Chief, Warehouse & Inventory Management Centre, P-5, FT # 3629, Copenhagen, Denmark

Chief, Warehouse & Inventory Management

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, a fair chance

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

Strategic office context:

UNICEF Supply Division (SD)’s key priorities are providing timely and effective service delivery, including for emergencies, programmes and procurement services partners, creating healthy markets and sustainable national supply chain systems, and providing supply financing solutions. To support and accelerate the achievement of results, the SD Strategic Plan contains strategies on the Science of Delivery, Products & Markets, Services, Humanitarian Development Continuum, National System Strengthening, Financing and Domestic Resource Mobilization, Monitoring, the Supply Community, Optimizing UNICEF Supply, and Strengthening Organizational Excellence. All strategies follow a results based approach and achieving key results and targeted outputs will have significant impact on the UNICEF SP Goal and Result Areas.

The Warehouse and Inventory Management Centre (WIMC) is housed under the Supply Chain pillar in SD and ensured supplies are made available to UNICEF consignees.

How can you make a difference?

Ensure that relevant and current warehouse processes, systems and procedures are considered and applied in order for UNICEF SD to maintain its effectiveness in leading and implementing solutions for children.

Provide leadership and support to the warehouse team and its internal network as they contribute to the organization’s achievement of the SDGs.

You will be accountable for: 

• Managing UNICEF’s global warehouse operations (i.e., replenishment, receipt of goods, storing in high-rise warehouse, planning of production and packing, packaging, and international shipments of goods).
• Ensuring that pharmaceutical products are handled in accordance with GDP standards.
• Optimizing the performance of the SD warehouses and hubs (Copenhagen, Panama, Dubai, Brindisi, Guangzhou) including, lead-time for order fulfilment, emergency response, inventory mix and levels, inventory turns and write-offs, and location of global inventories.
• Leading and supporting a large and diverse team of staff via a supportive and inclusive approach. Setting team performance targets and supporting continuous improvement, including as a part of SD’s QMS approach.
• Supervising the inventory management function and overseeing that SD policies are followed. Setting guidelines for the inventory turnover and the stocking policy in close consultation with Procurement Centres in SD.
• Working closely with the Chief of Global Transport Center in setting performance targets for the Center.
• Leading the Plan & Source function which, in collaboration with Procurement Centres and the Emergency Unit, forecasts demand and plans replenishments. Analyzing changes in off take and recommending changes in the status of Long-Term Arrangements (LTAs) and replenishment of products.
• Maintaining the functionality and efficiency of the IT systems related to the Centre, including SD’s ERP system (SAP), the Warehouse Management System, barcode scanning and interface with automated Schaeffer systems; including with the aim that the warehouse constantly improves operating procedures to reduce operating costs and to increase the speed and service offered to UNICEF customers.
• Ensuring that the budgets are adhered to and following up and working closely with the Financial Management Center and the Admin Unit to reduce operating costs and increase the speed and service offered to UNICEF customers.
• Providing technical support to global and country programme logistics projects and capacity building.
• Ensuring sufficient capacity for an optimal global warehousing function, through sufficient HR capacity including learning programmes, partnership management and contracts management.
• Leading the review and update of the global logistics framework and embedding environmental sustainability aspects towards optimal warehouse logistics.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Education

A completed Advanced University Degree (master’s degree) in Supply Chain Management, Warehouse Management or a related technical field is required.

Work Experience

Minimum ten (10) years progressively responsible professional work experience in supply chain management, warehouse or production management, or management of commercial enterprises, some of which must be at an international level. 

Languages

Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: https://uni.cf/UNICEFValues

 The core competencies required for this post are:

• Builds and maintains partnerships (III)
• Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (III)
• Drive to achieve results for impact (III)
• Innovates and embraces change (III)
• Thinks and acts strategically (III)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (III)
• Works collaboratively with others (III)
• Nurtures, leads and manages people (II)

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.  

Remarks:

UNICEF’s active commitment towards diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable female candidates are encouraged to apply.

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

UNICEF only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at: http://www.whed.net/

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments are also subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.