Head of Commodities at Save the Children International

Ratnapura, Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

18 Aug, 26

Salary

0.0

Posted On

20 May, 26

Experience

10 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Commodity Management, Supply Chain Management, Logistics Coordination, Warehouse Operations, Procurement, Transport Management, Budget Management, Stakeholder Coordination, Reporting, Inventory Management, Food Safety, Import Procedures, Fleet Management, Asset Management, Monitoring and Evaluation, Community Mobilisation

Industry

Non-profit Organizations

Description

ROLE PURPOSE: The Head of Commodity role is a senior level position reporting directly to the Chief of Party. S/he will be responsible for planning and direct oversight and management of all call forwards (incoming food commodities from USDA & Local Regional Procurement-LRP), and warehouse operations of the Program Office. This role will help implement the set-up, scaling and management of the commodity and community mobilisation related programming in all Eight Districts of the PALAMA program in Sri Lanka. This includes but not limited to general commodity management functions, supervision of distribution and primary and secondary warehouse staff, execution of transportation contracts, working with school Principals, transporters and SC warehouse/distribution staff to ensure efficient flow of commodities to schools and student beneficiary populations, as well as all necessary commodity and community mobilisation reporting functions. KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY: * In the consultation with the Chief of Party, implement the country logistics policies and procedures for the management of both imported and locally procured commodities, including the following areas; pre-arrival requisites, transport and distribution, warehousing and stock management, GPS commodity tracking systems, and other CM assets. * Identifying the requirement of locally procured food commodities and quantities as per the project planning and explore possible supplier sources accordingly with required volumes, quality parameters, lead times and cost efficiency. * Provide supervision and coordinate all commodity and community mobilisation operations which include not limited to commodity management and accounting, joint distribution and monitoring, beneficiary registration, shipment coordination, transport management, food distribution, disposal of spoilt commodities as well drafting of commodity narrative and quantitative reports in accordance with USDA and SCI reporting standards. * Foresee and proactively engage with field staff on commodity management and handling challenges and work closely with regional health authorities on any ongoing discussions as and when required. * Identify requirements for necessary staffing, commodity management (CM) systems and processes for efficient management of food items and set up appropriate systems and processes to meet requirements, including distribution, post distribution monitoring, and software applications. This includes designing and implementing a monitoring system and troubleshoot to fix system malfunctions when necessary. * Coordinate commodity logistics; implement the country logistics policies and procedures for the management of the supply chain, including one or more of the following areas; procurement, transport and distribution, warehousing and stock management, management of vehicle fleets, disposal of spoilt commodities, communication systems, and assets * Work closely with the Supply Chain unit on the LRP process is in compliance with USDA and SCI standard procedures for tender, RFQ and Finance Rules and Regulations. * Coordinate with LRP independent delivery surveyors on schedules and quality specifications during the delivery. * Ensure a reconciled report of LRP commodities between the independent surveyor and warehouse managers for consistency. * Ensure that Save the Children’s minimum standards of CM procedures including safer warehouse management and commodity distribution processes, country policies are implemented and adhered to in the area of responsibility, supporting relevant staff as required * Understand import procedures and regulations governing humanitarian aid relief in the form of food commodities and know port operations and procedures; work effectively with shipping agents, port authorities, clearing and forwarding agents, surveyors, Import Control Department, Sri Lanka Standards Institute (SLSI), Department of fisheries, Food Control Administration Unit and customs. * Determine and oversee the requirements for the set-up of warehouses, including the provision and maintenance of handling, storage, and safety equipment and establish safety and security procedures for the warehouse and CM staff. * Provide guidance to draw up warehouse layout and establish procedures for smooth receipt, storage, and dispatch of commodities. Monitor food quality and adhere to warehousing best practices, including good housekeeping, ventilation, use of pallets, proper stacking, fumigation, and rodent control. * Determine and periodically assess transport needs for delivery of