Job Title: Senior Manager Operations – PlayMatters
Organisation: International Rescue Committee (IRC)
Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda
Reports to: Senior Project Coordinator
About US:
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC works with people forced to flee from war, conflict and disaster and the host communities which support them, as well as those who remain within their homes and communities. At work today in over 40 countries and 25 U.S. cities, we improve outcomes in the areas of health, safety, economic wellbeing, education, and power.
Job Summary: 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: 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.
Key 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, Skills and Experience:
- The applicant must hold a University degree from an accredited University in a relevant technical or management field or subject area.
- At least five 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.
How to Apply:
All suitably qualified and interested applicants should apply online at the link below.
Deadline: 3rd January 2023