Control Tower Analyst (VAN)
Location: Burkina Faso, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, or Zambia
Position Category: Local hire, paid in-country
Deadline Date: Nov 29, 2024
Starting Date: Jan 6, 2025
Position Type: Full-time
Salary: Commensurate with experience and location.
DESCRIPTION
The mission of the public health management consulting and research firm JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc. (JSI) is to enhance the health of people and communities globally. In order to assist the Global Family Planning Visibility & Analytics Network (VAN), JSI is looking for one or more Control Tower Analysts. The Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition (RHSC, or the Coalition), a global alliance of over 500 public, private, and non-governmental organizations, oversees the VAN. Its mission is to increase access to affordable, high-quality reproductive health supplies and related services for all individuals in low- and middle-income nations. One of the technical groups that takes part in and assists in staffing the VAN is JSI.
The VAN facilitates the economical distribution of family planning supplies.
help developing nations by giving supply chain experts the ability to collaborate on planning and supply choices using a shared view of a common data set. Together with other members of the VAN Control Tower, the analyst will make sure that the necessary supply plan and inventory data is uploaded on schedule, complete, and up to quality standards so that it can be trusted when making decisions.
In order to reduce the risk of stockouts, shortages, and overstocks, the Control Tower Analyst will work with other VAN Control Tower Members and country partners to evaluate country data in order to find and create workable solutions for supply chain-related problems as they emerge through the VAN. The Control Tower Analyst will assist in meeting the requirements of important
supply chain partners as they emerge in the VAN, including those of UNFPA’s Supply Chain Management Unit and USAID’s contracted procurement agent GHSC-PSM.
This role is essential to the group that spearheads the VAN’s development and implementation. In order to balance supply and demand for family planning products and enable more prompt supply chain reactions, this role will have the opportunity to observe firsthand how an active supply chain Control Tower operates across enterprises. For someone who wants to engage closely with important supply chain players and is interested in giving countries technical support and training in bolstering their health systems, this is an intriguing position. Additionally, the analyst will build a solid professional network of important reproductive health partners.
field. The analyst will work mostly with African nations and be given a portfolio of VAN member nations to support.
With general technical guidance from the VAN Management Unit, the Control Tower Analyst will report to their JSI management in order to keep the relationship with JSI intact while under contract with RHSC. Regarding VAN work plans, deliverables, tasks, activities, and priorities, the employee will have direct communication with the VAN Management Unit.
An estimated 15% of this role may involve travel abroad. Burkina Faso, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, or Zambia are among the nations where candidates may be based.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Support country health system strengthening through training, and the review, validation, and management of data
- Create data validation tickets and work to resolve data validation issues for a portfolio of countries using the VAN ticketing system when possible, or directly with country data providers.
- Execute training of assigned country users and other country stakeholders on supply chain data management principles related to VAN processes and the VAN platform.
- Act as main point of contact between VAN and country data providers for the collection, review, and validation of national inventory and supply plan data for a portfolio of countries.
- Work with country data providers to ensure that inventory and supply plan data is submitted on time and is complete.
- Ensure that supply plans, inventory, and order/shipment data as presented in the VAN are in alignment with one another for a portfolio of countries.
Resolve family planning supply imbalances in collaboration with country stakeholders and the global RH community
- Present country-specific issues to donors/procurer members of the RHSC VAN CPG and make clear recommendations for action.
- Collaborate with assigned in-country data providers to review supply exceptions flagged by the system and to determine the appropriate action to request of donors/procurers to avoid stockouts, shortages, and overstocks for at least the next 12 months.
- Work with the Control Tower Planning Manager to execute more in-depth analysis of country data for the RHSC VAN Consensus Planning Group (CPG). The RHSC VAN CPG is a cross-organizational group of donors, procurers, and technical assistance partners working together to avoid/mitigate family planning stock imbalances.
Contribute to process improvement efforts of the VAN
- Provide input to the development of analytics dashboards to be leveraged by the Control Tower Planning Manager, other Control Tower Members, as well as by international, multi-donor working groups.
- Support continuous process improvement efforts through active participation in VAN taskforces and workstreams.
QUALIFICATIONS
Required Skills
- Experience working with global donors/procurers and demonstrated understanding of their procurement practices, specifically UNFPA and USAID
- Experience working with and knowledge of family planning products or acceptable equivalent
- Experience working with countries in Anglophone, Francophone, and/or Lusophone Africa
- Excellent oral and written communication ability; able to communicate and document complex processes in a clear and concise manner
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively as part of a team, preferably with remote team members
- Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in public health, statistics, or related area.
- At least one year of experience in data analysis, forecasting and/or supply planning for pharmaceuticals, preferably family planning.
- Minimum of two years’ experience in pharmaceutical supply chain management
- Strong interpersonal skills and proven experience managing relationships with global and country-level stakeholders including demonstrated ability to collaborate and partner with ministry of health and other key government stakeholders
- Experience working in a cross-cultural environment
- Advanced analytical skills and ability to present data and analysis in easily understood infographics and data visualizations
- Strong MS Office skills
- Proven ability to operate in ambiguous environments and work through complex problems
- Fluency in English
Preferred Skills
- Fluency in French or Portuguese, with a willingness to support ad hoc translation needs
- Experience in software training and/or digital change management is an asset
Leave a Comment