Regional Supply Lead

India

Regional Supply Lead

Organization

• Médecins Sans Frontières
  
  

Posted 19 Aug 2025 Closing date 22 Aug 2025

Background

MSF is an international, independent, medical humanitarian organization that provides lifesaving emergency relief and longer-term medical care to some of the most vulnerable and excluded communities around the world. MSF works to provoke a social and political response that meets the essential needs, and respects and protects the dignity of the patients it serves. MSF strives to innovate and incite change through its medical action, its “témoignage” and its active reflection on the situation of populations in danger. Respecting its Charter and shared principles, MSF is an independent movement of citizen associations that are integrated and open to their societies. In the spirit of volunteerism, acting in proximity to and in solidarity with assisted people, MSF’s members adhere to humanitarian principles and respect for medical ethics.

MSF was awarded the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development in 1996 and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999. At MSF India, we are committed to diversity and equity of opportunity in all aspects of our work, both externally and internally.

MSF India is registered as a Section 8 company under the Indian Companys Act, 2013(its an Indian local company that runs charity activities). The Head of Office in India will be representing MSF in India.

We are committed to an inclusive culture that encourages and supports the diverse voices of our employees. We welcome applications from individuals of all genders, ages, sexual orientations, nationalities, races, religions, caste, beliefs, ability status, and all other diversity characteristics.

• CONTEXT
  
  

In recent years, there has been a significant development in MSF’s medical and operational activities that has been sustained by an increase in MSF’s operational budget and complexity. Every year, approximately half of MSF’s global budget is spent on procurement (services and goods).

The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic underscored how system preparedness and emergency outbreak control play a vital role in reducing associated morbidity and mortality. It also highlighted the relative weakness of the systems connected with healthcare delivery globally. In response to this, we have utilized our increased medical research capacity to evaluate the unmet epidemiological needs associated with healthcare delivery systems in South Asia, contributing when our capacity and skills add value. As India and the region are home to one of the largest base of producers for generic and affordable medicines, we are currently investigating opportunities for MSF in relation to supply and procurement hubs.

The Global Procurement Unit (GPU) of MSF has been set up to foster a global, common approach to strategic procurement across all entities (OCs, ESCs, and Partner Sections) at international, regional, and national levels. In this context, the development of regional market knowledge is critical in order to feed the global procurement strategies and ultimately support the local teams in their procurement activities.

At the institutional level, MSF has entered into a decentralization dynamic within the organization with the willingness to get the decision-making process closer to our areas of operations.

The South Asia Procurement Opportunity Assessment Project (carried out from January to August 2022) confirmed the additional potential that MSF could get by relying increasingly on India for its Procurement needs. It highlighted as well specific areas of optimization for the MSF Supply Centers when procuring from India, with improvement potential in regards to supply chain and transport management, management of supplier relationships, sourcing, and qualification of manufacturers.

The Project recommended having dedicated supply resource(s) located in South Asia in order to support the Supply Centers of MSF to mitigate those operational constraints and capitalize fully on the potential of the Indian market. Those recommendations have been formalized into the MSF South Asia Supply Strategy, which has been validated by the MSF South Asia Board. The position of Regional Supply Lead (South Asia) has been created in this context, in order to plan, execute and implement the MSF South Asia Supply Strategy and to ensure that the ongoing operational projects initiated during the South Asia Procurement Opportunity Assessment Project are correctly followed through. In addition, the position will be in charge to recruit and manage the relevant team members in line with the South Asia Supply Strategy.

