PATH is an international organization that drives transformative innovation to save lives and improve health, especially among women and children. We accelerate innovation across five platforms—vaccines, drugs, diagnostics, devices, and system and service innovations—that harness our entrepreneurial insight, scientific and public health expertise, and passion for health equity. By mobilizing partners around the world, we take innovation to scale, working alongside countries primarily in Africa and Asia to tackle their greatest health needs. Together, we deliver measurable results that disrupt the cycle of poor health. Learn more at www.path.org.
Position: Logistics Officer
Location: Kinshasa
PATH’s Center for Vaccine Innovation and Access brings together our expertise across every stage of the long and complex process of vaccine research, development, and delivery to make lifesaving vaccines widely available to children and communities across the world. CVIA’s current portfolio encompasses more than two dozen vaccines either in development or already in use to protect against 15 different diseases. Our focus is on vaccines to address the leading diseases that claim children’s lives worldwide: pneumonia, diarrheal disease, and malaria; as well as other global health priorities, such as polio and meningitis.
PATH is seeking a Logistics Officer for the Strengthening the Vaccine-Derived Polio Outbreak Response in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) project, operating in Tanganyika and Haut-Lomami provinces and funded by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The Logistics Officer will be responsible for coordinating with and providing technical assistance to the DPS/ProgrammeElargi de Vaccination (PEV)-Comite des Operations d’Urgence Polio (COUP) to strengthen the quality of storing and deploying vaccination dosages required for conducting supplementary immunization activities (SIA) for six months of the cVDPV2 outbreak response as well as contribute to strengthening routine immunization. The Logistics Officer will ensure that operational and administrative policies, procedures, and guidelines are followed in the storage and cold chain of vaccination commodities, in compliance with national and international best practices and procedures.
The Logistics Officer will be responsible for the following, but not limited to:
- Provide technical assistance to DPS/PEV-COUP on packaging and transportation of vaccines to ensure high-quality of polio vaccinations being used in the outbreak response and as part of routine immunization efforts.
- Coordinate with supply chain focal points at DPS/PEV-COUP provincial and health zone-level to ensure vaccine dosages are received and deployed for SIA and vaccination campaigns.
- Work with the PEV-COUP at national and provincial levels to quantify and verify vaccine dosages to be deployed to Haut-Lomami and Tanganyika in support of SIAs during outbreak and as part of routine immunization.
- Provide technical support to the national and DPS/PEV-COUP on vaccination supply management to ensure that vaccine dosages are deployed in a timely manner for immunization rounds and SIAs to avoid wastage.
- Coordinate with provincial customs and other government officials and authorized transportation companies to ensure reception of vaccination dosages.
- Collaborate with Village Reach to ensure that vaccine dosages are correctly packaged and transported in appropriate storage conditions to support immunization campaigns.
- Support the DPS/PEV-COUP to track commodities and analyze cold chain logistics for supported intervention zones (including quantification, ordering, inventory management, transportation, and delivery), and present logistics data analysis to project management, national PEV-COUP, and other stakeholders involved in the outbreak and routine immunization strengthening.
- Coordinate with the DPS/PEV-COUP to track immunization performance and logistics data transmission from health zones to national PEV-COUP.
- Support the DPS/PEV-COUP to strengthen reverse cold chain and sample collection system for AFP surveillance as part of routine immunization strengthening.
- Provide technical feedback to PEV-COUP to develop, adapt, or update tools for vaccination commodity management.
- Participate in SIA coordination meetings led by the Ministry of Health.
- Participate in follow-up meetings with key stakeholders, on SIA improvement and routine immunization strengthening.
- Participate in project reviews and final evaluation, as requested.
- Contributing to report preparation as requested.
Required Skills:
- Demonstrated success planning, coordinating, and overseeing rapid deployment of vaccines to health areas in the DRC, especially remote areas.
- Extensive knowledge of the cold chain system and infrastructure in the DRC, especially in Haut-Lomami, Tanganyika, Lomami, Haut Katanga, and Lualaba provinces.
- In-depth knowledge of cold chain management processes and international and national guidelines on vaccination storage and cold chain.
- Proven ability to create and maintain effective working relationships with government personnel, NGO partners, and international organizations.
- Strong interpersonal and organizational skills.
- Proven ability to manage challenging situations in a difficult political environment.
- Expert computer skills in Microsoft Office Suite applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
- Experience working in geographically dispersed teams and a multi-cultural environment.
- Fluency in French and local dialects required; fluency in English is a plus.
Required Experience:
- Master’s Degree or other advance degree in Public Health or Health Logistics.
- At least three years of relevant work experience supporting supply chain/cold chain management and delivery for vaccine/immunization programming, preferably for projects funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, or USAID.
- Applicants considered for this position are to be DRC nationals. This position is based in Kinshasa. Candidates based in Kinshasa are preferred; relocation costs to Kinshasa are not covered. There may be between 40% and 50% travel in the first year of the project to the Haut-Lomami, Tanganyika, Lomami, Haut Katanga, and Lualaba provinces.
This position does not attract international terms and conditions. The post holder will be considered as a local staff and will not have international terms and conditions of employment.
Applicants considered for this position are to be DRC nationals. This position is based in Kinshasa. Candidates outside of Kinshasa will be responsible for their relocation expenses.
Early application is encouraged as we will review applications throughout the advertising period and reserve the right to close the advert early.
Please submit a cover letter with your curriculum vitae/resume describing your interest in this position, how you meet the requirements, and previous experience with the above-listed job duties. Women are encouraged to apply. Please, click the link to submit your resume: https://bit.ly/2tO980i