Médecins Sans Frontières Biomed and Cold Chain Referent - Jobs in Kenya

Médecins Sans Frontières Biomed and Cold Chain Referent - Jobs in Kenya


General Context

Médecins Sans Frontières is an international independent medical-humanitarian organization, which offers assistance to populations in distress, to victims of natural or man-made disasters and to victims of armed conflict, without discrimination and irrespective of race, religion, creed or political affiliation.

MSF is a civil society initiative that brings together individuals committed to the assistance of other human beings in crisis. As such MSF is by choice an association. Each individual working with MSF does it out of conviction and is ready to uphold the values and principles of MSF.

The MSF movement is built around six operational directorates supported by MSF’s 21 sections, 24 associations and other offices together worldwide. MSF OCBA is one of those directorates. The operations are implemented by field teams and the mission coordination teams; together with the organizational units based in Barcelona, Athens and decentralised in Nairobi, Dakar and Amman. The field operations are guided and supported by 5 Operational Cells, the Emergency Unit and other departments supporting operations.

General Objective

The Logistics Technical Unit (LogTech) is part of the Logistics and Supply Chain department and consists of supporting the missions of MSF OCBA regarding their logistics’ needs. The unit comprises a diverse expertise, to ensure that it can support all different aspects of MSF´s logistics for both regular missions and emergency interventions related to: construction, shelter, fleet, energy, HVAC, facility and cold chain management, general and biomedical equipment management and WHS (water, hygiene, sanitation and vector control). The focus of the unit is to ensure appropriate support and guidance to MSF OCBA’s missions regarding their logistics, in collaboration with other relevant departments/units (operations, medical, financial, HR, projects & IT…).

The Biomed and Cold Chain Referent is based at OCBA hub, as part of the LogTech Unit and is accountable to the Head of LogTech Unit. The main objective of the position is to ensure full integration and consecution of OCBA ambitions related medical equipment and cold chain support, s/he will lead the BM & CC support group related to both the regular and emergency missions. On behalf of LogOps or LogTech, s/he is functionally responsible for the Mobile Support Technicians, Mobile Implementation Officers, Project Managers and/or Officers; sets priorities for the team and ensures that needs of operations are met. S/he ensure that quality and consistent execution of field support and procedures.

Additionally, s/he leads the team’s efforts to support the development of our human resources in the field and HQ. S/he maintains dialogue with other departments/units or entities within MSF to ensure alignment of priorities.

Main Responsibilities

1. Expert reactive support to field questions:
Ensure reactive technical advice to the field teams, cells and departments that require functional expertise.

2. Expert and proactive support to logistic activities and projects:
Ensure proactive support to the main logistics projects that requires her/his area of expertise.
Ensure hands-on support during start-up phase of interventions that have a heavy component of the functional expertise.
Give on-site expert advice by the mean of planned field visits.

3. R&D:
Assess internal and external technical possibilities and new trends that may be relevant for MSF and propose/share them within OCBA and the rest of the sections as appropriate. Collaborates in transversal projects and dossiers with other technical referents across OCBA and the movement that requires her/his area of expertise.
Initiate, plan, lead and manages R&D initiatives.

4. Base of knowledge:
Ensure a coherent documentation (processes, procedures and other knowledge assets/tools) is available for field teams.
Actively participate in training efforts related to her/his functional expertise (design training modules, facilitates trainings…).

5. Staff management: