Regional Commodity Logistics Officer – Chemonics International

Job Description

The purpose of the USAID Global Health Supply Chain program-Procurement and Supply Management (GHSC-PSM) project is to ensure uninterrupted supplies of health commodities in support of USG-funded public health initiatives around the world. The project provides direct procurement and supply chain management support to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), and Population and Reproductive Health. In supporting USG-funded global health activities, PSM will develop and manage a wide array of services for health commodity procurement and related systems strengthening technical assistance encompassing different elements of a comprehensive supply chain.

At the country level, GHSC-PSM supports country strategies and priorities that fall under the following three project objectives:

• Global Commodity Procurement and Logistics
• Systems Strengthening Technical Assistance
• Global Collaboration to Improve Long-Term Availability of Health Commodities.

The project is seeking qualified candidates for the following full-time employment opportunity:

JOB TITLE: Regional Commodity Logistics Officer

JOB LOCATION: Zomba, Malawi

REPORTS TO: Capacity Building and Field Support Coordinator

Position Summary

The primary role of the Regional Commodity Logistics Officer (RCLO) is to meet project objectives focused on contributing to improving data quality at all levels of supply chain activity in- country, building capacity of district staff who supervise health facility commodity management, designing and rolling out of innovations to increase LMIS reporting rates, and increase access to information on stock status at all levels. The RCLO will achieve this through provision of timely and hands-on TA to DHOs and health facilities on a need basis, and also support drug accountability measures at sub-national level in close collaboration with other pharmaceutical supply chain project technical teams with other USAID implementing partners and other NGOs.

The incumbent will technically be responsible for 6 districts in the southeast zone.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities:

• Work with district MOH staff to bolster supply chain data visibility through identification of gaps in the performance of the supply chain and design innovative and practical solutions to close the gaps in a sustainable way.
• Support supportive supervision to health facilities; provide in-service training during these visits; and identify needs for supply chain management capacity building.
• Support the development of training curriculum that takes into account Malawi-specific supply chain management objectives and challenges.
• Support capacity building of district MOH staff in data aggregation, analysis, reporting and use in decision making to ensure commodity security
• Support the national drug accountability actions at sub-national level in order to ensure that accountability and visibility of commodity movement and use is improved.
• Collaborate with the LMIS team to regularly review monthly and periodical district LMIS reports, identify issues and develop action plans to address identified issues.
• Participate in and facilitate data review meetings at district levels to enhance scheduled and deliberate analysis and evidence-based decision making.
• Investigate reported stock-outs and stock imbalances, and recommend immediate action to remedy the situation, in conjunction with DHO and the zone, when possible, and in coordination with HTSS/P.
• Explore and recommend solutions for practical re-distribution of stocks within the zone and across zones, including leveraging regional/district-based NGOs and USAID implementing partners (IPs)
• Work closely with NGOs/IPOs, Zonal MOH Quality Assurance Teams, HTSS-P, and DHOs to coordinate supply management interventions at zonal level, especially with USAID IPs (3Cs approach),
• Support the appropriate use of the pre-fabricated storage units by ensuring that complete and relevant information about use, including SOPs is readily available to all health facility staff where these units are installed and be able to intervene and report where there are challenges.
• Help to coordinate, and attend, occasional meetings at zonal and district levels and in making sure country-specific supply chain/logistics issues are on the agenda.

Qualifications

• Diploma in pharmacy with over 10 years of work experience. Bachelor’s Degree in Pharmacy, Public health, Supply Chain Management or related fields with a minimum of 5 years of work experience will be an added advantage.
• At least 5 years’ of hands on professional experience in supply chain management of medicines and health products in public health programs required
• Proven knowledge and experience working in the Malawi public health sector supply chain at the district level or higher.
• Previous capacity building/facilitator experience for district and facility level supply chain staff highly desirable.
• Ability to nurture and sustain productive relationships with Senior MOH officials at various levels and to leverage resources from other implementing partners to address identified challenges.
• Thorough knowledge of USAID funding or any other International Organisation and its contractual and reporting requirements required; experience working on USAID-funded health programs strongly preferred.
• Proven understanding of quantification and forecasting of medicines.
  Strong written and oral communication skills in English and local languages.
• Excellent problem solving and decision-making skills.
• Strong computer literacy and attention to details.
• Willingness to relocate to Zomba and to travel regularly within the zone.

Application instructions:

Please send a cover letter, a full detailed Curriculum Vitae or Resume, and the names and contact information of three professional references to psmmalawirecruit@gmail.com. This application will close on Monday, August 5, 2024. Please indicate the subject line for the position being applied for. No telephone inquiries, please. Chemonics will contact finalists.

Chemonics is an equal opportunities employer and does not discriminate in its selection and employment practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, or other non-merit factors.