Control Tower Analyst

Description (Public)

Location: Africa preferred, Global

Position Category: Local hire, paid in country

Deadline Date: Open until the position is filled.

Starting Date: 01/06/2025

Salary: Commensurate with experience and location.

Description

JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc. (JSI) is a public health management consulting and research organization dedicated to improving the health of individuals and communities throughout the world.

JSI is seeking one or more Control Tower Analyst(s) to support the Global Family Planning Visibility & Analytics Network (VAN). The VAN is managed by the Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition (RHSC, or the Coalition), a global partnership of more than 500 public, private, and non-governmental organizations dedicated to ensuring that all people in low- and middle-income countries can choose, obtain, and use affordable, high-quality supplies and related services to ensure their better reproductive health. JSI is one of the technical organizations that participates in and helps to staff the VAN.

The VAN supports cost-effective delivery of family planning products to developing countries by allowing supply chain professionals to make coordinated supply and planning decisions based on shared visibility into a common set of data.

The Analyst will work with other VAN Control Tower Members to ensure that all required inventory and supply plan data is uploaded on time, is complete, and meets defined quality standards, so as to be reliable for decision making.

The Control Tower Analyst in conjunction with other VAN Control Tower Members and country partners, will analyze country data to identify and develop actionable solutions to supply chain related issues as they arise through the VAN with the goal of mitigating the risk of stockouts, shortages, and overstocks. In this regard, the Control Tower Analyst will support the needs of key supply chain partners, such as those of USAID’s contracted procurement agent GHSC-PSM and UNFPA’s Supply Chain Management Unit, as they arise in the VAN.

This position is a critical member of the team that drives the development and rollout of the VAN. This position will get to see first hand how an active supply chain Control Tower works across organizations to balance supply and demand for family planning products and to facilitate more timely supply chain responses. It is an exciting role for someone looking to work directly with key supply chain actors and who is interested in providing technical assistance and training in health system strengthening to countries.

The Analyst will also develop a strong professional network of key partners in the reproductive health field.

The Analyst will be assigned a portfolio of VAN member countries to support and will work primarily with countries in Africa.

In order to maintain the connection with JSI while contracted to RHSC, the Control Tower Analyst will report to their JSI manager with overall technical direction from the VAN Management Unit. The VAN Management Unit will communicate directly with the employee about VAN work plans, deliverables, tasks, activities, and priorities.

This position may engage in international travel, estimated at 15%. Countries where candidates may be based are: Burkina Faso, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, or Zambia.

Duties, Roles and Responsibilities

RESPONSIBILITIES

Support country health system strengthening through training, and the review, validation, and management of data.

Execute training of assigned country users and other country stakeholders on supply chain data management principles related to VAN processes and the VAN platform.
Act as main point of contact between VAN and country data providers for the collection, review, and validation of national inventory and supply plan data for a portfolio of countries.
Work with country data providers to ensure that inventory and supply plan data is submitted on time and is complete.
Ensure that supply plans, inventory, and order/shipment data as presented in the VAN are in alignment with one another for a portfolio of countries.
Create data validation tickets and work to resolve data validation issues for a portfolio of countries using the VAN ticketing system when possible, or directly with country data providers.

Resolve family planning supply imbalances in collaboration with country stakeholders and the global RH community

Collaborate with assigned in-country data providers to review supply exceptions flagged by the system and to determine the appropriate action to request of donors/procurers to avoid stockouts, shortages, and overstocks for at least the next 12 months.
Work with the Control Tower Planning Manager to execute more in-depth analysis of country data for the RHSC VAN Consensus Planning Group (CPG). The RHSC VAN CPG is a cross-organizational group of donors, procurers, and technical assistance partners working together to avoid/mitigate family planning stock imbalances.
Present country-specific issues to donors/procurer members of the RHSC VAN CPG and make clear recommendations for action.

Contribute to process improvement efforts of the VAN

Support continuous process improvement efforts through active participation in VAN taskforces and workstreams.
Provide input to the development of analytics dashboards to be leveraged by the Control Tower Planning Manager, other Control Tower Members, as well as by international, multi-donor working groups.

Qualifications, Education and Competencies

Required Skills

Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in public health, statistics, or related area.
At least one year of experience in data analysis, forecasting and/or supply planning for pharmaceuticals, preferably family planning.
Minimum of two years’ experience in pharmaceutical supply chain management
Strong interpersonal skills and proven experience managing relationships with global and country-level stakeholders including demonstrated ability to collaborate and partner with ministry of health and other key government stakeholders
Experience working in a cross-cultural environment
Advanced analytical skills and ability to present data and analysis in easily understood infographics and data visualizations
Strong MS Office skills
Experience working with global donors/procurers and demonstrated understanding of their procurement practices, specifically UNFPA and USAID
Experience working with and knowledge of family planning products or acceptable equivalent
Experience working with countries in Anglophone, Francophone, and/or Lusophone Africa
Excellent oral and written communication ability; able to communicate and document complex processes in a clear and concise manner
Demonstrated ability to work effectively as part of a team, preferably with remote team members
Proven ability to operate in ambiguous environments and work through complex problems
Fluency in English

Preferred Skills

Fluency in French or Portuguese, with a willingness to support ad hoc translation needs
Experience in software training and/or digital change management is an asset

Interested candidates should submit their resumes and cover letters online.