Deputy Director of Operations

Job Description

The International Rescue Committee responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, IRC offers life-saving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in more than 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, IRC restores safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted by conflict or disaster. IRC leads the way from harm to home.

As the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continues across the country, more people are being displaced and humanitarian needs are increasing daily. To date, more than 4 million people have been displaced inside and outside the country due to the conflict that erupted on 15 April. Nearly 3.3 million people have been displaced internally as of 8 August, according to the International Organization for Migration Displacement Tracking Matrix (IOM DTM). People have been displaced across all 18 states. The majority are in River Nile, Northern, North Darfur and White Nile states. About 71 per cent of internally displaced people (IDPs) are originally from Khartoum. While the conflict has affected health services in states directly impacted by the fighting, states that have not witnessed active conflict are also suffering from the lack of supplies, especially as newly displaced people are arriving from conflict areas. Currently, an estimated 11 million people in Sudan need urgent health assistance, including about 4 million children and pregnant and breastfeeding women who are acutely malnourished, and more than 100,000 children under the age of five with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) with medical complications who need specialized care at stabilization centres. Hospitals, ambulances, supplies, warehouses, health workers and patients have been attacked in Sudan. Through the Surveillance System on Attacks on Health Care (SSA), WHO has verified 53 attacks on health care, including 11 deaths and 38 injuries between 15 April and 13 August 2023.

Scope

Reporting to the Country Director and serving as a member of the Senior Management Team (SMT), the Deputy Director of Operations is responsible for leading and managing the operations teams in Sudan, ensuring they are fit-for-purpose and respond to the needs of IRC’s programs. The DDO is expected to contribute to high levels of teamwork and interdepartmental and cross-sectoral collaboration. Through the DDO's leadership, operations teams will be supportive of program delivery, results-driven and guided by data analysis, problem identification and problem-solving.

In collaboration with key programs and operations colleagues in Sudan, DDO The Deputy Director, Operations (DDO) plays a key role in the overall leadership, coordination, and management of the IRC Sudan program.

This position supervises the Field Coordinators, Supply Chain Coordinator, Admin Officer, the Information Technology Officer. The DDO is the head of the Khartoum office and DDO role works with Finance department and Country Director (CD) on overall financial management, Deputy Director of Programs, CD, and program teams on quality support services to program and Human Resources department on staff management, learning and development according to IRC principles, standards, donor guidelines, ensuring these services are delivered in a timely manner and within budget.

Key responsibilities

Programs Support, Strategy and Business Development

• Lead the implementation of the Country Strategic Action Plan (SAP) as it relates to Operations.

• Lead the implementation of operations excellence program (Country Scorecards) identifying improvement priorities and developing action plans.

• Work with CD and DDP to identify opportunities for program expansion.

• Ensure all new proposals receive thorough Operations review and that appropriate support cost and country program asset needs are budgeted for.

• Support overall CO efforts to ensure a strategic-thinking culture ensuring new hires are oriented to SAP, aware of their roles in contributing to the SAP, and incorporating elements of the SAP into their daily work to contribute to its overall objectives.

Supply Chain &Administration

• Supply chain staff work effectively with other departments to improve planning such as procurement and distribution planning and a rational resource utilization.

• Ensure and verify that Global Supply Chain policies are implemented, documented, disseminated, and required monitoring processes are effective. Ensure Supply Chain staff are working effectively with other units/departments to improve planning and the effective utilization of the standard GSC tools, (Budget vs Actual, Integra, SCMR, Scorecard etc…)

• Support the Supply Chain department in establishing long term commodities and service agreements with appropriately vetted vendors and maintain strategic partnership with those contracted vendors.

• Undertake periodic system reviews of procurement, vehicle & fuel, asset, warehouse/inventory, suppliers and vendor contracts to identify areas for improvement and compliance with IRC GSC policies and standard practices.

• Review, update, and enforce the SOPs as they relate to the role of the supply chain department.

• Undertake periodic national system reviews of procurement, asset, warehouse/inventory, suppliers and vendor contracts and communication systems to identify areas for improvement and compliance with IRC global.

• In partnership with Global Supply Chain team ensure that compliance risk in the supply chain processes is analyzed and implement internal and external audit corrective action plans and ensure that all supply chain are conducted in ethical manners.

• Review departmental key performance indicators and take appropriate action support in achieving the set objectives.

• Ensure that all administrative requirements and documentation are updated and respected (INGO registration, taxes, expatriate and office housing contracts, expatriate visas etc.) Work closely with the Admin Officer in to ensure all these requirements are met.

Management, Coordination and Leadership

• Actively contribute to and participate in management and leadership platforms such as the country leadership team, the senior management team and the country management team.

• Work closely with the Country Director and other members of the SMT to ensure that a strong partnership is developed and maintained between Operations and Security; Programs; Finance and HR teams at both the Country and Field levels

• Be a champion for the implementation of the Sudan Response strategy and ensure quality and meaningful participation of operations teams in strategy related activities.

• Lead the development and revision of program support and operational policies, procedures, and systems

• Lead cross-departmental risk identification, and mitigation actions that align with organizational and regional risk management initiatives.

• In partnership with the Security and Access staff, ensure that field offices adhere to the security SoPs and country security management plans.

• Oversee and coordinate the functioning of the Khartoum Office.

Staff Management, Learning &Development

• Provide leadership to the human resources and administration team and ensure the application of best practices and adherence to national, NGO and other relevant compliance regulations and as per Sudanese labour laws.

