Requisition ID: req49179
Job Title: Deputy Director, Field Management
Sector: Operations
Employment Category: Fixed Term
Employment Type: Full-Time
Open to Expatriates: Yes
Location: Kyiv, Ukraine
Work Arrangement: In-person
Job Description
IRC Ukraine is entering its second year of response to the full-scale invasion by Russian in February 2022 and, as such, is an evolving country program into a new phase of the response. The office has three field offices, in addition to the main office in Kyiv, over 230 staff and 15 local partners. All programming activities are located in the East and Southeast of the country, in the areas along the frontline, in the sectors of protection (child protection, women & girls protection, and general protection), economic recovery & development, and health.
Scope of work
The Deputy Director Field Management (DDFM) is a revised role in the country program in response to a decentralization of field management structure to focus on empowering field teams to lead the effective delivery of high-quality programming in their areas of responsibility. To better meet the needs of the growing portfolio, roles & responsibilities have been more clearly delineated to enable ‘program delivery’ teams in field offices to oversee & provide operational support to the day-to-day implementation of programming according to design specifications and according to workplans, spending plans, procurement plans, etc. [The ‘program quality’ teams are overseen by another member of the SMT to set program strategies, are responsible for the technical design of programming, pursue business development & technical external representation, and ensure quality assurance.] The DDFM directly supervises Field Coordinators who oversee all aspects of program delivery and operational support in their field areas of responsibility. In addition to overseeing field management, the DDFM also oversees all program delivery and operational support functions at the central/country-wide level, which includes Supply Chain (procurement, fleet, warehousing), Admin, and IT, to ensure that operational support is fit-for-purpose, responsive and coordinated for optimal program delivery.
Success in the DDFM position requires proven leadership in both field-level delivery of multi-sector programs, including ensuring excellent program delivery and operational support, as well as central level operations department & systems management. The successful candidate will be a seasoned expert in humanitarian project management and knowledgeable about what humanitarian programs require to achieve programmatic goals and how to develop & deliver relevant operational support to unlock delivery barriers.
Reporting to the IRC Ukraine Country Director (CD) and serving as member of the Senior Management Team (SMT), the DDFM is expected to contribute to overall strategic thinking of the country program, with a specific focus on enablers to effective program delivery including operational functions. This position has close working relations with the Deputy Director of Program, Deputy Director of Finance, HR Coordinator, Senior Humanitarian Access, Safety and Security Coordinator, as well as all of the Technical Program Coordinators with whom the Field Coordinators will closely coordinate on the delivery of programs.
The DDFM will be based in Kyiv with travel to the other IRC Field Offices – currently Kharkiv, Dnipro and Odesa. As required, the DDFM may act as head of office on behalf of the CD.
Key responsibilities
Senior Leadership & Strategic Planning
•Serve as an active member of the SMT, including contributions to SMT agenda, discussions, and decision-making. Remain up-to-date on the developments of the country program to be able to step in as Acting CD as and if needed.
•As a member of the SMT, the DDFM is a leader in developing and sharing accountability for the delivery of the Ukraine Country Program Strategy Action Plan (SAP) and SAP Implementation Plan (SAP-IP).
•Provide leadership, vision, and insight for field leadership as a key enabler to the achievement of strategic goals through the delivery of our programs. This includes supporting Field Coordinators to map out strategic commitments/milestones in each field office/area of responsibility that contribute to strategic goals. Support field leaders to identify and articulate clear pathways to support the achievement of partnership goals, including field-level support to partnership capacity sharing.
•Learn/become an expert on IRC’s policies and procedures to ensure timely and accurate advice is given on issues that are escalated.
•Provide data-driven analysis and recommendations on operational risks to CD and wider SMT.
•Proactively reach out and develop strong relationships with internal support functions at regional and HQ levels to serve IRC Ukraine’s needs.
•Provide support to all new staffs’ orientation & onboarding in IRC Ukraine’s approach to field management and operations policies.
•Be an active participant in relevant external coordination fora in the Ukraine humanitarian response, in coordination with other members of the SMT.
•Lead with commitment, integrity and accountability to the “IRC Way” – Global Standards for Professional Conduct and ensure adherence to the code of conduct by all team members.
Field Management for Program Delivery
•Guide, supervise, manage and empower the Field Coordinators on a day-to-day basis in Odesa, Kharkiv and Dnipro. Provide exceptional added value in support to Field Coordinators to solve problems, build internal and external relationships, and unlock implementation challenges.
•Support Field Coordinators to deliver on exceptional project management, following all phases of the project life cycle – includes active participation in project design, planning, opening, implementation, learning, and closing. Guide field leadership in IRC’s best practices in project cycle routines throughout the project life cycle and ensure that field-level project performance routines are taking place and action items are followed through and escalated as needed.
•Foster and maintain strong relationships across all functions at the central level (Programs, Finance, HR, Humanitarian Access, Safety & Security (HASS)) to enable quick, responsive solutions for Field Coordinators, Operations leads, and Technical Program Coordinators to deliver programs in the field.
•Build trust across program teams, operational functions, HR and Finance to ensure cross-functional ownership and accountability for field-level program delivery (both in successes and in challenges).
