Title: Support Services Manager
Location: Gambella
Employment Category: F2
Reporting To: Area Manager
Direct Reports: 6
Start of Contract & Duration: 12 Months
Posting date: February 25 , 2020
NB: Offer will be made based on availability of funds
INTRODUCTION
The Danish Refugee Council (DRC), an international non-governmental organization (NGO), has been providing relief and development services in the Horn of Africa since 1997. DRC promotes and supports solutions to the problems faced by refugees, internally displaced people (IDPs), and migrants. The organization has offices across the region, and has been operational in Ethiopia since 2009. With funding from bilateral and multilateral donors, DRC is currently implementing a range of activities across Ethiopia and Djibouti, including WASH and shelter provision, child and youth protection, gender based violence response, awareness-raising of migration risks, protection monitoring of migration routes, and livelihoods support for returning migrants or those at-risk of migration.
Area Profile / Background
The Gambella area office was established in 2011 and currently has 77 staff team members working to assist refugees and host communities under the sectors of Protection, Shelter, WASH, and Livelihoods. The Gambella area office provides humanitarian assistance and services in Kule, Nguienyiell, and Tierkidi refugee camps, Pamdong refugee reception centre, and host communities adjacent to these camps.
Overall purpose of the role:
The Support Services Manager will be responsible for the effective leadership and management of all support functions and ensures the smooth running of operations across the Gambella area in line with the DRC Operations Handbook and ensures close coordination with country office support services units in Addis Ababa
Responsibilities:
Reporting to the Area Manager, the Support Services Manager will manage all support functions of the area office and ensure compliance with DRC procedures and guidelines within the area. The role contributes to the development of area strategies, which are translated into action plans and day-to-day tasks. The role provides support and/or technical guidance to camp and host community operations.
Leadership, planning, and strategy
- Lead and manage the support service functions of Administration, Finance, Human Resources, IT, and Supply Chain at area level
- Ensure that annual planning for area support services is done and deadlines / targets are met for support function deliverables
- Ensure continual coordination with country office to ensure consistency in implementation of support services, including enforcing directives and SOPs, and adherence with DRC global and country requirements
- Coordinate with the HoSS in Addis Ababa to make improvements to the office function and provide a solutions-oriented focus on troubleshooting common problems, ensuring that issues are communicated effectively to improve support service functions across DRC Ethiopia and Djibouti
- Ensure that project planning includes relevant support service requirements (such as lead times and appropriate budgets) and the Government of Ethiopia’s 80/20 program / operations budget requirement
- Ensure that resource mobilisation is realistic and meets the needs of support functions, by using the operations budget to input to donor proposals
- Ensure that support services are fit for purpose to meet programme needs and provide a supportive focal point to enable interventions and operations
- Be the support services focal point for the Gambella compliance self-check, risk register, and any internal or external audits
- Actively participate in the Area SMT and call meetings with various departments for coordination and streamlining of operations processes in Gambella.
