Job Description

Job title:

Head Of Support Services

Job length:

Subject to funding

Reporting to:   

Country director

Location:

Hargeisa (with occasional travel to other programme areas if needed)

MAG’s Vision is a safe future for women, men and children affected by violence, conflict and insecurity. People will live in communities where their rights are upheld, with dignity and choice and free from fear from mines, explosive remnants of war (ERW) and the impact of small arms and light weapons and ammunition.

MAG’s Mission is to save lives and build safer futures. We will use our core skills and distinctive competence to save lives through the removal of mines and ERW, and reduce the impact of small arms, light weapons and ammunition on people and communities. How we do this is as important as what we do – we work primarily with and for communities, for us ‘it’s all about people’.

MAG’s Values. Our values come to life through our actions, every day. How we act has an impact on others. As someone who works at MAG, you can help to create a positive culture by demonstrating our values through your own behaviour and actions. Everyone has a role to play in shaping our culture. Everyone should understand our values and is encouraged to think how they are relevant to their individual role.

DETERMINED - we work with purpose.

EXPERT - through excellence and expertise we build trust.

INTEGRITY - we strive to do the right thing.

COMPASSION - people come first in everything we do.

INCLUSIVE - we are inclusive, and we value diversity.

Job Purpose:

As a member of the Senior Management Team (SMT), provide strategic and operational leadership to ensure the efficient and effective management of all support services for MAG’s activities in Somaliland/Somalia, including Logistics, Finance, Human Resources, IT, Facilities Management and Administration.

Line managing senior staff, the role will focus on overseeing management systems, increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of support service functions, ensuring the programme’s operation is compliant with donor requirements and with MAG’s internal policies and procedures, and providing support to the Senior Management Team in country (SMT) in risk management.

Responsibilities:

Strategic Lead of Support Services

• Strengthen cross-functional communication and coordination between support, programme, technical and finance teams, with a focus on planning and strategic decision-making.

• As a member of the SMT, provide strategic support in the annual Business Planning process and represents support services functions within SMT meetings. Contribute to the development of strategic and country business plans, with specific reference to logistics, procurement, finance, administration and HR.
• Lead and oversee improvement initiatives in support service areas, including both global and locally initiated, ensuring adequate change management activities are in place and that all relevant stakeholders are properly engaged and supported.
• Ensure adequate segregation of duties, internal control systems and delegation of authority are properly implemented across the programme, taking corrective initiatives when contextual adaptation is required
• Ensure that key objectives for all support service functions are established and aligned with programme strategic objectives, and that within all support service functions the objectives are coordinated.
• Ensure that proper data management systems are in place across all support functions, and that data interchange with HQ is implemented as required. Monitor the quality of data produced, and provide the SMT with appropriate analysis to support decision-making.
• Support the CD in risk identification and management, for all risk areas relevant to support services functions.
• Analyse workload for the all functional teams under her/his supervision, ensuring that the adequate level of capacity – both in terms of headcount and skillset – is proactively managed and is adequate to provide required operational support.
• Support the CD in ensuring a sustainable and coherent cost-structure for programme operations, providing cost analysis and developing propositions for cost savings and increased efficiencies.
• Ensure all relevant documentation produced by all support functions is properly completed, approved and archived per MAG and donors standards; and that the archives are efficiently organized and safely managed.
• Oversee coordination between logistics and finance to ensure effective cash-flow and procurement activities, to meet operational needs in safest and most efficient way and ensure payments are processed appropriately
• Ensure coordination with all relevant HQ counterparts across all support functions within remit.

Operational Lead of Support Services

• Line manage the finance, logistics and HR function
• Ensure that HR, Logistics and Procurement, Administration, and IT policies are in place in the programme and that local procedures are appropriate.
• Analyse workload for all teams within remit, ensuring appropriate levels of capacity – both in terms of headcount and skillset.
• Ensure that adequate national staff capacity building activities are carried out within support services, and oversee performance management and staff development activities and initiatives.
• Coordinate improvement/standardisation initiatives, focussed on efficiency/effectiveness of internal processes.
• Coordinate regular reviews of all relevant manuals for support service functions, and manage the dissemination of any relevant change.
• Support the SMT in the development, implementation and management of projects, with a particular focus on support service requirements.
• Oversee the development and review of monthly and quarterly management reports for all support services areas within remit.

