Somalia: OPERATIONS DIRECTOR

Background

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) and its sister organization DDG has been providing relief, humanitarian community safety, and early recovery/development services in the Horn of Africa since 1997. Using a protection of human rights framework, DRC has mainly focused on Somalis who are displaced by conflict and other natural disasters in the region. Programs include protection, food security and livelihoods, shelter and NFI distribution, water and sanitation and advocacy amongst others.

Danish Demining Group aims to recreate a safe environment where people can live without the threat of landmines, unexploded ordinances and small arms and light weapons. These goals can be effectively advanced through cooperation and joint action with other organization as well as with integration of operations and programs with its sister organization, the DRC.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

The DRC/DDG Operations Director is responsible for all ‘Logistical, Administrative/Human Resources, IT, and Finance’ functions in Somaliland/Somalia. This also includes supervising, supporting and directing the Head of Finance and Head of Support. The DRC/DDG Finance and Support Department s ensure compliance, rules and regulations, as well as adherence to local government laws, regulations and procedures. In the role of support and verification to the programs, the finance and support unit provides timely reports on all support and finance functions to the Country Directors for DRC and DDG, and ensure that resources are used efficiently and effectively. The Operations Director will provide timely technical support to the Country Finance and Support teams of the Somalia Programme, and requests to directly support the site levels in Somaliland, Puntland and South Central

Procurement and Logistics

• Assist and oversee the development of agile and responsive logistical operations capacity and systems, underpinned by timely, accurate and compliant procurement, inventory of assets and assistance on all logistical matters.
• To ensure effective controls and systems are in place to limit risk, working with the Head of Support Services and other relevant country teams to compel adherence.
• Establish and maintain supply lines ensuring effective, timely purchasing and distribution with the associated asset management – ensure the maintaining of inventory records of materials and materials flow; oversee tracking of all assets.
• Supervise and support the Head of Support services to ensure accurate tracking of logistics monitoring information, reviewing internal compliance reports including external reports and ensuring that relevant action points are in place to improve compliance and audit concerns.
• Reviewing key logistics performance indicators (API) from the Head of Support thus ensuring continuous improvement including training staff’.
• Supervise with field sites and the ‘deputy logistician’ overall fleet management to assure that systems are in place, are used, are responsive and are effective.
• Liaise with finance to ensure compliance and payment schedules; maintain service contracts.
• Coordinate logistics (non-program) aspects of projects and associated shipments; manage importation and customs clearance elements. Oversee equipment registration, licensing and insurance, etc.

Financial Management

• Provide approaches to support the Country Directors of DRC and DDG, and Country Leadership Team on finance, risk management, financial systems and compliance.
• To provide leadership and direction in financial planning, reporting and forecasting for the country
• Ensuring that finance has a strong link to programmes, donor grants and to admin/HR aspects.
• Leading and supporting the finance department at Country and site level.
• Ensuring the provision of appropriate management information (regional Results Contracts and APIs e.g. financial performance, compliance issues, donor reporting issues).Provide the lead on budgeting processes.
• Work closely with Country Directors and /or Head of Finance and Grants Manager, in resource allocation, prioritizing financial resources and ensuring robust budgets.
• Account for the implementation of the DRC/DDG wide priorities of effective financial management, asset management and financial accountability.
• Manage risk/liability in the country, ensuring Code of Conduct cases are tracked and improvements put in place to avoid abuses.
• Collaborating with the regional HOFA, ensuring financial liability and fraud trainings take place, following up on major issues and resulting investigations are carried out as per protocols, with the support of the region.
• Ensuring excellent budget management practices in the finance department and with budget holders.
• Develop and maintain local office policies and procedures and provide training for all issues related to local financial matters.
• Analyse compensation packages, taxation requirements and human resource policies for local staff to ensure that DRC’ has adequately planned for of local staff compensation and benefits.
• Oversee management of insurance coverages for DRC/DDG staff and property.
• In collaboration with the Head of Finance, ensure compliance with the DRC/DDG and donor regulations and procedures; establishing finance and supporting function policies, systems and procedures, and directing or performing their development, documentation, and implementation
• Oversight in collaboration with the Head of Finance that the day-to-day accounting operations and financial management functions in the site offices are performed in accordance with internal policy and procedures.
• Create a system with the Head of Finance and Head of Support to account for procurement transactions to ensure adequate supporting documentation, accuracy of amounts and control over payments – a linked, combined procurement tracker.
• Design formats for financial reporting and budget follow up to help budget holders better understand the contents of the financial tools for decision-making and strategic planning purposes.
• Oversight in collaboration with the Head of Finance the maintenance of accurate records of financial transactions of the country office (main and site offices) in order to monitor financial status of all project activities.
• Manages the finance department to meet all financial reporting requirements - this function includes ensuring that all financial reports are submitted on or before the deadlines and contain relevant information.
• Directs the preparation of all financial reports for external purposes in respect to accounting, legal and contractual requirements.
• Oversee training of finance staff and provides technical support to country programmes and logistics
• Supervise or prepare budgets in collaboration with programmes.
• Present & facilitate with the financial team a review of ‘to date’ budget expenditures with Country Directors and AM’s.
• Provide recommendations for budget realignments as required.
• Lead in systems development and roll out of systems already developed in close cooperation and coordination with DRC/DDG Regional office and headquarters. This includes tools for monitoring shared expenditures, donor co-funding and decentralised book keeping.

