Head of Supply Chain

The Head of Supply Chain manages and provides specialist leadership for integrated supply chain activities in WFP Nepal, supporting emergency response, recovery, and sustainable national systems strengthening. The role includes planning and overseeing procurement, logistics, warehousing, emergency preparedness, and capacity strengthening initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Lead the planning, implementation and monitoring of integrated supply chain delivery activities supporting emergency response, early recovery, resilience and Country Strategic Plan priorities, ensuring coherence across logistics, procurement, programme and partnership workstreams.
• Analyse the operational context, supply chain risks, market conditions and evolving needs; design agile, cost-effective and sustainable end-to-end supply chain solutions; and recommend timely adjustments to management.
• Provide technical and operational leadership during emergencies and post-emergency recovery, including rapid assessments, response planning, scale-up and transition arrangements, while ensuring continuity of critical supply chain services.
• Lead supply chain preparedness activities, including contingency planning, scenario analysis, readiness assessments, operational concepts, standard operating procedures, framework arrangements, pre-positioning strategies, simulations and lessons learned.
• Plan and oversee procurement, contracting, transport, warehousing, inventory, distribution and service-delivery activities, ensuring quality, timeliness, cost-efficiency, risk mitigation, internal controls and compliance with WFP policies and standards.
• Provide strategic and operational oversight of Humanitarian Staging Areas and related preparedness assets, ensuring effective governance, safe and compliant operations, accurate inventory management, readiness for activation and sustainable institutional arrangements.
• Design and implement country capacity strengthening initiatives in supply chain and emergency preparedness and response, based on jointly identified institutional needs, national priorities and sustainable transition pathways.
• Advise government institutions and other national actors on supply chain strategies, policies, systems, organisational arrangements, business processes, operational plans, standards and performance frameworks at federal, provincial and local levels.
• Provide supply chain and market expertise to cash-based transfer and market-development activities, including market and retailer assessments, supply chain network mapping, bottleneck analysis, local procurement options, value-chain linkages and measures to improve market access, functionality and resilience.
• Build and maintain productive partnerships with government entities, UN agencies, NGOs, development partners, academia, financial and retail actors, suppliers, transporters and other private-sector service providers to achieve common preparedness, response and systems-strengthening objectives.
• Develop and manage responsive supply chain services for government and humanitarian and development partners, ensuring clear service arrangements, transparent costing, reliable delivery, performance monitoring and protection of WFP's interests.
• Establish performance indicators, monitor implementation and expenditure, identify operational and institutional risks, recommend corrective action, and drive continuous improvement through data, technology, innovation and evidence-based learning.
• Contribute technical content to concept notes, project documents, budgets, funding proposals, donor briefings and reporting, and support engagement with partners to mobilise resources for emergency response, recovery, preparedness and capacity strengthening.
• Lead, coach and develop staff and project teams; promote integrated planning, accountability, inclusion, knowledge sharing and high performance; and strengthen the technical capacity of WFP colleagues and partners.
• Represent WFP in relevant supply chain, logistics, emergency preparedness and response, market systems and institutional coordination forums, as delegated, and communicate complex operational and strategic issues clearly to senior stakeholders.
• Perform other duties as required.

Requirements

• Advanced University degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Engineering, Economics, Business Administration, Emergency Management, International Development or another relevant field, or a First University degree with additional years of related professional experience and/or training.
• Minimum of 6 years of progressively responsible professional experience in supply chain management, logistics, procurement, emergency preparedness and response, humanitarian operations, country capacity strengthening, market systems or related fields.
• Experience managing substantive projects, teams or operational portfolios in complex environments is required.
• Strong knowledge of integrated supply chain planning and operations; emergency preparedness, response and recovery; procurement and logistics processes; warehousing and inventory management; market assessment and CBT support; institutional capacity strengthening; project management; performance and risk management; partnership development; and clear communication with senior internal and external stakeholders.
• Fluency (Level C) in English. Knowledge of another official UN language is an advantage.
• Experience managing integrated supply chain operations, including procurement, transport, warehousing, service providers and operational planning.
• Experience in emergency preparedness, contingency planning, rapid scale-up, humanitarian response and post-emergency recovery.
• Experience working with government institutions on institutional strengthening, policy, systems, procedures and sustainable operational arrangements.
• Experience managing or supporting Humanitarian Staging Areas, emergency logistics facilities or comparable preparedness infrastructure.
• Experience conducting market or supply chain assessments and supporting CBT, retail, market-development or value-chain interventions.
• Experience developing partnerships with UN agencies, NGOs, development partners, academia and private-sector actors.
• Experience supervising professional staff, leading multidisciplinary teams and managing complex projects across the project cycle.
• Experience contributing to resource mobilisation, donor engagement, technical proposals and project reporting.

Skills

• Supply Chain Management
• Logistics Management
• Procurement Procedures
• Emergency Preparedness
• Humanitarian Response
• Integrated Supply Chain Planning
• Warehouse Management
• Inventory Management
• Market Assessments
• Cash Based Transfers
• Institutional Strengthening
• Project Management
• Performance Management
• Risk Management
• Partnership Development
• Operational Planning
• Resource Mobilization
• Donor Engagement Strategies
• Technical Proposal Development
• Team Leadership

Languages

English