ECA's mission is to deliver ideas and actions for an empowered and transformed Africa; informed by the 2030 SDGs and Agenda 2063. The mission is guided by ECA's five new strategic directions which are: advancing ECA's position as a premier knowledge institution that builds on its unique position and privilege to bring global solutions to the continent's problems and take local solutions to the continent; developing macroeconomic and structural policy options to accelerate economic diversification and job creation; designing and implementing innovative financing models for infrastructure, and for human, physical and social assets for a transforming Africa; contributing solutions to regional and transboundary challenges, with a focus on peace security and social inclusion as an important development nexus; advocating Africa's position at the global level and developing regional responses as a contribution to global governance issues. The post is located in the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Shipping Unit of the Supply Chain Management Section, Administration and Conference Management Division.

The incumbent is broadly responsible for the administration and day-to-day running of the Shipping Unit under the general supervision of the Chief, Supply Chain Management Section. The incumbent's principal responsibilities include: (a) planning, coordinating, monitoring and supervising the activities of the Shipping Unit in arranging, organizing, and facilitating the importation and exportation of organizational consignments, shipments and other official cargo, as well as of personal shipments of ECA staff members; (b) advising on matters relating to shipping, insurance and customs as well as on the Host Country (Ethiopia) and other countries' customs, shipping and insurance rules and regulations; (c) serves as IPSAS focal point and carry out troubleshooting functions; (d) follows-up on IPSAS enhancements and frequently liaises with IPSAS team in ECA and UNHQ with regard to implementation issues; supervises and supports maintenance of IPSAS entitlements reference tables; (e) demonstrates full knowledge of the ERP-SAP Logistics module and inbound/outbound goods process. I. Day-to-Day running and supervision of the Shipping Unit includes: • Planning and assigning long and short-term work programs, tasks and duties to Shipping Assistants. • Coordinates the duty-free importation, exportation and insurance of all official goods as well as vehicles and other personal and household effects of staff with duty-free entitlements. Items cleared include goods for conferences e.g. exhibition materials, medicines and other sensitive goods for the United Nations Health Care Center (UNHCC). • Ensures that both outgoing and incoming shipments, consignments and cargo contain approved materials only. • Prepares memoranda, letters, note verbals and other correspondence to various Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies, e.g. the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Transport and Communication, the National Bank of Ethiopia, Ethiopian Revenues and Customs Authority, Ethio-telecom etc. • Supervises the preparation of Tender and Bid documents for services required by the Unit. • Prepares the weekly status report of the Unit for submission to the Section Chief. • Prepares budget estimates, statistics and other statements relating to the Shipping Unit. • Verifies disbursements out of petty cash to ensure compliance with UN rules and regulations. • Checks, verifies and submits for approval invoices for services rendered to the Commission by air carriers, movers and packers, transit agents and the Maritime and Transit services. • Provides periodic in-house training for the staff of the Unit. • Organizes and coordinates the processing of: (a) Diplomatic declaration for the purchase of duty-free beverages, tobacco products and other consumables for the official use of the Secretariat and (b) Duty free bulk purchase of fuel and other lubricants for the Organization. • Supervises, monitors and evaluates the work performance of the Shipping Unit's staff members. • Provides input to the Section Chief on policy issues. • Liaises regularly with authorities of airlines and transport companies, to keep abreast of new developments in the industry as well as to ensure continued suitability of such organizations for use by the ECA. • Briefs staff from the Commission's sub-regional offices on the activities and services rendered by the Unit as well as on rules and procedures pertaining to Shipping and Insurance. II. Processing of organizational and personal Shipments – incoming and outgoing • Arranges the appropriate documentation and permits required for the clearance (importation) and exportation of each type of goods (ranging from Vaccines and other medicines to communications equipment) as well as for each type of shipment, organizational or personal. • Ensures that each consignment is supported by all relevant documents which are required for securing government approval to clear or to export shipments. • Liaises with the appropriate parties to secure or amend required documents were missing or incorrectly prepared. • Arranges appropriate insurance through UN official insurers in New York, Geneva or Vienna for outgoing consignments. • Arranges, facilitates and follows-up insurance claims for damaged organizational and personal shipments. III. Inbound goods/Incoming Shipments: • Ensures follow-up and timely endorsement of diplomatic declarations by the Customs Authority so as to minimize demurrage charges or other loss or damage to shipment at the airport, seaports and railways stations. • Issues clearing instructions to vessel owners, air carriers and their representatives and agents. • Assigns approved documents to Shipping Assistants for clearing and follow up activities paying particular attention to the individual Incoterms stipulated in the purchase contract document. • Establish a firm and timely information exchange mechanism with the procurement team for they are the gatekeepers of the necessary contract documents as well as the freight forwarders to ensure that the delivery dates provided in the Forwarder's Certificate of Receipt (FCR), signed Bill of Landing (BoL) or CMR have been met. • Ensures that imported goods are safely cleared from the various bonded warehouses and are delivered without delay to consignees and ensures their written confirmation of receipt indicating the condition of the goods. IV. Outbound goods/outgoing shipments • Assigns each case to Shipping Assistants for execution and follow up. • Assists staff members in the exportation of their personal effects e.g. Household goods and vehicles by: (a) advising on their privileges and obligations; (b) ensuring that staff members are in possession of Travel Authorizations and have properly filled all the required forms e.g. itemized inventory form and, (c) in the case of motor vehicles, writing a note verbal to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs giving details of the vehicle and requesting an export permit. • Solicits quotations for the collection, packing and dispatch of official and personal consignments. • Selects a packer and arranges for pre-survey and packing. • Ensures that goods are safely and economically dispatched using the most direct and most economical route and undertakes follow up with forwarders for confirmation of departure of consignments. • Prepares briefs to the Property Survey Board for decisions on cases of unsuccessful insurance claims requiring the Board's action. • Ensures that correspondence are dispatched to consignees informing them about flight and other trip details of their shipments so as to facilitate early clearance and to avoid loss or damage on arrival at destinations. • Assists with the collection and analysis of data as well as preparation of data presentations and reports for information sharing, responding to queries, knowledge management, planning and decision making. • Assists with visualizations and updating information material such as web pages or brochures. V. Other emergency or special duties as may be assigned periodically by the Chief of SCMS.

Job Requirements

Education

A high school diploma or equivalent is required. A degree in Business Administration, Supply Management, or Accounting would be desirable.

Work Experience

At least 10 years of progressively responsible work experience in Supply Management, Customs, Insurance, or Logistical Support, Customs clearance, and delivery of goods and commodities by air, land, and sea transport is required. Private sector experience in comparable institution is desirable.

Language

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English is required. French is desirable. The table below shows the minimum required level for each skill in these languages, according to the UN Language Framework (please consult https://languages.un.org for details).

How To Apply

To get information on how to apply, please visit careers.un.org

Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

Job Requirements Candidates must hold at least a high‑school diploma with desirable qualifications in Business Administration, Supply Management or Accounting, and possess extensive experience in supply chain management, customs clearance, and logistical support across air, land, and sea transport. How to Apply Apply using the provided link below.