Support in Programme Management

• Deputise for the CD as required, both as SMiC and in assisting the CD in providing effective representation to donors, national and local authorities, partners and other stakeholders relevant to MAG.
• In coordination with the Technical Field Manager and Programme Officer, support the CD in the development of new proposals, ensuring timelines and running costs for support service functions are aligned to project work-plans.
• Acts as programme focal point for HQ counterparts concerning global initiatives linked to internal process improvements or adoption of new information systems.
• Undertake support and monitoring visits to operational areas, ensuring that senior staff across support services are field-focused, supporting and coordinating with field counterparts.
• Support the CD as required in managing security, safety, safeguarding or operational incidents and participating in incident management teams.

Procurement and Logistics

• Oversees National and International procurement, supply chain and fleet management activities, ensuring organisational procedures and local requirements are adhered to.
• Leads the adoption of the Global Procurement Policy and Manual and any other improvement initiatives in the area of Procurement or Logistics.
• Assess the performance and risk management of the function’s activities, ensuring improvement plans, scale up/down of the team structure and capacity-building activities are pro-actively engaged.
• Ensure there is a Programme Procurement Strategy in place, driving standardization, in coordination with key internal stakeholders, and ensure implementation of a sourcing strategy
• Manage the Programme suppliers’ database, supplier selection and contracting with third parties, monitoring supplier performances across all critical / high volume / high risks contracts.
• Ensure the senior logistics lead in programme develops and implements an appropriate and effective country-wide inventory management system.
• In coordination with budget holders, ensure adequate accountability is in place for requestors, ensuring proper tracking along the whole supply chain process and ownership and responsibilities are understood and enforced.
• Supervise Fleet Management operations, ensuring adequate management of the related costs and risks, and monitoring the performance of vehicle fleet and mechanical operations.
• Ensure that a quality asset management system is in place, aligned with MAG Asset Policy, overseeing proper tagging, asset tracking and asset disposal processes.
• In coordination with global Head of Procurement and Logistics, establish coherent and measurable performance objectives for senior Procurement and Logistics roles in country and ensures tracking and management of overall team performance.

Finance Management

• Support the SMT in the formulation, implementation and monitoring of annual business and project plans, budgets and forecasts using MAGs forecasting system.
• Identify and report on financial trends in the programmes, working collaboratively with the SMTs to produce options/scenarios/corrective action plans that ensure ongoing financial stability.
• Support the SMT in the monthly monitoring and analysis of projects by producing budget v actual v forecast reports and holding monthly collaborative meetings with budget holders and SMT.
• In collaboration with the SMT, produce high quality cost models for new business proposals, utilising MAGs standard budget development tools, ensuring that cost inputs align with activity plans.
• Ensure that direct and indirect costs are allocated appropriately to projects and are in accordance with the MAG cost allocation policy and the funding grid, identifying and reporting on any shortfalls in both short- and medium-term cost coverage.
• Work collaboratively with the SMT in ensuring that financial staffing capacity is in line with both the scale and complexity of the programme.
• Work with the SMT in the management of financial risk in the programme by supporting the use and development of systems and tools to assist with internal controls, compliance and programme information and ensuring the contextual implementation of MAGs Financial Framework (Financial Policies, Minimum Standards, SOPs etc.).
• Provide financial management oversight, support, and training to the programme, developing the capacity of locally recruited staff, ensuing financial consistency and quality across the programme.Provide financial training to budget holders on financial planning, budgeting, and budget monitoring.
• Oversee all Financial Accounting matters, including maintenance of the general ledger, balance sheet, receipts, payments, banking, and payroll requirements.
• Utilise MAGs web-based accounting (PS Financials), financial reporting and contract management systems to drive the production of efficient and effective financial data, including the production of project reports and periodical financial reporting packs.
• Manage the short-term cash flow requirements of the programme, liaising with MAG HQ to facilitate cash transfers.Manage the effects of exchange rate fluctuations between local and contract currencies.
• Oversee the financial management of partner delivery contracts, ensuring the partner complies with MAGs contractual obligations.
• Provide support to all audits in co-ordination with the SMT & HQ.
• Support the SMTs in ensuring compliance with all statutory legislation (e.g. tax, registration, labour law) and reporting requirements, including review of regulatory requirements in new operational territories.
• Provide financial management information to HQ, when required, to assist with monthly, quarterly, and annual monitoring, analysis, and reporting.

