Deputy Director – Shared Services Unit

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world’s largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 50 countries and more than 25 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you’re a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.

Reporting to the RVP MENA in MIP with Global Director Real Estate and facilities the SSU Deputy Director of IRCs in Amman provides overall oversight and leadership support for all day-to-day operations, this covers Finance, supply chain, Human resources, facility, and administration services. This role supports staff from cross-cultural background.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as primary leadership contact for the delivery of SSU services in the Amman office, workplace environment and culture with the mission of increasing staff well-being, personal productivity, and organizational effectiveness.

• Provide overall management of the office space by ensuring allocation of space, implementation of relevant guidelines (local Labor, Occupational safety and health, Duty of care, Diversity Equality and Inclusion) to create a diverse and positive working environment for staff at Amman office while also providing overall guidelines for other Country Program offices

• Serve as Amman office Communications focal point on all matters related to the facilities and all shared services to ensure key decisions and announcements are well disseminated to the staff and feedback well captured.

• Partner and collaborate with relevant teams and units to ensure necessary tools, information and technology are available for the Amman Office Shared Services teams and hosted staff.

• Engage with internal stakeholders to understand their business drivers and needs to provide internal stakeholders with direction on Amman Office Host management capacity, employee engagement and host cost implications. Negotiates with internal stakeholder to resolve conflicting priorities related to Amman office services.

• Establish good working relationships with the relevant government departments e.g. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Labor Office, Customs and Immigration Departments and the IRC Legal Counsel/Law Firm in Jordan to ensure that Amman Office operations are following host government regulations and the terms of IRC’s Host Agreement for both the Operating and Non-Operating entities in Amman.

• Ensure IRC Global initiatives, strategies and policies are adequately implemented and maintained.

• Guide regular updates of GREWS global policy and procedural documents; coordinate with leadership of others IRC offices in Amman to ensure policies are consistent and aligned with IRC standard policies.

• Coordinate with the GREWS Team for consistency in providing solutions and ensure policies and procedures are adhered to including finance, administration, travel, supply chain, IT, security, and safety protocols.

• Identify opportunities for improvement and make recommendations for updating / revising existing policies and procedures to achieve efficiency and effectiveness in operations.

Financial Management

• Develop the annual fiscal year operating budget; ensure that quarterly budget reforecast is prepared in collaboration with the Key stakeholders and shared with budget holders.

• Provide Financial management oversight on all financial spend within the SSU including payments, cash flow management, reconciliations, and financial reporting.

• Lead the team in preparing timely and accurate financial and management reports for all stakeholders for ease and guidance during decision making. This will include financial system support, variance and spend analysis etc

• Ensure timely processing of all Payments, posting and invoices and payment requests as well as clearance of all advances.

• Responsible for the development, presenting proposals and ensuring expenditure of the overall approved Facilities Pool budget.

• Revising all proposals submitted to ensure the operational costs for the facilities and the RO are embedded and reflected currently (including structure confirmation) in collaboration with respective HODs in Amman and Syria country programs from grants and finance and in direct collaboration with the Regional Finance.

Service Team Leadership

• Provide the SSU team with vision, strategy, and implementation guidance for full scope of services as per the SSU mandate.

• Develop work plans and budget to guide the work of the SSU team of multi-scope professionals that include but are not limited to: Office Administration, Facility/ Real estate Management, Financial services, Workplace Onboarding Support, Supply chain/ Logistics Management, Safety and Security services.

• Directly supervise SSU staff via capacity enhancement and coaching (including liaising with IRC subject matter experts for additional coaching).

• Ensure performance objectives are set and SSU team receives regular performance feedback and appraisals as part of a structured performance management program.

Office management

• Overall oversight on all Amman real estate portfolio Amman main office, expatriate residential accommodation and staff hosting approvals.

• IRC Signatory on local residential leases.

• Develop process for rental launching, rental management, and terminations of leased Facilities (offices and apartments) in concordance with the IRC’s policies of Global Facilities / Real Estate.

• Develop and monitor the implementation of an office space occupancy management system, and present timely reports on the same to respective country management.

• Ensure and be accountable for the upkeeping of records including and not limited to all contractual paperwork, official payments, tracking of conducted scheduled and responsive services to serve as organizational memory.

• Focal for audit requests related to Facilities Management.

• Serve as lead Project Manager for all facilities related projects including new rentals, rehabilitations, and terminations. Reallocation of spaces and other planned / responsive projects as needed.

