Supply Chain Management Specialist - Pharmaceutical procurement (Retainer)

Afghanistan

With more than 20 years of experience in the country, UNOPS Afghanistan focuses on providing maximum support to the Government and people of Afghanistan through delivery of projects and services in line with the government’s national priorities. The UNOPS Afghanistan Country Office (AFCO) serves as an organizational mechanism to deliver a range of projects for which UNOPS has been designated as the implementation agency. At present, UNOPS AFCO is implementing a number of projects in a range of sectors including infrastructure (roads, bridges, justice and security, health, and water supply) development, procurement services, HR services, capacity building, and humanitarian protection, amongst others, on behalf of the Government of Afghanistan, the international donor community, and other UN agencies.

The functional objective of UNOPS AFCO is to contribute to the achievement of the development outcomes sought by the Government of Afghanistan. The aim of UNOPS AFCO is to provide efficient and cost-effective implementation services on behalf of all our partners to support the reconstruction and development of the country. UNOPS AFCO’s mission is to exceed the expectations of all stakeholders in the delivery of AFCO’s services, at all times, in all places, in all circumstances, in order to significantly improve the lives of all Afghans in need.

Project Information

UNOPS AFCO started the implementation of the project "Emergency healthcare assistance to Afghanistan through the provision of ambulances and life-saving medical supplies" funded by the Government of Japan. The project objective is to contribute to coping with acute healthcare needs by enhancing the operational capacity of healthcare services. In this project, UNOPS will assist Afghanistan hospitals in the procurement, delivery and handover of ambulances, medicines and medical supplies to hospitals to support access to essential healthcare services for the most vulnerable populations of Afghanistan.

Rationale for the Assignment

A Supply Chain Management Specialist with adequate understanding of the contextual and regulatory considerations for effective pharmaceutical procurement is needed to support the project team in the determination of the list of medicine and medical supplies to be procured, development of specifications, development of tender documentation, evaluation of tenders and development of criteria/guidelines for acceptance of products. This is essential to the project’s success. 

The overarching objective of this assignment is to ensure that medicine and medical supplies to be procured will meet acceptable standards, be in line with the detailed specifications agreed upon with project beneficiaries, and also fit for purpose (provide the desired effect to patients/users). 

The expected deliverables are as follows;

• A list of medicine and medical supplies to be procured is determined.

• Detailed product specifications are developed to guide the solicitation process.

• Criteria for inspection and acceptance of medicine and medical supplies are developed.

• A shortlist of qualified manufacturers and suppliers to be invited for competitive bidding is prepared.

Note: The Supply Chain Management Specialist will collaborate with project beneficiaries and the UNOPS Procurement Team to develop detailed specifications for each product. 

The Supply Chain Management Specialist will undertake the following activities;

• Where necessary, the Supply Chain Management Specialist will support market analysis for medicine and medical supplies.

• Support the UNOPS Procurement Team to identify potential and eligible suppliers to be invited for competitive bidding. The process may include an advertised Expression of Interest.

• Identify potential risks and mitigation measures for UNOPS to procure medicine and medical supplies.

• Liaise with project beneficiaries to determine the list of medicine and medical supplies to be procured, and develop product specifications (strength, packaging specifications, etc).

• Support the development of tender documents and evaluation of tenders.

• Define technical and quality criteria to assure the quality of medicine and medical supplies  procured by UNOPS in compliance with the UNOPS QA policy. These will be developed in consultation with the UNOPS Project Team.

• Develop product assessment criteria for medicine and medical supplies which may include sample/batch testing.

UNOPS will provide the following support to enable the SCM specialist to complete the task:

• Support from UNOPS Project Manager in facilitating meetings with the UNOPS Procurement Team and project beneficiaries

• Support from the Procurement Team to identify potential suppliers to be invited for competitive bidding, which may include advertising an Expression of Interest (EoI)

The Supply Chain Management Specialist is required to use her/his own workspace and equipment for this assignment. Visits to selected factories may be required and UNOPS will facilitate these travels and bear the cost. 

A. Education: 

• Advanced University Degree (Masters or PhD) in Pharmacy is required University Degree in Pharmacy (Bachelor’s Degree / First level) with two (2) additional years of relevant work experience will be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree. 

B. Work Experience:

• A minimum of five (5) years' progressive experience that combines pharmaceutical quality assurance, pharmaceutical supply management and/or production is required.

• Experience in the pharmaceutical regulatory environment and/or pharmaceutical supply management within Public or Private Sector is required.

• In-depth understanding of the contextual and regulatory considerations that have to be made in order to assure quality of medicines is an asset.

• Experience in report writing is an asset.

C. Language: 

• Full working knowledge of English, Dari and/or Pashto is required.

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.

• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.

• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures,  languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 

• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.

• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process.  If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions 

• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. For more information on a retainer contract here.

• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.

• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.