•Empower field leadership to share thoughts and opinions on opportunities for program growth or shifts, and represent field leadership voice within the SMT.
•Support field leadership to develop, monitor, and update field office operating budget in collaboration with Finance. Ensure full proactive involvement of financial management of field offices and central operational budgets (including monitoring of budget versus actual report).
•Work closely with HASS and HR to ensure safety, security, and duty of care for all staff and partners in field offices. Raise issues that are affecting staff and partners in field operations.
Operational Support
Supply Chain, Administration and Information Technology (IT) Oversight
•Directly supervise Senior Supply Chain Coordinator and Admin Manager to ensure they are managing their respective teams effectively and efficiently, according to established goals and workplans for their functional departments. Accountable for the overall functioning of Supply Chain and Admin functions.
•Ensure that Supply Chain and Administrative policies and procedures are documented, up-to-date, disseminated, and consistently applied across the country program. Accountable for effective compliance monitoring mechanisms for these policies and procedures.
•Ensure that Supply Chain and Admin leads are effectively leading and managing their respective teams’ coordination and also coordination with their key stakeholders. This includes coordination with field leaders, programs teams, regional counterparts, and other support units.
•In collaboration with the Deputy Director Finance, and the Deputy Director Programs, build and maintain systematic processes and routines for operational planning and budgeting with field and program teams. Work with program staff to ensure procurement planning and identification of operational support needs.
•Maintain analytics and high-quality data to monitor performance, drive prioritization and planning, and course correct; ensure that teams are reviewing and interrogating data to improve program support services in a timely fashion.
•Oversee external financial commitments including procurement contracts and lease agreements for all facilities including offices, guesthouses, and warehouses.
•Directly supervise the Information Technology (IT) Manager, ensuring that they are effectively and efficiently working according to established goals and workplan. Accountable for the overall functioning of IT in the country program.
•Ensure that information technology policies and procedures are documented, up-to-date, disseminated and consistently applied across the country program. Ensure that all staff understand and comply with policies and procedures and monitor continuously.
•Support the IT staff to provide top-tier and effective IT services and support to the country program across all field sites.
Overall people management
•Ensure new field leadership and operations leaders receive well-structured orientation and onboarding.
•Work with direct reports to determine goals and identify skills gaps and to put into place plans for learning and training.
•Implement personnel policies including regular one-on-one’s, ongoing coaching, performance evaluation, staff development & career pathways, and disciplinary measures.
•Ensure regular & reliable team meetings and maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable and empower staff to successfully perform in their positions.
•Ensure duty of care activities are regularly conducted within the team to promote staff well-being and keep morale high.
Key Working Relationships
Position reports to: Country Director
Position directly supervises: Field Coordinators, Senior Supply Chain Coordinator, IT Manager and Senior Data Management Officer, Admin Manager
Key Relationships Outside of Country Program: Regional Supply Chain Director, Regional IT Director, and (alongside other SMT members) members of the Program & Awards Support team that support Project Cycle Meetings (PCM), Regional Programs and Business Development Advisor, Regional Finance, Regional Safety & Security.
Professional qualifications and requirements
•At least seven years of progressively responsible international work experience, including at least five years in a leadership role at the Deputy Director level of multi-site, multi-sectoral operations in a complex operating environment.
•Extensive experience in project management in complex and crisis-affected field locations. This includes an ability to adapt implementation modalities in fluid contexts to achieve results while keeping staff, clients, and partners safe. Hands-on humanitarian programming implementation experience is a must. While we do not expect the candidate to be expert in technical aspects of programming, must be expert in supporting the delivery of programming.
•Experience building and/or strengthening program support/operational systems and functions within an NGO, including supply chain, administration, and IT, based on the needs expressed by programming teams. This includes an in-depth knowledge and understanding of best-in-class standard NGO operations systems, policies and procedures (while they vary slightly across NGOs, there are some basic foundational standards that must be understood). While we do not expect candidate to be expert in all fields, must have exceptional knowledge in at least one operational function, and be eager to grow in others.
•Expertise in humanitarian donor compliance requirements, including US government, EU funding instruments, and the UN.
•Demonstrated strategic planning experience and enhanced analytical skills to set strategic goals and co-design the roadmap to achieve goals and ensure operational support enables these goals.
•Demonstrated successful people leadership and management experience with a multi-disciplinary/cross-functional team (programs and operations) in a cross-cultural setting, including active mentoring and coaching.
•Excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills and a demonstrated ability to develop harmonious teams in stressful contexts.
•Ability to translate strategic goals into resource/budgetary requirements; develop and manage budgets and support/manage others in their fiscal oversight responsibilities.
•Ability to prioritize and respond to multiple priorities in a timely manner, producing high-quality outcomes, while maintaining composure under stress.
•Enhanced skills to use various technological business tools in work setting, including MS applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams). Other software applications are a plus.
•Demonstrated ability to work, live and thrive in a complex environment.
•Previous experience working in Ukraine or the region and/or with IRC is preferred.
•Exceptional verbal and written communication skills. Fluency in English required. Competencies in Ukrainian or Russian languages are an asset.
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.