Middle East Head of Operations

The position is to be filled as soon as possible, with an initial contract duration of 6 months with very good prospects for an extension. Employment location will be Amman, Jordan (JO) .The position is paid according to SG8 of WHH's salary grid in Jordan.

As a member of the hub, your duty will be to lead procurement, IT and relevant legal matters of its work in Jordan and beyond, with your technical expertise, your problem-solving skills and onsite presence where necessary. You’ll lead the logistic and operations team, work closely with other members of the hub, closely liaise with legal counsellors, and provide solutions to operational issues. As the Middle East Head of Operations, your main task would be to oversee procurement, handle IT issues, manage facilities, oversee visa/permit issues for WHH staff, support in relations with the authorities and legal matters. You’ll work in close collaboration with the Logistics Coordinator and support the Head of Mission.

Your responsibilities

Tasks

Facilities

• Identification, setup, and establishment of premises (offices, warehouses, guesthouses) across countries under WHH Amman hub’s responsibility. The role will involve overseeing the leasing processes, including due diligence, contract negotiation and compliance with WHH and local regulations.
• Close coordination with office, warehouse, and guesthouse focal points to assess facility needs, resolve issues, and ensure functionality, safety, and alignment with operational requirements.
• Supervise facility operations including utilities, services, maintenance, health and safety compliance, and security measures.
• Ensure proper management of facility-related assets and inventories, maintain accurate documentation (e.g., contracts), and promote sustainable facility practices such as energy efficiency and waste reduction.
• Support contingency planning for facility-related disruptions, and coordinate space planning to ensure effective use of premises in line with evolving programmatic needs.

Fleet & Transportation

• Establish or actively support the establishment of WHH’s fleet management systems in operational areas.
• Supervise and ensure proper use of vehicle logbooks (or apps), fuel tracking systems, and maintenance records. Conduct regular reviews and audits to ensure accuracy, accountability, and compliance with WHH and donor regulations.
• Provide technical supervision and capacity building for fleet personnel to maintain safe, cost-effective, and reliable transport operations.

Inventory and Asset

• Establish & implement standardized asset and inventory management software for WHH hub in Amman and its operational areas and ensure alignment with WHH procedures and donor requirements.
• Monitor the availability of supplies (inventory, stationery etc.) and establish a system for their replenishment for each operational area tailored to the needs of each operational area.
• Support stock management and warehousing and maintain updated inventory list for all locations with accurate data in collaboration with field logisticians, office responsible, and ensure accurate documentation and proper storage conditions
• Collaborate closely with field logisticians and office responsible to maintain up-to-date inventory and asset records across all locations, ensuring data accuracy and traceability.

Procurement

• Establish a sound procurement system for Amman hub, capable of adapting to changing operational needs and donor requirements across diverse contexts.
• Launch and manage framework agreements for commonly used items in each operational area, while ensuring market assessments and supplier prequalification remain up to date for rapid response in volatile environments.
• Closely follow up on digitalization processes lead by Head Office and make sure that the hub countries are well adopting new solutions and systems.
• Organize and oversee cross-border shipments through multiple supply corridors, proactively addressing access constraints, border procedures (custom clearance), and documentation to ensure timely delivery in dynamic settings.
• Ensure procurement documentation is collected and archiving practices are in place, maintaining full traceability and audit compliance.

IT

• Ensure that IT systems of the hub are up to standard with WHH systems
• Ensure that IT support personnel of the hub are well coordinated and that they are working closely with the regional IT.
• Ensure that all personnel have access to necessary equipment and systems and are not facing IT related challenges in conducting their tasks.
• Be aware and advice on digital solutions that would increase efficiency and effectives of WHH’s work.

Partnerships

• Provide active technical support to local partner organizations in conducting transparent and compliant procurement processes, aligned with WHH and donor regulations.
• Strengthen partner logistics capacity through training, mentoring, and support in the development or improvement of logistics manuals, tools, and procedures for sustainable operational management.
• Provide support to partners on other operations topics as needed.

Legal & Admin Matters

• Support the Head of Mission in legal & admin related matters for the hub such as (Registration process, renewal of required licenses, permits, visa & work permits for International staff) in Iraq, Yemen, Palestine, Jordan and other countries, if necessary,
• Give advice on legal matters to head of mission in ensuring compliance with national laws and regulations in each country.
• Act as focal point for legal advisors in each country, follow up on requests/permits/approvals, lead the preparation of necessary documentation, and keep the head of mission and the legal counsellors in head office up to date on these.
• Ensure that international staff and visitors receive necessary legal support for their travels to Jordan and other countries.
• Support registration related processes in all countries.

Other

• Take overall ownership establishing, standardizing and continuously improving all operations related processes in the hub countries, ensuring efficiency, compliance, digitalization, and adaptability to changing operational contexts.
• Proactively identify capacity building needs of WHH staff, by identifying development opportunities, delivering practical training, and fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement in operation practices.
• In coordination, with the other logistics personnel, represent the organization in forums such as logistics clusters, meetings amongst partners, authorities and different local actors involved in operations.

Your profile

• University degree in humanitarian logistics, supply chain or similar
• Minimum 5 years of experience in operations of which at least 2 years as head of logistics or operations department
• Experience in working in conflict zones would be an asset
• Demonstrated experience in supporting local organizations in their capacity strengthening is required
• Previous international experience in similar roles beyond Jordan is a must
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office, experience with logistic and operations software would be an asset
• Excellent inter-personal, communication, advisory and facilitation skills
• Fluency in verbal and written Arabic and English is a must
• Willingness and ability to travel to OPT, Syria, Yemen, Iraq and Lebanon (Ideally not blacklisted or barred from entering to any of the countries)

Our offer

We offer you the opportunity to work in a responsible and interesting field as part of an extremely dedicated team. Welthungerhilfe attaches great importance to the personal and professional development of its employees. Remuneration is based on our gender-independent salary scale.

*Welthungerhilfe values diversity and ensures an inclusive, non-discriminatory working environment. We welcome applications from suitably qualified people from all sections of the community.