Product Specialist – Energy & Cold Chain & IT (Supply Chain / Humanitarian)

The Product Department is responsible for identifying items that comply with the quality standards set by MSF. He validates products and manufacturers and collaborates with the Purchasing Department to identify potential suppliers within the warehouse of the European Supply Centre MSF Supply and MSF Supply Kenya, based in Nairobi. 

The work is carried out in a trio with the teams of the Purchasing Department and the Resupply Department. 

The incumbent contributes to the quality assurance of the products delivered by MSF Supply to the end user. He/she is also responsible for updating product technical validation data in the various information systems. 

RAISON D'ÊTRE: 

Under the responsibility of MSF Supply's Product Coordinator, identify and validate "product-manufacturer-supplier" pairs according to the quality standards and technical specifications required by MSF to meet the needs of MSF programs (internal partners) and external partners. 

RESPONSIBILITIES: 

1) Identify and validate sources (product/supplier/manufacturer) to meet the needs expressed by the programs, in compliance with MSF standards, in collaboration with MSF OCB technical referents and, if necessary, also other operational sections. 

• Draw up specifications (translation and technical details for the supplier, feasibility from a supply point of view), define the technical evaluation criteria for a call for tenders and give advice on the choice of a supplier, in innovation and development projects led by MSF OCB technical referents and the new standard items to be introduced. 

• Follow up on new requests (non-standard requests that involve finding a source of supply for a new item), according to the procedure set up by MSF OCB. 

• Ensure that the identified product meets the technical specifications requested by MSF. 

• Ensure that the identified product meets the specifications required to make the product available (e.g. country-related constraints). 

• Work closely with MSF Supply Kenya's Log Product Advisor in a sourcing regionalization framework, in order to diversify sources of supply for certain logistics products and strengthen the resilience of the Supply Chain. 

2) Ensure the quality of the products purchased in conjunction with the supplier, the Quality and Operations departments of MSF Supply: 

• Validate product quality by evaluating items-suppliers-manufacturers 

• Monitor the quality of validated sources

• Proceed with their requalification or devalidation when necessary 

• Define the physical controls that must be carried out by the Reception upon arrival of the products at MSF Supply. 

• Control non-conformities detected by the Warehouse Reception. 

• Analyze mission complaints concerning the quality of a product and find solutions with suppliers and the Quality Department of MSF SUPPLY. 

3) Guarantee the quality and reliability of the database for products and kits: 

• Create and update item, manufacturer and kit sheets in Unidata and/or Nodhos (ERP) depending on the type of product. 

• Update the item database according to the annual update of the catalogs by SPINCO (Coordination and Source of Product Information) in conjunction with the technical referents of the operational centers and Working groups in relation to the criteria for the inclusion of the department's internal reporting tool. 

• Update Procedures and Work Instructions. 

• Monitor the consistency and perform regular analyses of the database to ensure its relevance and up-to-dateness. 

4) Contribute to the definition and validation of products in collaboration with the product referents, Working Groups and International Office and to the updating of the SPINCO database. 

5) Keep up to date with the technical developments of its product families by participating in specialized conferences and exhibitions, by developing links with counterpart organizations (such as ICRC, UNICEF, etc.).  

Qualifications & Experience: 

Education: engineering degree or equivalent, with a specialization or exposure to: 

• Electrical engineering, 

• Energy, 

• The cold chain, 

• Or similar technical systems. 

Professional experience: Minimum 2 years of experience in a technical product or supply function, with responsibility for: 

• Product validation or qualification, 

• Technical sourcing or supplier management, 

• Or to product quality management. 

The following will be particularly valued: 

• Experience in a purchasing, logistics or supply chain 

• Experience with comparable technical products (energy, refrigeration, technical equipment) 

• Experience in the humanitarian sector or in complex operational contexts is an asset 

Technical skills: 

• Good command of technical logistics product families, ideally in at least one of the following areas: energy (generators, energy storage), cold chain or air conditioning, etc. 

• Ability to analyze technical specifications and compare supplier solutions (reading technical sheets, understanding regulatory or environmental constraints). 

• Experience or strong appetite for product quality management (non-conformities, supplier monitoring, continuous improvement). 

• Fluency with management tools (Excel; ERP). 

Functional Skills: 

• Ability to make decisions based on incomplete information, within a short timeframe. 

• Ability to manage multiple files in parallel in a demanding and responsive environment. 

• Rigor in the monitoring of processes (validation, documentation, updating of data). 

• Sense of priorities, especially in the context of urgent or ad-hoc requests. 

• Ability to work in a cross-functional environment, interacting with the Purchasing, Procurement, Quality and Operations departments. 

• Ease of exchanging with internal and external technical interlocutors (OCB, suppliers, partners). 

• Ability to demonstrate technical analysis while integrating operational constraints. 

Language skills: 

• Fluency in French and English, both oral and written 

• Knowledge of Dutch is a plus 

Please send your application by 02/06/26, via Meet My Job or via the following link: https://app.hbhr.io/job-application/external/6d1a88ba-95e6a058-40e3672d-ef08dc3c

Only those whose applications are selected will be contacted. 

By submitting your application, you agree that MSF Supply may use your personal data as part of the recruitment process. For more information, see our privacy notice or contact our data protection officer: Clément Degrendele via privacy@msfsupply.msf.org.