Transport and Custom Officer at Medecins Sans Frontieres

Contract Period: Indefinite

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Performing the day to day activities and administrative processes to ensure an efficient running of the clearance and transportation processes of medical and non-medical goods for supply office (coordination or project) following the supply procedures according to MSF standards and protocols including the following activities:
  • Managing and planning, in collaboration with the line Supervisor and the Warehouse Supervisor, the shipment of goods between the projects and/or from the capital to the projects choosing the best possible means of transport
  • Being responsible for the reception of international freight and its forwarding to the field.
  • Being responsible for all customs and administrative related issues
  • Regularly assessing the local transport market (companies, prices, services, delays,), and proposing different third-party providers for validation
• Performing delegated tasks according to his / her activity and as specified in his/her job description

MSF Section / Context Specific Accountabilities
Centralization of Information:

• He / She regularly informs himself about the transport plan in the Extranet and updates the freight forecast monitoring table sent by MSF Supply, entitled "international freight history", which he sends every Monday to the projects.
• Collects all proof of good receipt for any freight received via any gateway into the country (PHC, LAG, ABJ others) and archives them in "freight info summary sheets".

Follow-up of Customs Clearance Procedures with the Freight Forwarder:

• Keep in touch with the freight forwarder to follow up on customs clearance procedures and ensure delivery as quickly as possible to reduce the delivery time.
• Be proactive in his particular job concerning the follow-up of international freight.
• Receives documents from international freight and forwards documents to freight forwarder immediately.
• He / She ensures the proper application / implementation of the transport plan established between MSF Supply and the mission (SLA) and informs the Supply Coordinator in the event of malfunction or recorded delay.
• For the sending of material to Brussels in hand freight, it ensures the creation of freight document, and for air or sea freight, it organizes the transport with the forwarder.

Receipt and Transfer of Responsibility for Freight:

• Receives the freight delivered by the freight forwarder. After checking the number and condition of the packages (in collaboration with the Storekeeper), he signs the freight forwarder's delivery slip, making reservations if necessary.
• He / She then establishes a "Handover and Return" document which he / she signs with the Storekeeper to transfer full responsibility for the freight to the latter.

Communication with Projects and Collaborators:

• He / She maintains the international freight tracking file every Monday in order to provide projects (clients) with the following information: Articles Arrived / Articles on Hold / Articles Pending.
• Send the international freight file (manifest cargo + packing List) to the projects concerned as soon as a freight announcement is received.
• Forwards the freight documents to the Storekeeper for the latter to prepare for receipt.
• Collects information on the material to be shipped: nature of products, weight, volume and priorities.
• He / she checks with the consignee that the goods have arrived.

Archiving of Customs Clearance Documents:

• He / she ensures that freight records are complete and archives them (electronic and physical archiving). To do this, he edits the "Transport file" in the Unifield database accompanied by the invoice and supporting documents. It also archives the “Freight info summary sheet” containing the freight delivery notes.

Call for Tenders and Supply Procedures:

• Ensures the correct application of the invoicing grid of the validated freight forwarder and requests its regular update. He checks the freight forwarder's invoices before submitting them to the Supply Coordinator for validation.
• Informs the Supply Coordinator of the expiry date of the letter of understanding made with the freight forwarder validated following the previous call for tenders.
• Negotiates the prices to be reduced, collects the pro-forma from the companies in the event of shipment, completes the file, has it validated in accordance with the expenditure commitment level, establish the contract to be signed by Supply Coordinator and proceeds to the shipping.

Minimum Required skills and Qualifications
Education:

• Essential: University Degree, preferably in Supply Chain or Procurement related studies.

Experience & Knowledge:

• At least 2 years experience in supply chain related jobs or in the logistics department
• Knowledge of customs regulations and requirements
• Ability to work with little supervision and track multiple processes
• Computer-savvy with a working knowledge of logistics software
• Outstanding organizational and coordination abilities
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Previous working experience working with MSF or other NGOs
• Work Experience in developing countries or similar context is desirable.