Deputy Director of Operations 165 views0 applications

BACKGROUND:

Founded in 1933, the International Rescue Committee is a prominent international organization working in relief, rehabilitation, protection, post-conflict development, resettlement services and advocacy for those uprooted or affected by violent conflict and oppression.

With National Office in Kinshasa and field offices in the provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut Katanga, Haut Lomami, Kolwezi, Ituri, Kasai Central, and Tanganyika, the IRC is one of the largest humanitarian and development actors in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The IRC aims to save lives, to strengthen Congolese institutions and to reinforce social cohesion through carefully designed and professionally-implemented programs. The IRC has been working in the DRC since 1996 and currently operates in the following core programming areas – primary health care, governance, women’s empowerment and the prevention and mitigation of gender-based violence, and emergency preparedness and response. Since 2017, the IRC has also been a key actor in the Ebola response, first in Equateur and then Grand North Kivu provinces. These programs reflect IRC’s guiding principles of capacity-building; participation; partnership; protection and promotion of human rights; and holistic programming seeking to help populations survive conflict, recover and rebuild their lives.

SCOPE OF WORK:

The Deputy Director of Operations (DDO) plays a key role in the overall leadership and management of the IRC DRC country office and is a member of the senior management team (SMT). The DDO’s day-to-day responsibilities will include direct supervision of and/or support to the operations teams including Supply Chain, Administration, Information Technology, and Safety & Security staff. Secondary responsibilities will include working with the CD, Deputy CD (DCD), Field Coordinators/Managers, and program teams to ensure quality program support services according to IRC principles and donor guidelines and that these services are completed in a timely manner and within budget.

The position will be based in Goma, province of North Kivu, but will require frequent travel to all of IRC’s field offices based on the priorities and competing needs of the various field offices. S/He will work closely with Field Coordinators and Managers, and various operations support staff as well as the CD, DCD, Deputy Director of Programs (DDP), and Deputy Director of Finance (DDF). The DDO works closely with other senior management in the field and Kinshasa to ensure effective communication and coordination. The DDO will report directly to the CD.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Senior Management Team and Field Operations Support

• Directly supervise and coordinate the operational support departments (GSC, HR, and IT) across all IRC DRC field offices

• Ensure and facilitate efficient and effective coordination between the various operations departments and programs to ensure a results-oriented approach

• Implement, document and ensure that IRC operations (administrative, HR, IT, and Global Supply chain) procedures are applied at all times by all staff and propose/develop improvements when required, in close cooperation with the Program Sector Coordinators, field based Global Supply Chain, HR, and the CD

• Promote continuous training and mentoring to operations staff including identification of capacity building opportunities

• Participate in relevant internal and external coordination meetings as scheduled/relevant

• Participate or delegate appropriate members of operations team to participate in Grant Opening, Review, and Closing meetings to incorporate operations planning into overall project planning and evaluation, support overall implementation, and identify corrective measures and solutions when issues arise

• Ensure and reinforce respect of operations and wider staff to all IRC compliance policies and ensure any allegations are reported, investigated, and concluded ensuring all necessary corrective or disciplinary actions are taken

• Participate in the review of the strategic action plan (SAP) for IRC DRC Country Program (CP)

• Develop an operations plan to support the program activities

• Support overall CP efforts to ensure a strategic-thinking culture ensuring new hires are oriented to SAP, aware of their roles in contributing to the SAP, and incorporating elements of the SAP into their daily work in order to contribute to its overall objectives.

