Head , Supply Chain

Organizational Context

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with a network of 191-member National Societies (NSs). The overall aim of IFRC is “to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by NSs with a view to preventing and alleviating human suffering and thereby contributing to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and peace in the world.”  IFRC works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises.

IFRC is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (Movement), together with its member National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The work of IFRC is guided by the following fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality.

IFRC is led by its Secretary General, and has its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The Headquarters are organized into three main Divisions: (i) National Society Development and Coordination; (ii) Humanitarian Diplomacy and Digitalization; and (iii) Management and Accountability.

IFRC has five regional offices in Africa, Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Europe, and the Americas.  IFRC also has country cluster delegations and country delegations throughout the world. Together, the Geneva Headquarters and the field structure (regional, cluster and country) comprise the IFRC Secretariat.

IFRC has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment and other forms of harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination, and lack of integrity (including but not limited to financial misconduct). IFRC also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles.

The GHS&SCM Department is part of the Management and Accountability Division. This position is based in the GHS&SCM Department, in Geneva, and reports directly to the Director.

Job Purpose

The Head, IFRC Supply Chain, provides strategic leadership and oversight to drive the implementation of the IFRC Supply Chain Strategy across all regions and headquarters. This role is pivotal in redefining the organization's approach to One RED supply chain management, fostering a culture of transformative leadership and innovation. It emphasizes strengthening preparedness and leveraging the network's capabilities, while maintaining an externally focused approach to build coalitions, pool resources, and drive sector-wide partnerships across humanitarian supply chain.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership:

• Provide overall strategic leadership to implement the IFRC Supply Chain Strategy, ensuring alignment across regions, partners and headquarters as one approach and direction.
• Lead the mindset shift, development and execution of enhanced preparedness and emergency response strategies, including scenario planning and supply chain readiness (with IFRC digital tools).
• Design and implement a global stock strategy including an updated financial model that meets the needs of the IFRC network, optimizing the use of pooled resources and fostering a collaborative approach to supply chain management leveraging the network existing approaches and mechanism.
• Lead the transformation of regional and local supply chain structures into a unified 'One RED Supply Chain' to standardize the resources and competency, optimizing/harmonizing business processes focusing on efficiency, interoperability, and maximizing the collective impact of the IFRC network. Develop minimum structure for regions, standardized competency framework & JDs.
• Identify opportunities to combine resources and create synergies with potential strategic partners that enhance operational efficiency and impact.
• Lead the development, coordination & future of partner-driven tools such as Logistics Emergency Response Units (ERUs) and its technical working group.
• Strategically engage with Disaster, Climate & Crisis, DREF/Information Management (IM) and Health and Care teams on project planning, grant proposal development, and alignment with supply chain components for both preparedness and operational response activities. Lead the change in the cross functional approaches to emergencies, in close relationship with the DREF/IM & DCC team.
• Partner with the humanitarian sector network in supply chain and the humanitarian supply chain actors to develop coalitions, resources pooling and joint approaches in preparedness and response.
• Coordinate with the Global Logistics Cluster and cooperative partnership (hulo.coop) to lead and promote common sector solutions.

Coordination with Technical Programme Functions and Partners National Societies (PNSs):

•  Coordinate and liaise with IFRC technical programme functions (e.g., DREF, WASH, Shelter, Cash, Health) to ensure alignment between operational supply chain support and programmatic demands, facilitating seamless integration.
• Connect and coordinate partners to leverage their expertise and resources into One RED supply chain.
• Foster strategic collaboration with PNSs and host NSs to develop a future-proof, aligned supply chain approach that lleverages network synergies.
• Act as the key liaison between RLUs and the GVA Surge desk/Logistics ERU NSs, address operational challenges, streamline coordination, ensuring ERU logistics to remain relevant and effective in service provision.
• Closely work with the Digital Transformation team and Go Platform/IM team in supply chain to continue leveraging the SPARK dashboard and KPIs dashboard.
• Closely work with SPRM and PNSs for potential strategic partnerships that support department’s strategic direction.

Job Duties and Responsibilities (continued)

Change Management and Transformative Leadership:

•  Lead change management initiatives and drive transformative improvements across supply chain operations by implementing innovative tools, technologies, and processes to continuously enhance the quality and efficiency of the supply chain.
• Provides transformative leadership and change management to increase the impact of supply chain
• Establish and oversee the application of performance metrics and KPIs to monitor, evaluate, and optimize supply chain operations, ensuring their quality, efficiency, and impact.

Talent Development and Surge Coordination:

•  Coordinate mechanisms for the effective implementation of emergency response.
• Lead the development and coordination of global and regional supply chain talent pools (with global SURGE, existing rosters and surge resources), manage surge deployment profiles, and coordinate tools such as Logistics Emergency Response Units (ERUs) alongside partners.
• Coordinate all Supply Chain trainings and preparedness mechanism including for surge and ERU Logs.
• Lead establishment of a sustainable “talent pool training mechanism”.
• Enhance collaboration with PNSs to strengthen collective supply chain capacity and competency in emergency response.

