Country: Afghanistan
Responsible to: Country Director
Responsible for: Logistics team
Works with: Country Management Team (CMT) and Head Office Regional Logistics Officer
Location: Kabul with travel to Badakhshan, Kunduz, Takhar
Contract Duration: 6 month contracts extendable by up to two years
Starting Date: ASAP
Salary: £33,600 – £34,350 per annum (dependant on relevant experience) inclusive of restricted movement allowance
Benefits: Insurance cover, accommodation, R&R and annual leave entitlement of 24 days per annum rising to 30 days at the completion of 12 months of continuous employment with Merlin.
Only short-listed applicants will be contacted. Due to the urgency of this position, applications will be short listed on a regular basis and we may offer this post before the closing date.
Please note that this is an unaccompanied position.
Merlin International Profile
Merlin specialises in health, saving lives in times of crisis and helping to rebuild shattered health services. Each year, Merlin helps more than 15 million people in up to 20 countries.
Context and Background
The overall purpose of Merlin programmes in Afghanistan is to reduce excess morbidity and mortality amongst vulnerable populations through the provision of priority health services to a network of health facilities and Community Healthcare Workers.
Merlin currently implements programmes in three north east provinces encompassing a Community Midwife Education (CME) project in Takhar, and Basic Package of Health Services (BPHS) in both Badakhshan and Kunduz in partnership with local partner Care for Afghan Families (CAF).
Main purpose of the role
The Country Logistics Manager (LogMan) is responsible for managing and delivering an efficient and effective logistics service across all programmes and field sites. This includes implementing, monitoring and following-up across all logistics disciplines to ensure that Merlin’s standard policies and best practice is adhered to. The role will provide leadership, technical support and capacity building to the international and country logistics staff in all areas of their roles. The LogMan represents logistics as an active member of the Country Management Team (CMT) and will ensure effective cross departmental interaction.
Overall Objectives (scope) This role will:
• Develop the Country Programme Logistics Strategy in close coordination with the Country Director and ensures its timely implementation.
• Assure efficient and effective management of the pharmaceutical supply chain in difficult circumstances.
• Provide logistics guidance, advice and support to all programme and field sites and the logistics staff in those locations as necessary or as requested.
• Ensure that Merlin’s policies, systems and guidelines are implemented, used and adhered to
• Ensure constructive and effective working relationships are developed and maintained with the CMT, Field Offices and Head Office.
• Represent logistics as an active member of the CMT.
Responsibilities Programme Support
• Lead the logistics components of project planning and preparation of donor proposals and reports in collaboration with the CMT.
• Provide input on logistics matters to the CMT for proposal and report writing.
• Ensure donor compliance and produce regular, timely and accurate narrative and financial reports for Merlin
• Identify areas of improvement in the organisation of logistics, and work with the CMT and local logistics teams to realise them.
• Represent Merlin with relevant external organisations and networks (for example NGO Logistic Coordination fora, the UN Logistic Cluster), actively networking and building relevant relationships.
Security
• Participate in development, review, implementation and monitoring of Merlin’s security measures in-country, at the request of the Country Director (CD).
• Monitor the security context and any deterioration in this that could affect logistics operations and provide guidance to teams/sites as required in close coordination with and as requested by the Country Director.
• Ensure proper functioning and maintenance of Merlin compounds in cooperation with the responsible department.
Technical
• Responsible for the appropriate selection, installation, use and maintenance of equipment across the following technical disciplines: Information Technology, Communications, Mechanics, Energy & Electricity, Cold Chain.
• Act as technical lead, advisor and manager of specific WATSAN, Healthcare Waste management or construction activities as required by the programme.
• Ensure high quality, appropriate technology solutions, liaising with the Head Office Technology Manager where necessary.
Procurement & Supply Chain
• Develop, in collaboration with the CMT and Project Coordinators a coherent procurement strategy that takes into consideration Merlin’s Procurement and Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance Policies, donor requirements, project duration and needs, lead time and delivery constraints
• Maintain a high quality, country-wide procurement system, which is accountable, transparent and compliant with Merlin’s Procurement and Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance Policies and donor requirements.
