Starting Date : ASAP

Location : Arauca, Colombia

Duration of Mission : 6 months

Première Urgence Internationale (PUI) is a non-governmental, non-profit, non-political and non-religious international aid organization. Our teams are committed to supporting civilians’ victims of marginalization and exclusion, or hit by natural disasters, wars and economic collapses, by answering their fundamental needs. Our aim is to provide emergency relief to uprooted people in order to help them recover their dignity and regain self-sufficiency.

The association leads in average 190 projects by year in the following sectors of intervention: food security, health, nutrition, construction and rehabilitation of infrastructures, water, sanitation, hygiene and economic recovery. PUI is providing assistance to around 5 million people in 20 countries – in Africa, Asia, Middle East, Eastern Europe and France.

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General Context

Since 2013, Venezuela is enduring a socio-economic crisis triggered by the fall of oil prices, contested economic measures, and ambitious social policies that fueled insecurity and a decline in the previously richest economy in Latin America. The political and humanitarian crisis worsened in 2018, with UNHCR estimating that thousands of Venezuelans were leaving their country each day to reach and remain in various destinations in Colombia. According the 2020 Refugee and Migrant Response Plan (RMRP), Colombia remains the country most impacted and largest host of arrivals from Venezuela, with an estimated 1,630,903 Venezuelans in the country as of December 2019 (52% male and 48% female, with only 641,825 having legal status), and the return of approximately 500,000 Colombians. This influx has put considerable strain on the Colombian system, meaning that those arriving now are facing harsher conditions than those of the past, as well as those arriving being generally poorer than those who were able to travel earlier.

The 2019 Colombian Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) stated that there are 1.9 million people in need in Colombia, consisting of 1,467,000 Venezuelan refugees or migrants and 403,000 Colombians. Of this, there is approximately 946,000 males (including 232,000 under 18 and 23,000 over 59 years old) and 925,000 females (including 227,000 under 18 and 24,000 over 59 years old). However, it is important to recognize that the data on Venezuelans is potentially underestimated, because it is believed that thousands are not registered due to crossing into the country informally, and it only reflects disaggregated data for people who have been assessed in need of humanitarian assistance in Colombia.

Beginning in early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic spread quickly and exponentially throughout the world, and entered Colombia in March 2020. The Colombian government has since taken continually increasing measures to contain the virus, including shutting down the border (including that with Venezuela), installing curfews and travel restrictions, and imposing social distancing rules on gatherings. The general situation and conditions has significant impact on Venezuelan migrants and vulnerable Colombians, drastically increasing vulnerability throughout the country.

PUI’s Position/ Strategy in the Country

PUI has been operational in Colombia since 2019, and launched the first programs in partnership with Solidarités International. In 2020, PUI will launch humanitarian projects in North Santander/Santander and Arauca covering health, MHPSS, and protection. In North Santander/Santander, PUI aims to support Venezuelan migrant and refuges, particularly PWSN, on the dangerous migration route from the border, while in Arauca PUI will operate several clinics supporting primary healthcare and MHPSS. PUI will also be seeking to expand its humanitarian program into 2021, with a new country wide strategy taking into consideration the current and impending challenges related to the COVID-19 crisis.

As part of our activities in Colombia, we are looking for a Logistician-Administrator in Arauca.

Responsibilities

The Logistician-Administrator is responsible for the proper functioning of the logistics, HR and administrative services of the Arauca base, and possible support to the base in Catatumbo, in compliance with the procedures of PUI and donors.

• Human Resources: He/She supervises the on-site activities related to administrative and human resource management.
• Logistical support: He/She oversees logistical operations, in particular tracking status of orders, supporting supplies, gas, equipment and organization of vehicular movements, with substantive support from the mission’s Logistics Coordinator (LOGC).
• Administrative and Financial Support: He/She oversees administrative and financial questions at the site, and ensures compliance with relevant procedures, with substantive support from the mission’s Administrative and Financial Coordinator (AFC).
• Safety and security: In collaboration with the Field Coordinator, with the support of the logistic coordinator, he/she supports the safety and security of the base.

