Senior Logistics and Commodity Officer

Senior Logistics and Commodity Officer

Position title	Senior Logistics and Commodity Officer
Location	Dili, Timor-Leste
Grade	5 step 4
Start date/timeframe	3 year
Application deadline	11 October, 2022
Application process	Send CV and application letter via email to [email protected] OR HR unit at CARE office at Bairo Pite, Dili.

1. Background
   1. The Programme

CARE is an international development and humanitarian organisation working in Timor-Leste since 1994. With programmes that extend across all municipalities in the country, CARE’s mission is to save lives, strive for equality and achieve social justice.

CARE does this by creating lasting change by working directly with target communities, providing innovative solutions and assistance in emergencies.

Ensuring well-being and a voice for women and girls in rural disadvantaged areas is at the heart of CARE’s work. This happens through four priority areas; Education, Women’s Economic Empowerment, Sexual Reproductive and Maternal Health and Women’s Voice.

To overcome poverty and bring about lasting, sustainable development, there needs to be equal rights and opportunities. That’s why making women and girls a priority impact group is key, as this is a proven way to create sustainable, long-term change.

• The role

The Senior Logistics and Commodity Officer will work with the HATUTAN project. Under the supervision of the, Logistic & Commodity Manager, the Senior Logistic and Commodity Officer will lead all aspects of commodity management and logistics operations of the School Feeding Program, ensuring school receive food commodity timely and based on plan. S/He also will have the overall responsibility for ensuring that an effective supply chain management is in place. This includes commodity planning in line with requirements, provide oversight to food commodity surveys, port operations, and ensure timely movement of commodities to the respective schools.

This position will also ensure that:

[a] an effective control and monitoring system for  commodity movement at all stages of transport, handling, storage, and distribution for receiving commodity at port and coordinating all port operations activities including coordinating with port officials.

[b] Adequate warehousing and transportation facilities are in place for the proper storage of food commodities and its movement to the schools for final distribution,

[c] Adequate record keeping, reporting and monitoring are in place at all levels, i.e. at the Dili level, regional/district levels and at the school level.

The role requires a high level of professionalism, good leadership, excellent organisational and planning skills and attention to detail with an ability to work confidentially and appropriately with others across a diverse team.

This position is based in Dili, with regular travels required to other field offices.

1. MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES:
   1. Commodity Management:
2. Tracking of all procurement of all goods and services
3. Support the logistic and procurement team for leasing warehouse space, buying empty containers, commodity package items, hiring truck and car rentals, printing school banners and office equipment.
4. Ensure timely printing of commodity documents such as Waybills, Registers, LARs, RLDRs, School Reporting Formats, Stack cards, etc. for a seamless commodity management. Prepare training modules for the school management for easy understanding and internalization.
5. Support in the procurement of big warehouse supplies like flatbed weighing scales, pallets, fireman ladder, guard locks, etc.
6. Ensure that all expenditures related to the area of commodity management and/or operations are well within approved budget guidelines. All related purchases / expenses should be reviewed to confirm the availability of funds before it is sent for approval. All procurement process should conform to CARE procurement guidelines.
7. Coordinate with project field team to review their requirement and provide support as needed to conduct a smooth operation. 
8. Management of Shipment of Commodity Importation and Dispatch

• Support the entire commodity management team in port operation, service providers are in place, orient them for smooth commodity discharge and receiving, survey work and transportation from the Dili Port to the central warehouses for storage and onward transportation;
• Support the LCM to coordinate and handle all shipping matters on food commodities and ensure timely correspondence on shipping matters with concerned Ministry/ Government officials, Surveyors, Shipping Agent, C &F Agent. 
• Monitor/ review the performance of each service provider and provide feedback with recommendations for improvement in each relevant area; provide immediate feedback in case of poor performance, wrongdoings/errors by the service providers.
• Review shipping documents including exemption on Tax, VAT, import permit letter request and approval and ensure that all documentation required is in order before they handover to the relevant authorities, i.e. C &F agent and customs for timely clearance through customs;
• Oversee and ensure effective discharge and de-stuffing of commodities from containers, monitor the reconstitution work if deemed necessary, track and document on all losses observed at the port at the time of offloading and take remedial action for the disposal of damaged commodities, following procedures that are in line with both the donor’s and the government’s requirement;
• Keep the LCM informed on shipment arrival and discharge operation including its movement from the port to the designated warehouses;
• Coordinate, oversee and monitor surveyor, C&F agent and shipping agent activities and ensure that vessel is berthed in time and effect discharge of commodities properly; coordinate, oversee and monitor loading from the local suppliers warehouse for the procurement of rice, beans, peanut and fishpowder.
• Review the daily and final dispatch reports and the survey report and reconcile the shipment inventory to determine any marine losses and//or shortlanding and ensure that all documentation related to such losses are collected, reviewed and submitted in a timely manner; Review final receipt report for the locally procured commodities and reconcile with the agreement and waybills to determine any transportation losses
• Ensure that relevant records such as the shipment register, claims register, register for damaged / reconstituted commodities are maintained separately by shipment; Ensure all relevant records such as shipment claims register for damaged/reconstituted commodities are maintained and claims filed against the local supplier.
• Ensure that all survey reports are submitted by the surveyor on timely manner. These should first be reviewed with the DCOP for any changes and/or corrections that need to be made and that all information contained in such reports tally with information maintained by CARE before it is forwarded to CARE USA for further action.   Ensure that all documents related to commodity receipt, storage, transport and handling are maintained in an accurate manner and are available for audit purpose;

