Operations Manager

THE SANCTUARY 

Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary was established in 1995 by the Government of Sierra Leone, through the help of conservationist Bala Amarasekaran and the Conservation Society of Sierra Leone to rescue, care for and rehabilitate confiscated pets and orphaned or abandoned wild chimpanzees. It plays a vital role in conserving and protecting chimpanzees in the wild through education, communication and legal enforcement. Everything we do starts with the chimps and transitions into wildlife conservation, research, environmental protection, advocacy, law enforcement, community preservation, and education and ecotourism development initiatives. 

Tacugama is located 25 minutes from Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone.

THE VACANCY 

The Operations Manager is responsible for managing daily sanctuary operations and will report directly to the Program Director.

Operations Manager Responsibilities:

Logistics and Administration:

• Oversee and plan for daily priorities and activities within all departments – animal welfare, outreach, ecotourism, communication and operations.
• General coordination of the operations and ecotourism team, including drivers, finance and administrative assistant, storekeepers, cooks, etc.
• Maintain and update relevant procedures and policies.
• Oversee and execute day-to-day activities related to office administration such as answering emails, customer services, financial planning, invoicing, record keeping, personnel and logistics.
• Coordinate maintenance requirements of buildings, vehicles, and grounds, and oversee tasks are assigned to appropriate personnel and completed accordingly.

Finance Management & Accounting:

• Plan, organize, direct and control the daily financial activities, such as procurement and utilization of funds, for all departments, and maintain appropriate financial records.
• Provide regular financial reports with analysis of the financial status of the organization.
• Participate in looking for funding opportunities, writing and submitting proposals and reports to funding agencies and partners.
• Record all cash flow transactions in ledger for daily camp maintenance materials, field budgets, salary advances, etc.
• Reconcile reception shop sales
• Balance daily cash transactions in ledger with cash on hand.

Human Resources and Management

• Serve as the line manager of the organizations permanent staff, contractors and casual staff, in an advisory and operational support capacity by providing them with the necessary information, tools and advice for efficient operation.
• Serve as the first point of contact for all the departments’ managers by providing them with support and advice for the daily operations of their own departments and related challenges.
• Facilitate staff meetings and general collaboration and communication between all the departments.
• In collaboration with the program director, recruit employees when necessary, participate in candidate interviews and selection.
• Work closely with all the managers and support them with implementation of the departments projects, logistics, staff management,  financial management, as well as strategic planning for the department.

Ecotourism & Volunteer Program 

• Oversee the ecotourism department and staff and ensure the daily activities and tasks are delivered as per instructions.
• Support the ecotourism department to provide high quality of hospitality services.
• Market, develop and coordinate the volunteer program, including volunteer applications, interviews and preparation for arrival.

REQUIREMENTS (Essential)

• Minimum of two years’ experience in a management role
• Strong management skills, the ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Excellent administration and record-keeping skills
• Good problem-solving skills and ability to be adaptive
• Excellent communication skills
• Fluent in English (verbal & written)
• Computer literacy, including Excel
• Willingness to work long and flexible hours
• Ability to live and work closely with the rest of the team, comprising both International and National Staff
• Patience and a willingness to work to different cultural value

REQUIREMENTS (Optional)

• University degree in management, finance, business or logistics related subjects
• Experience working in Sierra Leone is an advantage.

CONTRACT

Suitable candidates must be able to commit for a minimum of 1 year.

This is a full-time, six (6) day a week position. Salary will be discussed based on candidate’s experience. The contract includes: on-site accommodation; one African style meal per day; annual return airfare (subject to contract completion) and 4 weeks paid holiday per year.
The chosen candidate must provide evidence of personal health insurance, negative TB test, COVID and yellow fever vaccination.