Support Services Manager

Contract

This is a DRC - National contract. More about DRC - National contracts.

This is a DRC - Expatriate contract. More about DRC - Expatriate contracts.

The Danish Refugee Council is currently looking for a highly skilled and experienced Support Services Manager to join our team in Chisinau, Moldova.

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is a leading protection agency whose mandate is to promote and protect durable solutions to conflict and displacement-affected populations on the basis of humanitarian principles and human rights. DRC is implementing a multi-sector response to support Ukraine refugees, IDPs, and host populations both within Ukraine and in the neighboring countries of Poland, Romania and Moldova, and wider Europe. DRC has been operating in Ukraine since 2014, following previous operations in the 1990s and between 2007-2013. Over the years, DRC successfully maintained its presence in the government-controlled areas (GCA) and adapted its programmes to provide early recovery and durable solutions to people affected by the conflict including IDPs and communities living along the contact line, as well as reduce the threats of explosive ordnance with a growing humanitarian mine action programme. Due to the ongoing conflict that began in Feb 22, DRC opened offices in Poland, Moldova, and Romania to provide support to displaced populations through a partnership with civil society organizations and national NGOs, duty bearers, and other actors. DRC continues to implement in these three countries through partnerships, technical assistance and capacity exchange, and direct implementation in some cases.

About the Job:

Under the supervision of the Response Manager, the Support Services Manager will provide coordinated and strategic leadership for all support functions and ensure smooth implementation of the operations strategy. He/she will strengthen the DRC Moldova support services systems and ensure compliance to DRC Dynamics and Operations Handbook manuals and policy briefs and DRC Dynamics. The incumbent will work in close coordination with the program sectorial teams (Protection, SMS, Risk Education, etc.) in Moldova, as well as coordinate the activities with the Support Services division in DRC Poland, Moldova, Romania (PMR). The main responsibilities of the role will be as follows:

Planning and Strategy

• Ensure that annual planning for support services is done and regular targets are met and that these are linked to the coordination unit for area operation consistency.
• Ensure that project planning includes relevant support service requirements (such as lead times and appropriate budgets).
• Ensure that resource mobilisation is realisitc and meets the needs of support functions, by using the operations budget to input to various donors.
• Ensure that support services are fit for purpose to meet programme needs.
• Be the focal point for the compliance self check, risk register, internal audit and results, contract.
• Support the Response Manager in strategic plan development.

Establishing the Support Services Functions for DRC Moldova

• Support the new strategic plan for the DRC Moldova in communication with the Support Services in the DRC Office Poland, Moldova and Romania by setting up an appropriate support services structure and team that ensure support functions meet the programmatic needs in Moldova.
• Ensure that the support services planning for DRC Moldova field operations is well planned.
• Ensure the field office is compliant to DRC Operational Handbook and DRC Dynamics User Guides and policy briefs by conducting field visits and mini-internal audits to ensure capacity is sufficient for the operation.
• Provide guidance on policy issues at field level in liaison with Response Manager and Head of Support Services DRC PMR.

Staff Management

• Manage support staff (Administration, Human Resources, Finance and Logistics) based in DRC Moldova office.
• Manage direct reports to agreed job priorities and identify learning and development needs for support staff, under your direct and indirect supervision. Bring issues of concern to the Response Manager for timely decisions.
• Ensure that support teams work closely with the programme team to delivery DRC policies and procedures in finance, procurement and logistics including effective planning weekly, monthly and quarterly.
• Conduct other relevant activities as requested by Response Manager and coordinated with Support Services DRC PMR.

Finance

• Overall responsibility for ensuring sound financial management in DRC Moldova Office, especially via the DRC enterprise resource planning online system Dynamics.
• Ensure DRC finance regulations and procedures are adhered to in DRC Moldova Office.
• Constantly check the integrity and robustness of financial procedures and advise the Response Manager/Program Managers on corrective actions to minimize losses.
• Manage the DRC Moldova master budget in DRC Dynamics as advised by the PRM Finance Specialist and develop the tools to make sure that all funding gaps are identified and communicated regularly with relevant country management.
• Work with senior managers to budget monitor all grants and ensure that Project Budget Follow ups are done regularly, and any questions are addressed in a timely manner in coordination with relevant program staff.
• Ensure that project budget proposals and all financial reporting is done in accordance with relevant donor and DRC’s internal guidelines.
• Review cash flow forecast and money request in a timely manner and submitted to management on a monthly basis.
• Training, mentoring and capacity building of national finance, support, and program staff in good grant management practices and other finance procedures.
• Responsible for ensuring that all financial documentation is archived in line with DRC Dynamics and local SOPs on scanning, filing, and archiving.