• JOB PURPOSE
  
  

The overall objective of the position is to execute the MSF South Asia Supply Strategy by:

• Defining, Planning and executing the different activities to fulfill the Strategy
• Ensuring continuity of operational support activities initiated during the South Asia Procurement Opportunity Assessment Project.
• Leading the definition of processes, roles, responsibilities, and governance to ensure seamless integration of dedicated supply resources in India at best with the European supply centers and their processes.
• Advocate for the strategic value of the South Asia Supply Hub among relevant stakeholders, ensuring its active involvement and optimized performance in critical supply activities.
• Reviewing and updating the Strategy as necessary, aligning with MSF’s overarching Priorities and South Asia regional context
• MAIN FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
  
  

(I) Plan and lead the execution of the MSF South Asia Supply Strategy

• Collaborate with stakeholders to strategically plan the activities related to the South Asia Supply Strategy, leveraging available resources and capacity
• Lead the execution and implementation of those activities by coordinating the relevant stakeholders and resources
• Create and maintain visibility on level of achievement of the different activities
• Ensure that the South Asia Supply Strategy remains aligned with overall South Asia and MSF Objectives, and develop the strategy in a way to match the evolution of MSF and its environment
• Establish and report to a Steering Committee to oversee the project, leading meetings to ensure effective guidance and decision-making.
  
  

(II) Develop Regional Market expertise and establish a robust medical sourcing mechanism in South Asia

• Collaborate with the Category and Lead buyers, QA referents and ESCs, to develop effective Market Assessment models to identify new potential value-adding suppliers
• Understand the Sourcing needs to the Supply Centers (ESCs and RSCs) and GPU, and align on scope of support
• Support the definition and implementation of processes to ensure the involvement of Regional Sourcing Teams in Global Sourcing Strategies
• Ensure alignment of the approach with other Regional Sourcing Initiatives to maintain consistency and strategic coherence.
• Refine and align which Sourcing Categories should be systematically in scope for involvement of the South Asia Supply Team in Market Research activities
• Establish appropriate forums and communication channels to facilitate cooperation between South Asia Supply Hub and ESC / GPU stakeholders
• Promote the added value that the South Asian supplier base can provide and ensure correct involvement of the South Asia Team in all relevant sourcing initiatives
• Investigate and create relevant networks with external actors, such as industry groups and trade associations, to leverage market intelligence as a strategic resource
• Explore collaboration Opportunities with MSF Access Asia Hub when relevant
• Identify other potential regional markets and conduct opportunity assessments
• Ensure proper documentation and reporting of activities performed, implementing appropriate systems to add value to those executing sourcing strategies involving South Asian suppliers.
  
  

(III) Support effective supplier relationship management on behalf of the European Supply Centers through proximity, to build and maintain a reliable network of regional suppliers.

• Collaborate with European Supply Centers (ESCs) to define strategic roles and responsibilities between ESC stakeholders and the South Asia Supply Team concerning supplier management activities.
• Ensure that appropriate forums between Regional Supply Team and relevant stakeholders are in place to ensure proper information exchange and effective supplier management activities
• Serve as a strategic escalation contact point for supplier management and negotiation support, in alignment with global sourcing strategies
• Advocate for MSFs mission and values, educating regional suppliers about MSFs strategic priorities and ways of working
• Participate in the development of robust processes and models to ensure comprehensive monitoring of supplier performance for South Asian suppliers
  
  

(IV) Ensure the availability of high-quality healthcare products.

• Collaborate with the Quality Assurance team to align resources and support the implementation of robust quality assurance systems.
• Facilitate communication and coordination between the South Asia Supply Hub and Quality Assurance personnel to ensure effective compliance with Good Distribution Practices (GDP).
• Ensure that activities from the South Asia Supply Hub are conducted in a manner that supports the quality standards and compliance requirements of MSF
• Collaborate with the Quality Assurance Department to identify potential vulnerabilities in the supply flows from the South Asia region concerning compliance with quality assurance requirements and work together to address any identified shortcomings
  
  

(V) Optimize and streamline supply chain flows for products purchased in South Asia

• Develop models for volume consolidation from South Asia and assess direct delivery opportunities
• Collaborate with ESCs and Regional Supply Centers to identify opportunities for optimizing supply flows originating from South Asia, focusing on improving costs, reducing carbon emissions, shortening lead times, minimizing risks to quality compliance, and simplifying operations
• Identify potential supply support activities for Regional Mission Countries
• Establish and coordinate internal MSF working groups to refine and implement the identified optimization opportunities, including process definition and repartition of roles & responsibilities
• If applicable, Support the selection and implementation of any potential new Logistics Service Provider in South Asia
• Manage relationships with Regional Logistics Service Providers, including performance reviews
• Enquire potential regional stocking locations to support the ESC/OC (Emergency) Distribution and Stocking strategies EAssess the feasibility of using free trade zones for optimizing supply chain operations
  
  

(IV) Ensure high performance and engagement within the South Asia procurement team.

