Supply Chain Information Systems and Data Manager

ABOUT VILLAGEREACH

VillageReach transforms health care delivery to reach everyone. We are driven by a vision of a world where each person has the health care needed to thrive. VillageReach’s goal is to reduce inequities in access to quality primary health care for 350 million people by 2030. We work with governments, the private sector, partners and communities to build responsive primary health care systems that deliver health products, information and services to the most under-reached. As a locally driven and globally connected organization, VillageReach has offices in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique and the United States.

ABOUT KENYA INTEGRATED PHARMACEUTICAL AND SUPPLY CHAIN TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE (USAID KIPS)

The USAID KIPS activity will be led by a consortium will enhance maturity for supply chain and pharmaceutical systems performance, ultimately ensuring sustainable access to, and appropriate use of quality-assured and affordable health commodities for Kenya. The VillageReach scope of work includes enhancing interoperability of systems and decision-making tools, and ultimately, strengthen Government of Kenya stewardship.  The Supply Chain Information Systems and Data Manager would have direct reports within the consortium, as well as have direct supervision from within VillageReach.   

Summary

The Supply Chain Information Systems and Data Manager will support the Kenya Ministry of Health to lead the design, implementation, and maintenance of health supply chain information systems and data management processes. They will also play a critical role in both overseeing the driving data-driven decision-making and performance improvement initiatives within the project supporting the Kenya Ministry of Health. Reporting to the VillageReach Senior Director Global Programs (East & Southern Africa) with a dotted reporting line to the Director and Team Lead, Digital Solutions Global Technical Team and the KIPS Supply Chain Director within the consortium, this position will lead efforts to collect, analyze, and utilize health data to enhance supply chain performance and health outcomes. 

Role Description

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties, responsibilities, and activities may change or be assigned at any time.

Supply Chain Information Systems Management: (50%)

• Lead the design, implementation and maintenance of health supply chain information systems, ensuring alignment with the requirements and priorities of the Kenya Ministry of Health (MoH).
• Facilitate the application of USAID’s Supply Chain Information System Maturity Model (SCIMM) to help the Kenya MoH evaluate their supply chain systems’ capabilities and co-create a strategy to reach Level 3 maturity within the project period. 
• Oversee the development and customization of data management solutions to support the tracking, monitoring, and reporting of health commodities across the supply chain.
• Collaborate with technical teams and stakeholders to identify system requirements, functionalities, and integration points.
• Provide guidance and support to project and government staff on data quality and management best practices, system usage, and troubleshooting.
• Work with the Data Analytics team to ensure data quality, visibility, and use for decision-making.
• Monitor system performance, data quality, and security protocols to safeguard sensitive health information.
• Develop and maintain documentation, including system specifications, user manuals, and standard operating procedures.
• Liaise with the Kenya Ministry of Health and other partners to coordinate technical assistance activities and facilitate knowledge sharing.
• Stay abreast of emerging trends and technologies in health supply chain management, information systems, and data analytics.

Data Management: (50%)

• Work with the Data Analytics team to support the Kenya government to develop and implement data analytics frameworks and methodologies to measure project performance and impact on health supply chain operations.
• Work with the Research, Evidence and Learning (REL) team to design and manage data collection systems, ensuring the accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of data inputs from various sources (e.g. health facility reports, KEMSA, and MEDS etc.).
• Communicate complex data insights in a clear and concise manner in a variety of formats, including dashboards, reports, presentations etc. to project stakeholders, donors, and government counterparts, incorporating data storytelling best practices.
• Provide technical guidance and capacity building support to project and government staff on data analytics tools, techniques, and data review and data use best practices.
• Facilitate or support data review processes, using data analysis to conduct root cause analysis and identify opportunities for process optimization, efficiency gains, and performance improvements.
• Work with the government and other partners to build a culture of data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement to enhance supply chain performance.
• Design and deploy dashboards on data intelligence platforms like PowerBI, Tableau, etc.
• With support from the Data Analytics team, conduct advanced statistical analyses and modeling to identify trends, patterns, and insights in health supply chain data.
• Collaborate with technical teams to develop performance indicators, targets, and benchmarks aligned with project objectives and Ministry of Health priorities.

Competencies:

VillageReach has ten (10) Organizational Competencies that describe how we work together and get things done that are grouped into three strategic areas of Achieving Great Results, Setting Direction and, Bringing Others With you. For a full description, please download our Organizational Competency document.

Achieving Great Results:

1. Risk Taking and Innovation

• Key Behaviors: Comfort with ambiguity, curiosity, adaptability, unconstrained and undeterred creativity, resourcefulness.

2. Business Judgement

• Key Behaviors: Getting to root causes, understanding environment, navigating complexity and ambiguity, entrepreneurial energy.

3. Building Strong Teams

• Key Behaviors: Trust in Subject Matter Experts (SME’s); radical candor to resolve conflict, hold each other accountable as colleagues, focused on results, commitment to mission.

Setting Direction:

4. Compelling Communication

• Key Behaviors: Clear and evidence-based communication, audience adaptability, curious listener.

5. Resilient Self Leadership

• Key Behaviors: Self-aware, plan how one shows up, emotionally intelligent, use one’s own agency and takes accountability.

6. Stewardship and Personal Alignment

• Key Behaviors: Take ownership, display ethical conduct, effective at resource management, alignment of personal objectives with organizational goals and mission, focus on continuous improvement and sustainability.

Bringing Others with You:

7. Influencing Leadership

• Key Behaviors: Cultivate trust, influences to make change, navigate the matrix structure.

