Supply Chain Manager, Europe

World Central Kitchen seeks a highly skilled, adaptable and entrepreneurial Supply Chain Manager to lead procurement and logistics operations on the ground to ensure the rapid purchasing and delivery of essential food items to kitchen facilities and disaster-affected communities. The Supply Chain Manager thrives in dynamic, low-resource environments, and plays a critical role in building and training locally led response teams in order to coordinate the efficient and effective provision of food resources promptly. Your role includes:

• Procurement and Logistics: Lead efforts to rapidly purchase and deliver essential food items, ensuring food aid reaches communities swiftly and in alignment with WCK\’s North Star values.
• Establishing and Maintaining Field Kitchens: Lead the establishment and maintenance of field kitchens, including physical kitchen infrastructure, power, and water systems. Coordinate services provided by on-site vendors and maintain a safe working environment.
• Building and Training Teams: Play a critical role in building and training locally led supply chain and procurement teams to efficiently provide food resources in collaboration with other response units.
• Problem Solving in Crisis: Navigate fast-paced, unpredictable environments, creatively overcoming obstacles to ensure the efficient delivery of food aid.
• Communication and Coordination: Ensure clear and effective communication and coordination across all levels of supply chain operations.

Duration: The Supply Chain Manager is a two (2) year contract term position with the opportunity for renewal, offering a unique chance to lead and shape WCK\’s responses.

This position reports directly to the Global Supply Chain Director off activation, and into the Response Director on activation.

Preferred Location(s): Europe – Must live within one (1) hour of an international airport.

• Madrid, Spain
• London, England
• Lisbon, Portugal
• Athens, Greece

Key Responsibilities:

Activation Management

• Respond within four (4) hours notice to a disaster area to act as Supply Chain Manager, managing relief operations on the ground, or in rare cases, remotely.
• Lead and manage field teams specializing in supply chain. Ensure strategic and streamlined implementation of relief activities on the ground, operationalizing WCK\’s North Star values.
• Design and implement response strategies in the field that are adaptable and robust enough to function in high-stress, dynamic environments affected by natural disasters or conflicts.
• Recruit, onboard, train and manage supply chain teams, including local hires and Corps members in the field.
• Consult on the scope of the response, and manage or implement supply chain operations.
• Provide regular updates on operations to the Response Director to ensure ongoing, transparent information sharing across the organization.
• Collaborate with all WCK departments on the ground, or remotely to support the needs of the activation.
• Ensure smooth transitions and complete handovers with other Managers, and between Response Corps team members when rotating field teams through phases of the activation.
• Complete the After-Action Report process immediately following activation wind-down, collating and drawing learnings for process improvement.

Procurement and Logistics

• Oversee all inventory and purchasing management systems on the ground, with local procurement as a foundational priority. Negotiate with suppliers, manage inventory, and implement effective domestic and international logistics strategies to ensure seamless operations under challenging conditions.
• Oversee local sourcing, transportation, storage, and distribution of supplies and materials necessary for the mission, adhering to WCK standards.
• Create and oversee global supply chain systems on the ground to receive customs, freight forwarders and entities that receive orders.

Kitchen Infrastructure

• Build and maintain field kitchens on activations, including plumbing, water filtration, propane, electricity and HVAC.
• Manage relationships with external vendors to coordinate services, including equipment rentals, fresh water delivery, gray water removal, grease disposal, trash and recycling pickup, and unleaded and diesel fuel.
• Establish teams to maintain, troubleshoot, and improve upon these systems, ensuring safety as a top priority.

Budgeting and Logistics

• Work with the finance team and Response Director to share cost projections for supply chain operations, focusing on meal production and logistical needs.
• Collaborate with the supply chain team to source materials and supplies efficiently and ensure timely delivery to affected areas.

Personnel Management and Training

• Recruit, train, and motivate diverse supply chain teams on activation, ensuring a high-performance culture aligned with WCK\’s North Star.
• Provide leadership, mentorship, training and support to team members, promoting a culture of urgency, accountability, adaptability and continuous learning within the team.
• Address personnel issues on activations in real time, and provide regular performance feedback on Corps members.
• Support the recruitment of Corps members, and manage personnel effectively on the ground to foster growth and ensure a diverse pipeline of activation leadership.
• Identify professional development needs and gaps in supply chain capabilities to arrange for appropriate training, and provide this feedback to relevant stakeholders for implementation.

