Logistics Officer Emergency Unit
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international humanitarian aid organization that provides assistance in more than 70 countries to populations in distress, to victims of natural or manmade disasters and to victims of armed conflicts, without discrimination and irrespective of origin, religion, creed or political affiliation.
Logistics Officer Emergency Unit (m/f/x) – Brussels – MSF Belgium
CONTEXT
The Operations Department of MSF OCB (Operational Centre Brussels) consists of 8 managerial and technical teams called Cells or Regional Support Teams (RST), each in charge of a portfolio of countries and 1 Emergency Unit (E-Unit) for the management of intense emergency interventions. These teams directly supervise and support the interventions.
The main responsibility of the E-Unit is to intervene with medical activities, directly and quickly in crisis situations like conflicts, epidemics, and natural disasters, while guaranteeing the quality of interventions. As such, we are responsible anywhere, anytime for monitoring, identification, and implementation of operations in any crisis situation that may arise.
The E-Unit includes 1 Head of E-Unit, 1 Medical Deputy Head of E-Unit (DHP) and 2 Emergency Coordinators (EMCOs) based in Brussels; and are seconded by a team of specialists in Supply chain, logistics, pharmacist, administration, human resources, and finance.
Each Coordinator may be required to manage 1 or 2 or more specific emergencies simultaneously depending on the volume and complexity of the response. The EMCOs work closely with the Medical Deputy Head of E-Unit to develop, review, implement, and monitor the medical strategy.
The E-Unit includes 25 to 30 emergency responders (Emergency Mobile Coordinators and implementors) coordinating emergencies in the MSF countries of intervention. An ad hoc task force may be created inside the E-Unit for specific and acute emergency operations.
The E-Unit Logistics/Supply setup oversees the definition, deployment, and development of the intervention strategy of the E-Unit Logistics & Supply components.
The E-Unit Logistics/Supply Coordinator leads the team and makes decisions on how the logistics and supply components of the E-Unit's operations are conducted.
At the Head office, our team maintains a continuous presence, serving as the primary liaison between the E-Unit and various Logistics & Supply entities.
We coordinate implementation, oversee activities, and provide training & mentoring to the Logistics/Supply teams in the countries of interventions.
Under the supervision of the E-Unit Logistics & Supply Coordinator, the E-Unit Support Officer’s role is to support the Logistics & Supply team by taking care of a number of tasks for the E-Unit directly or for other E-Unit support entities (E-Unit head office, staff in the countries of interventions; Logistics & Supply Departments; MSF-Supply)
As the E-Unit Logistics Officer, you provide ongoing support to the logistics officers mobilized by and for the E-Unit, following the portfolio defined by the E-Unit Logistics/Supply Coordinator. You act as the main point of contact between emergency operations management and the technical support teams. In the absence of the E-Unit emergency coordinator log and supply, you will act as interim.
MAIN RESPONSABILITIES
- Field support
- Technical support
- Serve as reference person for all logistics issues between the E-Unit field teams, the E-Unit head office team and any technical support provided by the Logistics & Supply departments
- Follow-up and arbitrate between solutions and actions suggested by the Logistics/ICT/Water & Sanitation/Supply specialists for operations
- Risk management
- Contribute to Risk Assessments & ensure Risk reduction measures are determined, understood, and implemented (trainings/briefings/debriefings, movement management & monitoring, infrastructure & staff security, basic contingency planning, crisis management preparedness, etc.)
- Ensure that mitigation measures & costs are estimated and budgeted correctly according to the portfolio defined by the E-Unit emergency coordinator logistics/supply
- Resource management
- Define the size and profiles of the Logistics & Supply staff required for the operations in your portfolio by creating job descriptions and organization charts adapted to each intervention and to the activities in the projects. This information is used as a reference by the managers of the Logistics & Supply pools to identify and mobilize the appropriate profiles
- Ensure proper development (objectives, learning & development, evaluation) of all Logistics and Supply staff assigned to the E-Unit (regardless of their administrative status – Local Hired Staff / Regional Staff / International Mobile Staff
- Day to day support
- Supervise ICT officer activities on the following tasks
- Provide E-Unit members going abroad with the necessary ICT basics such as Laptops, phones, satellite phones, sim cards, ID materials, etc.
- Manage all head office-based E-Unit storage & stocks
- Follow-up E-Unit assets inventories Head office and in the countries of interventions)
- Manage E-Unit assets return to the head office after each emergency and ensure they are ready for new deployments
- Scrap end-of-life assets and forecast Head Office budget for asset replenishment
- Follow-up on international order deliveries requested by the E-Unit
- Ensure ordering tools are up-to-date, and available for E-Unit members at all times to facilitate order placing
- Ensure that map requests are properly channeled to the GIS service
- Ensure that the necessary insurances are in place and up-to-date for E-Unit assets (at Head Office & in the countries of interventions) (vehicles, houses, warehouses, offices, etc.)
- Products, Kits and E-Unit information management
- Product definition and e-stocks
- Play an active role in defining non-medical items and emergency kits based on E-Unit scenarios and in collaboration with the E-Unit Logistics/Supply Coordinator
- Define the quantity, quality, and location of items and kits, and ensure that appropriate measures are taken to make these stocks available to the countries of interventions in the shortest possible time
- Follow-up new non-medical items and solutions required for emergency operations; produce clear specifications, monitor developments and organize testing and stock availability
- E-Unit assets
- Keep track of costly/investments assets via the appropriate tools at their disposal and manage the return or handover of these assets when and where necessary
- Track costly assets/investments using the appropriate tools, and manage the return or handover of these assets when necessary
- Information management
- Oversee the development and maintenance of all E-Unit information system / platform
- Determine the specifications and requirements and monitors that appropriate actions are undertaken in the Logistics & Medical departments
REQUIREMENTS
Education & Experience
- Minimum 2 years international experience with MSF in diverse context as well as insecure environments is mandatory
- Strong experience in risk and incident management
- Minimum 2 years’ experience as Logistics Coordinator with MSF
- Project Coordinator experience is an asset
- Strong experience in Water and Sanitation is an asset
Competencies
- Strong knowledge of logistics/supply tools and principles (stock and assets management)
- Strong organization, planification and methodological skills
- Solution oriented, autonomous, flexible and shows initiative
- Teamwork and collaborative attitude – good team spirit
- Computer skills: Microsoft Office tools
- Ability to work under pressure
- Strong cross-cultural awareness
Languages
- Excellent written and spoken communication in both English and French is mandatory
CONDITIONS
- Expected starting date: 01/03/2025
- Location: Brussels (Belgium)
* Due to legal administrative constraints, given the duration of the contract, candidates must already be resident in Belgium or have a residence right as a worker in Belgium or in the European Union allowing to move and work in the EU
- Contract type: Fixed-term contract - Full-time - Maximum 1 day of homeworking per week
- Duration: 12 months (with a possible extension)
- Salary according to MSF-OCB HQ grid
- Meal Vouchers - Hospital Insurance (DKV) – Pension Plan – 100% reimbursement for public transportation costs
- Adhere to the MSF principles and to our managerial values: Respect, Transparency, Integrity, Accountability, Trust and Empowerment
- Adhere to the MSF Behavioral Commitments
Deadline for applications: 6th of January 2025
How to apply?
➢ Submit your application via the 'Apply here' button
➢ You will be directed to the online application form for this position
➢ It should take 5-10 minutes to complete. Thank you in advance for having your CV and motivation letter ready to upload (preferably in PDF format)
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted
Position only open to candidates with previous MSF experiences ("Médecins Sans Frontières")!
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