commodities to secondary warehouses and/or final distribution points considering safeguarding practices, including modes of transport and identification of primary and secondary transporter, where applicable. * Prepare and analyze the commodity pipeline, monitor the burn rate, and forecast commodity requirements. * Establish a system to submit accurate and timely reporting to the donor and headquarters. * Ensure timely availability of pre-arrival approvals from SLSI, Import Control Department, Food Control and Administration Unit and Department of Fisheries on incoming commodities as per the relevant Gazette notifications. * Work closely with TIM focal persons on the relevant updates and troubleshooting of the transactions related entries. * Work closely with National Planning Department (NPD) on annual budget allocations for incoming commodity levies. * Be the focal person with SCUS commodity operations teams on ongoing commodity management operations support and feedback. * Knowledge of internal controls and processes as a budget holder for commodity management. Reporting * Compile and submit all narrative reports in a timely manner. * Oversight of monthly commodity dispatches are entered into the Total Inventory Management (TIM) across all WHs * Ensure Good Received Notes and Stock Releases are transacted in TIM timely * Supervise the compilation of Recipient status reports (Monthly targets, absentees and monthly reports) from the master beneficiary database. * Reconcile Commodity Status Report (CSR) from the database. This is to be compared to the physical CSR compiled by Warehouse Managers, highlighting any discrepancies between the two reports. Supervisory Functions * Manage 03 Senior Managers, and 5 Warehouse Managers as dotted line reports * Coordinate with Field Managers and other Stream leads to rectify commodity related concerns. * Oversee all central commodity related logistics coordination and reporting. * Prepare and analyse the commodity pipeline- both imported and LRP, on a monthly basis. Essential * Master’s Degree in Logistics Management, Supply Chain, Social Sciences, Economics, Business Administration, or related field, with at least 5 years of relevant work experience OR * Bachelor’s Degree in any of the above disciplines with at least 10 years of relevant work experience. * Experience with school feeding programs, with an in-depth knowledge of USDA regulations preferred * Prior experience in commodity management and logistics coordination specific to food goods in the NGO sector, within complex/ large scale country programs * Proven experience in all technical areas of logistics operations including procurement, transport/ distribution, warehousing and stock management, fleet management, asset management, communications, shipping and security * Experience of working in remote field bases with limited infrastructure * Experiencing in managing and supervising other stakeholders in logistics arrangements * Ability to synthesize and analyze information, and make clear, informed decisions * Ability to build relationships quickly with a wide range of people, both internally and externally * Strong planning, management and coordination skills, with the ability to organise a substantial workload comprised of complex, diverse tasks and responsibilities * Understanding of the political, social and cultural context of Sri Lanka preferred * Strong written and spoken communication and interpersonal skills in English and one local language Desirable * Technical experience/training in specific areas of school feeding, food safety and food importation The Organization We employ approximately 25,000 people across the globe and work on the ground in over 100 countries to help children affected by crises, or those that need better healthcare, education and child protection. We also campaign and advocate at the highest levels to realise the right of children and to ensure their voices are heard. We are working towards three breakthroughs in how the world treats children by 2030: · No child dies from preventable causes before their 5th birthday · All children learn from a quality basic education and that, · Violence against children is no longer tolerated We know that great people make a great organization, and that our employees play a crucial role in helping us achieve our ambitions for children.We value our people and offer a meaningful and rewarding career, along with a collaborative and inclusive workplace where ambition, creativity, and integrity are highly valued. Application Information: Please apply using a cover letter and up-to-date CV as a single document. Please also include details of your current remuneration and salary expectations. A copy of the full role profile can be found at www.savethechildren.net/jobs We need to keep children safe so our selection process reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

Responsibilities

Oversee the planning, procurement, and distribution of food commodities and warehouse operations for the PALAMA program in Sri Lanka. Manage supply chain logistics, ensure compliance with USDA and SCI standards, and supervise warehouse and distribution staff across eight districts.