Administration and Human Resources

• With the support of Regional HR Coordinator, manage all components of human resources for DRC Moldova including enforcing DRC HR Manual, as well as being responsible for correct and updated HR files for staff.
• Supervision of Finance-Administration Officer and HR Officer in Moldova, including technical guidance to program.
• Oversee payroll management for staff and ensuring that salary payments take place in a transparent and coherent manner and in line with DRC Dynamics for payment processing, as well as locally developed SOPs.
• Implement, manage and develop internal controls in coordination with the Response Manager and Head of Support Services of DRC PMR.
• Ensure effective archiving for DRC office as per the Operations Handbook and DRC Dynamics chapters on archiving.
• Ensure that all necessary agreements, permits, and licenses necessary for DRC‘s operations (including VAT exemption) are in place and kept up to date in line with national administrative rules and regulations pertaining to the activities of DRC.
• Ensure a sound HR and payroll management system compliant to DRC HR policies is in place and according to the current local laws with respect to VAT withholding and severance policies.

Supply Chain

• Overall response for effective supply chain management with is both compliant and timely and supports the programme deliverables.
• Ensure DRC procurement guidelines are adhered to in the field office
• Actively engage and support the program teams in procurement planning to ensure timely delivery of project inputs and activities.
• Monitor DRC procurement procedures and ensure complete accountability of stock and asset inventories.
• Supervise and review the bi-annual physical inventory of all assets and follow due procedure for disposal of obsolete assets according to DRC Operations Handbook and donor requirements/procedures.
• Develop a database for prequalified suppliers or service providers to improve efficiency in procurement, in line with current DRC procedures for supplier vetting and that all new suppliers are uploaded onto the DRC Dynamics database for pre-qualification. Similarly responsible for ensuring that vender performance is recorded and any and all issues are recorded on the DRC Dynamics master vendor data.

Logistics

• Ensure that inventory and assets lists are maintained and regularly updated, admin stores are managed and maintained in line with DRC guidelines;
• Ensure the efficient management of vehicles and manage locally available DRC fleet.

IT

• Ensure the office is compliant with DRC Dynamics and Operations Manual.
• Develop and maintain robust electronic data storage and backup policies and procedures for all three offices.
• Ensure staff are trained on DRC Dynamics.

About You:

To be successful in this role we expect a minimum of 5 years' experience in similar role preferably within an INGO. Moreover, we also expect the following:

• A University degree in a relevant field (Finance, Accounting or any humanitarian activity) or proven work experience that would match a University degree.
• At least 3 years' experience in people management.
• Experience in providing oversight of support functions: IT, Human Resources, Supply Chain, Administration.
• Good knowledge of IT, with Microsoft suites and in troubleshooting for staff with little command of IT.
• Previous knowledge of enterprise resource planning online system, MS Dynamics knowledge is advantageous.
• Good interpersonal, communication skills with experience in liaising with local authorities and local partners.
• Flexible, pro-active, and with the ability to follow through on tasks.
• Excellent verbal and written skills in English are mandatory.
• Working knowledge of regional languages (Romanian, Ukrainian and/or Russian) will be considered an asset.

We Offer:

Contract length: 12 months (open to extension depending on availability of funding)

Band: F (Management)

Base salary range: from 40,100 to 44,200 DKK gross per month, based on experience

Duty station: Chisinau, Moldova

Start date: Asap

We offer a competitive salary and benefits in accordance with the Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for expatriate staff.

Application Process:

All applicants must upload a cover letter and an updated CV in English. Applications sent by email will not be considered.

Closing date for applications: April 10th, 2023

Applications will be reviewed, and interviews conducted on a rolling basis, and we, therefore, encourage you to apply as soon as possible. For further information about the Danish Refugee Council, please consult our website drc.ngo.