Offices and Head Office. • Represent logistics as an active member of the provincial management team.

Responsibilities Program Support • Lead the logistics components of project planning and preparation of donor proposals and reports in collaboration with the provincial management team. • Provide input and guidance on logistics matters to the provincial management team. • Ensure donor compliance and produce regular, timely and accurate narrative and financial reports for Merlin • Identify areas of improvement in the organisation of logistics and work with the provincial management team and local logistics teams to realise them. • Represent Merlin with relevant external organisations and networks (for example NGO Logistic Coordination the UN Logistic Cluster), actively networking and building relevant relationships.

Security • Participate in development, review, implementation and monitoring of Merlin’s security measures in-country, in support of the Provincial Director (pD). • Ensure proper functioning and maintenance of Merlin compounds in cooperation with the responsible department.

Technical • Responsible for the appropriate selection, installation, use and maintenance of equipment across the following technical disciplines: Information Technology, Communications, Mechanics, Energy & Electricity, Cold Chain. • Act as technical supervisor for the provision of specific WATSAN, Healthcare Waste management or construction activities as required by the programme ensuring that adequate skills are available and outsourced / recruited for where necessary. • Ensure high quality, appropriate technology solutions, liaising with the Head Office Technology Manager where necessary.

Procurement & Supply Chain • Develop, in collaboration with the provincial management team, Project Coordinators and Field Logisticians in North Kivu, a coherent procurement strategy that takes into consideration Merlin’s Procurement Policy, donor requirements, project duration and needs, lead time and delivery constraints • Maintain a high quality, province-wide procurement system, which is accountable, transparent and compliant with Merlin’s Procurement Policy and donor requirements. Ensure active monitoring of the purchasing process through Goma Supply Chain Coordinator, until the last step of delivery of the goods and the official handover of items against signature of receipt. • Ensure that the filing system to record and archive all procurements is rigorously maintained. • Ensure the maintenance of the supplier database and develop robust local supplier relationships. • Ensure effective and efficient links with Merlin Regional Logistics Advisor for all logistical matters.

Warehouse Management • Ensure that procured stocks are received, registered, and dispatched in an efficient and accountable manner. • Ensure that the filing system to record and archive all stock movements is rigorously maintained. • Ensure, in collaboration with the medical teams, Merlin’s Drug Management Guidelines are adhered to country-wide. • Maintain control and accountability of all stock, monitoring storage, request and issuance in accordance with Merlin’s Warehouse Management Guidelines.
• Conduct physical stock checks periodically and investigate discrepancies.

Asset Management • Responsible for all asset and inventory management according to Merlin’s Asset and Inventory Management Policy.

Fleet Management • Ensure provincial-wide fleet requirements for the programme are met. • Ensure safe operation of the fleet through driver selection and training, quality maintenance to include routine checks and regular service and establishing / enforcing local fleet operating procedures. • Ensure appropriate use of vehicles by all staff (e.g. use of seatbelts, adherence to speed limits, vehicle booking process and movement monitoring system) • Report monthly on fleet management according to Merlin’s Logistics Reporting policy. • Ensure appropriate provision of servicing facilities and management of spare parts.

Human Resource Management • Responsible for the line management of specified logistics staff in accordance with HR policies and procedures, including recruitment and performance management. • Responsible for the technical line management of all Field Logisticians in North Kivu. • Actively involved in the recruitment and selection of the provincial logistics teams. • Responsible for the capacity building and training of all provincial logistics staff to improve efficiency, give awareness of, and compliance with, logistics systems and procedures.

Financial, Administrative & Reporting • Work closely with the Provincial Finance Director to ensure compliance throughout the procurement process against both internal policy and donor requirements. • Collate reports from all field sites and produce monthly province-wide report for distribution to the provincial management team & Regional Logistics Advisor according to Merlin’s Logistics Reporting policy.

Person Specification Essential Qualifications, experience and competences

• Substantial experience as a Logistics Manager within an international NGO and within difficult operating environments (e.g. insecurity, lack of infrastructure, natural disasters) • Significant and demonstrable technical knowledge across the following technical logistics disciplines: • Supply Chain • Information Technology • Communications • Mechanics • Energy & Electricity • Cold Chain • Substantial knowledge of at least one of the programme components: • Health Provision • Rehabilitation • Construction • Water and Sanitation • Good experience of implementing security guidelines • Good experience of leading and driving the development and implementation of a logistics departments strategy • Good, proven experience in recruitment and performance management of staff. • Good, proven experience of training and developing staff • Experience as part of a Senior Management Team • Strong communication skills, with excellent written and spoken English and French. • Confident and proficient in the use of MS Office (particularly Excel and Word) • Experience of establishing strong working relationships with colleagues from different functions and cultures • Experience of a flexible approach to managing and prioritising a high workload and multiple tasks in a fast paced environment with tight deadlines • Experience of proactively identifying and addressing issues • An understanding of and commitment to Merlin’s mission and values

Desirable Qualifications, experience and competences • Experience of financial management • Experience of health related logistics / medical logistics • Experience of emergency preparedness planning from a logistical perspective. • Experience of working in the region

How to apply:

To apply for this job, please go to www.merlin.org.uk/jobs and apply using our online recruitment system. In order to apply for a job with Merlin online you will need to complete a short registration process and create an account – the online recruitment system explains how to do this. Once your account has been created, you will be able to save the information that you have entered in your application and re-visit it at any time before you submit it.

If you are unable to apply online for any technical reason, please contact applications@merlin.org.uk.

Please note that we do not accept CVs. Unfortunately due to the number of applications we receive, only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

Data Protection Please note that in accordance with the 1998 Data Protection Act, Merlin will hold and use personal information that you have given for the purpose of recruitment and employment. This information can be stored in manual and/or electronic form. This information may also be disclosed to third parties in accordance with the Data Protection Act. In cases where a job offer is conditional on ensuring that potential employees’ names do not appear on counter terrorism lists generated by the United Nations, European Union or the United States due to donor funding requirements, Merlin will use the information that you have given for checking that your name does not appear on these lists.