Senior Manager Operations - PlayMatters (Readvertised)

Job Description

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) 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, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 28 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

Job Overview: IRC is seeking a Senior Manager, Technical - PlayMatters for a five-year project, “PlayMatters”, funded by the LEGO Foundation. The Play Matters - Sparking Lifelong Learning through Play aims to improve holistic learning and wellbeing outcomes for 800,000 school going children (aged 3-12+) in in refugee settlements and host communities in East Africa (Uganda, Ethiopia, and Tanzania). This project aims to build children’s social, emotional, cognitive, physical, and creative skills by influencing and changing behaviors of adults (parents, caregivers, teachers, community members and policy makers) surrounding children to incorporate Learning through Play methodologies into regular interactions with children at school, home and in the community. The project is implemented in a consortium partnership with War Child Holland, Plan International, Behavioral Insights Team and Innovations for Poverty Action. More information on PlayMatters can be found here: https://www.playmatters.org

The Senior Manager- Operations will be responsible for management, oversight, development, and day-to-day coordination and supervision of all of PlayMatters Project operations ensuring quality, efficiency, and compliance to donor and IRC principles, standards, and policy. S/he will provide oversight, guidance, and management support for the PlayMatters operational staff and project workstreams working very closely with and through relevant mainstream operations departments including Supply Chain; Finance, Grants and Partnerships, Administration, Fleet, human resource and Administration, Safety & Security, Information Communications and Technology (ICT).

Reporting directly to the Senior Project Coordinator, s/he will actively participate and contribute to the Project Management Committee, overall project strategy, program development and oversight. S/he will also strengthen capacity and support project staff to appropriately interpret, follow and adhere to relevant operational systems, policies, and procedures as they relate to the PlayMatters Country Strategy, workplan and budgets. The position will have direct supervision of the drivers, administrative assistant, and ad management in partnership supervision of the Senior Supply chain Officer and the Finance Manager.

Duties and Responsibilities: Operations coordination: •Provide leadership to project operations team ensuring quality service and efficiency of project operations. •Actively participate and contribute to Project Management Committee /team meetings •Regularly visit all PlayMatters field sites to monitor and support compliance to set operational protocols and plans •Provide routine monitoring and reports (daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly) of all operations and project administrative systems •Contribute to project reporting, accountabilities and improvements including the Project Implementation Dashboard •Coordinate and work collaboratively to oversee project operations with other project workstreams including Implementation, Technical, Policy and Advocacy, Research, Monitoring, Grants and Project Management and Evaluation Accountability and Learning, •Represent PlayMatters internally and externally with key stakeholders generally, and particularly in areas pertaining to operations. •Ensure positive working relations and collaborative interactions within all operational teams, across workstreams, project field sites, and other IRC support entities. with other units to improve.

Operational team management: •Line manage (directly or in partnership) the PlayMatters operations staff with respective direct supervisors. These include the Senior Supply Chain officer, Finance Manager, Manager, Administrative Assistant, and drivers. •Provide capacity-building technical support, and mentorship for project staff to ensure that they understand, follow, and comply with relevant systems, processes, and procedures •Support the project staff to identify prepare, review and report on operational needs assessment, implementation plans, and resources •Lead and conduct high-quality, regular, and documented meetings with operational project teams for technical guidance, joint planning, performance review, progress reporting, shared learning and problem solving •Support supervises and mentor operations project team to internalize project and IRC operational performance targets, expectations, processes, and policies •Collaborate with cross -sector teams and other relevant stakeholders within and outside Uganda PlayMatters consortium to support harmonization, capacity sharing and project measurement and results.

Administration: Coordinate with Human Resources and Administration to: •Ensure that all project staff undergo orientation and induction and logistically equipped to perform their roles, with appropriate documentation • Ensure that project asset files are created, maintained, and updated with all relevant documentation, according to relevant checklist. •Ensure provision of day-to-day advice to the project teams around interpretation and implementation of relevant administrative policies and procedures. •Provide support to the Administrative Assistant with regards to timely processing of all fund’s requests and contracts, ensuring their compliance with procedures.

Supply Chain: Coordinate with Supply Chain team to: •Ensure forecasts for project services are timely, up to date, uploaded in the relevant systems and adhered to by project staff. •Participate and contribute to effective use and adoption of INTEGRA, IRC’s Enterprise Resource Planning System for Supply Chain. •Coordinate orientation of staff on Supply Chain related tools, schedules, and processes.

Risk Management and Security: Coordinate with Security team to: •Support project staff to understand and comply with relevant security and safety procedures •Coordinate staff participation in safeguarding trainings, access to information and policy •Escalate to Sr. Project Coordinator general advice on security policies and procedures •Implement relevant project actions required to comply with project/IRC country security management plans •Contribute to Project Risk Management Plan, reviews, updates, and reporting.

Finance and Grants support: Coordinate with Finance and Grants team to: •Prepare and supervise implementation of operational budgets in accordance with IRC financial and budgeting systems. •Coordinate orientation of project staff on finance and grants related tools, schedules, and processes. •Ensure and coordinate preparation, reviews, and submissions of monthly spending plans and BVA reports. •Contribute to financial reports, project financial information, spending plans and Budget Vs Actuals updates to support decision making, project planning and compliance. •Support finance and grants documentation is properly organized, filed, maintained, and accessible, both in hard copy and electronically.

Qualifications

•A University degree from an accredited University in a relevant technical or management field or subject area. •A Minimum 5 years of working experience with strong background in Supply Chain, Logistics, Administration. •Experience in the education sector or educational programming is an advantage. •Work experience in humanitarian context/refugee settlements and with an International NGO highly desirable •Experience in IT is strongly preferred. •Demonstrated analytical, systematic-thinking, and problem-solving skills. •Self-motivated with good organization, planning skills, including prioritizing work and multi-tasking. •Proven abilities and experience in teamwork, capacity strengthening. •Strong computer skills including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

Reports to: Snr. Project Coordinator

Working Environment: The Senior Manager - operations will work in the IRC Uganda office and be provided regular administrative and logistics support to perform his/her responsibilities.

Professional Code of Conduct: The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, 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.