OPERATIONAL CELL4-BASED LOGISTICS ADVISOR – TELOCO (BASED IN BOGOTÁ)

GENERAL CONTEXT

Médecins Sans Frontières is an international independent medical-humanitarian organization, which offers assistance to populations in distress, to victims of natural or man-made disasters and to victims of armed conflict, without discrimination and irrespective of race, religion, creed or political affiliation.

MSF is a civil society initiative that brings together individuals committed to the assistance of other human beings in crisis. As such MSF is by choice an association. Each individual working with MSF does it out of conviction and is ready to uphold the values and principles of MSF.

The MSF movement is built around five operational directorates supported by MSF’s 21 sections, 24 associations and other offices together worldwide. MSF OCBA is one of those directorates. The operations are implemented by field teams and the mission coordination teams; together with the organizational units based in Barcelona, Athens and decentralised in Nairobi, Dakar, Amman and the most recent one, Bogotá. The field operations are guided and supported by 5 Operational Cells, the Emergency Unit and other departments supporting operations.

GENERAL OBJECTIVE OF THE POST

The general objective of the position is to disseminate and implement the logistic operational orientations and all the policies and standards defined by the Logistics Department. Ensure the alignment of the Logistics Dept. policies and standards with those of other departments represented in Cell, and that result is appropriate with the context of the mission. Ensure the quality of the programmes as well as the respect for MSF humanitarian principles in the missions managed by the cell, through technical supervision, follow-up and advice.

The Logistics Advisor – TELOCO reports hierarchically to the Head of Desk (RECO) and functionally to the Head of Operational Logistics. Additionally, due to the challenging context in terms of security, this position will be highly involved in support missions and Head of desk (RECO) on the security management.

MAIN RESPONSABILITIES, FUNCTIONS AND TASKS

1. Provide strategic and technical support to field teams

• Leads the definition of the logistic strategy in missions within portfolio, ensuring it´s alignement with both Operations and Logistics Dept’s objectives.
• Collaborate with and give technical advise to the teams in the field in all phases of the project cycle for regular, exploratory, and emergency missions.
• Support missions with logistics advice when drafting the annual planning of the projects, in close collaboration with the rest of the members of his/her cell and the support of the Logistics department.
• Provide logistical technical support to the assigned portfolio, taking into account operational orientations and the input from support services.
• Support emergencies when needed, to ensure effectiveness of our response.
• Contributes to periodic reviews of the operational objectives in portfolio missions, redefinition and implementation of new logistic orientations and objectives.
• Provide technical support to community-based WASH activies in the DMC (decentralized model of care) projects.
• Know globally all the projects of the Cell portfolio as well as the follow-up of their evolution, to ensure continuity and history of the Missions.

2. Supervise and support implementation of policies and plans

• Ensure that the Organisation’s Logistical and ITC principles, guidelines, and policies are implemented, as well as the recommendations mentioned in the different logistical evaluations. Identify report on and defend situations in which their implementation is not viable or may hinder the achievement of operational objectives.
• Contribute to implementation of the annual operational plan in the projects within portfolio, according to Logistical and ITC policies.

3. Ensure appropriate procurement, monitoring and management of logistical resources

• Transmit missions’ logistical resources requirements to LogOps, making sure they are pertinent, to ensure appropriate procurement of resources to missions.
• Monitor the supply chain management in the field together with the Logistics Coordinator and ensure they are aligned to OCBA supply policies and strategies.
• Ensure that emergency stocks in the missions are consistent with the EPP (Emergency Preparedness Plan) jointly with Technical Referents.

4. Follow up projects and support reporting

• Ensure timely and accurate logistical reporting is submitted by missions to analyse the fulfilment of operational and logistics objectives, and feed LogOps’ monitoring and analyses.
• Follow up, jointly with the Technical Referents, the logistical content of the projects through field visits and technical reports.
• Ensure timely sparring with mission’s Logcos (logistics coordinators).

5. Participate in security management

• Ensure the proper follow up of the implementation of the security guidelines and plans by the missions in the necessary time frame. As well as the preparation of the critical incidents simulations.
• Ensure that logistics adjustments are coherent with the Security Guidelines in the mission.
• Sparring & contrasting with Head of Desk (RECO) on security management and the consequences on applied practical security measures.
• Contribute in the overall cell strategic security (analysis, decision making).
• Part of Crisis management: contribute in setting up the CMT (crisis management team), support field for setting up IMT (incident management team).

6. Participate in HR processes and training

• Collaborate with the HR advisor in reviewing and approving descriptions of field positions, based on job profiles.
• Collaborate with HR in the assignment of field positions.
• Participate in the support and give input on the development of LogCos (logistics coordinators) when required.
• Carry out technical briefings and debriefings of logistics professionals in his/her cell, involving Technical Referents when needed, and identify individual training needs.
• Ensure that logistical teams receive technical and methodological information through briefings, specific sessions, coordinators’ weeks, technical publications, etc.
• Participate in internal and (exceptionally) external courses/information sessions imparted by MSFE/OCBA in agreement with his/her corresponding Head of Desk (RECO).
• Participate in the briefing and debriefing processes for all the coordinations team members of the missions assigned to the cell.

7. Contribute to his/her Operational Cell

• Be globally acquainted with all the projects of the Operational Cell as well as the following up their evolution.
• Represent the Cell during field visits.
• Actively participate in decision-making processes within his/her Cell ( even operational aspects).

8. Others

• Manage the communication channels with the teams in the field and /or the Logistics Department, for issues that affect assigned portfolio.
• Consult support services for sparring and as technical content providers when needed.
• Ensure that knowledge management policies are implemented at his/her level of responsibility.
• Participate in the accountability transversal processes at his/her level of responsibility.

SELECTION CRITERIA

• Minimum three years of field experience with MSF and/or other NGOs within the humanitarian field in coordination positions, ideally as Logistic Coordinator and/or Field Coordinator.
• Strong experience in security management.
• Experience in Emergency preparedness and response.
• Field experience in technical areas such as: Supplies, Water, Hygiene and Sanitation, Cold Chain, Construction, Transportation, etc.
• Knowledge of the humanitarian context and projects, especially in Latin America and Africa will be a strong asset.
• Degree in Engineering will be an asset.
• Fluent in Spanish and English. French will be an asset.
• IT knowledge as advanced user.
• Availability to travel frequently and on short notice to the field.
• Flexibility with working hours.

CONDITIONS

• Position based in Bogotá, Colombia.
• Full-time job.
• International travel: around 25% of the time.
• Minimum commitment with the position of 3 years.
• Salary conditions and secondary benefits will be subject to MSF-OCBA Rewards Policy in Colombia.
• Starting date: February 2023.