• Set-up the team, Recruit, train, and manage team members in line with the South Asia Supply Strategy
• Support the definition of Roles and Responsibilities between South Asia procurement and their global stakeholders, and ensure compliance with them
• Set clear objectives and responsibilities for team members
• Provide regular feedback, coaching, and development opportunities for team members
• Foster a collaborative and high-performance team environment
• Monitor team performance and implement corrective actions when necessary
• Ensure continuous professional development and learning for team members
• Manage team resources effectively to meet project timelines and goals
• Coordinate with other departments and stakeholders to ensure smooth operation and integration of procurement activities.
• PROFILE REQUIREMENTS
  
  

(I) Educational Requirement

Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Supply Chain Management or Pharmacy with ideally a specialization in purchasing or project management or a combination

of relevant education and professional experience.

(II) Relevant Experience

• 10+ years of work experience, with exposure to the procurement of Medical products and/orservices
• Experience in vendormanagement.
• Deep understanding of Indian Market and context
• Knowledge of South Asian Market is a plus
• Direct work experience in a complex multi-entities organization including supply chain management.
• Previous MSF Experience is a key asset
• Experience in global contracting and negotiations with pharmaceutical and medical devicescompanies and resellers.
• Experience working with technology marketresearch tools andservices
• Experience in setting up strategic procurement plan at a national/regional level
  
  

(III) Other Requirements

• Excellent communication skills,assertiveness and negotiation skills
• Candidate is expected to travel within India and to other MSF Offices in South Asia and Europe
• Ability to work in a cross-cultural and cross-functional environment
• Drive for change, improvement and innovation
• Strong organizational skills, ability to handlemultiple priorities at one time
• Excellent analytical skills
• Knowledge of pharmaceuticals/medical devices market is an asset
• Proficiency in standard office tools including Word, PowerPoint, Excel and PowerBI
• Fluent in spokenand written English
  
  

(IV) Competencies Requirements

• Strategic Vision (Level3)
• Leadership (Level2)
• People Management and Development (Level3)
• Service Orientation (Level 3)
• Teamwork and Cooperation (Level4)
  
  

TERMS OF REEFERENCE

Position: Regional Supply Lead

Job location: India (Mumbai or Bangalore)

Start date: September 01, 2025

Type of contract: Contract duration is 12 months with a possibility of extension

We Offer

• Contract duration is 12 months with the possibility of extension
• A stimulating, professional environment in a reputed international organization.
• Gross per month salary (before all the statutory deductions): INR 2,11,604.00 – INR 2,52,667.00
  
  

(non- negotiable) (Final salary will depend on the scaling of the CV as per MSF criteria).

• 13th Month bonus (equivalent to one month gross) will be additional.
• Contributions to statutory benefit programs such as Provident Fund.
• Medical: MSF provides medical reimbursement for employees and their dependents as per MSF India’s health care policy.
• This is an international vacancy with MSF India. MSF India will provide a relocation package to non-Indian nationals relocating to India.
  
  

How to apply

How To Apply

Please send a copy of your updated CV together with a letter of motivation by clicking on the link below:

https://msfindia.zohorecruit.in/jobs/Careers

Application Checklist

Please check that you have included the following in your application:

• An updated CV/ profile
• Letter of Motivation, which is a supporting statement demonstrating how you meet the key requirements of the role.
• If you face any challenge while uploading letter of motivation and your CV separately; then you can upload both as one document
  
  

Last application date: August 22, 2025 (Friday)

Remarks: Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

END

Job details

Country

• India
  
  

City Mumbai or Bangalore, India Source

• Médecins Sans Frontières
  
  

Type

• Job
  
  

Career category

• Logistics/Procurement
  
  

Years of experience

• 10+ years
  
  

Themes

• Camp Coordination and Camp Management
• Protection and Human Rights
  
  

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