Flying Intersectional Importation & Customs Specialist

Location: based in one of the 5 Operational Centers, with more than 70% on the field

Contract: fixed-term at 100%

Duration: 6 months

Deadline to apply: 15/05/2025

Starting date: 01/06/2025

Compensation and benefits: MSF practice is to offer the C&B package current in the MSF entity establishing the contract.

I. MSF INTERNATIONAL

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international, independent, medical humanitarian organisation that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, healthcare exclusion and natural disasters. MSF offers assistance to people based only on need and irrespective of origins, religion, gender or political affiliation.

MSF International is the legal entity that binds MSF’s 24 sections, 27 associations and 18 branch offices together. Registered in Switzerland, MSF International provides coordination, information and support to the MSF Movement, as well as implements international projects and initiatives as requested.

II. POSITION BACKGROUND

The MSF Executive Supply Chain Committee (ESCC), in collaboration with the International Supply Chain Office, is leading the Supply Transformation Topics Program, with the goal of establishing a supply chain by 2031 that aligns with MSF's evolving challenges. This program focuses on five key supply chain pillars: medical sourcing, distribution footprint, mutualization at both field and headquarters levels, medical stock and demand management, and information systems and data management.

In this context, strengthening importation and customs practices is crucial for achieving the transformation's objectives. This will require not only the mutualization of efforts across both field and headquarters but also improving transversal work between regulatory affairs, legal, humanitarian representation and supply teams.

III. PLACE IN THE ORGANISATION

As part of the International Office Supply team, the Flying Intersectional Importations & Customs specialist will:

• Report hierarchically and functionally to the Intersectional Importations & Customs Advisor.

• Work closely with OC teams in country on topics related to importation and customs

• Work closely with the regulatory pharmacist advisors in the 3 European Supply Centres (ESCs), OC supply chain teams, International Legal Department experts and other stakeholders within the MSF movement involved in Importation & Customs activities.

• Will be part of the Country Support on Importation (CSI) that provides multi-disciplinary / cross departmental intersectional support to Supply chain teams on importation requirements and constraints to ensure there is efficient & effective access to quality supplies to support MSF operations. Considering that Importation challenges are more than a technical supply issue, they are also an access issue that require multi layered approach of technical, legal, advocacy & political dimensions.

IV. OBJECTIVES OF THE POSITION

The purpose of this position is to serve as a flying expert advisor on Importation & customs -related matters and plays a crucial role for the continuous improvement of our knowledge and to find suitable solutions for our operational needs. Additionally, the role involves a commitment to foster the community of practices for MSF professionals involved in customs and transport and will travel to support country intersectional supply chain teams to make assessments and support in the implementation of agreed terms of references (TOR’s)/ road maps per context.

V. MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Provide MSF entities with strategic, technical, and hands-on support.

• Advisor: serves as an expert advisor on customs and transport(freight)-related matters, offering, developing, and promoting guidance on best practices, regulations, and processes by supporting country supply chain teams on assessments and implementation of improvements.

• Support in country teams on streamlining Importation and Domestic freight Processes: Optimize time and cost efficiency in coordination with relevant stakeholders.

• International Regulatory Compliance: Develop a deep understanding of international customs and transport regulations. Identify and tailor multiple compliance solutions to suit the unique needs of each operational country / context and ensure their effective implementation.

• Support to emergency responses and to operational sites: When required, anticipate, and clarify importation requirements of specific countries with the concerned stakeholders, and help identify solutions. Provide second line hands on context support to bring solutions adapted to the context on specific problematics and notably to capitalize on them.

• Key Performance Indicators: following KPIs for Transport and Customs that can be tailored and applied across MSF organizations/ contexts.

• Define Roles and Responsibilities: Clarify roles and responsibilities across the importation and domestic freight management process, involving all relevant stakeholders in the supported countries.

• Process Mapping Methodology: Develop a methodology for mapping importation and domestic freight management processes specific to various countries of MSF operations

• Liaise with other key stakeholders like OC based back-office referents / Cells / SCTC to align on in country support expectations and align in country visits for support.

2. Cross-functional collaboration and facilitation

• Supply Chain and Customs & Transport experts: Maintain close collaboration to ensure a clear identification of operational needs. Assist MSF teams dedicated to importation at country level in implementing sustainable and coherent customs and freight management solutions considering the complexity of each context.

• Risk Management: Consult the internal audit teams to identify potential risks in customs and transport and overall supply chain to proactively identify mitigating measures contingency plans, and information capitalization.

• Regional hubs and supply centers: Provide support and collaborate closely with regional hubs (MSF Supply Kenya, SUKA, SASSU, South America and LATAM), with concerned technical referents and counterparts in Supply Centers (MSF Supply, APU, MSF Logistique) in the supply chain department to align projects within technical domains.

• Intersectional cohesion: Supports alignment throughout the supply chain and ensures coherence with concerned technical referents and, when concerned, with other OCs.

• Information Repository Management: Collaborate with relevant teams to design, implement, and sustain an intersectional and cross-departmental Information Repository (covering areas like Supply, Pharma, Legal, etc.), exemplified by GeoApp, the MSF country-specific supply profiling system.

3. Knowledge management

• Write, capitalize, communicate, and promote technical information, best practices and lessons learned. Keep its updates in appropriate channels such as share point etc.

• Facilitate the formation and growth of communities of practice (CoPs) and help the peers to collaborate and to promote a culture of knowledge sharing.

• Develop and facilitate trainings and briefings in coherence with other technical domains and pedagogical path for in country MSF teams.

• Contribute to keeping knowledge up to date in terms of technical evolution and best practices for each technical domain.

1.Practical/technical knowledge

• A minimum of 3 years’ experience working in international freight forwarding and customs compliance.

• A minimum of 2 years of experience working with MSF in various operational settings, including transport and customs roles is highly desirable. Experience as a flying support with team coaching and mentoring skills is a plus.

• Education specific to customs administration and/or legislation, or equivalent professional experience.

• Proactive and strategic thinker with a focus on with ability to provide agile solutions while also keeping a long-term strategic view.

• Strong analytical skills, a critical mindset, ability to negotiate and to make informed decisions in collaboration with various stakeholders.

• Effective pedagogical abilities to impart knowledge and facilitate learning.

• Capable of collaborative teamwork, cross-functional cooperation, and working autonomously when required.

• Professional working fluency in French is mandatory for this role, with working knowledge in English being essential.

2. Communicating and influencing

• Demonstrate independent initiative, drive for change, improvement and innovation.

• Excellent communication skills, assertiveness negotiation and influencing skills.

• Ability to work in a cross-cultural and cross-functional environment.

• Team player with strong customer orientation.

3. Practical requirements

• Proficiency in standard office tools including Word, PowerPoint, Excel and data management.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

At MSF, we are committed to an inclusive culture that encourages and supports the diverse voices of our employees. We welcome applications from individuals of all genders, ages, sexual orientations, nationalities, races, religions, beliefs, ability status, and all other diversity characteristics.