Human Resources

• Ensures that HR policies and procedures are in place, overseeing the HR function and coordinating with relevant HQ counterparts.
• Support the recruitment of key senior roles for the Programme
• Ensure that recruitment processes are meeting MAG standards and are aligned with local labor law.
• Ensure that an effective performance management system is in place, and focuses on developing initiatives to develop MAG national staff.
• Oversee the management of staff contracts, from set up to termination, ensuring fair treatment of all staff and protecting the organization against any risk related to local employment.
• Oversee the country payroll process, ensuring that this is accurate, efficient and compliant with MAG and local legal requirements.
• Identify gaps and risks within HR management and propose initiatives to strengthen the management of HR.

Admin & Facility Management

• By line managing staff in charge of Administration and Facility Management, ensure the cost efficiency and appropriateness of costs incurred in supporting MAG Offices and Guest Houses. Ensure proper processes are in place to monitor and minimize expenditure, while ensuring standards of health & safety and security.

IT Management

• Ensure programme IT infrastructure is safe and adequate. By line managing IT function, ensure adequate data protection systems are in, and manage risks linked to increased use of technology in MAG operations.
• HoSS shall resource the IT function appropriately for the programme’s ongoing requirements – ensuring there is a central IT support contact in programme to liaise with HQ IT.
• HoSS shall be fully au fait with all organisation-wide IT policies and procedures (and their implications) and ensure they are disseminated effectively to all programme staff.

Health and Safety

• Maintain oversight of Programme health and safety minimum standards, supporting the CD in ensuring that relevant policies and controls are adequately applied to ensure the safety of MAG staff, assets and resources.

Safeguarding

• Lead the diffusion of best practice, training and behavioural change initiatives to promote MAG key ethical and behavioural values, ensuring that every relevant stakeholder (staff / partner / third party / local authorities and Donors) is aware of available reporting mechanisms.

Field Support

• Ensures adequate coordination system is in place between field locations and head office concerning all areas of support services, consolidating data and information to ensure oversight and performance monitoring.
• Recruit, train and coach Area/Sector Managers as required.

Experiences and Qualifications

Person specification:

Essential Experience

• Demonstrable senior management experience overseas, preferably in international aid and development with a humanitarian agency in a developing country
• Experience of developing, implementing and managing finance, logistics, HR and administrative management. systems
• Experienced in overseeing complex financial planning, monitoring, forecasting and reporting activities within complex high volume / high risk operations
• Development of new business proposal / budgets in competitive environments
• Excellent people management experience with proven ability to lead, develop and manage national and international staff

Essential Skills and Knowledge

• Effective financial management skills including complex financial scenario planning
• Highly skilled in monitoring and managing projects and programme costing from a variety of donors
• Skilled in production of high quality financial, logistics and human resources reporting and analysis
• Ability to implement and monitor policies and procedures in challenging environments
• Interpretation and implementation of donor/client contract requirements
• Sensitivity to cultural differences and the ability to work in a wide variety of cultural contexts
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to coordinate activities, teams and improve processes.
• Excellent literacy, numeracy and IT skills, including data manipulation utilising Excel
• Ability and willingness to work both at strategic and operational levels, with hand-on approach when required

Essential Aptitude

• Ability to lead, manage, motivate and develop teams
• Ability to negotiate and influence at senior level
• Ability to demonstrate initiative, be proactive and offer a solution-oriented approach
• Motivated, self-aware, humble and committed to high quality standards
• Ability to establish effective working relationships at all levels internally and externally
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to prioritise work, meet deadlines and work calmly under pressure
• Self-motivated, flexible and enthusiastic approach to work
• Interest in and commitment to MAG’s humanitarian mandate

Qualifications

• Professional accounting qualification, e.g. ACA, CIMA, ACCA or equivalent professional experience.

Desirable

• Master Degree in relevant area (Finance, Business Administration, Logistics, Human Resources, Management)

Skills Required

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