Operations Director Afghanistan

For the Cordaid Country office in Afghanistan, Cordaid is looking for a Operations Director

Cordaid Afghanistan

Cordaid has been active in Afghanistan since 2001. It has a Country Office in Kabul and networks of field staff and local partners overseeing implementation of projects in Balkh, Kunduz, Faryab, Herat, Daikundi, Uruzgan, Bamyan, Parwan, Kabul, Nangrhar, Paktia, Kandahar, Helmand, Laghman and Badakhshan. Cordaid’s program in Afghanistan provides healthcare services, tackles the problems of gender – based violence and provide support for women to improve their leadership skills, access to justice, lobby and advocate for their rights and participate in peace and decision – making processes, and addresses agriculture production, food security and economic opportunity issues.

Cordaid in Afghanistan joins hand with a number of ministries, government institutions, Local and International Organizations, civil society groups, alliances and networks, etc. for wider reach, efficiency, cost effectiveness and sustainability. Main donors of Cordaid program in Afghanistan are the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the European Union, the Afghan Ministry of Public Health and others. The budget for 2021 is around -10 million euros. At this moment Cordaid is building the capacities of the offices to increase the responsibilities the country offices in the management of the programs and projects.

Job Title: Operations Director (Deputy Country Director)

Organizational Unit: Country Office Afghanistan (CAF)

Job’s aim: Is responsible for providing administrative, financial and operations support towards the organisation’s operation activities, strategic plans and goals

Aim of the Organizational Unit: Is responsible for proving leadership and ensure effective implementation of the relevant aspects of the country operations through sound standards and in compliance with the Cordaid procedures. Has the overall technical supervisory role of the service support activities and deliverables.

Particularities: Acts as a legal representative of Cordaid, along with the CD and within the scope of delegated powers. In absence of CD, acts as Acting CD.

Supervisor: Country Director, CAF

Supervises: HR Manager, Finance Manager, Admin/Logistics/ICT Manager and Procurement/Supply Chain Coordinator

Result area

1. Personnel management

• Leads the multidisciplinary operation team on a day-to-day basis in accordance with the management style of Cordaid, focused on productivity, the professional development of staff and employee satisfaction.
• Coaches staff and leaves room for professional freedom to determine how to execute the work. Builds on the strengths and talents of staff members to improve team performance.
• Emphasis teamwork, project-based working and commitment.
• Ensures efficient use of resources and controls quality of work.
• Provide technical advice and operational guidance on innovative approaches to project financing, risk assessment/mitigation and use of financing structures.

2. Operations Management and Service Delivery Coordination

• Manages the operational aspects of CO, adjusting administrative processes in a way that secures donor funding, auditability, timeliness, reliability of service delivery and information, and assures an optimal cost allocation within the country office through ensuring effective coordination between projects and support operations.
• Implement and enforce effective support operating manuals, systems and procedures and ensure they are in line with Cordaid standards and the Afghanistan Country laws and changing context.
• Drives the organization change through participation in external engagements and representing Cordaid in inter-agency meetings and working groups on operations issues to ensure Cordaid’ s interests are reflected in common system activities related to common services and premises, cost recovery and cost-sharing arrangements, privileges and immunities, entitlements and salary surveys.
• Manages and monitors all administrative, organisation registration and legal-related systems/requirements are updated and to ensure compliance with country law and legislation. Keeps abreast of legislative issues and major donors’ regulations and audit methodology. Ensures organisation registration and statutory requirement compliance.
• Monitors and supervises all aspects of operations to ensure compliance with organization strategies, rules, regulations, policies, and standards of accountability, ethics and integrity and achievement of results.

3. Programme Support and Coordination

• Provides strategic operational support in large and complex partnerships and projects funds management. Ensures cost coverage of the CO and provides strategic management information. Identify bottlenecks in the budgets of the CO & the programme/projects and advice on financial improvements and ways to secure the costs and funds for sustainability of CO interventions.
• Supports the Programme team in project engagements, acceptance documents including participation in contract negotiations.
• Provides advice on goal setting, targets and performance standards for projects and recommend tools for auditing.
• Provides technical guidance on programme and project cost-sharing, deployment of funds and closure.
• Supports preparation and quality-assures programme documents, including Contracts, Agreements, LoAs, MoUs, and Cost-Sharing Agreements.
• Reviews donor compliance, including among partners and consortium members. Assesses the consequences of non-compliance and executes measures to reduce the impact for Cordaid.

4. Accountability

• Coordinate and manage the preparation and successful conclusion of internal and external audit activities. Identifies recurring systemic issues in audit reports and ensures the implementation of audit recommendations as progress to meet audit standards.
• Supports preparation and quality-assures legal documents.
• Leads due diligence reviews of Cordaid by the funding organisation.
• Identifies the organisation systems and procedures challenges and risks by analysing the current processes, including partner management. Proposes and executes the follow-up actions.**

5. Compliance

• Reviews the current processes and engages integrated methods to standardise the operational activities to ensure efficiency, effectiveness, and quality, in line with the Standard Cordaid Procedures.
• Conducts ad-hoc, confidential and/or direct internal investigations breaches in internal control and compliance issues including complaints submitted. Leads the follow-ups.
• Conducts field site visits to assess the level of compliance, identify gaps and non-coherence. Reports findings and ensures follow-up activities.
• Strengthens standardisation, adherence, and conformity to compliance by providing staff with the required technical support and guidance on the Cordaid safeguarding and integrity and other internal polices.
• Partners with GO units such as Legal, Quality Management, Operational Excellence, Internal Audit and Risk Management, to assess and ensure the effectiveness of control systems in driving compliance.
• Supports Partner Risk and Capacity Assessments and builds up local capacity for this. Leads on capacity building to mitigate risk and ensure compliance.

6. Others

• Contributes to the development of the Country Strategic Report and the Annual Country Report.
• Any other duties assigned by the line manager.**

Knowledge, Skills, and Experiences

• At least 5 years of experience in INGO supporting operational functions (previous experience working for Cordaid is a distinct advantage).
• Extensive knowledge of Cordaid internal standards, procedures, and operation systems (HR, Finance, Logistics and Procurement).
• Bachelor or master’s degree in International Business Management, Operations Management, Organisational Management, Risk Management, or any other relevant subject.
• In-depth understanding of management styles and partnerships, as well as an international collaboration with local partners.
• Knowledge of the legal framework that governs Cordaid’s operations, as required by the national/local government and by major donors (EU, UN, US, Bilateral Donors).
• Robust experience in developing and implementing organisational vision and strategies.
• Social skills to bridge cultural or other differences while managing a large international team (in severe circumstances).
• Proven ability to analyse and solve problems, persuade, network, and negotiate.
• Proven experience working in fragile environment with tight deadlines, effectively managing multiple priorities.
• Ability to work under pressure and with minimum supervision, be a self-starter, team builder, innovative and demonstrate the capacity for maintaining high professional standards.
• Good oral and written communication skills in English language.
• Experience in Afghanistan will be an advantage.

Specifics of station

The Operations Director will be based in Kabul. This is a non-accompanied posting.

Contract information

The contract period is for 1 year starting as soon as possible, with the intention to extend for a longer period. We offer a Cordaid contract with a competitive salary and a benefit package which includes R&R, a comprehensive insurance cover, social security and pension contribution, a holiday allowance, 13^th month, hardship allowance and cost of living allowance (if applicable).