Director of Business Support 37 views0 applications

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Job Purpose To strengthen Oxfam’s response to the South Sudan programming areas through administrative and technical support to humanitarian and development programme staff and partners across the country program.

Responsible for the development, design and management/monitoring of the operational support needed for proper programmes implementation (including humanitarian, campaigns and gender). This role is responsible for the following Business Support Units, namely: Finance, HR, Logistics, Admin, IT, apart from beinga key member of the Senior Management Team (SMT), and able to give strategic inputs to the Country Director (CD) and making decisions towards the achievement of the Oxfam in South Sudan Country Strategy. Furthermore, the Director of Business Support (D-BS) will ensure the procedures in country are aligned with the South Sudan Law and Oxfam global policies and procedures, while proving leadership of the Business Support Team to guarantee the timely and quality support needed for the other units.

Position: Director of Business Support

Location: Juba

Grade & Level: B Zone 2 Global

Contract Type: Fixed Term

Number of post: 1

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

EXTERNAL RELATIONSHIPS:

• Represents Oxfam corporately and manages and influences significant and high-profile external relationships in specific operational business support fora. Moreover, the post-holder represents Oxfam in coordination meetings and with external stakeholders—particularly government authorities such as theRelief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC) and state authorities at field-level, when required—and Oxfam NNGOs partners
• Working closely with colleagues within the Country programme as well as with the EA-Node and the Oxfam in Africa (OiA) Platform, the post-holder will have strong cross-organizational relationships with various work groups including humanitarian and development team, advocacy & policy staff, technical units and business support units, besides being a member of the SMT
• As part of the country leadership and senior management team in the country, develop strong matrix links with other country programme teams, relevant Oxfam in Africa staff and relevant International Department staff in order to develop and deliver Oxfam in South Sudan Country Strategy
• Deputise for the Country Director as required in his/her absence or whenever necessary.

STRATEGIC VISION:

• Develops long-term vision and strategic planning to achieve significant impact from major operational business support units by providing leadership, through setting and leading the delivery of specified programme units and/or team objectives.
• Plans and manages human and financial resources and processes related to specific programme units and/or area of expertise. Management tasks and problems are diverse and complex and involve a significant degree of risk (financial, security, brand).
• Produces, assimilates, analyses and uses information from varied and diverse sources to provide in-depth analysis in the specific business support units or policy area.
• Decision-making is strategic and operational with a high degree of judgement based on specific problem-solving experience, drawing on a range of external and internal factors.
• Leads the alignment of Oxfam’s operational business support units with Oxfam global policies and processes and ensures effective harmonisation, providing effective solutions to complex legal and context specific country issues.
• Assists the CD in the formulation, organisation and delivery of high-level business support processes, including legal, compliance and countrywide policy issues in line with Oxfam’s country and global policy and the country legal framework.
• Provides necessary support for the formulation of fundraising plans and follow up for the business support units and ensures proper reporting and accountability internally and external to multilateral and bi-lateral funders as per guidelines.

PEOPLE MANAGEMENT

• Ensure a strong link and mainstreaming of activities between the assigned departments, maximising their performances and effective use of resources through coordination and strategic guidance.
• In close collaboration with the HR Team and heads of operational business support teams, identify staffing needs, support recruitment of staff and manage the performance and development of all direct reports, ensuring performance objectives are produced and worked to, including identification and effective delivery of training and development needs.
• Ensure all Oxfam staff and programmes are familiar with and abide by the Oxfam’s Code of Conduct, Oxfam International standards and procedures and other regulatory codes and best practices for operational business support functions.
• Travel frequently to work with the field teams.

PROGRAMME SUPPORT

• Work closely with the Director of Programmes to ensure effective support services and integration of business support in programme implementation with focus on the One Programme Approach
• Develop and/or implement cost effectiveness frameworks (e.g. HR policies and procedures; systems and tools that promote internal and external accountability in Logistics) that will promote maximisation of impact from limited programme resources while creating innovative approaches to operations management to achieve organisational effectiveness
• Propose organisational ways of working including working through partnerships with NNGOs.

SPECIFIC SUPPORT TO OPERATIONAL BUSINESS UNITS

Finance & Systems

• To provide direction to the Finance Manager on financial management, policies, and procedures, ensuring that the programme is informed of all developments in financial policies. Ensure the programme is complying with financial standards set by Oxfam and donors.
• Where necessary establish clear systems and procedures to ensure robust and donor compliant financial management with clear accountability
• To liaise with the funding team to ensure that all donor reporting requirements are met, including proposals, budgets and donor reporting liaising as required by donors.
• To provide direct support to the Finance manager and Programme leadership team across the country program on all matters of finance specifically budget preparation, monitoring, control and reporting with a view to ensuring good financial standards are met.
• Provide oversight on production of monthly financial management information for the country Management Team and ensures that the finance team provides necessary financial reports for field programme managers to monitor and review their project activities.
• Supervise the programme Admin/Finance/HR/Logistics teams in maintaining the programme inventory and fixed assets, ensuring that all Oxfam assets are properly safeguarded and tracked.
• To assume a strategic overview of financial management systems across the programme, taking note of changing external and internal environment in financial and economic conditions.
• To advise on the application of Oxfam Financial policy and procedures and to ensure that coherent finance systems are established for varying programme modalities.
• To design and influence adoption by the finance team of tools for management information and reporting purposes.
• Advise Finance team on quality output and development of mechanisms to ensure adequate checks and management level verifications.
• Advice, train and enforce compliance to mandatory procedures

Information Systems (IS)

• Provide support and guidance on organisation of IS resources to ensure an appropriate use and compliance to Oxfam policies, with regards particularly to GDPR, data protection and information management.
• Provide oversight management to ensure quality IS services to Oxfam in South Sudan operations country wide in a cost-efficient manner, with focus on laptop management.
• Provide leadership and support to IS related policy development, business cases, documentation, reporting and audit issues as necessary.

