Pharmacy Warehouse Inventory Officer at the International Rescue Committee (IRC)

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Pharmacy Warehouse Inventory Officer

Requisition ID: req10744
Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Sector: Health
Employment Category: Fixed Term
Employment Type: Full-Time
Open to Expatriates: No

Background / IRC Summary 

• The International Rescue Committee has been in Nigeria since October 2012 and came in response to a widespread flood disaster. IRC’s Emergency Response Team, with local partner, Civil Society Coalition for Poverty Eradication (CISCOPE), implemented projects to support food security, livelihoods, nutrition and WASH in Kogi State.
• Beginning of January 2014, IRC shifted geographical location to the North East, in Adamawa state to provide humanitarian response to the conflict-affected populations. In the North East, IRC has three operational offices: Yola and Mubi field offices in Adamawa state and Maiduguri field office in Borno state-with the latter office opened in October 2015. In both states, IRC is providing humanitarian support to internally displaced populations hosted in IDP camps, camp like settings, host communities and returnee populations.

Job Overview / Summary

• The Global Supply Chain Department supports the organization’s work by providing reliable and scalable application development and Operations for the IRC’s offices in the US and around the world, in the aspect of procurement, assets, inventory and management of the IRC’s GSC policies
• Under the direct supervision of the Pharmacy Manager, technical referent to Logistics manager, the Pharmaceutical warehouse inventory officer will be based in Maiduguri and will responsible for:
• Overseeing, managing and audit medication inventory systems day to day pharma warehouse activities to ensure inventories are stocked to meet the needs of patient care while minimizing costs, outdates and to promote efficiency, manage high cost/low use inventory stocking processes to reduce cost and coordinate inventory across all sites of utilization.

Major Responsibilities
Policies, Procedures And Coordination:

• Understand, implement and/or maintain standard IRC inventory management policies and procedures
• Ensures that all pharmaceuticals purchased through Supply Chain must be received by Supply Chain in the warehouse in coordination with a program staff before being delivered or collected by the requesting program
• Ensures that all pharmaceuticals stored in IRC warehouse must be released by authorized IRC personnel and/or consortium partners
• Ensures that all cold chain items must be kept under proper storage conditions at all time and will therefore be prepared at the last minute just before dispatch
• Ensures that quarantined products must be stored in a separate locked area which can be subdivided in different zones for the different kind of quarantined products (which must be labelled accordingly)

Key Task:

• Maintain the adequacy of storage conditions
• Help with physical inventories
• Help in order preparations and sending to the different health structures (packing, transpor)
• Report discrepancies
• Monitor security of IRC’s storage and supplies
• Manage and document the receipt, handling, storage, release and reporting of goods through the IRC warehouse(s).
• Advise supervisor of potential inventory shortage.
• Manage casual laborers in the warehouse.
• Ensure the maintenance of warehouse building(s), fittings and equipment.
• Implement and ensure clear safety procedures.
• Implement and ensure clear loading / unloading procedures, correct stocking and turnover (FIFO) procedures.
• Advise the Senior Pharma Manager/Logistics Manager/ Supply Chain Manager of warehouse-specific issues or improvements.
• Maintain the Warehouse activity book recording all outgoing and incoming receipts and activities.

Receipt and Storage of Goods:

• Check the number of packages against the cargo manifest, check packaging and cases and inform the Senior Pharma manager/SCC of any problems (missing or damaged goods, etc.).
• After receipt, immediately update the stock cards, recording the reference number of the receipt document, Bin card and put the goods in stock.
• Give the cargo manifest, packing list / Waybill and certificate of the items received to the Senior Pharma Manager, to centralize the filing of these documents.
• Update the stock record cards and Bin card regularly.
• Ensure that all items are well organized and correctly stored, well protected, fully identified and easily accessible (cleanliness, security, access, etc.).

