Operations Director

Position: Operations Director

Reports to: Country Director

Location: Action Against Hunger USA,Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Contract Duration: 3 Years

Action Against Hunger leads the global movement to end hunger. We innovate solutions, advocate for change, and reach 24 million people every year with proven hunger prevention and treatment programs. As a nonprofit that works across 50 countries, our 8,300 dedicated staff members partner with communities to address the root causes of hunger, including climate change, conflict, inequity, and emergencies. We strive to create a world free from hunger, for everyone, for good.

Action Against Hunger USA is part of the Action Against Hunger International network. As an independent NGO, Action Against Hunger USA currently manages operations in 8 countries: Kenya, South Sudan, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Zambia and Haiti. Action Against Hunger-USA has over $100 million in programs, and approximately 1,800 permanent staff based in New York City, Washington D.C, Nairobi, and country offices. Additional growth is anticipated.

I.                     Summary of Position

As member of the Senior Management Team, the Operations Director will be based in Addis Ababa. The Operations Director shares in the overall responsibility for the direction and coordination of the Country Office. He/she oversees  Safety & Access,  Safeguarding, ICT and Logistics Support to program delivery. The Operations Director works in close collaboration with the Country Director and Programme Director as a representative at external meetings with Government, donors and other stakeholders on operational issues at country, regional level or when required.

Purpose

The Operations Director provides leadership and management of all the support functions operations within the Country Office including Safety & Access, Safeguarding, ICT and Logistics to ensure quality and timely support to program delivery in line with Ethiopia Country strategy, internal policies, good practice and donor guidelines.

Engagement

At Country Office level, the Operations Director represents Action Against Hunger in coordination and planning engagements with relevant stakeholders, support Field Coordinators at field level with program delivery, track and support the implementation of Base’s minimum operating security standards at the country-level.

Externally, s/he will liaise with local authorities, donors, humanitarian actors and other stakeholders at Country and Regional level for exchange of information.

Delivery

Follow up on, and develop where necessary, service performance tools and metrics which support sustained delivery in line with beneficiaries’ needs and broader departmental or coordination; Ensure sufficient logistics support for programming; develop and follow up on approaches and initiatives that accelerate delivery of programs and services; coordinate and manage responses to low or high burn rates; support all departments and field bases with efficient use of resources; coordinate effective management of burn rate across all grants; ensure the implementation AAH the mission safety and access policies and approaches.

II. Essential Job Functions

· Manage the Country Office Safety & Access, Safeguarding, ICT and Logistics departments ensuring that all activities are coordinated.

· In close coordination with the Country Director and Program Director, and Area Coordinators, lead the support department’s participation in the Grant development process by ensuring all support departments plan costs and needs in a timely fashion

· Continue the development and monitoring of high performing teams, capable of gearing up to provide a humanitarian response when necessary, ensuring that the Program secures value for money at all times and that Action Against Hunger procedures and processes.

· Logistics: Monitor procurement load on a regular basis, and focus on implementing premises and fleet development identified in the Ethiopia mission improvement plan over the next 2-3 years.

· Safeguarding: Support the Safeguarding team in the implementation of safeguarding policies, follow up of safeguarding issues, and awareness and take up of safe3guarding responsibilities at field level.

· ICT: Ensure communication infrastructure improvements identified in the country improvement plan are budgeted and carried out; and ensure sufficient ICT support in all bases

· Safety and Access: Responsible for providing leadership on safety access implementation and operational support to enable safest and most effective implementation of programs and activities. The OD must support the development of a Safety and Access culture in all departments and field bases alike, in accordance with the developing safety and access polices of AAH USA.  

· Safety and Access: Ensure the analysis of security trends, and lead on the updating of implementation of Action Against Hunger Security Management tools and processes.

· In collaboration with the Country Director, Safeguarding Manager and HR HoD oversee the end-to-end management of investigations

· Lead on representation with security actors such as United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA), USAID and other Donors and partners.

III. Supervisory Responsibilities

• The Operations Director will directly line manage the Safety & Access Manager, Safeguarding Manager, ICT Manager and Logistics HOD. 

IV. Physical Demands

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to sometimes sit for long periods and to concentrate on work, including typing, and turn out heavy volumes of work accurately, within short time frames under stressful situations. Interruptions. Must be able to proofread own work accurately so that only minor corrections are needed on an infrequent basis.
• To travel to the field, the employee must attest to a level of physical fitness capable of enduring physically difficult, highly stressful situations, which may include the necessity to walk long distances, to eat a limited diet and/or to reside in potentially uncomfortable housing or tents. The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

V. Working Conditions, Travel and Environment

• The duties of the job require regular job attendance at least five days per week. Must be available to work outside normal office hours or on the weekends as required.
• Must be able to travel as required in any part of the Country where the team will be deployed.  While performing the duties of this job in the field, the employee may be exposed to precarious settings under high security risks and/or very basic living conditions and outside weather conditions, as well as infectious diseases.
• All Action Against Hunger employees are required to engage with and follow the performance management program in place.

VII. Gender Equality Commitments and Zero Tolerance to Abuse

• Foster an environment that reinforces values of people of all genders equal access to information.
• Provide a work environment where people of all genders must be evaluated and promoted based on their skills and performance.
• Promote a safe, secure, and respectful environment for all stakeholders, particularly for children, beneficiaries, and members of staff.
• Help to prevent any type of abuse including workplace harassment and sexual abuse and exploitation.
• Respect beneficiaries’ women, men, children (boys and girls) regardless of gender, sex orientation, disability, religion, race, color, ancestry, national origin, age, or marital status.
• Value and respect all cultures.

VIII. Fiscal Responsibility

Oversees the financial stability of the mission.

VIII. Commitment to Safeguarding

• Responsible for fully understanding and adhering to Action Against Hunger’s safeguarding policy, PSEA and child safeguarding policies as well as its Code of Conduct and Charter of Principles.
• Respect all policies during professional as well as private time and ask for clarification if needed.
• Accomplish tasks in a way not to harm children, vulnerable adults and other communities we serve, or expose them to risk of abuse and exploitation.
• Report all safeguarding concerns according to the applicable reporting system.  
• Create and maintain an environment free of abuse and exploitation 

Requirements

• Undergraduate in Social /Development/Humanitarian studies or any other related field. Master’s degree would be an added advantage
• 7 years INGO experience preferably, with previous experience as Operations Director
• Previous experience in all of the following: Security, Logistics (including procurement, supply chain, fleet management & inventory, Information Communication and Technology and Information Systems)

X. Required Skills, Competencies & Attributes:

• Robust experience of NGO program cycle management, and with experience of working within a complex and matrix organization structure
• Significant knowledge of international humanitarian systems, institutions and donors and of procedures, accountability frameworks
• Good experience and knowledge of effective financial and budgetary control and securing and managing grants from major institutional donors
• Solid safety and security management experience in complex and conflict locations
• Good anticipation, planning skills, especially in changing work contexts.  
• Experience communicating in different cultural work environments
• Good communicator: verbal and written
• Highly organized, detail oriented and able to work under pressure.
• Candidates must have a strong understanding & experience of Humanitarian Principles
• Experience working in insecure environments

Benefits

Action Against Hunger-USA provides all staff with an attractive salary & benefits package. We provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees & qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, ancestry, sexual orientation, national origin, age, handicap, disability, marital status, or status as a veteran. Action Against Hunger-USA complies with all applicable laws governing non-discrimination in employment.

Application Process.

Interested? Then apply for this position by clicking on the apply button. All applicants must upload a cover letter and an updated resume and both must be in the same language as this vacancy note. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Application close date: February 16, 2024