Head of Support Service at Danish Refugee Council

Danish Refugee Council

Position: Head of Support Service

Job Time: Full-Time

Job Type: Contract

Place of Work: Addis Ababa - Ethiopia

Posted date: 6 months ago

Deadline: Submition date is over

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC), an international non-governmental organization (NGO), has been providing relief and development services in the Horn of Africa since 1997. DRC promotes and supports solutions to the problems faced by refugees, internally displaced people (IDPs), and migrants. The organization has offices across the region and has been operational in Ethiopia since 2009. With funding from bilateral and multilateral donors, DRC is currently implementing a range of activities across Ethiopia and Djibouti, including WASH and shelter provision, child and youth protection, gender-based violence response, awareness-raising of migration risks, protection monitoring of migration routes, and livelihoods support for returning migrants or those at-risk of migration.

Overall Purpose of the Role: 

Operationally and strategically the Head of Support Services holder is responsible for Finance, Human Resources, Logistics and Procurement, Administration and IT. S/He will oversee, develop and provide strategic direction, mentorship and support to his/her support areas. An active member of the Senior Management Team this role ensures that all aspects of the Country Office management are represented and considered in decision-making. This role has a country focus and as a Senior Management Team, the HoSS must be committed to visiting the field at least quarterly to ensure regional-level support and capacity are provided along with ensuring compliance to donor requirements and adherence to DRC procedures and guidelines.

The ideal candidate for this role requires a solution-orientated approach, a sense of humor and the ability to manage work/life balance in a complex restrictive and demanding, but never boring context.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Management

• Lead and manage the support services managers/coordinators (including people planning, performance, well-being and development)
• Manage, deliver, and report on current operations and programme support in each region of implementation.
• Establish high-performing support teams ensuring high-quality approaches are maintained.
• Develop and improve operational approaches, compliance, and systems, and support the Country Director to build and deliver effective and sustainable interventions.
• Responsible for the strategic development, management, and implementation of the support operations
• Ensure appropriate technical support is available to programs, in line with organizational priorities.
• Ensure support for annual planning and review processes.
• Direct responsibility for ensuring that the DRC programme operates in accordance with DRC’s support function.

Operational Management

• Oversee the operational support units for the country by providing strategic leadership and technical support to the areas under his/her supervision.
• Strengthen/oversee/develop audits, Master budgets, BFU and financial and accounting policies and processes.
• Support the Country Director and the Senior Management Team in liaising with donors and authorities, especially as relates to issues of compliance, registration, and audit.
• Supervision, audits and controlled and implementation of corrective actions related to DRC’s operational standards within support areas.
• Ensure that DRC retains and continually develops its operational capacity to provide rapid emergency response, in particular within its procurement and transport systems.
• Develop a risk management plan for the country that identifies the major financial and operational risks and implements a mitigation strategy and response plans.
• Ensure that all administrative and legal-related systems are accurate and maintained.
• Work to build the capacity of the operational support staff throughout the operation through frequent in-service training sessions and mentoring support.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of DRC’s global development initiatives.

DRC Dynamics (ERP System)

• Ensure DRC Dynamics functionality is properly set up and used by relevant staff, including but not limited to Master Budget, Shared costs recovery planning, and resource scheduling.
• Apply reports and data analytics from DRC Dynamics to improve overall performance and inform SMT decision-making.
• Act as a heavy user for most of the Projects & Finance functionalities.

Supervisor Responsibilities

• Supports the managers/coordinators to coordinate the daily activities of small teams to ensure workload is supported and prioritized appropriately.
• Contribute to recruitment and/or performance appraisal of members of the support services team.
• Develops a capacity building and mentoring style of operations within the teams, offering training, mentoring and other opportunities within the organization for staff development

Experience and Technical Competencies: (include years of experience)

• At least 7 years experience in a relevant field
• At least 4 years of experience in people management
• Experience in a similar role in an international NGO
• Proven significant financial, information and systems management experience
• Experience working in an ERP system, including supply chain, finance and HR systems
• Proven leadership skills and competence in people management
• Proven operational management experience and capability, including in conflict areas
• Significant experience in procurement and tender processes
• Understanding and experience of institutional fundraising
• Understanding of the countries in which DRC operates and sensitivity to the cultural context.

All DRC roles require the post-holder to master DRC’s core competencies:

Striving for excellence: Focusing on reaching results while ensuring efficient processes.

Collaborating: Involving relevant parties and encouraging feedback.

Taking the lead: Taking ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.

Communicating: Listening and speaking effectively and honestly.

Demonstrating integrity: Acting in line with DRC's vision and values