Chief of Section, Logistics, P.5 at United Nations Regional Service Centre Entebbe

Job Description

Responsibilities
Within delegated authority, the Chief of Section will be responsible for the following:
•Develops, implements and provides policy guidance to the Division Director, on development and implementation of overall strategies and intra and interdivisional/departmental policies and procedures related to the work of FSDH.
Plans and oversees the management of activities undertaken by the Section; ensures that substantive work programmes and programmed activities are carried out in a timely fashion, coordinating diverse projects in the Section, and, in liaison with other organizations of the United Nations System, donors and agencies as appropriate.
•Manages, supervises and carries out the work programme of the Section under his/her responsibility. Co-ordinates the work carried out by the Section; provides programmatic and substantive reviews of drafts prepared by others.
•Exercises managerial and supervisory control over FSDH units, and in collaboration with the Movement Control Section, the Air Transport Service, Supply Chain Planning Service and the Global Service Centre:
Identify regional requirements in terms of freight forwarding, air cargo transport, and regional deployment stock/solutions.
•Explore and establish relevant fit-for-purpose solutions to enhance responsiveness to client entities in the region.
•Coordinate crisis response in support of regional entities to allow for supply chain solutions to b established in respect of the operational tempo.
•Oversee the management of the regional deployment stocks and ensure seamless delivery to client entities in the region.
•Enables support to client entities in the region, including with the establishment of thirdparty logistics contracts in coordination with the Global Procurement Support Section (GPSS) in Entebbe.
•Develops and monitors the relevant Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to meet supply chain performance expectations, such as responsiveness and reliability on delivery.
•Provides substantive input in the preparation of position papers and reports for presentation to intergovernmental bodies such as the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budget Questions, Committee for Programme Coordination, Economic and Social Council, the General Assembly and other policy-making organs, as appropriate.
Contributes to the reporting to intergovernmental bodies on budget/programme performance or on programmatic/ substantive issues, as appropriate, particularly those presented in biannual and/or annual reports.
•Provides technical and professional response to Board of Auditor and OIOS audit observations and ensures that agreed observations are implemented in a timely manner.
•Ensures that the outputs produced by the Section maintain high-quality standards; that reports are clear, objective and based on comprehensive data. Ensures that all outputs produced by the units under his/her supervision meet required standards before completion to ensure they comply with the relevant mandates.
•Prepares inputs for the work programme of the FSDH, determining priorities, anticipating requirements and allocating resources for the completion of outputs and their timely delivery.
Carries out programmatic/administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the Section, including preparation of budgets, assigning and monitoring of performance parameters and critical indicators, reporting on budget/programme performance, preparation of inputs for results-based budgeting, evaluation of staff performance (PAS), interviews of candidates for job openings and evaluation of candidates.
•Recruits staff for Section taking due account geographical and gender balance and other institutional values.
•Manages, guides, develops and trains staff under his/her supervision.
•Fosters teamwork and communication among staff in the Section and across organizational boundaries.
•Represents the Organization at inter-agency meetings, seminars, etc. on substantive-related issues.
•Participates in international, regional or national meetings and provides programmatic/substantive expertise on an issue or holds programmatic/substantive and organizational discussions with representatives of other institutions.

Competencies
•Professionalism: Knowledge of the substantive field of work in general and of specific areas being supervised. Ability to produce reports and papers on technical issues and to review and edit the work of others. Ability to apply UN rules, regulations, policies and guidelines in work situations. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.
•Accountability: Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honours commitments; delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost and quality standards; operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules; supports subordinates, provides oversight and takes responsibility for delegated assignments; takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable.
•Client Orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view; establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.

Managerial Competencies
•Leadership: Serves as a role model that other people want to follow: empowers others to translate vision into results; is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives; establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support; anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions; drives for change and improvements; does not accept the status quo; shows the courage to take unpopular stands. Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work; demonstrates knowledge of strategies and commitment to the goal of gender balance in staffing.
•Managing Performance: Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority; makes sure that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member; accurately judges the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a task and matches task to skills; monitors progress against milestones and deadlines; regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff; encourages risk-taking and supports creativity and initiative; actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff; appraises performance fairly

Education
• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent degree) in supply chain management, logistics, business or public administration, or related area. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Job Specific Qualifications
• Professional certification in supply chain (CSCP), Supply Chain Operations Reference (SCOR-P), MCIPS, or equivalent is desirable.
• Certification in Project/Programme Management methodology by an accredited body (e.g.
• PMP, PGMP, PRINCE 2 Foundation Project Management certification or practitioner level) or equivalent is desirable.

Work Experience
• A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible experience in at least three areas of supply chain management: logistics, warehousing, asset and inventory management, passenger and cargo transportation and/or air operations or related field is required.
• At least four years of management experience in the area of supply chain management and/or logistics operations in an international environment is required.
• Experience in managing highly complex supply chain management operations in a conflict or post-conflict environment with scarcity of resources is desirable.
• Experience in change management is desirable
• Experience in planning, deployment or sustaining field operations is desirable.
• Experience in managing a multidisciplinary team is desirable.

Languages
• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another United Nations official language is desirable.

Assessment
• Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by a competency-based interview

Special Notice
• Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures.
• This position is funded by the Support Account. The Appointment or assignment against this position is for an initial period of one year.
• The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance and geographical diversity in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.
• Applicants from troop and police-contributing countries who are found most suitable and recommended for selection will be given due consideration for positions in a peacekeeping operation or Headquarters support account funded positions in the Department of Peace Operations and the Department of Operational Support, taking into account their contribution to United Nations peacekeeping, in accordance with General Assembly resolutions 66/265 and 67/287.
• Pursuant to section 7.11 of ST/AI/2012/2/Rev.1, candidates recruited through the young professionals’ programme who have not served for a minimum of two years in the position of their initial assignment are not eligible to apply to this position.
• At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application.