Human Resources

• Provide support and guidance on appropriate use and compliance with Oxfam GB HR policies, so to ensure minimum standards in recruitment, induction, performance management, staff development, compensation and benefits, succession plans and staff health & safety for Oxfam in South Sudan country programme
• Provide leadership in human resource policy update and adaptation for Oxfam in South Sudan Country Programme to ensure that they are effective and meet programme needs.
• Provide detailed advice and problem resolution (including direct 1:1 manager case work support) on complex and sensitive policy interpretation and procedural issues to managers and employees and HR colleagues
• Develop and lead on the Country recruitment and resourcing strategy and influence senior management thinking and behaviours on this, ensuring that people management is central to this.
• Proactively support Senior Managers (and HR Officers in areas of responsibility) on recruitment and resourcing based on efficient networking, adapted to use of the latest corporate HR recruitment tools and techniques.
• Develop and maintain an in-country database with potential candidates for Oxfam in South Sudan, based on pro-active outreach amongst Oxfam staff registers globally and regionally as well as external and intra-agency networking and contacts.
• Supervise the administration process related to the recruitment and resourcing process to ensure it is compliant with agreed performance levels and legal requirements, across all the following range of HR processes, with focus on:
• Provide leadership and support to HR and admin related policy development, business cases, documentation, reporting and audit issues as necessary.

Administration & Legal and Regulatory Compliance

• Provide leadership and representation on legal and regulatory issues and ensure effective follow up of a wide range of internal (e.g. Tax Exemption Certificate) and external (e.g. Control Self-Assessment) compliance issues.
• Supervise the efficient management of office and accommodation space across the country programme.

Logistics

• Provide support and guidance on organisational logistics resources to ensure an appropriate and strategic use, management and compliance with Oxfam policies.
• Provide oversight management to ensure quality logistics services to Oxfam in South Sudan operations country wide in a timely and cost-efficient manner.
• Follow-up on logistics process and operations ensuring effectiveness and development as needed of systems in place and compliance with minimum standards and policies.
• Provide leadership and support to logistics related policy development, business cases, documentation, reporting and audit issues as necessary.

INTERNAL COORDINATION, CAPACITY BUILDING AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT

• Provide technical support to Oxfam in South Sudan team members within areas of specialisation as required, including delivering /organising in house training as appropriate.
• Facilitate gap analysis and work with SMT to develop and lead on the overall development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of realistic and sustainable capacity building plans for the Administration, HR, Logistics and IT team at country and field levels.
• Motivate the business support team to work interactively with the programme team and to come up with innovative solutions and systems that allows the programme to serve its overall goal.
• Ensure the experience and expertise of different team members is used in the strategic development and implementation of Oxfam in South Sudan Country Operating Model (COM) using their respective experiences and skills effectively in further developing the operational support function for Oxfam in South Sudan Programme

Ensure that the effectiveness, impact and direction of the operational business functions is regularly monitored, reviewed, evaluated and can be learned from, and report any findings regularly to the Country Director, Africa EA Node, OiA, donors and

Required Technical Skills, Experience & Knowledge

TECHNICAL SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE

Essential

• Masters / Post-graduate academic qualification on either of Business Administration, Finance ,Human Resources, Logistics or related discipline with a strong finance background, preferably in relief/development work with management and supervisory responsibilities in program operations at senior management level; South Sudan or fragile context experience considered an advantage
• Relevant experience of 7 – 10 years for Masters or Post-graduate holders or 10 + years for Bachelor holders, preferably in an international NGO out of which at least 5 years should be supervisory/managerial experience
• Experience of leading the implementation of operational improvements and the persistence to achieve change in a challenging environment
• Good understanding of information systems and information technology with a sound knowledge of their development and capabilities
• Leadership qualities and people management expertise to provide direction and effective support to a multidisciplinary and multicultural team
• Strong commitment to Oxfam’s purpose, a broad understanding of the work culture in the “development” sector and its impact on key areas of responsibility and a commitment to humanitarian principles and action
• Effective verbal and written communication skills in English, including high-level interpersonal and representational capabilities
• Ability to operate and think strategically, coupled with proven analytical skills and the use of these to problem solve and make firm decisions
• Understanding of gender and diversity considerations within key areas of responsibility and commitment to address inequalities in the workplace and the programme
• Committed to rights-based approach including an active commitment to putting women’s rights at the heart of all we do as well as the rights of other marginalized people in all aspects of an organization