8. Radical Partnership

• Key Behaviors: Share information and credit, address conflict, increase impact through collaboration, political and contextual awareness.

9. Cultivates a Growth Mindset

• Key Behaviors: Seek out diverse input, demonstrate flexibility in thinking and curiosity, embrace challenges, demonstrate persistence, seek learning opportunities.

10. Cultural Intelligence and Inclusion

• Key Behaviors: Continuous learning and ally-ship across cultural lines, challenge prejudice and bias, modeled in one’s own behavior.

Requirements

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

This position will directly supervise the three Specialists, Data Performance and Systems and is subject to supervision of other staffing as needed. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning and directing work; monitoring performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; and addressing complaints and resolving problems.

Education & Experience:

Required qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information systems, public health, statistics, epidemiology, M&E, data science, public health, or a related field. Master’s degree is preferred.
• At least 8 years’ experience in public health and/or data sciences related experience; experience working in public health/digital health programs and research highly desirable.
• Demonstrated experience working closely with the Kenyan government at National and/or County level and deep understanding of the Kenya data and digital ecosystem, including but not limited to, government policies, systems, existing dashboards, and existing data review processes.
• Strong technical proficiency in database management, data standards, data modeling, and system integration.
• Proficiency in business intelligence software (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) and statistical software (e.g., R, Python).
• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to convey highly technical information and complex data in a concise manner to diverse audiences.
• Proven experience designing, implementing and managing health electronic supply chain information systems (for example OpenLMIS, Logistimo, etc.).
• Familiarity with health supply chain processes, including procurement, warehousing, distribution, and logistics management.

Preferred qualifications:

• Proven experience in data analytics, statistical modeling, and performance management in the context of public health or health supply chain systems.
• Experience supervising and/or managing data analytics teams and setting data analytics strategy for improving uptake of data in decision-making
• Demonstrated ability to synthesize and absorb various types of data and evidence, especially pertaining to health access, technology adoption, and related public health fields;
• Strong analytical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Familiarity with USAID’s SCIMM is highly desirable.
• Certifications in relevant technologies (e.g., Oracle, SAP, DHIS2). a plus.
• Certifications in data analytics or related fields.

Other Qualifications:

• Ability to multitask, prioritize tasks, and work effectively under pressure.
• Proven experience in data analytics, statistical modeling, and performance management in the context of public health or health supply chain systems.
• Demonstrated ability to synthesize and absorb various types of data and evidence, especially pertaining to health access, technology adoption, and related public health fields.
• Strong analytical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to manage multiple diverse and competing tasks in a fast-paced environment by setting priorities and understanding how to leverage resources across the organization.
• Established cultural competency in partnering with racial, cultural and linguistically diverse groups.
• Demonstrated understanding of challenges with working in rural, underserved and low-income context; experience living in and/or working in a low-income country a plus.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Excel) and comfortable in a fast-paced technical environment.

Environment and Physical Demands:

The Supply Chain Information Systems and Data Manager would be based in Nairobi in the KIPS project office. These may have no private offices, employees work in a shared, open environment with task and conference rooms accessible to employees for privacy and meetings. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet. The staff member will be expected to be in the project office during normal office hours, except when traveling.  Due to the time zone differences across our USA, Kenya, and Country Offices and location of other global staff, we have established core collaboration hours between 6am Pacific Time and 18:00 South Africa Time (GMT+1) Monday through Thursday. All staff, regardless of location, are expected to be available between these hours. During Daylight Savings Time, this allows for 12 hours per week (3 hours/day) of collaboration time and during Standard Time, 8 hours (2 hours/day). We do not hold cross-office meetings on Friday. 

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY & INCLUSION:

VillageReach is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer committed to workforce diversity. We believe that diverse, equitably weighted perspectives foster an organizational capacity to create novel solutions that improve health in the most under-reached and hard-to-reach areas. To align our values, innovations and impact, VillageReach is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse global workforce.

APPLICATION INFORMATION:

This hire will begin December 15, 2024. Resumes and cover letters will be reviewed on a rolling basis until October 31st, 2024 or until filled. To apply, please submit your resume and a cover letter to our online portal: http://www.villagereach.org/join-us/. In your cover letter, please address (1) Why you are interested in this position, (2) What is one reason you think you’d be a good fit for this position and, (3) What is one strength you would bring to this position?

Hiring Process:

The hiring process will include the following steps:

1. Review submitted applications

2. Conduct 20-30 minute screening interviews for shortlisted candidates

3. Conduct skills and value-based interviews for 3-5 candidates.

4. Request that top candidates submit a practical assessment (designed to take no more than two hours to complete). Sometimes the assignment will occur before the interview.

5. Conduct final interview if necessary

6. Request references

7. Make offer

8. Conduct background check

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted, but candidates who proceed to step 2 will be notified if they are not chosen for step 3.

Safeguarding:

VillageReach is committed to promoting the welfare of children, young people, adults, and beneficiaries with whom it engages. We expect everyone working with us to share this commitment through our code of conduct. All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which may include criminal records. VillageReach participates in the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme and, in line with this Scheme, we will request information from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By applying, the job applicant confirms they understand these recruitment procedures.

Benefits

Compensation & Benefits:

VillageReach has an established compensation structure that is based on the relevant market and internally transparent. The range for this position is $55,300 to $73,700 annually. We hire people into the established range based on one’s experience and education and considering internal equity. We do not inquire about salary history. Please refer to our compensation overview on our website for more information and for more information on employee benefits.