• Ensure active monitoring of the purchasing process including overseeing local customs clearance of imports, until delivery of the goods and the official handover of items against signature of receipt.
• Ensure that the filing system to record and archive all procurements is rigorously maintained.
• Ensure the maintenance of a supplier database and develop robust local supplier relationships.
• Ensure effective and efficient links with Merlin Regional Logistics Advisor for all logistical matters.
Warehouse Management
• Ensure that procured stocks are received, registered, and dispatched in an efficient and accountable manner.
• Ensure that the filing system to record and archive all stock movements is rigorously maintained.
• Ensure, in collaboration with the medical teams, Merlin’s Drug Management Guidelines are adhered to country-wide.
• Maintain control and accountability of all stock, monitoring storage, request and issuance in accordance with Merlin’s Warehouse Management Guidelines.
• Conduct physical stock checks periodically and investigate discrepancies.
Asset Management
• Responsible for all asset and inventory management according to Merlin’s Asset and Inventory Management Policy including regular updating and verification.
Fleet Management
• Ensure fleet requirements for the programme are met.
• Ensure safe operation of the fleet through driver selection and training, quality maintenance to include routine checks and regular service and establishing / enforcing local fleet operating procedures.
• Ensure appropriate use of the vehicle by all staff (e.g. use of seatbelts, adherence to speed limits, vehicle booking process and movement monitoring system)
• Report monthly on fleet management according to Merlin’s Logistics Reporting policy.
• Ensure appropriate provision of servicing facilities and management of spare parts.
Human Resource Management
• Responsible for the line management of specified logistics staff in accordance with HR policies and procedures, including recruitment and performance management.
• Responsible for the technical line management of all Field Logisticians.
• Actively involved in all the recruitment and selection of the country logistics teams.
• Responsible for the capacity building and training of all logistics staff to improve efficiency, awareness of, and compliance with, logistics systems and procedures.
Person Specification
Essential Qualifications, experience and competences
• Substantial experience of undertaking a logistics role within an international NGO and within difficult operating environments (e.g. insecurity, lack of infrastructure, natural disasters)
• Significant and demonstrable technical knowledge across a the following technical logistics disciplines:
 Supply Chain
 Information Technology
 Communications
 Mechanics
 Energy & Electricity
 Cold Chain
• Substantial knowledge of at least one of the programme components:
 Health Provision
 Rehabilitation
 Construction
 Water and Sanitation
• Good experience of implementing security guidelines
• Good experience of leading and driving the development and implementation of a logistics departments strategy
• Good experience in recruitment and performance management of staff.
• Good, proven experience of training and developing staff
• Experience as part of a Senior Management Team
• Strong communication skills, with excellent written and spoken English
• Confident and proficient in the use of MS Office (particularly Excel and Word)
• Experience of establishing strong working relationships with colleagues from different functions and cultures
• Experience of a flexible approach to managing and prioritising a high workload and multiple tasks in a fast paced environment with tight deadlines
• Experience of proactively identifying and addressing issues
• An understanding of and commitment to Merlin’s mission and values
Desirable Qualifications, experience and competences
• Experience of financial management
• Experience of health related logistics / medical logistics
• Experience of emergency preparedness planning from a logistical perspective.
• Experience of working in the region
How to apply:
To apply for this position To apply for this job, please go to www.merlin.org.uk/jobs and apply using our online recruitment system. In order to apply for a job with Merlin online you will need to complete a short registration process and create an account – the online recruitment system explains how to do this. Once your account has been created, you will be able to save the information that you have entered in your application and re-visit it at any time before you submit it.
If you are unable to apply online please contact: applications@merlin.org.uk.
Please note that we do not accept CVs. Unfortunately due to the number of applications we receive, only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.
Data Protection Please note that in accordance with the 1998 Data Protection Act, Merlin will hold and use personal information that you have given for the purpose of recruitment and employment. This information can be stored in manual and/or electronic form. This information may also be disclosed to third parties in accordance with the Data Protection Act. In cases where a job offer is conditional on ensuring that potential employees’ names do not appear on counter terrorism lists generated by the United Nations, European Union or the United States due to donor funding requirements, Merlin will use the information that you have given for checking that your name does not appear on these lists.
Closing Date: Thursday, 23 February 2012
