Regional Officer, Logistics - British Red Cross

Organizational Context

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with a network of 192-member National Societies. The overall aim of the IFRC is “to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by National Societies with a view to preventing and alleviating human suffering and thereby contributing to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and peace in the world.” The IFRC works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises. The IFRC is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (Movement), together with its member National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The work of the IFRC is guided by the following fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality. The IFRC is led by its Secretary General, and has its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The Headquarters are organized into three main Divisions: (i) National Society Development and Operations Coordination; (ii) Global Relations, Humanitarian Diplomacy and Digitalization; and (iii) Management Policy, Strategy and Corporate Services. The IFRC has five regional offices in Africa, Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Europe, and the Americas. The IFRC also has country cluster delegation and country delegations throughout the world. Together, the Geneva Headquarters and the field structure (regional, cluster and country) comprise the IFRC Secretariat. The British Red Cross is integrated in IFRC MENA and has been working in the region since 2004 with partner National Societies, and opened a satellite office in Beirut in 2013. British Red Cross currently has partnerships in Yemen, Libya, Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. The MENA zone work of the British Red Cross (BRC) is implemented through and in close cooperation with the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement partners in the region, most notably the Syrian Arab Red Crescent and the Lebanese Red Cross. BRC are currently engaged with programming in, among others, capacity building, relief and logistics-related programmes both bilaterally and multilaterally.

Job Purpose

The officer will provide efficient and effective administrative and logistics support to the BRC Beirut office. The officer will be responsible for the day-to-day logistics and administrative support functions and support to BRC regional programmes. The officer will be responsible for ensuring that BRC and partner national societies adhere to established procurement and logistics regulations.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

Logistics

Collaborating closely with stakeholders and staff from partner national societies, the Officer will:

• Establish and maintain a well-functioning logistics support operation for MENA;
• Facilitate procurement processes for office and programmes as necessary, following agreed procedure to ensure value for money, compliance and transparency, in collaboration with relevant business partners (e.g. finance) and programme staff.
• Ensure timely and compliant delivery of relief items and other goods to regional countries in coordination with the IFRC, respective national societies and/or BRC teams, maintaining strong professional relationships with suppliers and stakeholders.
• Cooperate and coordinate fully with the IFRC regional office to ensure strong operational delivery to IFRC plans including capacity building and procurement for the region as capacity allows.
• Carry out market analysis and assessment as required to identify new suppliers and to develop a database to be used in future tenders and shared with relevant partners.
• Support programme teams to ensure that logistics aspects are considered when planning and delivering programmes that have supplies and/or other logistics services and elements.
• Ensure appropriate records and paperwork and archiving maintained.
• Manage, maintain, regularly update and monitor BRC asset and inventory for the Beirut office as per the procedure.
• Arrange for any shipping or archiving to be sent to UK as needed.
• Attend and form part of any logistics regional working group or cluster.
• Support with any national society logistics capacity building as relevant.
• Ensure own and partner reporting requirements are fulfilled in an accurate and timely manner.
• Ensure compliance with BRC and Red Cross Red Crescent Movement logistics standards and regulations.
• Conduct due diligence checks on suppliers.
• Prepare the agreements/contracts for the procurement of service or material from the suppliers (with the concerned National Society)
• Develop logistics contingency plan articulating the different options to ensure that the established supply chain is maintained in coordination with other partners.
• Responsible for ensuring all procurement, asset, warehousing, transport and fleet files are filed according to the agreed procedure and policy, as well as ensuring donor compliance requirements are met.

General

• Liaise with relevant IFRC, ICRC and Partner National Societies contacts, support the planning and organization of meetings and workshops, as requested.
• Facilities management of guesthouse and other staff housing including repairs, checks and inventory stocks.
• Support with any IT issues as required.
• Ensure security support to the office e.g. regularly test satellite phones and VHF radios, maintain hibernation stocks and equipment, fill the function of the logistical focal point in case of emergency, maintain a travel tracking system for staff trips and visitors, contingency planning.
• Ensure any security-related incident or emergency is immediately and adequately reported.
• Support field-level response to incidents, including critical incidents, as required.
• Liaise and coordinate with IFRC, ICRC and other RCRC national societies in matters of safety and security as required.
• Brief staff travelling to Lebanon, Syria and Iraq, and wider MENA region, if required.
• Maintain an information management filing system for contracts e.g. procurement, movement of goods between suppliers and partners' warehouses, supporting documents for transportation of goods, agreements between BRC and partners, and reports.
• Carry out translations e.g. for contract documentation and supporting financial documentation, as required.
• Produce regular update reports and statistics as required.
• Ensure regular communication with relevant BRC teams in Beirut, London offices and teams in MENA region.
• Ensure compliance with BRC relevant procedures, SOPs and procurement guidelines.
• Participate in relevant internal BRC meetings, development forums, workshops, courses, etc.
• Fill in daily timesheet for his/her work.
• Be available and willing to carry out short missions to the MENA region e.g. Syria to assure correct logistics programming
• Support the dissemination of relevant Fraud and Corruption Prevention and Control Policy to all suppliers/service providers

Education

University Degree in Business Administration or Logistics relevant major - Required

Experience

• 3-5 years of relevant professional experience in administration or logistics in a humanitarian organization or private sector - Required
• Experience in dealing with suppliers and procurement - Required
• Full driving license and willingness to drive independently - Required
• Experience in humanitarian operation - Preferred
• Experience in RC/RC movement - Preferred

Knowledge, skills and languages

• Strong communication skills - Required
• Strong sense of ownership and able to see through the completion of task assigned- Required
• Teamwork: Commitment to the International Red Cross & Red Crescent Movement; integrity & personal conduct; sensitivity to diversity; Flexibility & adaptability; interpersonal skills; resilience; friendly. Have a positive attitude, proactive, resourceful, hardworking, trustworthy, matured and able to maintain confidentiality at all times. - Required
• Ability to work independently and under pressure - Required
• Resourceful and capable to research and source information - Required
• Pro-active and highly organized - Required
• Strong communication skills, including ability to prepare and present concise oral and written logistics operations reports, briefings, updates and other documentation - Required
• Demonstrated management, planning and organizational skills - Required
• Ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor work plans - Required
• Comprehensive understanding of logistics operations and practices - Required
• Strong personal initiative and willingness to accept responsibilities and new tasks - Required
• Excellent relationship building skills and willingness to work in a team - Required
• Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with logistic counterparts in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity - Required
• Languages: Fluency in English and Arabic - Required
• Languages: French- Preferred

Competencies and values

• Communication
• Collaboration and Teamwork
• Creativity and Innovation
• Building Trust