Position: Operations Officer

Duty Station: Damaturu, Yobe State.

Risk Level:     ☐ Level 3☐Level 2        ☐Level 1 

(Level 3: Frequent contact with participants, direct contact with children, access to sensitive data, and/or high level of accountability.  

Level 2: Some contact with participants; unplanned non-direct contact with children.

Level 1: Likely to have no contact with participants or sensitive data. 

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps has been present in Nigeria since December 2012, focusing its interventions on adolescent girls’ empowerment, economic development and conflict mitigation. In mid-2014 Mercy Corps has decided to address the rising humanitarian needs among displaced households and vulnerable host communities by in the north east Nigeria and started its humanitarian program. With funding from humanitarian donors including OFDA, FFP, EU and ECHO the humanitarian program has been focusing on food assistance, non-food items distribution, protection, livelihoods support, WASH and capacity building of humanitarian response actors.

General Position Summary

The Operations Officer provides day-to-day support to the program operations in Maiduguri, the Borno State, under the direct supervision of the Operations Manager based in Maiduguri. As part of his/her responsibilities the Operations Officer will undertake tasks under direct purchase procurement, administration, logistics and security working in close collaboration with the finance and program teams. S/he will promptly and effectively provide all required support to programs so to deliver the assistance to beneficiaries in a timely, compliant and transparent manner.

Essential Job Functions

Procurement

  • Read and has clear understanding of the Mercy Corps FP3 guidelines and all procedures;
  • Lead Mercy Corps daily Operations Activities in Maiduguri Office to meet program and country mission objectives in a timely manner and in accordance with Mercy Corps guidelines and donor regulations;
  • Possesses a full understanding of MC procurement policies and formats. Provide training to new staff on these policies and provided refresher training as gap in staff knowledge are identified;
  • Assists staff as needed on creating clear and understandable purchase requests (PR) and other documentation;
  • Collects quotations and bids from the market for PR-s with support from Operations Manager – as per Mercy Corps standards and formats;
  • Conduct regular market survey at least every quarter with coordination and support from Operations Manager;
  • Conduct Preferred Supplier process for Accommodation, stationary and other repetitive request in coordination with Procurement Officer and Administrative Officer
  • Interact with vendors during collection of quotations – explain Mercy Corps formats and ensure that vendors will use the provided forms;
  • Ensures fair competition and strictly adhere to Mercy Corps procurement rules regarding vendor relations as described by Mercy Corps
  • Interacts with contractors, in coordination with the Operations Manager;
  • Ensures that the required documentation of supplies and transactions are completed to Mercy Corps standards. Maintains and updates the procurement files
  • Raise payment request for vendor’s payments and monitor the status of each payment.

Assets

  • Read and has a clear understanding of the Mercy Corps Asset Management Manual and all procedures;
  • Assists the Asset Controller with asset management. Identify assets during the course of procurement and notify the Asset Controller on receipts of assets;
  • Participates in regular assets inventory and checks.
  • Ensures that all the assets are maintained and in good condition. Check assets stickers regularly;
  • Maintain inventories of Mercy Corps premises (non-expandable properties) conduct regular checks (quarterly);
  • Advise Operations Manager on any broken, damaged or destroyed equipment;

Fleet

  • Read and has a clear understanding of the Mercy Corps Fleet Management Policy Guidelines;
  • Support the Operations assistant and deep field Operation Officers in fleet management and able to step-in in these roles

Administration:

  • Read and has a clear understanding of the Mercy Corps Field Administration Manual and all procedures;
  • Support in running offices and ability and readiness to step-in when required
  • Establishes and maintain appropriate filing systems for office correspondence. Receive and dispatch mail;
  • Support that the office is run in a professional and responsible manner including hosting guests, cleaning, receptionist duties and general contact and liaison with outside agencies.
  • Support that office has sufficient office supplies.
  • Support the management of office consumable (office materials like: stationary, cleaning & hygiene,): that will include: collecting the requests on monthly bases, maintaining the stock, monitoring the use.
  • Support in flight and accommodation bookings.

Warehousing and commodity Management

  • Ensure that warehouse policies are followed as described in the policies and procedure manual
  • Establish and maintain pipelines of supplies , oversee commodity storage and movement
  • Ensure proper warehousing documentation and ensure that commodity tracking are in place
  • Provide accurate monthly reports across Biu and all deep field offices.

Operations support to deep field offices

  • Provide all operations support to deep field offices, including procurement, fleet, warehousing and admin as may be required

Others

  • Carries out other duties as assigned by supervisor

The Operations Officer 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.

Knowledge and Experience 

  • Bachelor’s degree in supply chain management, Logistics, Business Administration, or related field.
  • Minimum 3–5 years of experience in operations, procurement, logistics, warehouse management, or supply chain operations.
  • Experience working with international NGOs or donor-funded programs is strongly preferred.
  • Strong understanding of operational regulations, contract management, and warehouse operations.
  • Experience working in complex operational environments.
  • Strong analytical, organizational, and negotiation skills.
  • Knowledge of Mercy Corps systems and procedures (esp. operational and logistics systems) desirable; knowledge of USAID and other donor regulations helpful. 
  • Excellent negotiation and representation skills.
  • Effective verbal and written communication, organizational, prioritization and Microsoft Office applications.
  • Excellent oral and written English skillsrequired.
  • Ability to work effectively with an ethnically diverse team in a sensitive environment. 

Security

  • Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
  • Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.

Organizational Learning

  • As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

Accountability to Beneficiaries

  • Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Accountability

Supervisory Responsibility: Technical support for all operations in the deep field offices and Security Company.

Reports Directly to: Operations Manager

Works Directly with: MEL, Programs, Finance and Operations

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Before applying, please make sure that you have read the requirements for the position and that you qualify. Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.