Operations Director – Syria

Job Description and Requirements

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long term impact.

Program / Department Summary

Syria is in the midst of a major humanitarian crisis impacting the entire country as well as a number of neighboring countries. More than 11 million people have been displaced from their homes and the number relying on humanitarian assistance continues to grow. The main thrust of the work of Mercy Corps along with its national and international partners for the foreseeable future will be primarily focused on meeting urgent humanitarian needs across the country while building resilience and social cohesion elements in its programming strategy. The heightened insecurity and continuous acts of violence and war make the humanitarian response not only more challenging, but increasingly complicated. With a large and complex portfolio of work across the country, Mercy Corps has established itself as an analytical, strategic and flexible responder, adapting continually to shifting front lines and operational realities to respond effectively and efficiently through multiple modalities with teams inside Syria and working cross-border from neighboring countries. Mercy Corps Syria country program moved to a structure where teams report into a single managerial architecture to allow transversal consistency among programs and unity of purpose at the strategic level.

Operations Department provides key support to the entire country program in procurement, asset management, warehouse management, fleet management and facilities & office management for successful program implementation.

The Position (General Position Summary)

The Operations Director is a key person within a country’s senior management team, who ensures the resources are planned and utilized towards effective program support. The Operations Director plays a key role in the overall leadership of the country program under the guidance of the Country Director.

As a member of the senior management team at country level, the Operations Director shares the overall responsibility for the direction and coordination of the Mercy Corps country operation activities under the direct supervision of the Country Director.

Essential Job Responsibilities

• Manage reliable and cost-effective operations and effective implementation of the strategies of Mercy Corps towards the right direction, including supervision of general facilities and office management, information technology, procurement, asset management, fleet management and warehouse management.
• Supports the program team on timely provision of operations support at a higher level of standards.
• Ensures compliance requirements of Mercy Corps and rules and regulations specified by the donors and sometimes host governments.
• Provides management information for decision making as required.
• Support developing budgets for operations activities of country programs as an integral part of program proposal development and country level budgeting.
• Represents Mercy Corps as required in coordination with country management. As a senior management team member, the operations director will have certain representation at the discretion of the country director. The level of representation may vary depend of the country context (i.e. Local Logistics Cluster, NGO Working Groups, etc.)

Responsibilities of Operations Director:

As a member of senior management, the operations director is responsible for but not limited to key responsibilities of strategic oversight, development and implementation of policies and procedures and resource management;

Strategic Oversight

Strategic oversight, direction and advice on all aspects of Mercy Corps operations management, aiming at the achievement of the following results:

• Successful contribution for implementation of country operations strategies and establishment of management guidelines.
• Advice on operations strategies, policies and plans affecting operations, program deliverables and staffing.
• Analyzing Mercy Corps’ operating environment in the country and adjusting operations and providing advice on contextual changes.
• Guide Mercy Corps operational strategies and activities.
• Successful implementation of operational strategies and direct establishment of management achievements with operations.
• Maintain regular control on operations budget and identify any exceptions or possible implications of under / over spending in a timely manner.
• Promote continuous organizational learning culture with the empowerment of individuals and teams with the identification of learning needs. Create learning opportunities and ensure access to available learning resources.

Implementation Of Policies And Procedures

Implementation of appropriate operations policies and procedures that comply with Mercy Corps policies and procedures and with donor rules and regulations focusing on the achievement of the following results:

• Full compliance of operations with Mercy Corps Global Procurement and Logistics policies, procedures and processes.
• Provide strategic, technical and managerial leadership in implementation of Global Procurement and Logistics in the country program.
• Ensure ongoing full compliance of Mercy Corps finance policies and procedure and others (i.e. Program Management Manual, National Staff Handbook and etc.)
• Act as focal point from operations for all internal and external audit matters in coordination with country management.
• Provide expert advice on Mercy Corps policies regarding resource management, tools, etc.
• Development of local policies and procedures with the support of country management and implementation of them.