• In partnership with CD, DDP and DDF and HR Manager develop, evaluate the workforce planning to manage the HR implications of new projects and re-structuring.

• Develop learning and development strategy in partnership with SMT and ensure that effective implementation of learning & development ensuring equal opportunity.

• Ensure proper functioning of the HR department and necessary support to all sectors and teams.

• Oversee the development/review of HR policies, guidelines, and processes, and ensure they are fully disseminated and understood by all staff.

• Provide guidance and supervision to the Operations teams; to discuss job expectations, set objectives and provide appropriate and timely feedback on performance of direct reports, including timely implementation of performance management system.

• Create an inclusive team climate focused on the achievement of team and individual results that emphasizes the importance of mutual respect, trust, listening, ownership, learning, productivity, accountability, and openness

• Adhere to IRC's performance management system, providing regular, timely and thoughtful coaching, feedback, performance assessment,

• Provide leadership support for the successful implementation of and adherence to the IRC Global HR Operating Policies and Procedures.

• Hold high-quality meetings with each direct report on a regular and predictable basis, at least bi-weekly, focusing equally on interpersonal exchange, as well as work

• Promote and monitor staff care and well-being and ensure to create systems and practices where work supports life and continuously role model such practices.

Field Office Management and Control

• Provide oversight and guidance to Field Coordinators based in field offices. This support should focus upon all aspects of field office control and efficiency.

• Work in collaboration with the Safety and Security Coordinator to ensure that field staff are well trained and operating in compliance with the Security Management Plan. Provide management support and oversight to the Field Coordinators in implementing security policies and procedures.

• Participate in the development and/or review of new proposals, operating plans and strategic plans ensuring that the views of field staff are captured and reflected wherever appropriate.

• Ensure all new proposals have received thorough Operations review and appropriate operations platform is maintained.

• Develop and maintain a system that effectively captures performance data field offices sites. Work with the SMT to proactively identify, analyze and respond to trends either through reinforcement or corrective action.

• Participate in the development and/or review of new proposals, operating plans and strategic plans ensuring that the views of field staff are captured and reflected wherever appropriate.

Information Communications Technology

• Champion and provide leadership for the smooth roll out and utilization of IT core systems and collaboration tools and ensure that all requirements are met and resources are committed.

• Based on comprehensive needs assessments ensure that all digital data and information needs of operations and program teams are catered for, including the provisioning of hardware and software by following the IRC IT lifecycle.

• Uphold and promote IT Standards and policies regarding security, equipment, Internet bandwidth and network infrastructure and ensure and monitor compliance that the Country Program complies.

• Ensure that IT compliance monitoring processes are developed and effectively implemented.

• Support the IT staff to provide top-tier and effective services and support to the Country Office and across all field sites.

• Manage key supplier relationships and build strategic relationships with senior internal stakeholders, providing appropriated solutions for their needs.

Representation

• Represent IRC Sudan operations in meetings as required, including government meetings, donor, and other partners.

• Actively develop and maintain effective working relationships with key stakeholders at field level, including donors, government actors, UN agencies, international and local NGOs, and other relevant humanitarian actors.

• Establish a good rapport with local and national level administrative, labor, customs, immigration, security, and other officials to ensure that IRC projects conform to local laws and customs and security constraints.

Requirements

• Masters degree required (management-related or general operations preferred);

• Minimum of 5 years’ experience managing operations and/or projects in fragile and insecure locations, preferably in Africa and Sudan.

• Demonstrated ability to manage field staff and remote field offices.

• Experience of managing Global Supply Chain, Administration, IT and field office management

• Experience having managed operations in conflict-impacted setting.

• Excellent cross-cultural communication skills

• Excellent staff capacity building and training skills

• Strong problem-solving, analytical and decision-making skills.

• Strong computer skills.

• Flexibility, ability to work independently and meet deadlines.

• Fluency in Arabic (Desirable)

Languages: Fluency in written and spoken English required

The work environment:

The DDO will be based in Gederif temporarily, in Sudan, and will travel throughout the country to field program locations (35%). All Sudan locations are security phase 4 (RED) so the DDO will be expected to respect the various security protocols in place in country. Phase 4 requires clear contingency planning in place with staff prepared should hibernation or evacuation be called for. The candidate must be prepared to work in insecure environments. This is an unaccompanied position.

Housing: All IRC sites have electricity and internet although some interruptions can be experienced. Food is the individual’s responsibility.

The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

Returning national candidates: IRC strives to attract, motivate, and retain qualified national staff in our programs. We strongly encourage national or returning national candidates to apply for this position. If you are a national of the Country in which this position is based and are currently located outside of your home country and possess over two years of international work experience, the IRC has introduced an attractive remuneration package.

Safeguarding: Strictly adhere to the IRC Child and Adult Safeguarding Policy and all other policies, including those relating to security and fraud prevention. In accordance with the safeguarding, IRC maintains policies on protecting beneficiaries/clients from exploitation and abuse, child protection, Anti-Harassment in the Workplace, fiscal integrity and anti-retaliation.

Equal Opportunity Employer: IRC is an equal opportunity employer. IRC considers all job applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, gender, color, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by law.

Diversity, Inclusion and Gender Equality: IRC recognizes and honors the fundamental value and dignity of all individuals. We are an equal opportunity employer and consider all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status or disability. IRC is also committed to closing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce, including parental leave, gender-sensitive safety protocols and other supportive benefits.

National applications as well as female applications are strongly encouraged.

Qualifications

Apply now

Added 11 months ago - Updated 8 months ago - Source: rescue.org