Operations Consultant - Technical Assistance on School Feeding in Ethiopia
1. Background
Food4Education (F4E) is an African-led, women-led social enterprise that leverages technology, smart operations, and efficient supply chains to deliver high-quality, affordable school meals at scale. Since 2012, F4E has delivered over 100 million meals and has built one of the most efficient centralized school feeding models on the continent. Beyond Kenya, F4E supports African governments through technical advisory services, systems design, and capacity strengthening to enable sustainable, government-led school feeding programmes.
Following a high-level mission to Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa in November 2025, F4E has identified Ethiopia, particularly the City Administration of Dire Dawa, as a priority location for technical advisory engagement on school feeding. The Government of Ethiopia has demonstrated strong political will and significant investment in school feeding, with Addis Ababa currently feeding approximately 900,000 learners daily. Dire Dawa has further distinguished itself through clear leadership commitment, allocation of land and warehouse space and openness to centralized cooking models.
F4E, in collaboration with UNICEF and other partners, intends to provide targeted technical advisory support to Dire Dawa to inform the design, operationalisation and long-term sustainability of a centralized school feeding kitchen and associated systems. This support will include guidance on kitchen design, food preparation protocols, operational workflows, distribution systems, staffing and employment strategies and institutional capacity development. The engagement is expected to operate within a tripartite partnership framework involving UNICEF, ESMI, and F4E.
To anchor this engagement in local context, support coordination with government counterparts and ensure effective delivery of technical advisory services, F4E seeks to engage a highly capable Ethiopia-based Consultant to serve as Country Consultant for Ethiopia, with a primary focus on Dire Dawa.
2. Objective of the Assignment
The primary objective of this assignment is to provide high-quality, on-the-ground technical advisory, coordination and facilitation support to F4E and its partners in strengthening school feeding systems in Dire Dawa.
Specifically, the Consultant will support the planning, design and early operationalisation of a centralized school feeding kitchen; advise on systems, processes, and institutional arrangements; facilitate engagement with government and partners; and contribute to capacity-building and knowledge transfer to enable long-term sustainability and government ownership.
The Consultant will ensure that all advisory support is contextually appropriate, technically sound, politically feasible and aligned with Ethiopia's national and sub-national education, nutrition and social protection priorities.
3. Scope of Work and Key Responsibilities
The Consultant will work closely with F4E's Public Affairs and Operations teams and relevant government and partner institutions. Responsibilities will include the following:
3.1 Policy Analysis, Gap Assessment & Contextual Advisory
a. Provide technical input into the design and layout of the Dire Dawa centralized kitchen, informed by F4E's Kenya model and adapted to local context.
b. Support assessment of existing school feeding systems in Dire Dawa, including supply chain arrangements, warehousing, distribution, and reporting.
c. Provide local insights into regulatory, legal, and institutional requirements affecting F4E's advisory engagement in Ethiopia.
d. Support navigation of requirements related to MOUs, partnerships, visas, and short-term technical deployments, in coordination with F4E and partners.
e. Identify operational risks and bottlenecks and propose mitigation strategies.
f. Flag compliance considerations, risks, and mitigation strategies relevant to ongoing advisory support.
3.2 Systems Strengthening and Operational Readiness
a. Advise on food preparation protocols, quality assurance standards, hygiene and safety requirements, and workflow optimisation.
b. Support development of operational systems covering production planning, storage, distribution, and last-mile delivery to schools.
c. Advise on staffing models, employment strategies, and shift structures to ensure operational efficiency and local job creation.
d. Advise on procurement, vendor engagement, and inventory management processes aligned with public-sector and partner requirements.
e. Support the development of standard operating procedures (SOPs) and operational guidelines for centralized cooking.
f. Provide advisory support on scalability and sustainability considerations for future programme expansion.
3.3 Stakeholder Engagement and Coordination
a. Serve as a key liaison between F4E and local stakeholders, including the Dire Dawa City Administration, education and health officials, UNICEF, ESMI, and other partners.
b. Support coordination meetings, technical discussions, and joint planning sessions with government and partners.
c. Facilitate alignment across partners within the proposed tripartite partnership framework.
d. Provide contextual intelligence on institutional dynamics, decision-making processes, and stakeholder interests.
3.4 Capacity Building and Knowledge Transfer
a. Support the design and delivery of capacity-building activities for government counterparts, local entities, and operational teams.
b. Contribute to training plans, including opportunities for Ethiopian counterparts to learn from F4E's Kenya operations.
c. Support development of a local capacity development and transition strategy to enable gradual handover to Ethiopian institutions.
d. Encourage engagement beyond government, including parents, communities, and private sector actors where relevant.
3.5 Reporting, Documentation and Strategic Advisory
a. Prepare regular updates and briefs for F4E leadership summarising progress, risks, and emerging opportunities.
b. Document lessons learned, contextual insights, and recommendations to inform future engagements in Ethiopia and other countries.
c. Provide strategic advice on politically and culturally appropriate approaches to sustaining government commitment.
4. Key Deliverables
- Inception Note and Work Plan outlining approach, priorities and timeline (within 2 weeks of contract start).
- Monthly Progress Briefs summarising activities, stakeholder engagements, risks and recommendations.
- Operational Advisory Notes on centralized kitchen design, workflows and systems, as required.
- Capacity Building and Knowledge Transfer Plan outlining proposed training and learning activities.
- Stakeholder and Institutional Mapping Brief for Dire Dawa.
- Final Assignment Report summarising work undertaken, key insights, and recommendations (end of contract).
5. Qualifications and Experience
a. Advanced university degree in Operations Management, Manufacturing, Food Systems, Development Studies, Nutrition, Supply Chain, or a related field.
b. Minimum 5 years of relevant professional experience in operations, food systems, large-scale service delivery or public-sector programmes in Ethiopia.
c. Demonstrated experience working with government institutions and/or international development partners.
d. Strong understanding of the Ethiopian institutional, regulatory and operating environment; experience in Dire Dawa is a strong asset.
e. Proven experience advising on or supporting large-scale food operations, centralized kitchens, logistics, or infrastructure projects.
f. Experience in capacity building, systems strengthening, or technical advisory roles.
g. Strong analytical, documentation and reporting skills.
h. Excellent interpersonal and stakeholder management skills.
6. Duration of Assignment
The initial contract will be 12 months, with a strong possibility of extension based on performance and evolving programme needs.
7. Reporting
The Consultant will report to the Director of Public Affairs (F4E) and work with the Operations team. Regular reviews will be conducted with the Joint Technical Working Group.
8. Location
The consultant must be based in Ethiopia and able to spend extended periods working in Dire Dawa to support sustained on-the-ground engagement. The role requires regular in-person interaction with government and other stakeholders. Occasional travel to Kenya will also be required to ensure alignment with Food4Education's operations and ways of working.
9. Application Process
Interested candidates are invited to submit:
▪ A cover letter outlining relevant experience and approach.
▪ A detailed CV.
▪ A proposed daily rate and availability.
Applications should be sent to talent@food4education.org no later than 31st January 2026. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
Disclaimer
These TORs outline the core responsibilities but may be adapted in consultation with the consultant to meet the evolving needs of the assignment.
This position was originally posted by Food4Education and has been curated by PurposePhil Career. To apply, please visit the original listing on the "apply" link on the side. We are not affiliated with the employer organization of this job ad or consultancy, and provide this curated listing as a service to our users.