Human Resources Management/Administration and IT

• Strategic oversight of the HR functions in country.
• Support the Head of Support to ensure updated Human Resources Manual for DRC and DDG every two years; lead in the process of carrying out salary surveys and interpreting data to see the updating the salary scale.
• Understanding of the different local laws in Somaliland, Puntland, South Central and advise Senior Management on relevant laws where necessary in decision making.
• Job descriptions for the Support and Finance teams (drafting together with the AM’s and relevant technical line managers), setting performance objectives for the teams and timely evaluation of the performances of the teams – again in close consultation with the AM’s and direct technical line managers
• Ensure that all Human Resources/Administrative related systems are accurate, up to date and maintained.
• Responsible for the implementation of DRC/DDG relevant organizational standards and compliance with legal obligations together with the regional Human Resources Manager
• Lead in training plan and training needs assessments as part of improving compliance with DRC/DDG standards. This includes on-the-job training, instructions and relevant follow up measures, as well as the design and conduct of more topic-bound training sessions.

Coordination and Management

• To share and coordinate the admin/finance information with the CD and other senior staff, and attend any internal coordination meetings organized.
• Responsible for the effective performance management of all staff and teams reporting to this post, ensuring assessment, development and performance management against objectives and agreed competencies.
• Participates in and is a member of the D-Fine team looking at integration issues, thereby contributes to the shaping of the merged DRC/DDG operational processes and priorities.
• To serve as part of the SMT Team participating as a full and equal member in the leadership of the country and the region.
• To ensure that SMT & E-SMT receive advice and information on finance, logistics and IS that allow them to make appropriate decisions.
• Responsible for management information- follow up within line management responsibility
• To attend the meetings organized by donors/NGOs on admin and finance if any.
• Attend coordination forums as deligated for by the Country Directors
• Any other duties as agreed with the Country Directors.

Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Business Administration in Logistics and Procurement or Finance or relevant degree subject.
• At least 8 years working experience with INGOs or other international agencies with as solid managerial experience
• Comprehensive knowledge and working experience with USAID, World Bank, EU, DFIF and other donors
• Experience and Knowledge in financial management, follow up and day to day money management
• Experience and Knowledge in HR and administrative policies and procedures
• Experience in developing and managing procurement and logistics procedures and policies.
• Previous experience in working in Somalia or Similar high risk content
• Proven management and Leadership capabilities a required
• Previous DRC-DDG Work experience
• Experience in Training
• Excellent Information technology skills
• Fluency in written and spoken English
• Excellent interpersonal and team work skills, ability to work with different groups and nationalities.
• Skills and knowledge in program sustainability and capacity building, public-private partnerships and project monitoring and evaluation (both quantitative and qualitative methods)
• Strong writing and presentation skills
• Strong negotiation, interpersonal and organization skill

Essential Competencies:

• Excellent people and team management skills, able to hold to account, build and motivate people and teams effectively
• Strong initiative and self-motivated, with a strong commitment to teamwork and humanitarian principles.
• Ability to multi-task and cope with competing demands under tight deadlines.
• Identify priority activities and assignments, adjust priorities as required.
• Experience of leading the implementation of operational improvements and the persistence to achieve change in a challenging environment.
• Ability to operate and think strategically, coupled with proven analytical skills and the use of these to problem solve and make firm decisions.
• Aptitude and openness to change, with an ability to lead change management

General

Commitments:

DRC has a Humanitarian Accountability Framework, outlining its global accountability committments. All staff are required to contribute to the achievement of this framework into the work of DRC

Conditions

Availability: 1st July 2016

Duty station: Hargeisa-Somaliland,with frequent travel to the other offices ,at least 30% in each location, namely, Puntland, South Central and Somaliland.

Reporting: This position works directly under the supervison of DRC Country Director and DDG Country Director.

Contract: 1 year contract dependent on both funding and performance. Salary and conditions in accordance with the Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for Global Expatriates (available at www.drc.dk under Vacancies). This position is graded as A6.

For qualified National staff the terms of employment will be in accordance with DRC terms for National staff

HOW TO APPLY:

Interested candidates who meet the required qualifications and experience are invited to submit updated CV and cover letter explaining their motivation and why they are suited for the post.

We only accept applications sent via our online-application form on www.drc.dk under Vacancies.

Please forward the application and CV, in English through the online application on www.drc.dk under vacancies no later than 6th June 2016

If you have questions or are facing problems with the online application process, please contact job@drc.dk.

For general information about the Danish Refugee Council, please consult www.drc.dk.