Health Systems Country Supply Chain Manager at Malaria Consortium

Job purpose

The Country Supply Chain Manager will manage all commodities for which Malaria Consortium is responsible for in Nigeria and will also maintain oversite of all commodities for which Malaria Consortium Nigeria is accountable for.

Scope of work

• The Country Supply Chain Manager will ensure effective pipeline and inventory management to enable on-time delivery at value for money of all commodities for which Malaria Consortium- Nigeria is responsible, and avoid stock outs, with all documentation correctly completed and filed.
• S/he will lead in the procurement of project medicines and commodities to be procured directly by the Nigeria office, or via Malaria Consortiums Global Procurement agent.
• Liaise with all procurement agents appointed by our donors for commodities to be used by Malaria Consortium-Nigeria managed projects.

Key working relationships

• The Country Supply Chain Manager will report to the Senior Country Technical Coordinator (SCTC).
• Indirectly s/he will work with Country MEL Manager, project M&E Specialists, project commodity and operations staff, national and state-based staff and partners and MOH staff to ensure good inventory management.
• The Country Supply Chain Manager will support the Senior Country Technical Coordinator and other senior staff in delivering country strategic objectives.
• S/he will represent Malaria Consortium in the partnership / coordination committees and meetings of NMEP and FMOH.
• S/he will also be the contact person with NAFDAC and other regularity authorities on food and medicines.

Key accountabilities

Programme Management

• Work with other members of the country team and the Senior Project Managers (SPM) to coordinate State-level activities involving health commodities for smooth project start up and project planning.
• Regularly collect, collate and analyse value for money parameters and recommend areas of efficiency gains for Malaria Consortium- Nigeria and stakeholder supply chain.
• Responsible for coordinating overall programme implementation and ensure activities are carried out on a time and within budget for the health commodity component of all programes
• Supply chain input into new proposal technical design and budgets, to include commodity quantification and pricing, freight and storage design and costing, procurement and warehouse personnel design and costing.
• Work with HQ, country office and project managers to resolve relevant outstanding audit findings on supply chain management and improve overall compliance with organizational guideline for the management of health commodities.
• Maintain regular contact with field offices to ensure issues and concerns health commodity management are identified and resolved pre-emptively, making regular field visits to support this
• Ensure all relevant Malaria Consortium policies and processes are complied with, including in relation to procurement, inventory and warehouse management, anti-fraud, anti-bribery and anti-corruption and conflicts of interest
• Represent and promote Malaria Consortium Nigeria as a quality partner and specialized technical agency where appropriate
• Actively oversee management of project budget as assigned, including compliance with established cost categories, monthly review and correction of transaction lists; analysis of monthly budget versus actual reports, and quarterly financial forecasting
• Closely liaise with NAFDAC in related activities on pharmacovigilance,
• Lead the development of any additional country project supply chain documentation that may be requested by the West & Central Africa Programmes Director, or Project Director on supply chain management
• Ensure that the process of project implementation of supply chain components and lessons are comprehensively documented, including production of case studies and other documentation for internal and external dissemination
• Work closely with the Senior Country Technical Coordinator, Country MEL Manager to prepare and implement a country commodity management framework
• Be responsible for building functional in-country supply chain partner relationships among the project’s stakeholders
• Be responsible for supervising country staff as assigned
• Work with the relevant country personnel and the PD to prepare and implement an exit strategy to see the smooth end of the project

Project Supply Chain (National)

• Collate information and produce timely stock reconciliation reports on a monthly and basis for all stock within projects where Malaria Consortium-Nigeria is accountable
• Forecast needs and produce timely requisitions to ensure stock outs are avoided in all warehouses where Malaria Consortium- Nigeria is responsible for storage
• Monitor, with supervisory visits and documented spot checks, inventory storage and movement records in all warehouses where Malaria Consortium- Nigeria is accountable (including pharmaceutical good storage and good distribution practices)
• Investigate any losses and ensure that relevant people are held to account for such losses through processes
• Supervise any warehouse staff recruited by Malaria Consortium-Nigeria to support a project
• Ensure setup of Malaria Consortium-Nigeria stock management procedures and processes for commodities for which Malaria Consortium is responsible
• Develop procurement plans for Malaria Consortium- Nigeria projects, including commodity quantification and distribution plans using correct assumptions and best practices.
• Plan, source (via MC procurement process or MOH/partner assets) and manage the freight for all stock movements where Malaria Consortium- Nigeria is responsible
• Plan, source (via MC procurement process or MOH/partner stock) and manage all project commodities (drugs, medical supplies, etc.) for which Malaria Consortium- Nigeria is responsible
• Place and manage to the point of distribution any international commodity purchases with the Malaria Consortium - Nigeria Global Procurement Agent
• Manage all import processes and documentation for commodities when needed.
• Maintain, update and share on a weekly basis a procurement tracker for all procurements
• Support project distribution planning and execution to ensure all stock and freight are received on time at distribution points, and all stock is recorded during the distribution, and reconciled after the distribution

System Strengthening

• Design training material on good storage and good distribution practices, tailored for both Malaria Consortium- Nigeria staff and partners
• Working in a collaborative way with relevant stakeholders to revising inventory management processes when required, ensuring input and agreement from all stakeholders before finalization
• Provide capacity building support to Malaria Consortium- Nigeria staff, local partners and MOH staff on warehouse and inventory management processes, documentation and data management
• Provide input into the National Procurement and Supply Management Strategy if required under a Malaria Consortium- Nigeria project
• Participant in NMEP and FMOH quantification and procurement planning working group including development of the distribution plans for both routine and campaign commodities and materials from national to the community levels where Malaria Consortium- Nigeria is accountable.
• Ensure transparent and accountable management and reporting of health commodities through provision of technical assistance to government actors and regular field visits

Private Sector Engagement

• Identify strategic opportunities at national and sub-national level to collaborate with private sector on accesses to medicines
• Work with pharmaceutical manufacturers across the world to ensure the provision of RLD (Reference List Drug)
• Develop and maintain strong network with the private and the public sector stakeholders in the malaria control market systems in Nigeria.
• Represent malaria consortium on the commercial sector working group of NMEP coordination platform
• Work with the West & Central Africa Programmes Director and Country Programme Manager to keep relevant private stakeholder abreast with malaria consortium project in Nigeria
• Act as the focal point on all engagement with Pharmaceutical manufacturers in Nigeria and across the world.

Person Specification

Qualifications and Experience:        

Essential

• 7 – 10 years’ post-qualification in Pharmacy or any other public health-related field
• 5 – 7 years’ experience in project management, with a preference for health products management
• Significant operational and supply chain management experience in a developing country
• Strong management skills, demonstrated ability to supervise the performance of others to meet high quality and timely project deliverables.
• Ability to work in English (speaking and writing)
• Experience in project, budget and financial management 

Desirable

• Previous experience in coordination or management of mass drug administration or pharmaceutical supply chain management in northern Nigeria

Work Based Skills and Competencies:

Essential

• Demonstrated understanding of procurement procedures
• Ability to communicate and negotiate with people from different back grounds and professions 
• Strong analytical skills, including the ability to make complex information understandable to diverse different audiences
• Flexible and able to adapt to a quickly changing environment by applying knowledge and experience to solve unforeseen and unexpected problems
• Strong representational skills
• Experience developing donor-funded projects, including strong writing skills