Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Job Description
TEAM/PROGRAMME: Program Operations
LOCATION: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with significant travel to field locations (at least 30%).
GRADE: TBD
POST TYPE: Regular
Child Safeguarding:
Level 3: the role holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work in country programs; or are visiting country programs; ore because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.
ROLE PURPOSE:
Save the Children is looking for an experienced Sr. Operations Manager that is responsible for overall coordination of Program Operations for delivery of high quality programming in line with the objectives of the different immunization/child health projects in SCI. S/he will be a key member of the Immunization Program leadership team, responsible for ensuring donor requirements for activity and budget planning, monitoring, and reporting are fully met in a timely manner, overseeing and managing financial and operational performance, as well as contributing to overall project management and strategy. In collaboration with Program Director, Program Operations, award and Finance team ensure that all projects progress is in accordance with grant agreements and completed and spent within time.
S/he will lead the projects budget planning, tracking expenditures, procurement, and administrative compliance within the contractual and organizational requirements of the different donors and Save the Children. S/he is expected to lead and support on contractual matters, compliance, and review and ensure financial reporting in coordination with the Immunization Program Director and the CO Finance and Operation Team. S/he will ensure project activity and spending accuracy, and timely reporting at a project and activity, and task level with significant collaboration with Immunization technical Lead, Immunization Program Director and the Finance and Operations team.
The Sr. Operation Manager will stay abreast of the Immunization Projects’ technical interventions, activities, particularly high priority activities, to assess and respond to financial and operational implications. S/he will provide ongoing guidance to the Immunization Program Director and technical teams on appropriate strategies for achieving the projects financial and operational performance.
SCOPE OF ROLE:
Reports to: Immunization Program Director
Dimensions: Addis Ababa-based with field visit as required
Staff directly reporting to this post: 1
KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:
Oversight and Management of Program Operations
- In collaboration with Immunization Program Director, ensure that the different Immunization Projects are delivered according to the grant/contractual requirements of the different donors and the Government of Ethiopia
- Ensure that all interventions/ activities and deliverables are completed within the agreed timetable and budget, and reports are submitted as per agreed schedules and any other requirements or criteria are fulfilled.
- Lead and facilitate Project MOUs with national government and support Field Offices in the facilitation of regional level MOUs
- Ensure proper budget management by ensuring that all planned expenditures are on track in strict compliance with the agreed budget lines and the different donors and Save the Children’s financial regulations. Develop weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual work plan and budget plan and track spending and activity progress
- Ensure that KPIs for program operations are met and work closely with other functions to achieve project milestones.
- In collaboration with the Program Director and the Technical Lead, Coordinate the design and routine update of detailed quarter, bi-annual and annual work plans and ensure these are used by the team appropriately to monitor progress towards completion and achievement of program objectives.
- Ensure that reports, quarterly, biannual and annual reports for the different donors, Government of Ethiopia, and Save the Children are prepared as required, ensuring these are of the highest quality and submitted in a timely manner to the donor.
- Ensure that all key project documents: donor, government agreements, and other key project documents are properly documented and maintained. Ensures that key project documentation, are obtained, maintained, verified and safeguarded appropriately in related databases
- Ensure the different projects budget is tracked and managed through organizing regular meetings to review BVAs; ensure SCI funds are spent/committed in compliance with the agreed objectives, timeframe and donor regulations.
- Follows up on budget utilization and project expenditure and in collaboration with Immunization Program Director makes periodic project budget revisions
- Maintains and updates all operational and financial policies and procedures to ensure project compliance with local government laws, and donor regulations
- Stay abreast and regularly track project risks and develop mitigation plan in collaboration with project team and follow up on implementation of preventions and mitigation strategies and regularly share updates with Program Manager and relevant project staff.
- Working in collaboration with the Finance team, ensure the immunization projects have a clear framework monitoring of award budgets, phasing and forecasting, ensuring alignment between the master budget and funding tracker
- Using strong financial analysis skills to oversee the award portfolio, pipeline and partner databases
- Oversee partners and manage their day-to-day service delivery approaches and operational activities.
- Develop project phase out strategy in close collaboration with Program Director, Award and Finance team
Supply chain
- Leads coordination among Immunization Program team, Procurement, IT, Logistics, and Human Resources Development, – to ensure program compliance with standards and policies and smooth implementation of project interventions.
- In collaboration with Program Director and SCM team, develop procurement plan for all immunization projects
- Ensure all goods and services are timely requested, procurement process is tracked, and quality ensured
- Develop distribution plan and ensure timely delivery and distribution of goods and services
- Ensure donor regulations are respected in all procurement processes
- Take a lead in proper close out processes of projects and timely hand over of goods and materials as per the project phase out strategy
Capacity building
- Identify capacity gap among project/partner staff and facilitate capacity building sessions for new and existing staff on SCM, budget development and tracking and other operations related skill development opportunities in collaboration with Immunization Program Director and Technical Lead
General
- Any other task assigned by Immunization Program Director
SKILLS AND BEHAVIOURS (our Values in Practice)
Accountability:
- Holds him/herself accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values.
- Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities – giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.
Ambition:
- Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves (and their team), takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages others to do the same.
- Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others.
- Future orientated, thinks strategically.
Collaboration:
- Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters.
- Values diversity and sees it as a source of competitive strength.
- Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to
Creativity:
- Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions.
- Willing to take disciplined risks.
Integrity:
- Honest, encourages openness and transparency
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:
Academic: Bachelor’s Degree or higher in Business Administration, Project Management or related field
Working Experience:
- Minimum of seven years demonstrated experience on project management, of which at least two years of experience on operations management for large projects
- Demonstrated experience in leading multi-year projects, and experience in leading partners in the achievement of project milestones, experience working on projects with multiple donors
- Demonstrated experience of increasing responsibility in overall project management, complex budgeting, operations, and financial management in an INGO setting
- Enriched experience working with local government structure, donors, and other actors engaged in immunization/ child health program in Ethiopia
- Ability to present results and products to government, donor and other key stakeholders.
- Strong management skills, professional reputation, ability to create synergies where applicable, interpersonal skills, and written and oral presentation skills to fulfill the diverse operations and managerial requirements of the project description.
- Commitment to the values, missions, aims and policies of Save the Children.
- Excellent command of communicating and writing in English.
Attitudes:
- Works well with teams.
- Conscious of child protection issues
- Non-discriminatory and gender sensitive
- Willingness to work in remote, rural locations.