Community and Stakeholder Engagement

• Build strong relationships with local communities first.
• Ensure the teams conduct outreach and engagement activities that contribute to WCK\’s reputation as an effective, compassionate, and reliable relief organization.
• Represent WCK in the field, acting as an ambassador to beneficiaries, partners, and the media, as required.

Requirements

• Ability to spend up to 70% of the time in the field. The typical duration of an activation is four (4) weeks, though timelines could be longer.
• Must live within one (1) hour of an international airport or be willing to relocate.
• Willingness and ability to travel frequently to remote and potentially hazardous locations within four hours notice.
• Bachelor\’s degree preferred, or 5+ years of experience in management roles, preferably in fast paced, ever changing environments; including military, emergency response, culinary, humanitarian or event management settings.
• Experience leading, training and coaching large teams in challenging and rapidly changing environments.
• Ability to work independently with minimal infrastructure and resources.
• Willingness to work in challenging environments with austere living conditions. For example, responders may not have access to running water, communications, or electricity and they may have to sleep outdoors and use bucket toilets.
• Ability to work well with others and take directions to protect yourself and the team.
• Demonstrated negotiation and diplomacy skills in complex and potentially volatile situations.
• Exhibit a calm and composed demeanor during crisis situations, with the capacity to make sound decisions under pressure.
• Be physically fit and have the stamina to work long hours doing physically demanding tasks in varying and potentially extreme climates.
• Strong mental resilience and emotional intelligence to cope with the stressors associated with working in conflict environments.
• Display cultural awareness and sensitivity, recognizing and respecting diverse backgrounds that allow us to positively work with local communities.
• Fluency in English is required; proficiency in additional languages relevant to common disaster or conflict zones is highly desirable (French, Portuguese, Spanish).
• Must have a valid Driver\’s License.
• Must have a valid Passport.

By joining us as a Supply Chain Manager, you will dedicate your professional expertise to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those affected by crises. Your leadership will ensure that our response efforts are prompt, strategic, and compassionate, delivering hope and essential aid at a time when it is needed most.

Application & Cover Letter Instructions
This application REQUIRES a cover letter that clearly articulates your interest in working with World Central Kitchen. We aim to understand your passion for our mission, please elaborate on how your experience aligns with the responsibilities detailed in the job description. Only applications accompanied by a cover letter will be considered for further review. We encourage you to express your genuine voice and avoid using generic cover letters.

References and Background Checks
To help ensure the safety of our communities and our teams, our selection process will include reference and background checks, subject to any legal or regulatory requirements.

Equal Opportunity
WCK is an equal opportunity employer committed to inclusion and diversity and to ensure equal opportunity for all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or other protected characteristics.

Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the country in which they reside. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of employment at this time.

No recruiters or agencies, please.

Contract Type (If based outside United States or Spain)
We are excited to offer an opportunity for this role in partnership with Velocity Global and TCW Global. If based outside of the United States or Spain, depending on location, the successful candidate will be contracted by either VG or TCW, which will handle all HR-related processes, including payroll, benefits, and compliance, while the employee will work directly with World Central Kitchen to fulfill the job responsibilities.

As a contractor of Velocity Global or TCW Global you will receive the benefits and support of a dedicated HR team, ensuring a seamless experience while you contribute to the mission of World Central Kitchen.

Benefits

Salary Range: $85,000 – $95,000 USD and/or equivalent in local currency per year

Why Join Us?

Innovative Environment: Be part of a forward-thinking team that values creativity and innovation.
Global Impact: Your work will have a direct impact on building a diverse and talented global team.
Professional Growth: Opportunities for continuous learning and career development.
Dynamic Team: Work with a supportive and enthusiastic team that values collaboration and fun.

If you are ready to bring your unique talents to a role that is as challenging as it is rewarding, we would love to hear from you. Apply today and let\’s build the future of World Central Kitchen together

WCK is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

Join us in being a part of WCK\’s global talent journey