iii. Commodity supply chain management and accounting

• Establish a commodity requirement plan for all targeted schools. Prepare timely commodity dispatch plan for the schools during the period 2022-2026 ensuring compliance and annual estimate of requirements and approved student numbers. In addition, prepare a commodity distribution plan by district / by warehouse/dispatching location. ;
• Conduct logistics assessment to set up the warehouses at strategic location for timely commodity receipt and final delivery to the respective destination/s schools.
• Assess the School storage facilities routinely and ensure necessary improvement action is taken.
• In conjunction with the LCM, DM warehouse SF-Manager and School Feeding team members, develop and design the commodity standard operating procedure/ guidelines/ form/format/ monitoring tools;
• Introduce effective commodity accounting and reporting system and organize to design computerized inventory system for commodity reporting if required;
• Establish effective internal control systems at all levels to avoid / mitigate losses and damages as per the CARE and donor regulation and provide training on standard operating procedures to all staff involved in commodity storage, delivery and distribution management;
• Ensure that all invoices provided by the transporter are first reviewed for correctness which shall include the determination of all internal losses and take appropriate action.
• Review the performance of each transport contract and provide feedback and recommendations to Management..

iv. Reporting, monitoring and audit

• Develop guidelines to form an independent team comprising with finance, administration and other project staff in all school district to carry out the physical inventory at warehouse at the end of each month after completion of transaction/distribution. It is imperative and policy that this exercise is conducted at all such storage locations, with the exception of the schools, on the same day and at the same time.
• Ensure all warehouses and school storage facilities are inspected periodically by the relevant staff for quantity and proper storage of commodities and take remedial measures as needed.
• Ensure that steps are taken for the timely / regular submissions of the School Feeding Reports (also known as the School Stock & Issue Register) to the relevant dispatching points for review and assimilation of information. Institute follow-up procedures for delinquent reporting centers.
• Utilize end-use monitoring findings to improve supply chain management activities.
• Facilitate Internal / External Audits and resolve audit observations in relation to commodity.

v. Staff Management

• Assist in deployment of commodity staff and ensure the staff required for the projects are recruited as per policies and requirements and complete all HR documentation (i.e. Timesheet, Leave Management, Recruitment selection memo);

• Supervise the direct reports.
• Perform performance management activities of the supervisees     
• Guide capacity building of the commodity staff of both CARE and Partner
• Conduct field visits for onsite guidance and implementation

• The requirements

EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS:

• Minimum Bachelors’ degree in any discipline with minimum 5-7 years’ relevant work experience, preferably in an International Non-Government Organisation (INGO) including 3-5 years practical experience of food commodity handling;
• Ability to manage the logistic and commodity technical function and implement procedures and processes, with minimal supervision;
• Proven demonstrated experience of working in large and complex project from USG funded projects;
• Knowledge of port operation and USDA rules and regulations is desirable;
• Experience as a supervisor of other operational support staff;
• Excellent written and verbal skills in both Tetum and English and good numerical skills;
• Demonstrated knowledge of and experience in software package including Ms Offices;
• Demonstrated high level organizational and time management skills, including the ability to plan and manage workflows and balance competing priorities to ensure timely processing to meet deadlines in a complex environment;
• Demonstrated strong leadership, decision making, problem solving, planning, analytical and communication skills;
• Representational skills including developing networks and relationships with key stakeholders;
• Proven understanding of working with an International Non-Government Organisation (INGO) and a willingness to learn about CARE, gender equality and women’s empowerment activities.

• How to apply

Interested applicants should send a CV (no longer than four pages) and cover letter via email to [email protected] OR to Human Resource unit at CARE Timor-Leste office at Bairo Pite, Dili.

* Applicants are required to mention where they discovered information about this position

* This application is required by 11 October, 2022