Assistant Supply Officer (Proximity Sourcing Specialist)

Deadline for Applications October 15, 2026 Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based) H (no hardship) Family Type (not applicable for home-based) Family Staff Member / Affiliate Type UNOPS LICA8 Target Start Date 2027-01-01 Terms of Reference Title: Assistant Supply Officer (Proximity Sourcing Specialist) ICA Level: LICA-8 Corresponding level: NO-A Duration: from 01 January 2027 to 31 December 2027 1. General Background The Proximity Sourcing project, a UNHCR supply chain innovation, aims to source Core Relief Items (CRIs) - including blankets, tents, sleeping mats, kitchen sets, and hygiene kits - from suppliers located near final beneficiary destinations, minimizing transit times, costs, and environmental impact in emergency responses. This initiative responds to escalating global displacement crises, affecting over 120 million people, by prioritizing local and regional markets in high-need areas like Sub-Saharan Africa Europe, the Middle East, and South Asia. Traditional long-haul procurement often faces delays from global disruptions, high freight costs, and carbon-intensive logistics; the Proximity approach builds resilient, shorter supply chains compliant with UNHCR's humanitarian principles, UN sustainability goals (e.g., SDG 13 on climate action), and local content policies. The incumbent will support this project within UNHCR's Global Supply Chain, conducting targeted market research to identify viable local CRI suppliers and enable faster, greener aid delivery. 2. Purpose and Scope of Assignment The purpose is to support the Proximity Sourcing project by conducting comprehensive market research to map CRI suppliers within certain proximity to key operational destinations, facilitating localized procurement that cuts delivery times and boosts economic inclusion for host communities. The scope covers research design, data collection/analysis, supplier validation, and recommendations for an initial portfolio of Proximity suppliers across priority countries. Key activities and measurable outputs include: - Complete market scans for CRI categories in target regions, delivering detailed reports, identifying potential suppliers with verified capacity (output: supplier database with profiles). - Analyze proximity feasibility (e.g., quality, pricing, compliance), achieving given match rate to UNHCR technical specifications and recommending suppliers for pilot tenders. - Engage stakeholders with virtual/in-person assessments, producing a Proximity sourcing strategy with projected impacts like lead time reduction and cost savings per CRI shipment. - Track progress via bi-weekly updates, culminating in a final evaluation report to quantify supplier viability against benchmarks. - Support Project Coordinator to collect and harmonize inputs for donor reporting - Support Project relevant teams to prepare capacity building materials and other relevant tools for field engagement - Support the preparation of field visits to…