Senior Technical Advisor, Supply Chain

Job Summary: 

Advanced subject matter expert accountable for the technical design, direction and quality of supply chain and commodity security work across project(s) within the FHI 360 Health Programs portfolio. Sets the technical agenda for procurement and supply chain management, quantification and forecasting, logistics management information systems, cold chain, storage and distribution, and commodity security, and guides how technical resources are invested against it. Serves as a department principal technical interlocutor for supply chain with the U.S. Department of State, ministries of health and central medical stores, and global procurement and financing partners on supply chain matters. 

Accountabilities: 

Technical Requirements: 

• Sets FHI 360’s technical direction for procurement and supply chain management for project(s) within the portfolio, covering product selection, quantification and forecasting, procurement, warehousing, distribution, inventory management, and end-use verification. 

• Leads national supply chain strengthening with ministries of health, national supply chain agencies and central medical stores — forecasting accuracy, stockout and expiry reduction, and the shift toward government-financed and government-managed procurement. 

• Directs technical support for commodity security across different technical sectors as needed, including the coordination required where a single facility handles all of them. 

• Sets the approach to logistics management information systems, including electronic LMIS deployment, interoperability with DHIS2 and national health information systems, logistics data quality, and the use of consumption data for supply decisions rather than for reporting alone. 

• Provides technical direction on cold chain and vaccine logistics, including effective vaccine management assessment and improvement planning, cold chain equipment optimization, temperature monitoring, and the specific requirements of the expanding polio portfolio. 

• Advises on quality assurance for health commodities: quality-assured sourcing, product registration and regulatory pathways, importation and customs clearance, storage conditions, the interface with pharmacovigilance, and disposal of expired and damaged stock. 

• Establishes FHI 360’s technical position on private sector engagement and total market approaches, including where private distribution, retail pharmacy and social marketing channels are the appropriate route to product availability. 

• Leads the supply chain component of transition and sustainability planning, and defines what has to be demonstrably in place before FHI 360 withdraws from a supply chain function. 

• Coordinates technically with global procurement and financing partners — including the Global Fund, Gavi, UNICEF Supply Division, PFSCM, WHO prequalification, and USG procurement mechanisms — so that FHI 360 support complements rather than duplicates existing provision. 

• Sets minimum technical standards, tools and job aids for supply chain work across the portfolio and holds quality assurance sign-off on supply chain technical deliverables. 

• Builds supply chain technical capacity within FHI 360 and in country teams, including supply chain workforce development components of country programs. 

Project Design Implementation: 

• Oversees the creation of the technical portion of the project plan of a complex project or multiple projects, within the given resource and financial constraints.

• Communicates the planned budget to project financial roles. 

• Provide technical leadership in design, development, planning, implementation; and capacity- building of specific technical components of projects.

• Provides broad global technical leadership to multiple components for complex projects with broad scope. 

• Influences design and scope of initiatives and projects. 

• Ensures technical implementation is consistent with best practices in the industry/ subject  and meets client / funder contractual obligations for one or more large, highly complex technical units of a functional domain. 

• Develops strategies and tools for the design and implementation of specific technical components. 

• Continually maintains a dialogue and technical exchange with field counterparts and technical staff members of implementing partners. 

• Overall responsibility for ensuring that all global activities are conducted and reported in accordance with requirements.

• Designs the supply chain technical component of country workplans and country buy-ins, within the resource envelope agreed with the country lead and the Senior Technical Director. 

• Ensures supply chain design in countries is built on the national supply chain strategy and aligned with other donors operating in the same system, rather than running parallel to it. 

Business Development and Client/Funder Support: 

• Supports proposal research and design. 

• Develops and maintains relationships with potential clients / funders, partners, peers, etc. to develop new business. 

• Contributes to strategy for driving new technical business. 

• Prepare sponsor reports and presentations. 

• Point of contact with client / funder for activities. 

• Maintains collaborative relationships with donor / client organizations, relevant government agencies, bilateral and other NGOs (non-governmental organizations) and consistently maintained and viewed as a knowledgeable resource in their technical area. 

• Participate in client / funder meetings and draft reports / presentations. 

• Leads supply chain technical design for country buy-ins, follow-on funding, and new business in health systems and supply chain, including submissions to the U.S. Department of State, the Global Fund, Gavi, and other bilateral, multilateral and foundation funders. 

Staff Leadership and Training: 

• May supervise team members, monitor performance, and lead professional development efforts. 

• Establishes competency and continuing education systems 

• Ensures that staff members are qualified for delegated tasks. 

Project/Program Reporting: 

• Prepares technical reports. 

• Leads the presentation of deliverables, output, and results to donors. 

• Leads the development of peer reviewed publications and external communications arising from project work. 

• Ensures the accuracy and English correctness of all reports / outputs. 

• Reviews, analyzes, and evaluates the effectiveness of the technical components of a project and makes recommendations for enhancements. 

• Creates local, national, and/or regional guidelines and normative policies for subject matter areas of expertise. 

Quality Assurance: 

•  Ensures technical deliverables and implementation are consistent with best practices in the industry / subject and meet client / funder contractual obligations for one or more large, highly complex technical units of a functional domain. 

• Proactively identifies risks or challenges to technical deliverables and creates mitigation plan. 

• Ensures the quality of implemented technical activities and systems at all levels. 

• Ensures health commodities procured or managed under the portfolio meet quality-assured sourcing, storage and traceability requirements, and that risks to product quality and to continuity of supply are identified early and mitigated. 

