Operations Manager - Sudan

Position Description

Location Khartoum, Sudan

Position Status: Full Time, regular

Salary Level: 5

Current Team Member: N/A

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future.

Program / Department Summary

Mercy Corps has been operational in Sudan since 2004, and currently has a country office in Khartoum and field offices in South Darfur, South Kordofan, North Kordofan and Gedaref states. We work with Sudanese communities to build resilient scalable solutions that interrupt the cycle of fragility and crisis due to conflict and climate change by improving food and water security, peace and governance and enabling economic opportunities in the agricultural sector.

The Position (General Position Summary)

Based in Khartoum and reporting to the Operations Director, the Operations Manager, Procurement & Operational Strategy is expected to contribute to organizational strategic thinking, planning, and overall coordination efforts, in order to enable excellence in all operations functions across Sudan. The Operations Manager shall also oversee, both directly and indirectly, the procurement portfolio for the full Sudan program, across multiple field offices and in different capacities. Working with in-country resources and with technical assistance from the Global Procurement and Logistics units, he/she shall be a key actor in ensuring that the Sudan country program has forward-thinking and innovative operational field offices, with an eye toward creating plurality and innovation in the contracting of suppliers and service providers. The Operations Manager, Procurement & Operational Strategy will be hands-on and will feed directly into Mercy Corps’ best practices in procurement, logistics, facilities and office management functions, while seeking synergies across operational hubs and ensuring compliance in adherence to Mercy Corps global policies and protocols.

Essential Responsibilities

PROCUREMENT OVERSIGHT

• Train the procurement team from each separate field office to respond successfully to all programmatic demands for procurement as per the FP3 V2.
• Provide special attention to supporting staff capacity on the Standard and High Value Tendering and contracting processes
• Work with Program Managers, Team Leaders and Finance Team to create Procurement Plans for each existing program.
• Responsible for building a staff culture of continuous Procurement Masterlist updates, auditing and validation and sharing.
• Ensure the procurement folders are ready for audit at any time.
• Understand MC procurement policies and formats. Provide training to staff on these policies, while also developing new protocols under Modified Procurement Procedures, where necessary;
• Ensure the active participation and delivery of measurable outputs by Program and Operational staff as part of quarterly procurement planning exercises and meetings;
• Ensure that the procurement filing system is in place and in accordance with the Procurement filing procedures in both the Mercy Corps Field Procurement Policies and Procedures as well as best-practices in the MC Sudan program context;
• Coordinate with the Finance Department to ensure that payments to vendors are made on-time and without any unnecessary strain on the financial systems of MC; and
• Develop capacity development strategies for all Procurement staff, both under direct and indirect supervision, planning toward the strengths of individuals while simultaneously looking to further develop skill sets with an eye toward career growth.
• Act as Head of Procurement in the country operations.
• Coordinate MC procurement activities between the programs, finance and procurement team to achieve excellence.
• Train Program, Operations and Finance teams on Procurement Field Manual V2
• In coordination with other procurement and program teams, liaise with the possible vendors for contracting.
• Prepare the Service, Purchase and Other contracts to meet the Mercy Corps and Donor Standards. Ensure the contracts are also translated into the local language
• Ensure Procurement trackers are up to date all the time.
• Setup the Learning schedule and conduct learning sessions for Procurement team
• Ensure the procurement processes are fully compliant with the best practices and organization and policies.
• The Operations Manager will conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and to not jeopardize its humanitarian mission.

OPERATIONS OVERSIGHT

• Collaborate and Support field offices Operations leads to ensure timely, accurate processing and documentation of procurements and use of Mercy Corps’ Field Policies and Procedures for Procurement, Inventory, Assets and Fleet Management practices;
• Drive operational excellence to achieve optimal efficiency and cost-effectiveness in all functions and operations of each field office;
• Ensure strong communication and collaboration lines are maintained with all the team leaders / program managers .
• Deploy and maintain management information system tools that effectively captures performance data from all hubs and field offices. Work with hub Operations Managers to proactively identify, analyze and respond to trends either through reinforcement or corrective action;
• Ensure that compliance monitoring processes are developed and effectively implemented;
• Liaise with finance to ensure compliance and payment schedules; maintain service contracts across hubs; and
• Ensure proactive involvement of key processes with the Financial department actors, including budget versus actual report input and necessary information for operational budget accuracy.

TEAM MANAGEMENT

• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
• Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback via regular performance reviews.
• Supervise, hire and orient new team members as necessary.
• Provide team members with information, tools and other resources to improve performance and reach objectives.
• Contribute to country team-building efforts, help team members identify problem-solving options and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes.

COMPLIANCE MANAGEMENT

• Work with finance compliance to mitigate fraud, conflict of interest and legal ramifications of Mercy Corps activities;
• Assure effective monitoring of Mercy Corps systems and processes in operational hubs by ensuring that  remote management plans are resilient and contextually appropriate; and
• Play an active role in supporting Operations departments in preparing internal and external audits, ensuring that recommendations related to operations are followed and all necessary measures to address audit findings are taken.

OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES

• Conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and to not jeopardize its humanitarian mission;
• Other duties as assigned

Supervisory Responsibility

Senior Procurement Officer , Senior Operations Officer

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Operations Director

Works directly with : Director of Programs / Finance and Compliance Director / PAQ Director / Team Leaders / Program Managers.

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills

• Degree in a relevant business field or professional procurement qualification is desired.
• Minimum 3 years of experience in country level procurement management at large scale.
• Strong organizational skills; ability to interact effectively with international and national                  personnel.
• Excellent oral and written English skills. Arabic is preferred
• High level of computer skills on MS Office programs.
• A demonstrated ability to multi-task and process information into action so as to not delay program activities.
• A clear understanding of procurement ethics and donor compliance is essential.
• Qualified female candidates are encouraged to apply.

Success Factors

The successful Operations Manager will be excellent at problem-solving and working out methods to deliver successful programs while demonstrating excellent stewardship of donor funds and compliance with Mercy Corps and donor regulations. They will maintain strong cooperative relationships with other departments and interact effectively with international and national personnel both in a managerial and training capacity while demonstrating the ability to multitask, meet deadlines and process information in support of changing program activities. The most successful Mercy Corps staff members have a solid commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

This is a family post position and the  position is based in Khartoum, Sudan with at least 50% travel to other field locations. Housing is provided by the Country Office. Security conditions in the country are variable, requiring close monitoring and vigilance. Air travel is necessary to get from one end of the country to the other, though the road network is good, the security situation often precludes travel by road. There is a somewhat reliable cellular phone system and internet is available at the offices. Candidates must be able to work in an environment with energy, transportation and communication challenges. The position will require travel to the field sites in Mercy Corps Sudan's operational areas up to 50% of the time including travel to some locations that may be insecure or austere.

Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours and as such staff are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and Mercy Corps policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives. We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact. We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.