Country Supply Chain & Operations Manager

Location: Damascus – Syria Country Office

Travel: 30%

Relief International (RI) is an international non-profit organization that partners with communities impacted by conflict, climate change and disaster to save lives, build greater resilience and promote long-term health and wellbeing.

Our team of more than 4,000 staff and local volunteers work in 14 countries across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, providing Health and Nutrition, WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene), Education and Livelihoods programming that creates the foundation for community resilience.

We do this by working with local actors to develop safe and inclusive local programming that is evidence based, conflict sensitive, climate smart, and reaches those in need.

Relief International is an alliance of four organizations with one shared mission, comprised of Relief International, Inc., Relief International-France, Relief International-UK and Relief International-Europe, which operate under a one-team concept under a single senior leadership team.

Job Profile:

The Country Supply Chain & Operations Manager provides strategic leadership, technical oversight, and management of Relief International's country-wide Supply Chain & Operations (SCO) function in Syria. The role ensures that procurement, logistics, commodity management, and operational support systems enable timely, compliant, and cost-effective programme delivery while meeting organizational policies, donor requirements, and security standards. The post holder is responsible for strengthening systems and controls, improving operational efficiency and compliance, managing supply chain and operational risks, and building the capacity of national SCO teams.

The Country SCO Manager has direct leadership responsibility for the Procurement, Logistics & Commodities, and Operations functions. Under the current organizational structure, these functions are managed directly by the Country SCO Manager. As the Syria programme continues to evolve, the role will support the progressive development of a scalable SCO structure with increased functional specialization and delegated leadership where appropriate. The role ensures effective coordination between the Country Office and Field Offices, promotes standardized systems and ways of working across the programme, and contributes to strategic planning, proposal development, operational preparedness, emergency response, and organizational growth.

Key Responsibilities:

Leadership & Management:

• Provide strategic leadership and management of the country Supply Chain & Operations (SCO) department, ensuring effective operational support to all programmes across Syria.
• Lead, coach and develop country and field SCO staff through effective supervision, performance management, mentoring and capacity building.
• Manage the Supply Chain & Operations departmental budget and operational resources, ensuring cost-effective delivery of support services and responsible stewardship of organizational assets.
• Establish clear roles, responsibilities and accountability across the Procurement, Logistics & Commodities, and Operations functions.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, continuous improvement, compliance and customer service throughout the department.
• Conduct regular field visits to strengthen operational performance, provide technical support and ensure consistent implementation of country standards.

Strategic Supply Chain Leadership

• Develop and maintain the country Supply Chain Strategy and associated operational plans, ensuring alignment with programme priorities, organizational objectives and donor requirements.
• Develop, implement and periodically review country Supply Chain & Operations policies, procedures and standard operating procedures to strengthen compliance, consistency and operational effectiveness.
• Oversee the implementation and effective use of organizational supply chain and operational management systems, ensuring data integrity, standardization and continuous improvement.
• Lead the design and continuous optimization of the country supply chain network, including procurement planning, warehousing, transport, fleet and distribution systems.
• Drive strategic sourcing, market analysis and long-term contracting initiatives to improve value for money, operational resilience and supplier performance.
• Lead operational forecasting, contingency planning and business continuity planning to ensure continuity of critical support services during emergencies, programme expansion and changing access conditions.
• Establish performance standards and promote data-driven decision-making through KPI monitoring, operational analysis and continuous process improvement.
• Promote environmentally responsible and sustainable supply chain practices where operationally feasible.

Procurement

• Provide strategic oversight of all procurement activities, ensuring compliance with RI policies, donor regulations and applicable national legislation.
• Ensure effective procurement planning across all programmes and monitor procurement performance, lead times and service delivery.
• Oversee supplier management, market assessments, prequalification processes and framework agreements to strengthen procurement efficiency and competition.
• Review procurement reporting and implement corrective actions to address risks, delays and compliance issues.

Logistics & Commodities

• Provide strategic oversight of warehousing, inventory management and commodity movements across all operational locations.
• Ensure warehouse and inventory management systems comply with organizational standards and Good Storage and Distribution Practices (GSDP).
• Monitor stock management, commodity reporting and distribution performance to minimize losses and ensure accountability for programme assets.

Operations Oversight

• Provide strategic oversight of fleet, assets, facilities, IT and staff travel management across the country programme.
• Ensure offices, guesthouses and operational facilities are safe, compliant, functional and cost-effective.
• Coordinate closely with Security colleagues to ensure operational activities are planned and implemented in accordance with security requirements and access constraints.
• Oversee fleet management systems, asset lifecycle management and operational support services to maximize efficiency, utilization and compliance.

Performance, Compliance and Risk Management

• Review organizational performance against established KPIs and implement corrective actions to improve operational performance and service delivery.
• Identify operational risks and implement appropriate mitigation measures to strengthen business continuity and Programme delivery.
• Lead the department's response to internal and external audits, ensuring timely implementation and closure of agreed corrective actions.
• Ensure compliance with RI policies, donor requirements and applicable national regulations across all SCO activities.

Programme Development and Operational Support

• Contribute to programme design, proposal development and budgeting by providing technical guidance on procurement, logistics, operational support and supply chain costs.
• Ensure operational requirements, implementation timelines and resource needs are accurately reflected in programme design and start-up planning.

Representation and Coordination

• Represent the Supply Chain & Operations function within the Country Senior Management Team and engage with regional and global technical teams as required.
• Maintain effective coordination with programme, finance, HR, security and field management teams to ensure integrated operational support across the country programme.
• Build and maintain constructive relationships with suppliers, service providers, donors, partners and relevant external stakeholders.

Behavior and Conduct

• Demonstrate the highest standards of integrity, professionalism, and ethical conduct.
• Champion RI’s values, Code of Conduct, safeguarding principles, and accountability commitments.
• Promote a culture of transparency, respect, inclusion, and responsibility.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, compliance and customer service throughout the department.
• Promote a culture of service excellence throughout supply chain operations.
• Ensure all managed staff understand and comply with RI policies and procedures.
• Report concerns and support organizational mechanisms related to safeguarding, fraud prevention, and risk management

Person Specification

Skills, knowledge and expertise required for the role.

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Business Administration, Operations Management, International Development, or a related field. Master’s degree is an added advantage.
• Minimum 7–10 years of progressive professional experience in supply chain and operations management.
• Minimum 5 years of management experience in humanitarian or development contexts.
• Strong experience managing procurement, logistics, warehousing, fleet, assets, and operational support functions.
• Experience managing multi-location operations in complex and insecure environments.
• Demonstrated experience leading and developing diverse operational teams.
• Demonstrated strategic planning, organizational development and change management experience.
• Experience working with institutional donors and donor compliance requirements.
• Experience in audit management, compliance monitoring, and operational risk management.

Desirable criteria:

• Knowledge of Syria humanitarian context or Middle East geopolitical dynamics.
• Experience with Relief International programs and systems.
• Proficiency in Arabic or other relevant languages.

RI Values

Guided by the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence, as well as “Do No Harm,” Relief International Values:

• Integrity
• Adaptability
• Collaboration
• Inclusivity
• Sustainability

How To Apply

• To apply for this post, click on the “Apply” button in the job advert page.
• You will be asked to upload a CV and Cover Letter.

Closing Date

July 31, 2026

As a humanitarian organization, Relief International is committed to the safeguarding of all those we come into contact with through our work. We are committed to the core humanitarian principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse. Relief International expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment and uphold the values and behaviors outlined in the Code of Conduct.

Recruitment to all roles in Relief International include a criminal records self-declaration, references, and other pre-employment checks, which may include police and qualifications checks.