Operations Director

About the role: This is a 24 month, replacement role with non-accompanied terms based in Port Sudan or Darfur, with frequent travel between Port Sudan, Darfur and the Kordofans. The position is at Grade 5 salary (€50,107 - €55,674).

You will report to the Country Director and will line manage all operations staff and work closely with programme staff. We would like you to start as soon as possible.

Your purpose: You are a member of the Senior Management Team and will lead the effective and efficient delivery of Concern’s programmes by managing the support systems required whilst following Concern Worldwide and donor policies and standards.

You will be responsible for:

Strategic leadership - as part of the Senior Management team

• Oversee the implementation of the country programme’s system related strategic objectives
• Participate in the development of Concern Sudan’s Country Strategic Plan (CSP) and other strategic frameworks (Preparing for Effective Emergency Response (PEER), Security Management Plan (SMP) etc) in collaboration with all relevant staff and third parties as necessary.
• Support the Programme Director and Country Director in the analysis of potential new programme areas, including ensuring comprehensive analyses of logistical and security issues and appropriate mitigating measures to address them.
• Produce strategic analysis and plans for all systems support areas to strengthen the control environment while delivering fast, effective and efficient support to the programmes and ensure compliance with Concern and donor guidelines.
• In communication with the CD and in association with other INGOS and humanitarian actors, lead and take part in collaborative action where required to ensure effective relations with Government of Sudan.
• Take a lead role in ensuring that Concern Sudan adhere to international minimum standards of accountability and quality, through the application of relevant standards and internal documents relating to policies and procedures, most notably the Safeguarding Policy and Associated Policies.

Systems management

• Ensure all of Concern Sudan’s risk management, governance and internal control processes are operating effectively, that internal audits are carried out regularly as per policy and that the audit systems recommendations are implemented.
• Responsible for ensuring timely renewal of registration and compliances with all relevant national legal and administrative requirements
• Reviewing system functions, policies and procedures in all offices and programme locations with periodic monitoring and support visits
• Periodic review of operations organogram in Country office and recommend change to the SMT to ensure effective system function in place to support programme delivery.
• Carrying out regular assessments of logistics, admin, IT and security assessments for Country office and all programme locations in order to identify gaps and strengthen system functions and establishing systems for new locations and interventions.
• Managing information systems to monitor and report on the effectiveness and efficiency of Admin, HR, IT, transport and logistics
• Drafting of all external contracts to ensure consistency, clarity and minimize liability for Concern.

Security Management

• Acting as Security Focal Point for Concern Worldwide and liaise with Security Focal Points from each field office.
• Supporting Security Focal Groups in each location and ensure they have the knowledge and information to operate successfully.
• Participate in relevant security fora sharing information as appropriate
• Reviewing and updating of the Concern Worldwide Security Management Plan.
• Ensuring all new staff and visitors receive thorough security briefings

Budget management

• Preparing administration, HR, IT and transport budgets and track related expenditure and take corrective measures for over/under expenditures.
• Proactive identification of issues for discussion with budget holders and CMT.
• Costing systems requirements for funding applications and ensure VFM principles are applied.
• Identifying all donor-specific system requirements to ensure compliance
• Identifying and implementing potential savings and making recommendations to CMT.

Office management

• Line managing the office managers and capacity support of similar staff in other locations.
• Ensuring adequate supplies, staffing and support systems are in place for all Concern’s premises
• Ensuring leases for premises are actively managed and contracts assessed
• Ensuring all issues related to government authorisations are managed proactively.
• Ensure all offices and international staff residences meet security, health and safety standards.

People management

• Ensuring Concern is fully compliant with national employment legislation and requirements and global HR policies and procedures
• Ensuring staff are trained on Safeguarding and that mechanisms to report and reduce potential for abuse are functioning effectively.
• Overseeing grievance and disciplinary procedures
• Management of Health Care provision for International staff
• Overseeing the logistics arrangements for visitors
• Leading salary and benefit review processes and ensuring results are analysed and shared with CMT and other staff as appropriate.
• Managing the Health Insurance provision for National Staff.
• Line managing the HR Manager
• Promoting a gender balance at all levels in the workforce.
• Agree targets with CMT for recruitment and ensure these are met.
• Ensuring an effective performance development review (PDR) system is in place and ongoing training is provided to line managers and staff.
• Identifying strategic training needs.
• Ensuring each operations team member understands what is expected of them.
• Monitoring and reviewing team performance; giving corrective feedback where required and taking decisive action in the case of poor performance.

Transport management

• Ensuring cost effective maintenance of the Concern Worldwide fleet of vehicles.
• Ensuring accurate and timely transport reports and any recommendations to CMT.
• Assessing the transport requirements of the country programme on a regular basis and ensuring appropriate solutions are implemented
• Ensuring all offices adhere to the Transport and Fleet Management Policy.

Procurement and asset management

• Manage the Logistics Coordinator and the team and ensure support to field logistic team
• Ensuring efficient procurement of goods and services in a transparent and accountable manner, ensuring value for money for the organisation and justifiable use of donor funds.
• Preparing and overseeing quarterly and annual procurement plan for each programme.
• Establishing and maintaining a Pre-Qualified Suppliers list
• Training, supporting and checking personnel involved in procurement
• Leading on tendering, contracting and international procurement
• Ensuring a clear, well-documented paper trail in operation files
• Developing a multi-year plan for asset replacement (fleet and IT)
• Managing the fixed asset register.
• Ensuring all stores and assets are managed and accounted for in line with Concern and donor policies.

Information Technology

• Manage the IT Officer and arrange for work to be done by the Regional IT Officer.
• Ensuring Concern’s IT policy and procedures are understood and adhered to by all staff.
• Ensuring provision of effective support systems, enabling the smooth operation of IT systems and management of information (including the servers).
• Developing staff IT capacity, skills and confidence in using common software packages.

Your skills and experience will include:

• Relevant graduate qualification (preferably in Business Administration or Management or Supply Chain Management)
• Eight years’ experience in a operations/systems position with an international NGO, with minimum two years on a senior position at international level
• Experience of working in Sudan / Horn of Africa region is highly desirable
• Management of diverse and multi-operational teams
• Experience of security management in insecure contexts
• Previous work in a similar context, including emergency response experience
• Management of a diverse team of senior staff
• Working with major international donors and grants compliance requirements of major donors (BHA, ECHO, EU, FCDO)
• Specialist knowledge and experience in one area of operations is a must
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and an ability to motivate others
• Delegation, time management and prioritizing skills
• Computer literate and good knowledge of Word and Excel.
• Excellent English and working knowledge of Arabic
• Empathy with Concern’s mission, vision and goals, and our target group
• Proven experience in resource planning & budget management
• Experience in Tendering & contract management

We would also like:

• You to be flexible and reliable
• You to be culturally sensitive and empathic to others
• You to be able to work under pressure and to strict deadlines;
• You to have some sense of humour
• You to travel frequently to rural field locations and spend periods of time away from the capital in fairly basic conditions
• A ‘can do’ attitude