ThaiNGO

Term of Reference (TOR)

Net Free Seas Thailand - Supply chain management consultant

1.Background and rationale:

The Net Free Seas Project (NFS) is a community-led initiative established five years ago and  implemented by the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF),  with funding from the ECCA Family Foundation. 

NFS pioneers a community-led model for managing abandoned, discarded, and lost fishing gear (ALDFG) and end-of-life fishing gear (EOLFG), preventing plastic pollution from entering the oceans. The project works directly with small-scale fishers and coastal communities to remove plastic waste, especially discarded fishing gear, from their communities and surrounding ecosystems. EJF currently collaborates with 20 communities across Thailand’s Gulf and Andaman coasts, alongside environmentally and socially responsible recycling partners. These collective efforts prevent over 50 tonnes of fishing gear from entering the ocean annually.  To date, NFS participating communities have prevented  more than 250 tonnes of ALDFG from leaking into the ocean and open environment,  generating approximately 2.8 million  THB in additional income.  

Over its first five years, NFS has successfully demonstrated the viability of community-led ALDFG management. Building on this foundation, the project now aims to scale these proven models to the national level, translating community practices into a sustainable and self-sustaining national policy framework. 

EJF believes that a well-designed,sustainable, and economically viable ALDFG supply chain is essential to achieving long-term impact--one that is inclusive, supported by an enabling legal framework, delivers clear win–win outcomes, and places  frontline communities at its centre.

The Supply Chain Management Consultant will support EJF in designing a national-scale ALDFG supply chain; actively engaging and establishing partnerships with new recycling partners, logistics providers and other processing partners that meet EJF’s environmental and social standards; and laying the foundation for a community-led NFS coordination mechanism to sustain and maximise collective action among participating communities.

2.Objective:

2.1 Design and strengthen a sustainable ALDFG supply chain: 

Assess and develop a well-functioning, traceable, and economically viable ALDFG supply chain that connects fishing communities with logistics providers, recycling facilities, and other relevant stakeholders, while ensuring environmental and social safeguards.

2.2 Enhance community participation and equitable benefits 

Strengthen the integration of frontline fishing communities into the ALDFG supply chain by identifying operational gaps, improving efficiency, and ensuring inclusive, fair, and safe outcomes for all community members.

2.3 Strengthen multi-stakeholder coordination for long-term sustainability 

Improve coordination among communities, local authorities, private sector actors, and recycling partners, and provide practical, actionable recommendations to enable a self-sustaining ALDFG supply chain at scale.

3. Key responsibilities: 

3.1 Assess and design the ALDFG supply chain 

• Conduct a comprehensive assessment of existing ALDFG supply chain models under Net Free Seas Thailand, covering collection, sorting, pricing, storage, transport, processing, and end markets.
• Map key actors, material flows, costs, risks, and value distribution across the supply chain.
• Identify operational gaps, inefficiencies, and opportunities to improve traceability, quality control, and economic viability.
• Analyse relevant national and sub-national legal, regulatory, and policy frameworks related to ALDFG management and recycling in Thailand.
• Identify policy and regulatory barriers and enablers for scaling ALDFG supply chain models nationally.

3.2 Strengthen community integration and equitable outcomes 

• Work closely with participating communities and NFS community coordinators to understand community roles, incentives, and constraints within the ALDFG supply chain.
• Recommend practical measures to enhance community participation, occupational health and safety, fair compensation, and benefit-sharing mechanisms.
• Support the development of standard operating procedures (SOPs) and user-friendly tools for community-level ALDFG handling, sorting, quality control, pricing and book-keeping.

3.3 Partner identification and community coordination 

• Proactively identify, engage, and establish partnerships with at least five (5) new recycling partners and relevant supply chain partners to strengthen market access and long-term sustainability.
• Conduct due diligence on recycling and logistics partners in line with EJF’s environmental and social standards.
• Design and support effective coordination mechanisms (e.g., regular meetings, reporting templates, communication channels) between partners and communities.
• Facilitate coordination among fishing communities, local governments, recyclers, private sector partners, and civil society organisations.
• Contribute to the development of partnership models and governance arrangements that enable a self-sustaining ALDFG supply chain.

3.4 Risk management and compliance 

• Identify and forecast potential environmental, social, financial, or operational risks within the supply chain.
• Recommend practical prevention and mitigation measures to address identified risks.

3.5 Monitoring, reporting and data management

• Develop a monitoring system for tracking material volumes, quality, timelines, and partner performance.
• Produce periodic progress reports summarising achievements, challenges, data insights, and recommendations.

3.6 Deliver high-quality technical outputs 

• Prepare clear and actionable deliverables, including assessment reports, supply chain models, cost and sustainability analyses, and other relevant recommendations. 
• Present findings and recommendations to the NFS Thailand team and relevant stakeholders, incorporating feedback as required.

4.Timeline:

Recruitment announcement: April 2026 

Implementation period of 12 months; April 2026 - March 2027   *Timelines are subject to change. 

5.Deliverables and remuneration

6. Payment schedule

Note on travel expenses:

Travel expenses are included in the total payment of 200,000 THB. The consultant is therefore responsible for managing these costs independently and providing the  supporting documents to EJF as requested. National travel, travel at short notice or on weekends may be required to meet project objectives. In addition, the consultant must notify and obtain approval from the line manager at least seven days prior to any travel, except in cases of short notice, where at least one day’s notice is required.

7.Required qualifications:

• A bachelor or master degree in logistics and supply chain management, environmental management, business administration, or a related field (or equivalent professional experience). 
• Minimum 5–8 years of relevant working experience in supply chain management, preferably within recycling, waste management, or environmental projects.
• Demonstrated skills in strategic design and partnership engagement, including the ability to identify, negotiate, and cultivate collaborative relationships
• Demonstrated experience in designing, assessing, or improving supply chains, including sourcing, logistics, pricing, and market linkages.
• Experience working directly with communities, particularly coastal, fishing, or rural communities.
• Experience in business development with multiple stakeholders, including the private sector, NGOs, and local authorities.
• Commitment to environmental justice, community empowerment, and environmentally and socially sound solutions.

8.Desirable qualifications

• Experience in developing entrepreneurial or livelihood initiatives with communities.
• Familiarity with ALDFG/EOLFG, marine litter, or circular economy policy frameworks.
• Ability to work and conduct field work independently while coordinating closely with project teams.
• Hold a driving license and proficient in driving with strong adherence to safety protocols
• Ability to travel to different provinces in the South and Eastern Thailand to conduct ground work. 

Please submit a CV with a covering letter to: recruitment@ejfoundation.org and salisa.t@ejfoundation.org not later than 23rd April 2026