Inventory management & Preparation of outgoing items:

• Carry out stock rotation by FIFO /FEFO to ensure no product expires on the stock or becomes obsolete.
• Receive completed store’s release forms and prepare the goods for issuance. 
• Ensure goods, equipment are signed for received on the request form (office expendables) or waybill (all other items). 
• Ensure that the shipping areas (by destination) are clearly identified; store goods on shelves or palettes (as necessary), in a clean, tidy and easily accessible manner.
• Pack (appropriately for the mode of transport chosen), weigh and label freight (destination, number of shipping units, waybill number, weight and mode of transport) and assign a shipping number to each package, in accordance with the instructions of the Senior Pharma Manager/Logistics manager.
• Prepare the shipping note, as well as a copy of the freight document for international shipments, complete the delivery note and send a copy to the office the same day.
• Update the register stock cards/ bid card immediately after the delivery of goods and record the reference number of the delivery document or stock request.

Stock Management and Administration:

• Ensure that all necessary information is correctly and fully recorded on the stock cards: IRC code, batch number, and expiry date, date of receipt or delivery, stock balance (incoming/outgoing), receipt and delivery document reference numbers.
• Complete all the tables for monitoring stock movements and consumption on the PIT
• Prepares the monthly stock report.
• In conjunction with the senior Pharma Manager/Log Manager, perform physical stock counts in accordance with the frequency defined in the SOP
• Inform the Senior Pharma Manager when the stock of goods is nearing the minimum or maximum threshold, and regularly provide the Senior Pharma Manager and Health Coordinator with a list of the items with expiry dates within the next six months.
• Monitor the temperature of the warehouse and ensure that products requiring cold chain (vaccines) are always stored at a suitable temperature (between +2°C and +8°C) - manually record T twice daily - Reports any deviation, using the cold chain breech report.
• Prepare the cold chain boxes as per Cold chain SOP
• Ensure the availability of enough icepacks, clean cold-chain containers for the activities.
• Ensure cleaning, defrosting and maintenance of fridges
• Medical waste management: Prepare the list of expired drugs and items and inform the Senior Pharma Manager/SCC and Health Coordinator. Ensure safe storage of expired drugs/items

Reporting:

• Prepare a weekly/monthly report of movements of goods (incoming/outgoing) in the warehouse and submit report to Senior Logistics Manager/ Logistics Manager
• Immediately inform the Senior Pharma Manager of any problems arising in the course of the work, particularly regarding damage, loss, attempted break-ins or theft in the warehouse.
• Conduct routine inventory inspection and submit report to the Senior Pharma Manager/Logistics manager in a timely

Others:

• Carry out various maintenance tasks
• Ensure that the warehouse is kept in good condition (cleaning).
• To check and control the pest infestation
• Keep and file all WH documents (reception, dispatch, complaints forms, maintenance activities and calibration of thermometers, WH register, cleaning records, etc.)

Key Working Relationships:
Position Reports to:

• Pharmacy manager consortium

Position directly supervises:

• Store keeper, casual labourers

Indirect Reporting:

• Senior pharmacy manager

Technical referent:

• Senior pharmacy manager

Qualifications
Education:

• High School qualification or equivalent in Logistics, Pharma warehousing, Business Administration or related field

Work Experience:

• 3-4 years of work experience in supply chain operations (Warehouse/Asset).
• Prior experience of working in Logistics, Inventory or Warehouse Officer Position in a multi-cultural environment.

Working Environment:  

• The position will work in the Maiduguri Field Office with possible travel and support to base offices, the pharma inventory officer must have high level of flexibility and strength to be able to work under pressure and meets datelines with strong ability of multi-tasking, team spirit and problem-solving skills.

Strength / Skills:

• Able to work in a high-pressure situation, solve problems and resolve conflicts.
• Able to independently organize work, prioritize tasks and manage time.
• Strong interpersonal skills, able to coach and support others, strong sense of personal integrity.
• Self-motivated, honest, highly responsible, and punctual.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, fluent in written and spoken English
• Advanced computer skills (MS word, excel, PowerPoint, and outlook). Competency in database and gps and asset

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Note: The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct.  These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability.  In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.