RSC Africa Deputy Director Administration and Operations at Church World Service

Church World Service (CWS) was founded in 1946 and is a cooperative ministry of 37 Christian denominations and communions, providing sustainable self-help, development, disaster relief, and refugee assistance around the world.

Primary Purpose
RSC Africa Deputy Director Administration and Operations will have overall responsibility of CWS RSC operations and administration function including Finance, Procurement, Information Technology, General services, Travel & Logistics units. RSC Africa Deputy Director Administration and Operations will ensure that operations and administration function provide high-quality, responsive, timely and cost-effective services to support implementation of USRAP activities within the framework of local laws, donor requirements, CWS RSC policies and standard operating procedures. Reporting to RSC Africa Director, RSC Africa Deputy Director Administration and Operations will be part of the RSC Africa Senior Management team. RSC Africa Deputy Director Administration and Operations will build and maintain strong relationships with all stakeholders and ensure a productive and conducive work environment between the Program and operations/administration teams.

Key Relationships:

Internal to CWS:

RSC Africa Director,
Deputy Director Program Development & Quality,
Deputy Director RSC Program Implementation,
RSC Africa Senior Management Team,
Associate Directors,
Direct Reports

External:

Service providers, PRM and other agencies.

Working Environment

Office environment. Periodic travel to the field as may be required.

Responsibilities
Oversight of the Operations and Administration Function (40%)

Oversee implementation of operations and administration activities in an efficient and cost-effective manner, providing high quality services and information to programs team, staff, donors and other stakeholders.
Provides oversight of the Finance function ensuring financial health of the organization, timely annual budgeting, accurate reporting working closely with the Finance lead and CWS Chief Financial Officer.
Oversee the provision of financial management, planning, monitoring and reporting of every day financial activities of USRAP program and subsequently provide advice and guidance to senior management on future financial plans.
Provide oversight of all procurement related issues, while ensuring compliance and adherence to organizational policies, donor rules and regulations, contractual terms and other applicable rules and regulations.
Ensure there is an annual Procurement Plan formally documented and updated in coordination with the procurement and programs teams,
Oversee provision of high-quality administrative support/services related to Property, Office Management, Travel & Logistics to various stakeholders/departments.
Oversee technical and administrative services related to Information Technology (ICT) to various clients/departments.
Lead in the development of short term, long-term plans and budgets based on organization’s broad goals and objectives.
Work closely with RSC Director, functional leads under the Operations and Administration docket and other stakeholders to ensure that all resources/suppliers necessary to support continued implementation of USRAP activities are acquired/sourced.
Oversee proper utilization of resources and management of risks to minimize misuse or loss Ensures that all organizational contractual obligations are fulfilled, safeguard CWS RSC reputation and ensure that RSC receives value for money.
Ensures that existing policies support accountability, transparency, and efficiency of CWS and comply with all donor requirements and CWS policies.
Ensure that all necessary agreements, permits and licenses necessary for CWS RSC operations are in place.

Leadership & Management (30%)

Responsible for oversight of operations and administration function to include Finance, Procurement, Information Technology, General services, Travel & Logistics units.
Provide direct leadership and management to the operations and administration teams to include team organization, staffing, training and development, performance management, employee engagement, conflict resolution, coaching and mentorship as well as day to day supervision of direct reports.
Demonstrate active performance management by approving detailed work plans for direct reports, providing feedback on performance, and keeping senior management informed on progress towards departmental annual goals and individual staff performance.
Oversee the development and implementation of annual plans for the operations and administration operations and administration function and prioritize activities relating to staffing, team organization, training and development.
Responsible for providing strategic high-level leadership, vision, alignment and structuring of operations and administration function to make it responsive to program and overall organizational strategic needs.
Supervise and monitor implementation of RSC operations and administration function in line with CWS RSC policies, standard operating procedures and donor requirements.
Develop and execute responsive and appropriate management and operational systems in line with local laws, CWS RSC policies and standard operating procedures and donor requirements.
As part of the Senior Leadership Team, participate in the development and execution of CWS RSC strategic plan and support RSC operational plans and budget development, execution and monitoring.
Identify both short term and long-term resource needs and translate these into objectives and priorities.

Risk Management and Compliance (15%)

Oversee the development and implementation of systems, policies and standard operating procedures to ensure accountability, transparency and efficiency of RSC Africa, and to ensure compliance with the Cooperative Agreement, relevant OMB Circulars, PRM and CWS policies.
Lead and champion implementation of CWS policies, standard operating procedures and best practices as well as organizational culture to support staff and at the same time make contributions to administration division strategies for ensuring staff fully understand and abide by CWS policies.
Oversee development of internal compliance, monitoring and reporting tools for operations and administration function.
In collaboration with Internal Audit and leadership, identify and assess areas of significant compliance risk within CWS RSC Africa operations and administration and work with leadership to design and implement corrective action plans.
Follow-up and resolve any audit findings
Ensure all activities and operations are performed in accordance with the laid down standard operations procedures, government regulations and any federal laws and regulations governing business operations.
Ensure compliance with CWS and DOS/PRM policies, including A-133 audit requirements as well as US, Kenyan and other Country laws as required.

Representation (10%)

Maintain effective relationships with all stakeholders, including programs team, staff, donors, suppliers among others, ensuring that relevant communication is professional, timely and accurate.
Collaborate with programs teams and other departments to understand their strategic needs and priorities and ensure they receive timely support and assistance.

Additional Responsibilities (5%)

Other duties that may be assigned to enhance the quality and efficiency of support services to attain set objectives and maintain high professional standards of RSC Africa.
Execute special projects and other duties as assigned by CWS/RSC Africa Leadership.

Qualifications
Experience:

A minimum of twelve (12) years’ work experience in finance, audit, operations, procurement or a related field.
A minimum of five years’ experience in a senior management position, providing administrative oversight.
A minimum of eight (8) years of supervisory experience, including two (2) years supervising managers with direct reports, required.
Experience working with and supervising staff in a cross-cultural context required.
Experience in the administration of donor-funded programs is strongly desired.
Experience working in Africa preferred.

Skills:

Strong verbal and written communications skills required.
Strong organizational and management skills, with particular attention to detail
Computer literacy, with a strong emphasis on Microsoft Excel and Outlook.
Excellent interpersonal skills and analytical skills.

Education & Certifications:

Bachelor’s degree in finance, Accounting, Business Administration or related field required.
Master’s degree in business administration, finance, accounting or related field is preferred.

Abilities:

Work and make decisions independently and contribute to overall operations of RSC Africa at management levels.
Exercise good judgement and seek guidance as appropriate when confronted with unanticipated problems.
Deal effectively and courteously with large number of associates, outside agencies, refugees and members of the general public.
Maintain a high-performance standard with attention to detail, completing tasks within set timeframes.
Actively participate in the implementation of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP).
Manage large and diverse workload under pressure with competing priorities.
Work independently and contribute to overall operations of RSC Africa
Analyze and solve complex problems and make sound decisions.
Maintain a high-performance standard with attention to detail.
Maintain the integrity of official records.

Important Requirements:

Strong English communication skills, both written and oral.
Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment required.
Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and willingness to support CWS’ Platform on Racial Justice as a CWS employee required.