• Communicate, engage, and solicit feedback with field-based teams on all critical aspects and information related to the SAP, but equally to wider regional and/or organizational strategies to build adoption and ownership of the SAP within the DRC

• Guide the operations teams in the development of HR, GSC, and IT specific strategies in line with the CP SAP

• Participate consistently and actively in SMT meetings as key member of this senior management group, providing both information and priorities to SMT while equally disseminating to field-based operational teams critical messages and decisions made by the SMT

• Contribute to key decision-making and corrective actions as identified by SMT

Supply Chain and IT

• Supervise the supply chain and IT staff in field offices (procurement, fleet management, transport, IT) and provide direction to the logistics officers

• Ensure high priority supply chain and IT needs are regularly identified, solutions and corrective action to challenges identified and tracked, and regular monitoring and follow up of challenges to improve overall departmental functioning

• Ensure that all procurement is done according to IRC guidelines and donor requirements

• Ensure adherence to internal control and KPI performance monitoring and other prevent measures, as identified in collaboration with the Compliance Coordinator and SMT, to ensure compliance with IRC guidelines (inventory control, fuel usage, procurement, warehouse control, etc.)

• Ensure that all reporting for the logistics department is completed accurately and in a timely fashion; where necessary, train national staff to produce high quality reporting.

• Ensure that all IRC logistics procedures are correctly followed by all staff and propose/develop improvements when required.

• Make regular trips to the various field offices to monitor logistics functions.

• Review, update, and enforce the SOPs as they relate to the role of the logistics department.

• Ensure proper and sufficient equipment is in place and well maintained for smooth functioning of IRC IT department and maximum preservation of assets

• Supervise IT staff to ensure effective IT support is available to all staff

• Verify that information technology policies and procedures are documented, disseminated and consistently applied across the country program at all sites

Human Resources and Administration

• Supervise and provide direction to HR Coordinator and wider HR staff in all field offices

• Ensure that all administrative requirements and documentation are updated and respected (INGO registration, taxes, expatriate and office housing contracts, etc.)

• Ensure that all HR procedures (recruitment process, contracts, new staff orientation, evaluations of performance) are done according to IRC guidelines (and donor requirements where necessary) and in complete transparency

• Ensure that all HR initiatives are correctly and timely implemented.

• Ensure that all reporting for the HR department is completed accurately and in a timely fashion

• Provide intensive training and mentoring to national staff to increase capacity

• Ensure that all IRC HR procedures are correctly followed by all staff and propose/develop improvements when required.

• Ensure Kinshasa-based HR department makes regular trips to the field sites to monitor HR functions and support field based staff

• Enforce the SOPs as they relate to the role of the HR department.

• Provide critical leadership to identify issues, establish solutions, and track resolution of issues within HR department, particularly in regards to disciplinary and/or ECU-related cases as they impact HR and personnel

Representation

• Establish a good rapport with local and national level administrative, labor, customs, immigration, and other officials to ensure that IRC projects conform to local laws and customs and to minimize bureaucratic restraints on project implementation.

• Establish good rapport with other INGOs and humanitarian actors

• Attend relevant external meetings organized to discuss logistical, IT, and administrative/HR issues impacting IRC operations on the ground

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to: Country Director

Position directly supervises: various staff including operational leads including HR Coordinator, IT Coordinator, and GSC Coordinator

Internal Contacts: Closely works with DCD, DDO, DDP, Field Coordinators and Managers as well as regional technical colleagues

External Contacts: Serves as IRC operational representative in external meetings with other NGOs, inter-agency groups, local partners, UN, government officials, key local leaders, and beneficiaries.

Qualifications

• Masters degree required (management-related or general operations preferred);

• Minimum of 5 years’ experience managing operations and/or projects in developing countries, preferably in Africa;

• Demonstrated ability to manage field staff and remote field offices;

• Experience in Global Supply Chain, HR, Admin, and security management

• Experience having managed operations (including security) in conflict-impacted setting

• Excellent cross-cultural communication skills

• Excellent staff capacity building and training skills

• Strong problem-solving, analytical and decision-making skills;

• Strong computer skills;

• Flexibility, ability to work independently and meet deadlines

• Bilingual or Fluency in French and good working knowledge of English

Specific Security Situation/Housing

Goma is security phase 3 (ORANGE) so the DDO will be expected to respect the various security protocols in place in country. Phase 3 requires clear contingency planning in place with staff prepared should hibernation or evacuation be called. The position offers private housing, but does not allow for dependents.

Professional Standards

The IRC and IRC staff must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.