Quality Management Advisor – P5

The Position:

The Head of Pillar 3 – Quality Management Advisor position is located in the UNFPA Supply Chain Management Unit (SCMU). The position reports directly to the Chief, SCMU. The Head of Pillar 3 – Quality Management Advisor will work closely with other SCMU colleagues, Office of the Executive Director, other HQ Business Units, the Regional Offices and the Country Offices and with a number of external partners.

The Head of Pillar 3 – Quality Management Advisor will support the Chief, SCMU, to execute and oversee the Supply Chain Quality Management System at UNFPA. This role is focused on establishing and maintaining high standards through comprehensive policies, processes, and procedures, ensuring consistent monitoring, evaluation, and improvement of the quality of products and services at every stage of the supply chain. The position will proactively detect and address supply chain risks in collaboration with other internal and external stakeholders, while driving continuous improvements in supply chain processes to enhance quality and efficiency. This position is integral in cultivating a culture of risk management and safeguarding the quality of supplies and services in UNFPA’s supply chain operations.

 

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA occupies a unique position in the sexual and reproductive health commodity ecosystem as a critical player in supply chain management, a leading public procurer of sexual and reproductive health commodities, a trusted partner to national governments, and one of the few organizations with the scale and partnerships necessary to build accountability for last mile delivery. 

The UNFPA Supply Chain Management Unit (SCMU) is self-funded and was made operational in January 2022. It is tasked with ensuring that UNFPA is able to effectively and efficiently support the delivery of life-saving reproductive health products and other programme supplies to the end user when and where they are needed. To achieve this, it is important to strengthen the capacity of governments and implementing partners to ensure coordination, end-to-end visibility and accountability on all supply chain and logistics management related activities, in particular for programme supplies, across all UNFPA programmes. 

Job Purpose:

As the Head of Pillar 3 – Quality Management Advisor, you will provide key leadership in the strategic development and implementation of UNFPA’s Supply Chain Quality Management initiatives. Your role entails spearheading efforts to elevate quality management practices, championing risk management strategies, and leading collaborative endeavours with internal and external stakeholders to ensure excellence and integrity in supply chain operations. Your leadership will be pivotal in driving systemic changes and innovations that enhance the overall efficiency, effectiveness, and quality assurance within UNFPA’s supply chain. The position will provide strategic oversight and management of a dedicated Pillar.

 

Qualifications and Experience: 

Education:  

Advanced university degree required. An advanced degree in Supply Chain Management, Risk Management, Business Administration, Criminology and Management, Public Health disciplines, or other related fields is an added advantage. The following are additional assets:

• Specialist training on internal investigation and Enterprise Risk Management.
• Expert knowledge in Product Quality Assurance practices, including experience in technical evaluations, quality control, and monitoring. Familiarity with international quality standards and regulations for health commodities.
• Experience in working with and aligning to quality assurance systems of United Nations partner agencies and the World Health Organization (WHO).
• Strong background in supply chain related Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC), with proven experience in establishing and implementing GRC frameworks.
  

Knowledge and Experience: 

• A minimum of ten (10) years of relevant, progressively responsible experience in supply chain-related Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) at the international level within one or more of the following:
• International NGOs or similar global organizations,
• Donors such as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the European Union, the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) or the United Nations system or equivalent, with an understanding of their compliance and reporting requirements.
• Regulatory bodies or other organizations for example within police services; with a focus on governance, risk management, and compliance.
• At least two (2) years of hands-on experience working in development and/or complex humanitarian operating environments in low-resource countries. Candidates must demonstrate a deep understanding of the unique challenges and regulations specific to these contexts. This field experience is required.
• Demonstrated expertise in change management, with a strong track record in guiding teams through significant organisational changes.
• Experience in managing a team, particularly within a remote and/or matrix organizational structure is required.
• Strong interpersonal skills and capability to develop and maintain broad diversified partnerships is required.
• Professional written and spoken presentation skills, including for the development of reports, presentations, and the ability to synthesize complex supply chain documents for both technical and non-technical audiences is required.
• Experience using Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems is required.
• Basic knowledge of the principles and operational aspects of sexual and reproductive health commodities in global development and humanitarian setting is an asset.
  

Languages: 

Fluency in English is required. Working knowledge of another official UN language is an asset.

 

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