National Society Capacity Building:

•  Lead the development of a standardized methodology for strengthening National Society supply chain capacities, ensuring locally tailored and sustainable solutions aligned with the Preparedness for Effective Response (PER) framework with partners.

External Representation and Partnerships:

•  Manage the relationship with PNS and NS on preparedness and response mechanism (such as the ERU logs) and the evolution of the mechanism to be fit for purpose.
• Represent IFRC at global forums and actively foster strategic partnerships with humanitarian actors, private sector, and academia
• Act as a thought leader and advocate for innovative supply chain solutions, leveraging cross-sectoral insights to enhance IFRC's impact and influence. Act as the focal point for complex emergency responses, including coordinating DREFs, Appeals, and the deployment of surge teams and talent pools in collaboration with regional stakeholders.
• Actively engage Partner National Societies (PNSs) by leveraging their strengths, resources, and competencies to implement supply chain solutions where they are best placed to deliver.
• Drive innovation in collaboration with the private sector, academia, and other stakeholders by developing pro bono services and identifying new opportunities to enhance supply chain efficiency and responsiveness.
• Foster an environment of shared learning and innovation to maximize the impact of resources and competencies across the humanitarian network.

Education

Required 

• University degree in business management, supply chain, or a related field.

Preferred 

• Post-graduate qualification in commercial or humanitarian supply chain studies.
• Professional qualifications in Logistics and Supply Chain Management (e.g., CHL, CHSCM, or membership of CIPS).
  

Experience

Required

• 10 years of senior-level experience in developing and executing supply chain and operational strategies in the humanitarian and development sectors across multiple locations with the latest approaches and thinking. Broad humanitarian sector experience across organisations and diversity of approaches.
• Experience working and bringing transformative changes with operational teams (e.g.,DREF, WASH, Shelter, Health, Cash & Voucher Programming) across sectors within a matrix structure, including coordinating across multiple stakeholders, regions, and partners.
• Proven field experience managing complex supply chain operations in humanitarian contexts, including direct involvement in emergency response logistics and operational planning.
• Extensive field experience managing complex supply chain operations in humanitarian contexts, including emergency response logistics, procurement, warehousing, and last-mile delivery in disaster, conflict, and health crises.
• Strong experience in change management and driving transformative initiatives within a matrix organization.
• Demonstrated ability to stay in touch and adapt best practices and latest trends from private-sector supply chain models to humanitarian settings.
• Preferred

• Scenario planning and preparedness experience in humanitarian supply chain with proven results

Knowledge, Skills and Languages

Knowledge and Skills

Required

• Knowledge of Humanitarian supply chain preparedness, response mechanism and capacity building tools, systems, policies, and procedures.
• Exceptional strategic and operational leadership skills, with the ability to motivate and guide multidisciplinary and geographically dispersed teams.
• Proven ability to lead in a complex structure, balancing diverse priorities, building consensus, and ensuring effective coordination across stakeholders.
• Strong leadership skills of change management and organisational transformation in supply chain.
• Strong strategic thinking skills with a proven ability to align supply chain strategies with operational objectives.
• Strong expertise in institutional donor grant requirements, including proposal development, implementation, and reporting.
• Demonstrated ability to build strategic partnerships with humanitarian agencies, private-sector supply chain actors, donors, and governmental bodies, fostering joint supply chain solutions,
• Demonstrated ability to work under pressure in complex and rapidly evolving humanitarian contexts, effectively engaging with stakeholders, and ensuring seamless coordination between regional and global teams for timely and impactful responses.
• Skilled in connecting operational needs with strategic supply chain planning to enhance efficiency and impact.
• Knowledge of developments and innovations within the humanitarian and private supply chain sector. Innovative, a thought leader, able to think ‘outside the box’. Visionary and innovative, capable of challenging the status quo to introduce transformative changes in supply chain operations.
• Ability to design, implement, and optimize collaborative supply chain approaches, leveraging Partner National Societies’ resources and competencies.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with cultural sensitivity, fostering inclusion and collaboration across diverse environments.
• Strong external representation skills, with experience engaging in advocacy and policy discussions on humanitarian supply chain issues, strategic collaboration with donors, private sector, and academic institutions to drive innovation and investment in supply chain solutions.

Languages 

Required 

• Fluent spoken and written English.

Preferred 

• Good command of another IFRC official language (French, Spanish or Arabic).

Competencies, Values and Comments

Competencies

Values: Respect for diversity; Integrity; Professionalism; Accountability.
Core competencies: Communication; Collaboration and teamwork; Judgement and decision making; National society and customer relations; Creativity and innovation; Building trust.
Functional competencies: Strategic orientation; Building alliances; Leadership; Empowering others.
Managerial competencies: Managing staff performance, Managing staff development.