Director of Operations

Project Background:

DAI Global is implementing the USAID-funded Governance and Local Accountability (HOVERLA) Activity, based in Kyiv, Ukraine. This project is designed to support Ukraine advance self-reliant local governance including legislative reforms, participatory strategic planning methodologies, service improvement, local economic development, civil society engagement, and capacity building of sub-national government entities. The Activity has three objectives:

Objective 1: Ukraine’s system of local self-governance is increasingly institutionalized and effective

Objective 2: More self-reliant subnational governance

Objective 3: Citizens play an increasingly influential role in local governance processes

Role’s Purpose:

The Director of Operations is a key member of the project leadership team. S/He will play a pivotal role in overseeing adherence to the project’s Field Operations Manual (FOM), USAID regulations, contract requirements and limitations, financial policies, procedures, controls, and reporting systems. The individual ensures compliance of project operations and directly supervises and supports a team responsible for finance, administration, logistics, human resources, and procurement.

Objectives and Duties:

• Supports and advises COP on operationalizing technical program activities including contract and budget requirements, project resources, compliances, and implementation approaches.
• Ensures project compliance with contractual clauses, USAID policies and regulations, DAI rules and regulations, FOM guidelines, and all applicable Ukrainian laws.
• Responsible for gaining comprehensive knowledge of the project’s FOM, identifying areas where policies, procedures and/or practices may not be fully aligned with project practice, and working towards their correct alignment.
• Leads and supervises Finance, Human Resources, Procurement, and other operations teams. Plans, assigns, and directs their work, appraises performance, and addresses and resolves problems.
• Prepares administrative, contractual, and financial reports required by DAI, USAID, and Ukrainian authorities in coordination with the operations team as well as the home office project management team.
• Ensures that any/all contractual financial reporting requirements are identified and complied with in a timely and accurate manner.
• Maintains communication with DAI’s home office staff on administrative and financial aspects of the activity.
• Provides relevant information and analysis for periodic project reports (such as annual and quarterly reports) as required.
• Oversees recruitment, salary negotiations, hiring, evaluation, and termination of employees, in consultation with the COP and HR Manager.
• Maintains all personnel policies to ensure compliance with local labor law, tax law, and USAID regulations.
• Leads the transition process from remote work / working from home to a hybrid model, including finding and securing a permanent project office in Kyiv and other related activities.
• Oversees the office management to ensure that all project facilities are powered, cleaned, and functioning properly.
• Ensures that administrative records and project personnel documentation are well-organized, maintained and updated, and that procurement files are properly documented and closed upon completion of an activity.
• Ensures project staff are properly trained in project data management systems, and that staff actively incorporate the data management system into daily project activities.
• Conducts reviews and regular spot audits of project files to ensure completeness, accuracy, and full compliance with all regulations and the FOM.
• Maintains open and frequent communication with the Chief of Party (COP) and technical staff on work plan implementation.
• Supports all logistical, administrative, financial, legal, and contractual aspects of the Activity when requested by the home office project staff.
• Ensures that all new and current staff are trained on personnel policies, administrative procedures, procurement, and on any other subject required by law.
• Provides training and guidance to all field staff (technical and operations) on the activity’s administrative, human resources, and operations systems and processes, including the FOM.
• Supports and advises the COP on monitoring of all activities, the budget execution, performance of all teams, and internal and external conflicts. Identifies potential bottlenecks, presents proposed solutions to the COP, and executes agreed upon solutions.Manages contract budget and budget pipeline.
• Maintains good working relationship and coordinates with the USAID/Ukraine mission, other USAID-funded projects, partners, donors, and Ukrainian authorities.
• Other responsibilities as assigned by the COP.

Qualifications:

Required

• Master’s degree and 8+ years of prior work experience working on USAID-funded development programming or Bachelor’s degree and 10+ years of prior work experience working on USAID-funded development programming;
• Experience managing finance, procurement, contracts management, operations, logistics and/or human resource related matters for international development activities;
• Demonstrated expertise in providing training and developing capacity of teams, ensuring quality of work and adherence to established policies and procedures;
• Supervisory experience of financial and administrative project teams;
• Expertise in US government and USAID contractual, procurement and financial reporting and compliance requirements;
• Excellent oral and written communications skills; and
• Fluency in English.

Preferred

• Experience overseeing financial and operational implementation across multiple field offices.
• Experience with DAI systems and policies.