Operations Director – Surge

Job Title: Operations Director – Surge Team

Reports to: Head of Emergency Operations overall and between deployments, and relevant Country Director while on deployment

Responsible for: Relevant Systems Staff in country

Job location: Members of Concern’s Surge Team will be typically deployed to various Concern country programmes for varying time periods, typically ranging from six weeks up to six months. When not deployed, team members will work from home.

Pay Band: HQ Grade 6: €66,156 to €75,607

Contract:

• 2 year Full Time Fixed Term Contract
• Unaccompanied position
• 8 weeks annual leave increasing to 10 weeks after completion of first full year and R&R where applicable
• Up to 3 weeks home-based work
• All Surge Team members must be available to travel overseas within 24 hours of being requested to deploy

Job Purpose:

To respond quickly and flexibly to new and existing emergencies. To lead and manage programme support systems functions including: – HR, Administration, Logistics, Transport, IT and typically Security

To fill appropriate staffing gaps in non-emergency programmes and existing chronic emergencies. This may require deployments in a specialist advisory as well as managerial capacity.

Key Responsibilities:

General Responsibilities

• In new emergencies or existing country programmes, develop and disseminate procedures, guidelines and manuals relating to transport, stores, logistics, procurement, administration, HR, security and IT, ensuring that they are understood and consistently applied across the relevant country programme team.
• Ensure that systems are planned and implemented in line with relevant organisational policy and procedures, and with those of our donors.
• Advise the Country Director and Country Management Team (CMT) on all policy matters related to systems as appropriate.
• Lead in the review and updating of the Security Management Plan to ensure that it is a relevant and appropriate to the operating context.
• Support the CMT in the planning and developing donor proposals.
• Represent Concern at various fora as required.
• Build productive relationships with relevant national government agencies.

Emergency Response:

• Participate in emergency assessments.
• Lead the development and delivery of systems support in emergency response

Logistics & Transport

• Ensuring efficient procurement of goods and services (local and international) in a planned, transparent and accountable manner, ensuring value for money and compliance with donor requirements.
• Supporting the team in rolling out the Logistics Manuals, including training and follow-on support.
• Supervising fleet management across the country, including sizing, monitoring of transport reports and vehicles maintenance plans.
• Responsible for overall stock and assets managements.
• Ensure the on-going management of the asset registers and inventory.

Administration & Office/Residence Management

• Overseeing the management of properties and contracts across the country programme.
• Ensure that visitors and new staff are provided with welcome packs, schedules and in-country briefings and these are updated regularly.
• Ensuring compliance with national level legislation in all contractual, financial, labour and taxation matters.
• Liaising with contracted lawyers to ensure legal actions or court cases are dealt with promptly and efficiently.

Financial Management:

• Ensuring adherence to Concern’s Finance policy and procedures, promoting transparency and accountability, and incorporating best practices in resource management.
• Ensuring consistent and realistic budgeting and management of resources by the systems departments and support programmes in planning and management of resources.
• Oversee the preparation of donor budgets to ensure that the timing and cost of planned systems support is accurately reflected.

Human Resources:

• Ensuring Concern HR policy and procedures are kept updated, incorporating best HR practice, in line with Concern’s organizational policy and following national labour legislation.
• Ensuring effective performance development through the use of the Performance Development Review system for direct reports, and in supporting teams in its use across the country programme.
• Providing support and supervision to teams regarding the use of complaints mechanisms and grievance and disciplinary procedures.
• Working with HR Manager on the annual staff training plan, ensuring the inclusion of training needs identified in Performance Reviews.
• In conjunction with the HR Manager and Finance team, ensure the timely preparation and accuracy of the national staff payroll.

Security:

• Support the Country Director in the management of security by ensuring periodic security reviews are undertaken and the Security Management Plan (SMP) is appropriate to the programme context and updated as necessary.
• Ensure that all staff are familiar with the provisions of the SMP and that it is adhered to.
• Ensure the safety and security of programme offices and houses.
• Ensure that staff are trained and familiar with the uses of communications systems.
• Maintain close links with other relevant agencies (NGOs and UN) for the provision of security information and ensure information is regularly communicated to relevant staff.
• Ensure that protocols are in place in the case of hibernation and evacuation.
• Ensure that all new staff and visitors receive an in-country security briefing.

IT:

• Ensuring Concern’s IT policy and procedures are in place and adhered to.
• Through the IT officer, ensuring the provision of effective support systems, enabling the smooth operation of IT systems.
• Developing staff capacity to operate and manage IT systems in all offices.

Skills and Experience Required:

• Third level degree in a relevant discipline – Humanitarian, Business Administration, Supply chain etc.
• 5 years’ progressive overseas experience working in a systems role with at least 2 years overseas experience at senior management level within an international NGO.
• Experience of leading and managing a diverse team of senior/middle level staff including international staff
• Proven strong management ability including being able to motivate and develop the skills of others.
• Proven experience of managing diverse and multi-systems functions including HR, Administration, Logistics, Transport, and IT
• Emergency assessment and response experience.
• Experience of security management in insecure contexts.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, including fluency in written and spoken English and a good working command in French
• Willingness to travel frequently to rural field locations

We would also like to see:

• Strong leadership skills with the ability to lead and motivate a team.
• Excellent interpersonal, facilitation and negotiation skills.
• Ability to act as part of a multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary team
• Ability to organize and prioritise workload, using initiative when appropriate
• Ability to represent the organisation
• Ability to cope with stress, work under pressure often to strict deadlines
• Flexibility, adaptability, sense of humour, and patience
• Ability to motivate and develop skills of others
• Analytical and problem solving skills, through establishment of new tools and processes
• Ability to assess problems and recommend solutions
• Cross cultural awareness and sensitivity to cultural differences
• Good knowledge and competence of different computer application