Head of Supply Chain

The Türkiye Country Office (TRCO) Supply Chain Unit is a cornerstone of WFP’s regional and global humanitarian operations. Leveraging Türkiye’s strategic location, advanced logistics infrastructure, and strong relationships with suppliers and authorities, the unit enables the efficient movement of humanitarian commodities to multiple countries—including Syria, Gaza, Lebanon, Afghanistan, and beyond. The unit also manages prepositioned emergency stocks for Emergency Preparedness., ensuring rapid response to crises both within Türkiye and across the region.

In recent years, the TRCO Supply Chain Unit’s mandate has expanded from single-country pipelines to multi-corridor, multi-country operations. The unit now supports and enables major WFP initiatives such as the Black Sea Grain Initiative, Grain from Ukraine, and large-scale emergency responses. Its responsibilities encompass comprehensive supply chain management, customs and port operations, supplier engagement, and stewardship of emergency stocks, all underpinned by a commitment to operational excellence, compliance, and partnership.

Job Purpose:

The Head of Supply Chain provides specialist advice, leadership, and operational management for integrated supply chain activities originating from, transiting through, or destined for Türkiye. The role ensures the effective, efficient, and compliant delivery of humanitarian assistance through all relevant corridors, supporting WFP’s mission to reach beneficiaries in need, while maintaining readiness for emergency response and regional preparedness through the management of EPTF stocks.

• ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

Reporting to the Country Director, the Head of Supply Chain responsibilities will include:

Strategic Leadership & Planning

• Lead the planning, supervision, and optimization of inbound and outbound flows of humanitarian commodities through all operational corridors, ensuring alignment with WFP’s global strategy and Türkiye’s operational context.

• Oversee customs clearance, port operations, and coordination with suppliers and transporters to guarantee timely and efficient delivery to destination countries and WFP warehouses.

Compliance & Documentation

• Ensure all required shipping and export documentation (e.g., Phytosanitary, Health, and Composition Certificates) is complete and compliant with Turkish and destination country regulations.

• Establish and maintain robust compliance frameworks for all supply chain activities.

• Report on exceptional contracting activities of logistics services as per SCD corporate guidance requirements.

• Ensure compliance of logistics services contracting to the existing contracting procedures.

Operational Oversight & Reporting

• Direct and coordinate daily loading, inspection, and dispatch activities, ensuring accurate record-keeping and timely reporting for operational transparency and informed decision-making.

• Provide regular analysis and reports to senior management and stakeholders.

Transactional & Commodity Accounting

• Oversee all transactional and commodity accounting processes, including waybill preparation, shipment tracking in WFP systems (e.g., VL10D, VT01N, VT11), TPO processing, physical inventories, and management of virtual warehouse stocks (e.g., MIGO, ZSCCOMINV).

• Responsible for stock management including monthly reporting of the in-country stock on hand through Physical Inventory Count (PIC). And reporting to HQ on losses exceeding the established thresholds.

Customs & Export Management

• Lead engagement with authorities and stakeholders to secure customs approvals and manage the export of commodities to all destination countries, ensuring compliance with local and international requirements.

Supplier Engagement & Partnerships

• Provide strategic direction and support to HQ Procurement, TRCO, and other WFP units in supplier engagement, procurement processes, and supplier readiness for all operational corridors.

• Foster strong partnerships with suppliers, government agencies, and other stakeholders.

Emergency Preparedness & EPTF Management

• Lead the management of EPTF stocks in Türkiye (including RTEs, RTNs, bakeries, and kitchens), ensuring accurate inventory, shelf-life management, and rapid deployment capability for emergencies in Türkiye and across the region.

• Develop and implement emergency preparedness strategies and ensure the unit’s readiness to respond to crises.

• Monitor the timely rotation of the stocks and ensuring stocks are secured with adequate shelf life.

Adaptation & Continuous Improvement

• Maintain readiness and flexibility to support flows to any country or region as required, adapting procedures and processes to meet evolving operational needs and regulatory environments.

• Drive continuous improvement and innovation in supply chain operations.

Team Leadership & Capacity Building

• Lead, motivate, and develop the supply chain team, fostering a culture of high performance, inclusivity, and professional growth.

• Provide coaching, training, and career guidance to ensure team effectiveness and resilience.

DELIVERABLES DURING THE CONTRACT:

The Head of Supply Chain Unit leading the team, will delivery will include:

• Operational Performance Reports

  • Monthly and quarterly reports summarizing flows, customs, port operations, supplier engagement, and delivery metrics for all corridors and destinations.

  • Commodity accounting reports tracking shipments, inventories, and virtual warehouse stocks.

• Supervision and Coordination of milling and Grain from Ukraine Operations

  • Grain from Ukraine operations reports, overseeing receipt, milling, and dispatch of wheat grain and flour.

  • Milling and dispatch oversight updates, including coordination with HQ Field Support Unit, the regional office, and partners.

  • Risk management and quality assurance reports for milling and dispatch processes.

• Logistics Services Market assessment (LSMA)

  • Ensure the LSMA is always updated within the timeframes established by SCD / logistics services manual and perform the revisions / update as and when necessary

• Logistics Capacity Assessment (LCA) Updates

  • Regular updates of the LCA for Türkiye, reflecting infrastructure, warehousing, transport capacity, customs, and supplier networks. Updates shared with HQ Field Support Unit, the regional office, and all users.

• Emergency Preparedness & EPTF Management

  • Emergency readiness reports documenting preparedness for domestic and regional emergencies, including EPTF stock status and deployment readiness.

  • EPTF stock rotation and deployment reports.

• Contracting & Supplier Relations

  • Contract status and readiness reports, maintaining an up-to-date register of all logistics contracts and supplier agreements.

  • Supplier performance reviews.

• Coordination & Stakeholder Engagement

  • Coordination meeting minutes and action trackers with HQ Field Support Unit, the regional office, and service users.

  • Stakeholder update bulletins summarizing operational highlights, challenges, and priorities.

• Compliance & Documentation

  • Shipping documentation compliance reports.

  • Regulatory change briefs on Turkish or destination country regulations.

• Continuous Improvement & Lessons Learned

  • After-action reviews and lessons learned reports following major operations or emergency responses.

• Coordination Requirements

  • Regular engagement with HQ Field Support Unit: share operational updates, LCA revisions, emergency readiness status, contract registers, and Grain from Ukraine operational reports.

  • Collaboration with the Regional Office: align on strategic priorities, share performance data, and coordinate on cross-border and multi-country operations, including milling and dispatch activities.

  • Service User Communication: maintain open channels with all users of the Türkiye Supply Chain Unit (country offices, HQ units, donors), providing timely updates and soliciting feedback.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education:

University Degree or Advanced University Degree in international relations, political or economic science, business administration, computer and information systems or other relevant academic areas.

Experience:

At least 5 years of relevant progressive work experience in humanitarian or private sector. Experience with WFP’s corporate systems including SCOPE, and registration systems. Experience with designing and implementing humanitarian in-kind or cash programmes is valued.

Knowledge & Skills:

Microsoft Office, data collection tools, ETL/ELT tools, database technologies, field applications and project management methodologies are relevant. Experience and ability to effectively engage and coordinate across a variety of stakeholders.

Languages:

Fluency (level C) in English.