About CRS

Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. CRS works to save, protect, and transform lives in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. CRS’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance and peacebuilding.

For nearly 60 years, CRS has taken the lead in responding to natural and man-made disasters affecting Ethiopia's most vulnerable communities. Moving beyond emergency response, CRS' disaster mitigation and recovery projects in drought and flood-prone areas have rebuilt individual and community assets through non-food aid in the form of agriculture, livestock, health, nutrition, and water and sanitation assistance. CRS's humanitarian work in Ethiopia also provides livelihoods support to farmers and entrepreneurs, promotes gender equality, mobilizes for immunization and mitigates the impact of HIV.

As part of CRS family, you will join the more than 5000 strong and vibrant individuals working globally to accomplish the mission of CRS. CRS/Ethiopia invites you, the qualified candidate, to apply for the following position;

Objective:

CRS/South Sudan manages large quantities of food commodities (WFP), in a variety of remote and hard to reach parts of Jonglei and Lakes States, South Sudan. Thus, supply chain management is complex, challenging, and entails risk. CRS South Sudan requires a consultant with significant experience in the management of WFP food commodities to provide technical assistance in strengthening supply chain management in line with CRS and WFP policies and procedures.

Key Deliverables:

• Conduct a desk review and key informant interviews to understand CRS current approach to food commodity management (including Insight) and reporting for WFP projects.
• Conduct site visits to several WFP warehouses managed by CRS in Jonglei and Lakes States and review current food commodity management practices, including adherence to CRS and WFP policies and procedures.
• Based on the findings of site visits, develop and train staff in a Standard Operating Procedure for receiving, storing, dispatching, reconciling and loss/damage reporting of WFP food commodities. The Standard Operating Procedure should cover all CRS and WFP policies and procedures including inventory counts.
• Develop and train staff (including Commodity Accountant and Logistics Management Information System Officer) in the use of a centralized electronic ledger to track movement in WFP food commodities across all WFP warehouses managed by CRS in Jonglei and Lakes States. The electronic ledger should be able to track commodities by type and shipment instruction number and should deliver automatic populating of CRS reports (monthly inventory report) and WFP reports (Form 3, Form 4, Form 5 and Form 6).
• Develop and train staff (including Commodity Accountant and Logistics Management Information System Officer) on a process to gather and file supporting documentation for the new electronic ledger.

Duration and Reporting:

• 6 weeks assignment commencing in March 2021. The consultant will report to the Supply Chain Manager/designate.

Basic Qualifications:

• Master's Degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain or similar field required. Additional experience in WFP commodity management may substitute for some education.
• minimum of 5 years’ experience in direct management of WFP food commodities, preferably with at least 2-3 years focused on supply chain management of WFP commodities.
• Experience in designing and implementing food commodity management systems in moderately complex environments preferably with an international NGO.

Travel – You will spend most of your time in the field visiting the different warehouses.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: 

• Experience in WFP supply chain management, particularly staff training on warehouse management and commodity accounting
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with ability to make sound judgment and decisions and offer innovative solutions
• Experience of security management in complex and remote field locations.
• Strong relations management abilities. Ability to relate to people at all levels internally and externally. Strategic in how you approach each relationship.
• Good presentation and facilitation skills
• Proactive, resourceful, solutions-oriented and results-oriented

Key Working Relationships:

Supervisory Responsibilities: None

Internal: Supply Chain Manager, WFP Program Manager, Head of Programming, Head of Operations and Security Manager.

External: N/A

Disclaimer:  This scope of work is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.