Applied Knowledge & Skills: 

• Assists senior management in determining organization objectives, and interprets organization policies.

• Establishes organization policies in a major segment of the technical area. 

• Interprets, executes, and recommends modifications to organization-wide policies. 

• Demonstrates realistic budgeting and fiscal accountability. 

• Represents the organizational unit as internal and external contact. 

• Conducts briefings and technical meetings for top management and customer representatives. 

• Considered an expert in their technical field of study or knowledge area. 

• Informed of current project developments in division/unit/technical area. 

• Oversee and lead projects, set realistic priorities, and plan for the successful implementation of activities. 

• Familiar with donor/client funded projects and corresponding regulations and communication styles. 

• Written and published materials related to technical area e.g., journal articles, job aids, training curricula, and other tools. 

• Interacts with equivalent level managers concerning matters of significance to the company. 

• In-depth understanding of the external environment and how it affects the industry in general and organization, including political, legal, environmental, financial, and social influences. 

• In-depth and deep understanding of the structure, operations, human resources and finances of the organization and the complexities of their interdependencies. 

Problem Solving & Impact: 

• Often advises and creates plans based on analysis of issues and trends, and how these link to the responsibilities, capabilities, and potential of the technical area. 

• Scans an ever-changing, complex environment in anticipation of emerging crises and opportunities. 

• Erroneous decisions will affect the financial, employee or public relations posture of the organization. 

• Faulty decisions or recommendation will result in failure to achieve major goals and objectives of the organization. 

• Problems encountered often involve multiple departments, programs, or projects. 

• Problems are often complex, broad in scope and implications, and often unprecedented with no clear resolution. 

• Resolution requires in-depth analysis, cross-functional assessment and understanding of the organization’s strategic direction and must consider the complex interdependencies related to the problem. 

Supervision Given/Received: 

• Directs and controls the activities of one or more technical functional areas within multiple countries. 

• Completed work is reviewed, from a long-term perspective, for desired results. 

• Contributes to development of organization’s strategic plan. 

• Develops well-informed advice and strategies that are sensitive to the various needs of multiple stakeholders and partners, reflect the strategic direction of the department and position the company for success. 

• Overall responsibility for the planning and implementation of budgets within those functional areas. 

• Typically reports to a Director. 

Education: ** 

• Master’s Degree or its International Equivalent in Knowledge/Information Services, Communications, Education, Health, Behavioral, Life/Social Sciences International Development, Human Development or Related Field. 

• Doctorate Degree Preferred. 

• Project Management (PM) Certification preferred. 

Experience: ** 

• Typically requires a minimum of 15+ years of relevant experience in a specialized technical/medical field of study – may manage activities of lower-level staff, however, main function is individual contributor. 

• Documented experience as invited speaker/presenter at relevant conferences/meetings, authorship of technical/service delivery guidelines, and significant contribution to peer-reviewed publications. 

• Experience developing strategy and/or performance standards for projects/services in the technical area. 

• Prior work experience in a non-governmental organization (NGO), government agency, or private organization. 

Preferred: 

• International or Domestic (US) Program Development or Program management preferred. 

• Preferred fields of study for this post: Pharmacy, Supply Chain Management or Logistics, Public Health, Industrial Engineering, or Business Administration. 

• Professional certification in supply chain management — for example CSCP, CPIM, CIPS or equivalent — preferred. 

• At least ten years of the required experience in health supply chain management in low- and middle-income countries, including direct responsibility for quantification and forecasting, procurement, or distribution — not oversight alone. 

• Demonstrated experience leading supply chain strengthening with ministries of health, national supply chain agencies or central medical stores, including work on transition to government financing and management. 

• Experience with U.S. Government-funded health programs and the procurement, reporting and compliance requirements attached to them. 

• Working knowledge of at least one logistics management information system in operational use — for example eLMIS, OpenLMIS, mSupply or a national equivalent — and its interface with DHIS2. 

• French in addition to English is strongly preferred given the country portfolio; Portuguese is an asset. 

Typical Physical Demands: 

• Typical office environment. 

• Ability to spend long hours looking at computer screen and doing repetitive work on a keyboard. 

• Ability to sit and stand for extended periods of time. 

• Ability to lift/move up to 5 lbs. 

Technology to be Used: 

• Personal Computer/Laptop, Microsoft applications (i.e., Office 365, SharePoint, Skype/Zoom/Teams), cell phone/mobile technology, and standard office equipment. 

Travel Requirements: 

• 10% - 25% 

The expected US Based hiring salary range for this role is listed below. FHI 360 pay ranges represent national averages that vary by geographic location. When determining an offer amount, FHI 360 factors in multiple considerations, including but not limited to: relevant years of experience and education possessed by the applicant, internal equity, business sector, and budget.  For internal candidates, salary placement will also follow FHI 360’s current promotional increase guidelines. Final compensation will be determined in accordance with applicable law and FHI 360 policy.

Base salary is only one component of our offer. FHI 360 contributes 7% of monthly base pay to a money purchase pension plan account. Additionally, all US based staff working full-time, which is calculated at 40 hours/week, receive 18 days of paid vacation per year, 12 sick days per year, and 11 holidays per year. Paid time off is reduced pro rata for employees working less than a full-time schedule. 

US Based Hiring Salary Range: USD $140,000 - $170,000 annually  

International hiring ranges will differ based on location