- Support Area Manager with filling the Program Management Tool + on a bi-weekly basis for submission to Country Office
HR support
- Ensure that Human Resources processes for all staff is supported and enabled
- Ensure monthly Gambella inputs for the Area Performance Indicator (API) reports and produced and that targets are met by the department and coordinate with the HR unit in Addis
- Provide management support to the HR Team Leader to ensure all HR tasks are completed on time (such as staff on boarding upon recruitment, training plan developed and implemented, Code of Conduct training in conjunction with MEAL, and quarterly leave planning)
- Ensure that all staff are following the required annual and semi-annual HR tasks as per the Operations Handbook (e.g., Performance & Development Reviews) and as per guidance from the CO HR department
- Ensure the HR team fulfills daily tasks, such as recruitment, contract renewal/ amendments, time sheet submission and leave tracking
- Manage the HR Officer and ensure that the recruitment tracking update is filled and circulated on a bi-weekly basis
- Ensure all staff are hired / terminated on DRC’s ERP System, Microsoft Dynamics, as necessary
- Ensure checklists on Dynamics are completed for all new staff and all User Manuals are filed for HR processes for Gambella staff
- Support Area Manager with complaints mechanism for staff and ensure all staff are trained on DRC’s Code of Conduct, conducting at a minimum semi-annual CoC training for all staff
- Ensure all staff receive and complete the mandatory minimum induction materials from InSite
Administration support
- Ensure overall administration of the Gambella area office and sub-office locations is enabled and fit for purpose
- Ensure administrative tasks are carried out in accordance with the area office needs and staff are consulted on their needs and requirements for smooth functioning of the programme
- Oversee the team to ensure follow up on routine tasks are carried out (guesthouse supplies, visa applications, camp permits, phone credit purchase, utilities bill payments, rental and lease agreements)
- Ensure that all area based staff follow the Country Office SOP on travel, submitting authorized Travel Request Forms as per the timelines stipulated in the SOP and raising any compliance concerns to the Area Manager
- Responsible for ensuring that all staff members are resource scheduled on correct budgets on a monthly basis
- Review and submit monthly payroll to DRC’s Country Office for payment to staff members on time
Logistics and procurement support
- Ensure procurement procedures are followed while being the focal point for tenders together with the country office
- Closely follow department KPIs and ensure that monthly report submissions are timely and of high quality submitted to the Supply Chain Manger in the Country Office
- Ensure programme supply chain planning is supported, including assisting with the development of procurement plans and attending grant kick off meetings
- Work with the Supply Chain TL to ensure each of the sub departments (procurement, fleet, assets, warehouse and IT) have targets and are meeting them, in line with Operation Handbook procedures
- Provide guidance to area staff on submission of Purchase Requisitions in line with the program management cycle and ensure that alerts are shared with program staff for any and all deadlines for purchases of closing projects
- Troubleshoot any issues related to DRC Dynamics system related to Supply Chain functions with the Gambella Super User and escalate to the Country Office Super Users, as necessary
Finance
- Support the Area Manager in all aspects of financial planning, execution, monitoring, and compliance
- Primary budget planner and secondary budget holder for all support service lines
- Responsible for budget monitoring and forecasting for support service budgets
- Actively participate in monthly Budget Follow Up meetings with Area Manager and programme managers / team leaders
- Work with senior managers to monitor budget of all grants, holding bi-weekly budget follow up meetings
- Providing detailed analysis on budget variances to the AM and HOSS
- Ensure that all financial transactions are captured in DRC Dynamics prior to any payments being made
- Responsible for ensuring that all weekly and monthly cash counts are submitted to the Country Office in a timely manner
- Responsible for ensuring that the month end closure checklist is followed on time and as per the guidance shared
- Support area office teams with troubleshooting any Dynamics or offline processes are understood and liaise with the HoSS in the country office to raise any issues which require clarification
- Work with finance to ensure programme teams clearly understand compliance requirements
- Conduct regular spot checks and provide feedback to Area Manager and programme managers / team leaders on areas in need of improvement
- Ensure that monthly finance tasks are completed (payroll, SOS, PIT, cashbooks and cash forecasts) and in line with Operations Handbook procedures
- Ensure that key annual finance tasks are completed according to schedule (such as annual reports, online platform reports, etc)
Job Requirements
Experience and technical competencies: (include years of experience)
- A minimum of 3 to 5 years’ experience of financial, supply chain, human resources, administration or contractual management within international humanitarian and/or development aid.
- Proven ability to design and implement financial and contractual management systems, processes and procedures across diverse programmes
- Proven ability to lead and manage support services functions – administration, finance, human resources, and supply chain
- Strong experience in management of finance and budget monitoring, financial forecasting, and procurement / logistical functions to successfully implement projects.
- High-level communications and interpersonal skills.
- A demonstrated ability to build and maintain relationships within a cross-cultural environment.
- Sense of humour and supportive attitude
Education:
Degree in a related field, such as financial management, accountancy, or program management..
Languages:
Excellent verbal and written English and Amharic
All DRC roles require the post-holder to master DRC’s core competencies:
Striving for excellence: Focusing on reaching results while ensuring efficient processes.
Collaborating: Involving relevant parties and encouraging feedback.
Taking the lead: Taking ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.
Communicating: Listening and speaking effectively and honestly.
Demonstrating integrity: Acting in line with DRC’s vision and values
More Information
- Job City Gambela
