Operations Manager

Deadline for applications: 9 November 2022

Employment type: Full-time

Location: Baghdad, Iraq

Start date: 1st December 2022

The Institute for War & Peace Reporting (IWPR) works with media and civil society to promote democratic values, peace building, and good governance in conflict-affected and fragile states. Since our founding during the Balkans conflict in 1991, IWPR has helped civic activists, human rights defenders, women’s rights advocates, and independent journalists make their voices heard and drive positive change in MENA, Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America. We currently work in nearly 30 countries to build local capacities, strengthen civil society and media organisations, and empower civic actors to remove barriers to free expression and to promote citizen engagement and public dialogue.

We are seeking an Operations Manager who will be responsible for a variety of administrative, financial, logistic and programmatic support duties.

This is a term position with an expected end date of September 2024.

Main Responsibilities:

Logistics:

• Assist the project and country team and ensure that project operations comply with U.S. government regulations, IWPR’s corporate policies, laws of Iraq, and any supplemental
  policies developed specifically for the project.
• Support in the organization of events (booking, Logging, invoices tracking).
• Support logistics related needs for project’s events in Iraq.
• Support in the coordination and communication with all local stakeholders and beneficiaries.
• Ensure logistics related needs for IWPR staff and consultants traveling to the country.
• Responds to the logistics needs and requests of the beneficiaries.
• Maintain and follow up the inventory logbook.
• Ensure an accurate inventory of all project equipment, showing location, user, owner, and condition.
• Track and supervise of all activities related to the management of equipment and assets

Procurement:

• Procures goods and services in accordance with policy and standards of the association, its funders and host governments.
• Analyzes procurement requirements and selects the most appropriate methods based on interpretation and assessment of established policies, practices and experience.
• Plans, organizes, and leads the bid solicitation process including drafting and issuing RFQ, RFP, developing bid evaluation criteria and guiding staff on all processes involved.
• Chairs bid evaluation committees ensuring the integrity of the competitive process
• Facilitates bidder debriefings and exercises appropriate judgment and tact while ensuring to protect confidential information.
• Assists in preparation of contractual agreements ensuring appropriate terms and conditions are included to protect the company’s interests.
• Monitors and reviews progress of contractual agreements with beneficiaries, vendors and contractors as needed; reviews invoices for payment resolving any problems that arise and performs post contract evaluations.
• Creates and/or maintains procurement records including electronic records in the GoogleDocs system and other systems, ensuring accuracy and integrity of data.
• Assists with required written authorizations and prepares/issues instructions and imports/exports documentation to suppliers, freight forwarders, and/or carriers, to ensure timely and safe arrival of goods and compliance with domestic and international shipping regulations, customs regulations.
• Processing financial requests-payment and submitting of invoices

Finance:

• Coordinates with the Finance Officer to ensure IWPR is compliance with any and all fiscal and tax requirements.
• Prepares relevant payment request documents packages for cash, check and wire payments and submits to Finance Officer for review with further submission to the Country Director for approval
• Prepares payment request documents in relation to vendors and beneficiaries’ fees, for submission to the Finance Officer with further submission to the Country Director for approval
• Maintenance of the filing system for the Baghdad office: hard copies and soft copies (Google Drive), including all relevant supporting documentation, UK and US payment requests and related documentation, contracts and agreements, procurement documentation, legal documentation, etc.
• Supports on internal and external audits as required
• Manages petty cash payments and filling of petty cash records in Baghdad
• Prepares petty cash top-up requests, and performs withdrawal of cash from the bank in Baghdad
• Perform monthly cash counts in Baghdad

Programmatic:

• In collaboration with the country team, support in the planning and coordination of the administrative and operational management of IWPR’s Iraq project(s)
• Provides administrative or programmatic support when needed.
• Supports in the coordination of program beneficiaries and programming.
• Ensure administrative and logistics support to the Iraq country team and to the project(s) staff and consultants;
• Work in close collaboration with the Iraq country team and the finance department on planning, administrative and budgetary management of the programs;
• Train and coach beneficiaries within the requirements of donors and the policies and goals of the organization;
• Review and control program progress/implementation to ensure that goals and objectives are reached.
• Perform any other tasks assigned by the Country Director or Senior Programs Manager independently, which are consistent with the scope of work and the general requirements of the project.

Minimum Requirements:

• Demonstrable relevant professional experience. Progressively responsible experience in program administration, coordination, operations, logistics or related field preferred
• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in related field of study
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Demonstrated experience and contextual understanding of Iraq.
• Demonstrated analytical ability and understanding of local and regional media contexts in Iraq.
• Knowledge of Iraqi social and political structures at the national, regional, and local levels highly preferred.
• Ability to work in a professional, diplomatic, and cordial manner with fellow staff members, the general public, and partner institutions, including international and local nongovernmental organizations, governmental entities, and support organizations.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision, to prioritize multiple work assignments in an extremely fast-paced environment, to meet deadlines, and to exercise good, strong professional judgment.
• Highly computer literate with advanced e-mail, word processing and spreadsheet management skills
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills.
• Experience with USG projects preferred. Experience with international donor-funded projects also an advantage
• Oral and written fluency in Arabic and English is a requirement.
• Local driving permit, with proven experience in, and willingness to undertake frequent and unaccompanied travel in country.

Language: English and Arabic

Travel: In-country travel

Principals only. No calls please. Only those who have been considered for an interview will be contacted.

IWPR is an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, veteran status or pregnancy and maternity. IWPR will never ask for payment for recruitment.