Specific objectives and linked activities

ENSURE HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AT THE SITE

• He/She participates in the hiring process, as well as in any decisions related to the termination of employment contracts of local personnel at the site.
• He/She ensures compliance with PUI’s Internal Rules of Procedure at the site.
• He/She ensures the administrative management of local staff, in particular, payroll operations, monitoring absences, the construction, updating and archiving of personnel files.
• He/She ensures that all local employees are subject to a written evaluation at least once per contract period and per year.
• He/She assumes or delegates responsibility for the integration of any new employees at the site, and ensures, in particular, that logistical, administrative, HR and financial procedures, as well as procedures for the use of communication and transportation are explained and understood.
• He/She completes training programs for the local staff (logistical and administrative aspects) on an as needs basis.
• He/She prepares job profiles for local posts, under the direction of his/her immediate supervisor, and forwards them for endorsement to the Head of Base and the AFC, and to any other potentially relevant party, (depending on the position).
• He/She handles the management of interpersonal conflicts that arise on his/her site, and refers the matter to the Head of Base, in the event that he/she is not able to resolve dispute.
• He/She is the guardian of the image of PUI in his/her area of operation, and in that capacity ensures that the entire staff under his/her authority displays behavior consistent with the values upheld by the organization, and with full respect for the local culture.

ENSURE LOGISTICAL SUPORT AT THE SITE

• He/She ensures that the needs of the site are met (support, programming) and makes the needs known to the ACF each month, while making sure that all donor and internal procedures are respected, and that commitments are in line with available budgets.
• He/She ensures that the site is equipped with good infrastructure (offices and housing) necessary for execution of the work and accommodation of teams, in optimal conditions of safety.
• He/She oversees the vehicle fleet, and more globally ensures its proper functioning, as well as the maintenance of all equipment belonging to the site.
• He/She organizes the movement of vehicles on a weekly basis.
• He/She ensures adequate storage arrangements for all property and equipment.
• He/She ensures proper delivery of all purchases planned for the operational sites.
• He/She prepares and updates the inventory of supplies and equipment for the site, and submits it to the LOGC.
• Send to logco a monthly log report with all important logistic files updated (purchase and contract follow up/ equipment FU / fleet FU / procurement plan updated / suppliers list and short logistic narrative)

3. ENSURE FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT FOR THE SITE

• He/She is responsible for cost optimization; and uses budget tracking to achieve this; he/she ensures adequate financial resources for the running of the site.
• As regards budgetary monitoring, He/She participates in team-based analysis (along with technical, administrative and logistics management) and is responsible for detecting anomalies and proposing adjustments to the Head of Base and to the AFC.
• He/She ensures that accounting entries are completed in compliance with internal rules, and communicated to the AFC according to the agreed calendar, after endorsement by the Head of Base.
• Together with the AFC and the Head of Base, he/she tracks the cash flow for his/her site, and oversees disbursements.
• Together with the AFC and the Base Manage, he/she ensures that a system of internal oversight is in place at the site. He/She ensures compliance with procedures for undertaking expenditure commitments, and participates in the process of endorsing purchase orders.
• He/She is the guardian of the bookkeeping, and in that capacity makes sure that cash balances and bank accounts are absolutely and permanently backed up by appropriate accounting documents.

ENSURE REPORTING AND DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION

• He/She sends the internal and external reports to the immediate supervisor, while meeting internal deadlines for endorsement (monthly logistical reports / Accounting/ returns on budgetary monitoring / cash flow estimates).
• He/She attends internal coordination meetings, and participates actively.

SUPPORTS THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF PROPERTY AND PEOPLE AT THE SITE

• He/She ensures that human resources, logistics and financial and administrative purposes at optimal levels in regards to safety and security of property and people at the site
• He/She supports in context and security analysis, especially utilizing local knowledge of the team.
• He/She supports that the safety and security plans for the site, and supports the knowledge and understanding
• He/She supports in the validation process for the access letter and the assessment process in case of new intervention areas closely with the Field Coordinator.
• He/She supports data collection relative to the safety and security on his/her field of operations, provides analyses, and disseminates them to his/her immediate supervisor regularly or on an ad-hoc basis if urgent.
• He/She verifies that the material and equipment and human resource means at his/her disposal are adequate to ensure the optimal safety and security of teams, materials and beneficiaries. Especially for vehicles, premises and communication assets.
• He/She alerts his/her immediate supervisor without delay in case of impending danger of teams or beneficiaries.
• In the event of a security incident, (regardless of whether it took place or was avoided), he/she supports that the information is transmitted to his/her immediate supervisor without delay, and reported upon in accordance with PUI guidelines.