Senior Director Operations

Industry:	N.G.O./Social Services
Functional Area:	Operations
Total Position:	1
Job Type:	Full Time/Permanent (First Shift (Day))
Department:	Islamabad
Job Location:	Islamabad, Pakistan
Gender:	Doesn't Matter
Minimum Education:	Master's Degree
Degree Title:	MBA or Master’s degree from an accredited university in Business Administration, Business Management, Commerce or Information Technology with a recognized professional certificate in Information Technology
Career Level:	GM / CEO / Country Head / President
Minimum Experience:	12 Years (At least 12 years of relevant technical experience in managing and implementing development programs in developing countries, particularly in education)
Require Travel:	25%
Apply By:	Nov 16, 2015
Job Posting Date:	Oct 17, 2015

Job Description:

Program Background Summary: Pakistan Reading Project (PRP) is five year USAID funded project starting in June 2013 to support the provincial and regional Departments of Education (DoE) throughout Pakistan to improve reading skills of at least 1.3 million children in grade one and two. The project will achieve this goal through three major but interrelated initiatives that are working together to affect the quality of primary education, teacher education, policy reforms, and community engagement to re-establish a national culture of reading in Pakistan. The result will be improved reading and assessment of 23,800 teachers in 23,800 public schools with improved skills in teaching reading; 3,649 scholarships for ADE and B.Ed (Hons) students; and mobile bus libraries reaching out to 300 communities. PRP anticipates that 2.5 million children will be able to read at a level commensurate with standards at their grade level. SUMMARY STATEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES: The Senior Director Operations plays a key role in the overall leadership and management of Operations and is a member of the Senior Management Team. The position will be based in Islamabad but will require frequent travel to all the PRP Offices. The Senior Director Operations works closely with the Senior Management Team in the field and in Islamabad to ensure effective communication and coordination. The responsibilities include overall leadership and management of administration, supply chain, compliance, security and information technology. The Senior Director Operations will work under the leadership of the Chief of Party (COP). Specific responsibilities within each functional area are as follows: SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES: 1. Leadership and Management · Ensure application of documented policies and procedures for operations and all core operations functions to ensure ongoing efficient, effective support and compliance across the project · Monitor the security situation and oversee implementation of security measures, including appropriate reporting · Travel to field offices to provide technical assistance and oversight · Ensure timely dissemination of new initiatives and policies and monitoring of implementation · Ensure that the Islamabad project management office is effectively managed and that project staff have access to adequate transport, ICT, administrative and safety and security management support 2. Supply Chain and IT · Supervise the Supply Chain Staff in all field offices (procurement, fleet management, transport, IT) and provide direction to the logistics officers · Ensure that all procurement is done according to IRC/USAID guidelines. · Conduct spot checks to ensure compliance with IRC guidelines (inventory control, fuel usage, procurement, warehouse control, etc.) · Ensure that all reporting for the logistics department is completed accurately and in a timely fashion; where necessary, train national staff to produce high quality reporting. · Ensure that all IRC logistics procedures are correctly followed by all staff and propose/develop improvements when required. · Make regular trips to the various field offices to monitor logistics functions. · Review, update, and enforce the SOPs as they relate to the role of the logistics department. · Ensure proper and sufficient equipment is in place and well maintained for smooth functioning of IRC IT department and maximum preservation of assets. · Supervise IT staff to ensure effective IT support is available to all staff. · Verify that information technology policies and procedures are documented, disseminated and consistently applied across the country program at all sites. 3. Administration · Supervise and provide direction to Admin Manager and Officers in all field offices. · Ensure that all administrative requirements and documentation are updated and respected (INGO registration, SS taxes, expatriate and office housing contracts, etc.) · Ensure that all reporting for the Admin department is completed accurately and in a timely fashion; where necessary. · Provide intensive training and mentoring to national staff to increase capacity. · Ensure that all IRC Admin procedures are correctly followed by all staff and propose/develop improvements when required. · Ensure Islamabad-based Admin department makes regular trips to the field sites to monitor HR Admin functions and support field based staff. · Enforce the SOPs as they relate to the role of the HR Admin department. 4. Security · Assume overall responsibility for the security and safety of program staff and assets. · Promote the development of a security culture and exchange within the entire team. · Develop and continually update written security procedures and protocols. · Train staff where necessary in safety and security procedures and protocols. · Liaise with international agencies (INGOs and UN) on security matters when required. · With RSSA support, design/conduct training on best safety and security practices. · Make and maintain contact with security focal points at the national and local level to ensure steady exchange of updates around security in country. · Build security network with local stakeholders. · Ensure timely and quality reporting of incidents including lessons learned and corrective measures implemented. · Ensure timely security reporting to COP and senior management team. 5. Operations Systems Quality Oversight · Assess and monitor compliance with institutional and donor operational policies and procedures through field visits and management report reviews. · Review performance of operations functions to identify strengths and weaknesses; support project management team and implementing partners to replicate the former and address the latter. · Ensure that regular and comprehensive risk and cost-efficiency analyses are conducted. · Monitor and review operational budgets to support financial stability, ongoing program viability, efficient cost structures, and appropriate spending. 6. Strategic Planning · Participate in the finalization of the Annual Work Plan for PRP. · Develop an Operations Plan to support the program activities once Annual Work Plan is approved. 7. Representation · Establish a good rapport with local and national level administrative, labor, customs, immigration, and other officials to ensure that PRP conforms to local laws and customs and to minimize bureaucratic restraints on project implementation. · Establish good rapport with other INGOs and humanitarian actors. · Attend all meetings organized to discuss operational issues impacting PRP operations on the ground. KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS INTERNAL: · Chief of Party and other senior office staff EXTERNAL: · External to the PRP Office: Regional Operations, Global Supply Chain, and other key Program Staff. · External to IRC: Service Managers, Vendors, Donor and local government staff, procurement (taxation and regulation related), External Auditors QUALIFICATIONS Education: · MBA or Master’s degree from an accredited university in Business Administration, Business Management, Commerce or Information Technology with a recognized professional certificate in Information Technology Experience: · At least 12 years of relevant technical experience in managing and implementing development programs in developing countries, particularly in education · Knowledge of regulatory, contractual, legal and financial compliance requirements associated with USAID funding · Diverse background in operations, with strong understanding of administration supply chain, security, information technology, and business processes · Proven experience with leading edge hardware, software and social media technologies for education systems at pre-service and in-service levels · Experience with USAID funded projects is an asset · At least 10-years of experience as a proactive member of several top-management teams · This post is open for international staff and Pakistan citizens with 3-years of overseas experience

Skills Required:

Skills and Abilities: · Good written and verbal skills in the English language. · Demonstrated exemplary diplomatic, management, communication, and interpersonal skills · Solid understanding of the Pakistani context, prior experience in Pakistan or the region preferred · Strong Computer skills: facility with MS Word, Excel, various project management software · Strong interpersonal and training skills, with demonstrated cultural sensitivity and experience working with large and geographically dispersed team · Proven skills to identify and communicate potential problems and propose solutions to the level of management appropriate to effect solutions. · Proven reputation to function effectively in a loosely structured, but complex work environment and to set appropriate priorities and deal effectively with numerous simultaneous requirements. · Proven ability to carry out responsibilities independently with minimal technical support from within the program organization · Good communicator with ability to work in an organizational environment involving a diversity of cultures / languages · Good facilitator and team player Committed to staff training and development