Programme Logistics and Operations Lead

Job description

Mary’s Meals is a global movement supported by people from all walks of life and united by one mission – that every child receives a nutritious daily meal in their place of education. Today, over 2.4 million children across 18 countries are receiving Mary’s Meals. In Zambia alone, we reach over 600,000 children every school day.

We are now recruiting for a Programme Logistics and Operations Lead to join our team in Zambia. Reporting to the Head of Programmes, this strategic leadership role is key in strengthening the delivery and quality of our school feeding programme through robust operational systems.

You will lead on fleet, warehouse, supplier, and asset management, working closely with global teams to identify improvements, mitigate risks, and ensure compliance. You’ll also support continuous improvement initiatives and mentor the programme logistics team to build a resilient and high-performing function.

Key responsibilities:

Leading the development and implementation of logistics strategies, procedures, and tools.
Overseeing fleet operations, supplier relationships, warehousing, and facilities management.
Promoting strong compliance, ethics, and risk reporting across operations.
Ensuring quality control of food and supplies and managing any losses.
Analysing operational data and translating insights into strategic actions.
Building team capacity through coaching, mentoring, and structured planning.
Contributing to the global operations network and benchmarking practices.
Supporting audits and driving improvements across the operations function.

About you:

You’re a strategic thinker with strong leadership and logistics experience in complex or development-focused environments. You’re solutions-oriented, people-centred, and committed to delivering impact efficiently. You are confident managing supplier relationships, compliance, and cross-functional collaboration – and you enjoy building systems and teams that thrive in service of a shared mission.

Qualifications, Skills & Experience

Degree in Business Management, Supply Chain, Logistics & Operations, or a related field.
Minimum 5 years’ experience in logistics/operations.
Demonstrated leadership experience and ability to develop high-performing teams.
Strategic planning and implementation skills.
Strong data analysis and financial management capabilities.
Excellent communication, interpersonal, and compliance management skills.
Experience engaging with governments and community-based structures will be an added advantage.

How to Apply:

If our vision and mission resonate with you, we’d love to hear from you. Please send your CV and a one-page cover letter as a single PDF document via the following link: Programme Logistics and Operations Lead – Mary’s Meals Zambia

Deadline for applications: 6th September 2025

Please note:

This role is based at the Mary’s Meals Zambia national office in Chipata.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted through the official Mary’s Meals email address.
Mary’s Meals does not charge any fees at any stage of the recruitment process.

Mary’s Meals is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behaviour at work and we expect all of the Mary’s Meals family to share this commitment and work in the best interest of the communities we serve. Our safe recruitment practices ensure that only those that are committed to our high standards join our movement.

For more information about Mary’s Meals and our work, please visit: https://www.marysmeals.org