Resource Management

Effective and efficient resources management in administration, procurement, logistics and IT on the achievement of the following results:

• Ensure effective management of resources and reporting in a systematic, transparent and efficient manner to country management.
• Responsible for provision of high quality and timely procurement and other program support.
• Exercising oversight over procurement processes and logistics ensuring compliance with Mercy Corps procurement policies and procedures as well donor rules and regulations.
• Oversee provision of transport and travel support (international and domestic).
• Oversight on maintenance of proper custody of Mercy Corps assets, warehouse inventory and general inventory.

Team Management

• Develop the capacity of the team, deepen understanding of their roles and assist with career development.
• Assist team members with information, tools and resources to improve performance & reach objectives.
• Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback informally and formally via regular one on ones and performance reviews.
• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
• Hire, orient and lead team members as necessary.
• Work with all Mercy Corps staff to ensure smooth introduction and adoption of operational systems.

Program Support Functions

• Work closely with DCD, hub and program leads, and rest of SMT to ensure all operational departments are working in close collaboration with programs to facilitate smooth, efficient and effective implementation.
• Work closely with and supervise the Operations team to ensure that support systems and structures are in place and compliant with relevant internal and external policies and procedures.
• Create and maintain systems ensuring effective and transparent use of resources for timely and informative reporting in line with donor and Mercy Corps policies and procedures.
• Uphold Mercy Corps’ Zero Tolerance policy to corruption and work closely with HR, Finance, Security & Risk, and Ethics & Assurance to mitigate fraud, conflict of interest, and legal ramifications of Mercy Corps activities.

Security

• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
• Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.

Supervisory Responsibility

Direct Reports: Senior Operations Manager (Head of Procurement), Senior Admin and Ops Coordinator, Government Liaison Coordinator, IT Coordinator.

Indirect Reports: Field Area Coordinator (NWS), Operations Coordinator (NES), IT Officer (Amman)

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Country Director

Works Directly With: Country’s Senior and Extended Management Team, Regional Team, Global Procurement & Logistics Team, Additional headquarters-based Support Departments.

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills

• BA/BS degree in a relevant field.
• Minimum of 5 years senior management experience in a corporate or an INGO sector, including experience in operational support including developing strategies with supervisory responsibilities.
• Proven ability in planning and organizing substantial tasks includes complex situations in both development and emergency contexts.
• Willingness and ability to change for the events of emergencies and good working relationships with incoming HQ teams (i.e. HLR, TSU, GPL).
• Developing credibility with colleagues and stakeholders at all levels of Mercy Corps.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to lead multi-disciplined and multi-cultural teams, sometimes in insecure and volatile environments.
• Demonstrated leadership skills, including the ability to lead and motivate qualified and experienced individuals with strong personal values.
• Analytical, decision making and strategic planning skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities at various levels.
• Skills of coaching, mentoring, delegating and providing guidance to team members in the country program.
• Team building skills and understanding the key success factors in working in a team environment.
• Commitment to the humanitarian principles and to the organizational and programmatic goals of Mercy Corps.
• Effective verbal and written communication, organizational, prioritization and Microsoft Office applications.
• Excellent oral and written English skills required; proficiency in Arabic is required.
• Ability to work effectively with an ethnically diverse team in a sensitive environment.
• The position is only open to Jordanian nationals.

Success Factors

The successful OD will possess senior level experience in managing or coordinating humanitarian relief and/or post-conflict programs in areas affected by conflict, instability and insecurity. The OD will also possess experience negotiating in difficult market conditions, which may have been obtained from working in the private sector. S/he will have an outstanding ability to multi-task, prioritize, solve problems, and pay simultaneous attention to detail and strategic vision. S/he will also have proven experience with cross-cultural teams, with strong leadership and mentoring skills. S/he will maintain strong cooperative relationships with other departments and interact effectively with international and national personnel both in a managerial as well as training capacity, while demonstrating the ability to multi-task, meet deadlines and process information in support of changing program activities. S/he will be able to live and work closely with a diverse team of individuals in a highly intense and fluid work and security environment and be willing to travel regularly to Mercy Corps field offices and project sites. The most successful Mercy Corps staff members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations. In Syria, patience, diplomacy, tenacity, compassion, determination and a sense of humor are all success factors.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position is based in Amman, Jordan, and it requires up to 40% travel to support country programs, which may include travel to insecure locations where freedom of movement is limited and areas where amenities are limited.

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.

We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.

We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.