Deputy Lead for Emergency Preparedness and Response Vacancy-Job Ref: WJMWWFP/2307/2025824

Deputy Lead for Emergency Preparedness and Response Vacancy-Job Ref: WJMWWFP/2307/2025824

Lilongwe (Malawi)

Job Description

World Food Programme (WFP) About
Founded in 1961 and assisting 80 million people in around 80 countries each year, the World Food Programme (WFP) is the leading humanitarian organization fighting hunger worldwide, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. WFP’s efforts focus on emergency assistance, relief and rehabilitation, development aid and special operations.

Two-thirds of its work is in conflict-affected countries where people are three times more likely to be undernourished than those living in countries without conflict. In emergencies, WFP is often first on the scene, providing food assistance to the victims of war, civil conflict, drought, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, crop failures and natural disasters. When the emergency subsides, WFP helps communities rebuild shattered lives and livelihoods.

WFP also works to strengthen the resilience of people and communities affected by protracted crises by applying a development lens in its humanitarian response. WFP is the largest humanitarian organisation implementing school feeding programmes worldwide and has been doing so for over 50 years. Each year, WFP provides school meals to between 20 and 25 million children across 63 countries, often in the hardest-to-reach areas.

Job Posting Organization:
The World Food Programme (WFP) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, established to save lives in emergencies and to use food assistance as a means to build pathways to peace, stability, and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters, and the impacts of climate change. WFP operates globally, with a mission centered around the belief that food is a fundamental human right and that everyone deserves access to it.

The organization is committed to diversity and inclusion, ensuring equal employment opportunities for all employees regardless of race, gender, or background. WFP has received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020, highlighting its significant contributions to humanitarian efforts. The organization invests in the personal and professional development of its employees through various training and mentorship programs, fostering a diverse and multicultural working environment. WFP operates in numerous countries worldwide, employing thousands of individuals dedicated to humanitarian assistance and development. For more information, visit their website at https://www.wfp.org.

Job Overview:
The role of the Deputy Lead for Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) Logistics Team is crucial in ensuring effective logistics management during emergencies. This position is based in Lilongwe, Malawi, and involves direct supervision of the EPR logistics staff. The individual will be responsible for designing and managing preparedness activities, acting as the Coordinator for the National Transport and Logistics Cluster, and providing strategic guidance in project design, planning, and implementation of emergency preparedness and response activities.

The Deputy Lead will liaise with key stakeholders, manage resources effectively, and support rapid emergency response deployments. This role requires a proactive approach to identifying and developing supply chain plans and procedures that align with WFP’s global strategies, ensuring operational efficiency and reliability. The position also involves collecting and analyzing data to improve supply chain operations and establishing strategic partnerships to enhance logistics functions.

Duties and Responsibilities:
Provide strategic guidance and leadership in project design, planning, and implementation of emergency preparedness and response activities, liaising with stakeholders such as the Ministry of Transport and Public Works, Roads Authority, and Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA).
Supervise and manage the EPR logistics team, offering guidance, reviewing completed work, and supporting team members.

Plan, monitor, and manage resources to maximize the effectiveness of emergency preparedness projects.
Develop supply chain plans, procedures, and training to support emergency operations, ensuring alignment with WFP’s global supply chain strategy.
Support rapid emergency response deployments as the Cluster Coordinator, providing logistics updates and strategic inputs.
Collaborate with DoDMA to develop humanitarian logistics hub networks.
Collect and analyze data to create reports that highlight opportunities for improvement in supply chain operations.

Establish strategic partnerships to support supply chain activities across WFP units and with external partners.
Draft project proposals, donor reports, and presentations for high-level engagements. 1
Represent WFP at high-level events, including public speaking and presentations at workshops and conferences.

Perform other tasks as required.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess an advanced university degree in Supply Chain Management, Engineering, Economics, Business Administration, Logistics, or a related field. Alternatively, a first university degree with additional years of relevant work experience and/or training may be acceptable. Candidates should have a strong understanding of supply chain operations and logistics management, with the ability to analyze operational contexts and trends effectively. They should also demonstrate experience in supporting analytical and conceptual work on supply chain strategy and implementation.

Educational Background:
The educational background required for this position includes an advanced university degree in a relevant field such as Supply Chain Management, Engineering, Economics, Business Administration, or Logistics. A first university degree may be acceptable if accompanied by additional years of related work experience and/or relevant training or courses. This educational foundation is essential for understanding the complexities of logistics and supply chain management in emergency contexts.

Experience:
Candidates should have substantial experience in analyzing operational contexts and trends, supporting analytical and conceptual work on supply chain strategy, and designing operational plans in collaboration with stakeholders. Experience in end-to-end supply chain operations, working with supply chain information systems, and troubleshooting operational issues is also required. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of managing logistics in emergency situations and will be adept at developing and implementing effective supply chain strategies.

Languages:
Fluency in English is mandatory, with a proficiency level of C. Additionally, candidates should be fluent in the local language of the duty station, if different from English. This linguistic capability is essential for effective communication and collaboration with local stakeholders and partners.

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