Human Resources:

• Coordinate with the HR focal point regarding the administration of international staff benefits/allowances, new deployments and exits from Amman.

• Support International Staff Medical Evacuation in close collaboration with ISOS

• Develop in partnership with Security and HR process of evacuation of staff in the cases of medical emergencies and ensure the process is materialized in plans and reflected in deemed budgets.

• Develop and continuously update process and best practices of Expatriate’s legal paperwork, ensure legal steps are followed and timelines are met and communicate toll gates timely to management.

• Develop and continuously update International Manual for working in Jordan in Partnership with HR.

• Oversee and track Expatriates benefits (Housing, deployment, shipments) in partnership with HR and Finance in concordance with Global Mobility and in alignment with the international manual for working in Jordan.

• Periodical review of Administration Managed benefits (Housing, Home leaves, Deployment and terminations) based on directly lead Market studies for ensuring IRC benefits remain competitive while ensuring best utilization of resources.

• Focal point for budgeting expatriates benefits in partnership with HR and CPs

Supply Chain:

• Partner and collaborate with IRC Jordan and Syria (Amman based) Programs senior management teams on of shared service accounts management.

• Develop and dissipate clear roles and responsibilities Matrix between procurement and the SSU to ensure smooth processing of the requests related to Administration and Facilities.

• Develop and oversee implementation of template TORs, BOQs and other tools to ensure appropriate sourcing is in place.

• Support IRC globally with planning and hosting of workshops, conferences and other special events.in collaboration with Procurement team

Safety and Security

• Partner with Regional Safety and Security Deputy Director (RSSD) on issues pertaining to staff safety and security,

• Member of the MENA Regional Incident Management team that supports escalated safety and security incidents.

• Collaborate on the development of a Travel Manual and process, ensuring the dissemination of the same across the Region and ensure travelers from and to Jordan are informed and aware of the procedures through continuous communication, training sessions for the SSU, Security and all staff for alignment.

• Oversee that coordination and communication of staff advisories within Amman is affected as well as maintenance of emergency contact records for visitors and conference participants in Jordan

• In coordination with Safety and Security- develop evacuation processes and roles and responsibilities between ss and SSU. Ensure logistics of evacuation are planned and budgeted accordingly.

• Oversee safety support as requested for expatriate staff in Amman e.g. during evacuations, transit, and special events to Amman.

• Actively coordinate with other NGO’s and humanitarian actors in Amman and attend meetings when requested as representative of IRC.

• In coordination with RHAS Director, ensure the workplace is at security standards as per the IRC requirements via the creation of minimum office safety standards, and a multi collaborative tracking system between facilities management and security for continuously monitoring and evaluating those minimum standards.

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to: RVP MENA in MIP with Global Director Facilities and real estate operations

Position directly supervises: SSU Staff and coordinate with all hosted staff in Amman.

Key Internal Stakeholders: GREWS HQ Team, Other SSU and IHUB Directors, RMT, MENA SMT members, SSU Teams. Expat staff based in Amman.

Key External Stakeholders: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Labor Office, Customs and Immigration Departments, IRC Lawyers with direct responsibility to manage relationship with Jordan appointed Lawyer, similar non-governmental organizations, business and corporate entities

Job Requirements:

• Master’s degree in administration, finance or management from a credible institution, Professional qualification in Finance, supply chain, operations and HR is highly desired.

• At least 8 years relevant experience of which 5 must be in mid-senior management with proven skills in office/administrative management in a large organization; proven experience with HR policies.

• Ability to work both independently and as a team member.

• Is dedicated to meeting the expectations and requirements of internal and external customers; establishes and maintains effective relationships with customers and gains their trust and respect.

• Must demonstrate flexibility, and ability to readily adapt to changing requirements and environments.

• Excellent communicator, with ability to present concisely and descriptively in both oral and written format to all levels of staff & management.

• Strong strategic agility, process engineering, and people management.

• Excellent project management and leadership skills.

• Extensive leadership experience and exhibits executive presence.

• Strong negotiation skills desired

• Strong understanding of Budgeting and Accounting essentials

• Trouble shooting and solution-oriented mindset.

**Standard of Professional Conduct:**The IRC and the IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – our Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability, and Equality.

Commitment to Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: The IRC is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, respectful, and safe work environment where all persons are treated fairly, with dignity and respect. The IRC expressly prohibits and will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or bullying of the IRC persons in any work setting. We aim to increase the representation of women, people that are from country and communities we serve, and people who identify as races and ethnicities that are under-represented in global power structures.