Deputy Director of Operations

BACKGROUND

The IRC operates in 8 governorates in Lebanon with a Country Office in Beirut and 4 Field Offices located in Zahle, Tyr, Tripoli and Qobeiat. Part of the Syria Response Region, the IRC has been operating in Lebanon since 2012 to assist refugees and host communities in multiple sectors, including education, women's protection and empowerment, protection, livelihoods, and economic recovery. The IRC's portfolio in Lebanon currently exceeds $25million. The overall security situation in Lebanon remains dynamic and unpredictable due to reasons of insecurity, weak governance, political polarization and poor socio-economic conditions.

Job Overview/Summary:

Reporting to the Country Director (CD) and serving as a member of the Senior Management Team (SMT), the Deputy Country Director, Operations (DDO) provides leadership, direction and coordination of all Program Support functions in the Country Office. These include Risk Management, Supply Chain, Field Management, Safety & Security, Administration, and Information Technology. A significant part of the DDO responsibility is the oversight of sound field management practices to reduce risk and ensure compliance with donor and IRC policies.

Major Responsibilities:

• Contribute to organizational strategic planning, and overall coordination efforts; Align operations with IRC Lebanon’s Strategic Action Plan (SAP)
• Provides strategic direction of Operations;
• Effective day-to-day management of program support functions;
• Oversee performance of organizational systems;
• Ensure partnership building on operational issues;
• Enable durable programming and operational resilience.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Overall Management & Leadership

• Serve as an active member of the Senior Management Team and deputize for the Country Director when he/she is out of the country or on leave
• Participate in strategic planning and direction setting for IRC in Lebanon
• Work closely with the Country Director and other members of the SMT to ensure that a strong partnership is developed and maintained between Operations, Programs, Finance and HR teams at both the Country and Field levels
• Lead the development and revision of program support and operational policies, procedures and systems
• Be the security focal point for IRC in Lebanon working closely with the senior management team to implement security policy.

Operational Management and Compliance

• Drive development and utilization of effective compliance monitoring processes
• Conduct analysis of organizational staffing needs and structure in coordination with human resources (HR)
• Develop a comprehensive dash board to ensure follow-up and analysis is updated on a monthly basis in all operational and program areas (i.e., finance, administration, Human Resources, Supply Chain, IT, Security, etc.)
• Work with appropriate units to ensure timely and appropriate follow-up to allegations or violations of IRC's Code of Conduct

Field Management & Control

• Supervise Senior Field Managers/Officers in Zahle, Qobeiat, and Tripoli
• Drive operational excellence to achieve optimal efficiency and cost-effectiveness in field office operations
• Model strong communication and collaboration lines between Field Management teams and programs staff
• Participate in the development and/or review of proposals to ensure that operational concerns, requirements and resource needs are captured and reflected

Supply Chain, Procurement & Administration

• Supervise the Supply Chain Coordinator, and provide indirect oversight and support to the Administration team
• Ensure that the Supply Chain team provide efficient support to the programs and does so in accordance with IRC and donors policies and procedures
• Verify that Administration and Supply Chain policies and procedures are documented, disseminated and consistently applied across the country program

Safety & Security: By delegation of the CD, lead the Safety and Security function in the CO, including:

• Supervise the Safety & Security Coordinator and provide indirect supervision of local security leads
• Directly guide and coordinate the National Security Management Plan, ensuring thorough and up-to-the-minute measures for prevention of incidents and preparedness for all eventualities
• Deliver effective oversight of Safety & Security management systems and processes, including country Security Management Plans (SMPs) and SOPs, are in place, updated on regular basis and are contextually appropriate, and easily accessible to staff and they are implemented by all staff at all locations .
• Champion, model and maintain a culture of safety and security throughout the country program, including trainings and briefings that prepare all country program staff for security incident prevention and response
• Lead cross-departmental risk identification and mitigation actions that align with organizational and regional risk-management initiatives

Financial Planning and Cost Control: In coordination with the Finance Controller:

• Provide input to the Country Director on potential areas of concern related to: operations spending; effectiveness of in-country reporting and planning systems; and Field Management oversight of expenditures and adherence to financial requirements
• Review operating budget and strategy planning as part of the annual fiscal year process prior to submission and periodically throughout the fiscal year

Information Technology

• Supervise the IT Manager and ensure effective technical support is available to meet the needs of the country program
• Verify that information technology policies and procedures are documented, disseminated and consistently applied across the country program at all sites
• Oversee consistent application of appropriate data management and data security principles and procedures across all field office sites

Staff Performance Management and Development

• Coach, train, and mentor staff with the aim of strengthening their technical capacity, exchanging knowledge within the team and providing professional development guidance
• Supervise and mentor direct-report staff, including communicating clear expectations, setting performance objectives, providing regular and timely performance feedback, and providing documented semi-annual performance reviews.
• Offer leadership support for successful adherence by staff to IRC’s Global HR Operating Policies and Procedures.

Job Requirements:

• University degree or technical qualification in a related field. MBA or other advanced degrees a plus
• 6 to 8 years progressive management experience in an operational or field management role with at least 3 years of senior-level management responsibilities of similar size and complexity. Previous experience in managing large teams
• First-hand knowledge of the Lebanese context and an in-depth understanding of national and regional issues
• Previous substantial experience in at least three of the following fields: Project Management, Human Resources, Finance, Supply Chain, Logistics, Procurement, Administration, Security, IT, Risk Management, Communication, Fleet Management
• Strong background in security, risk management and contingency planning, with work experience in unstable security environments strongly preferred
• Private sector experience is a plus
• English and Arabic fluency required

The successful DDO will possess senior level experience in managing or coordinating humanitarian operations in areas affected by conflict, instability and insecurity. S/he will also possess experience negotiating in difficult market conditions, which may have been obtained from working in the private sector. S/he will have an outstanding ability to multi-task, prioritize, solve problems, and pay simultaneous attention to detail and strategic vision. S/he will also have proven experience with cross-cultural teams, with strong leadership and mentoring skills.

Travel: 25 - 50% of time spent in the field and 50% spent in Beirut

Returning National Candidates: We strongly encourage Lebanese national or returning national candidates to apply for this position. If you are a national of Lebanon and are currently located outside of your home country and possess over two years of international work experience, the Syria Response Region has introduced an attractive remuneration package. The package includes competitive compensation, return flight to post, shipping allowance, temporary housing and a relocation allowance. Certain restrictions may apply. IRC strives to attract, motivate and retain qualified national staff in our programs.

IRC leading the way from harm to home. 

IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
 IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status or disability.