Head of Support Services

Danish Refugee Council, one of the world’s leading humanitarian NGOs, is currently looking for a highly qualified Head of Support Services for our presence in Iraq.

As Head of Support Services you will ensure the existence of an effective and efficient support services in areas of Finance, Administration, Human Resources, IT and Supply Chain.  You will play a key role in developing and implementing country specific strategies as well as improving operational systems, processes and policies in support of DRC’s mission in Iraq. You will be a member of the Senior Management Team, with overall responsibility of program support and timely completion of annual performance indicators under support functions.

Present in Iraq since 2003, DRC is today operational in the Kurdish governorates, in and around Diyala and in several South-Central and Northern governorates. Focused both on the influx of Syrian refugees and the current IDP crisis, DRC is providing assistance in a range of sectors including Camp Coordination and Camp Management, Protection, Livelihoods, Emergency Response (including food security, cash, and NFIs), WASH, Shelter and Mine Action. The Iraq programme presently employs about 500 national staff with 30 international staff, and is growing to meet new, emerging needs associated with ongoing and recent conflict in multiple locations.  

About the job

As HoSS you will play a significant part in qualifying and implementing initiatives coming from the global and regional DRC organizational development and financial accountability initiatives. Furthermore, you will ensure timely and appropriate communication with Area Managers, Base Managers, Sector Managers and Project Managers concerning all issues related to finance, administration and human resources and work proactively to resolve differences and prioritize time-sensitive tasks. In this role you will have a country focus to ensure compliance to DRC procedures and guidelines within the country. You contribute to the development of country strategies, which are translated into action plans and day-to-day tasks and you are a focal point for DRC Dynamics.

Your main duties and responsibilities will be:

Management

• Lead and manage the Support service teams Managers and technically manage area support Managers (including people planning, performance, well-being and development)
• Manage, deliver and report on current operations programme support in geographic scope
• Establish high performing support teams ensuring high-quality approaches are maintained
• Develop and improve operational approaches, compliance and systems, and support the Country Director to build and deliver effective and sustainable interventions.
• Responsible for the strategic development, management and implementation of the support operations
• Ensure appropriate technical support is available to programs, in line with organizational priorities
• Ensure support for annual planning and review processes
• Direct responsibility for ensuring that the DRC Programme operates in accordance with DRC’s support function guidelines.

Operational Management

• Oversee the operational support units for the country by providing strategic leadership and technical support to the areas under his/her supervision
• Ensure that DRC retains and continually develops its operational capacity to provide rapid emergency response in particular within its procurement and transport systems
• Develop a risk management plan for the country that identifies the major financial and operational risks and implement a mitigation strategy
• Ensure that all administrative and legal-related systems are accurate and maintained
• Work to build the capacity of the operational support staff throughout the operation though frequent in-service training sessions and mentoring support
• Contribute to the development and implementation of DRC’s global development initiatives

Budget Management

• Ensure that the Country Master Budget is updated on a regular basis and is used to adequately prepare project proposals or cost cutting measures
• Develop country office support services budget including staff costs for all donor project proposals and track spending on regular basis to ensure budget is used according to plan.

Risk Management

• Support the Country Director and the Senior Management Team in liaising with donors, auditors and authorities, especially as relates to issues of compliance, registration, and audit respectively
• Supervision, audits and controlling and implementation of corrective actions related to DRC’s operational standards within support area
• Support Senior Management to ensure risk register is up to date and action plan is implemented accordingly
• Participate in audit kick-off and exit meetings and ensure cooperation at all time during every audit field works. Lead on providing management response on each audit report

DRC Dynamics ERP System

• Ensure ERP functionality is properly used by relevant staff
• Apply reports and data analytics from DRC Dynamics to improve overall performance
• Act as heavy user for most of the Projects & Finance functionalities

About you

To be successful in this role we expect you to have a minimum of 7 years’ experience in a relevant field and experience in a similar role in an international NGO. Moreover, we also expect the following:

Required

• Master's degree in international development, economics, business management or other relevant field.
• Previous experience as Country Director / Senior Management is preferred
• Proven leadership skills and a competence in people management
• Proven operational management experience and capability, including in conflict areas
• Proven operational experience in one or more of the following thematic areas: financial, supply chain, human resources and information management
• Understanding and experience of institutional fundraising
• Understanding of the countries in which DRC operates and sensitive to the cultural context
• Experience working in an ERP system, including supply chain, finance and HR systems
• Fluency in written and spoken English

In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’ five core competencies: 

Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process. 

Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback. 

Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation. 

Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly. 

Demonstrating integrity: Upholding and promoting the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation to DRC’s values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.

We offer

Contract length: 24 months

Level: Senior Management, E

Designation of Duty Station: Erbil, family duty station, accompanied

Start date: as soon as possible

Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for Expatriates. 

Application process

Applicants must upload a cover letter and an updated CV (no longer than four pages) in English. Applications sent by email will not be considered.

Closing date for applications: 9 May

Please note that applications will be reviewed continuously and interviews will be planned as soon as a suitable candidate is identified - so early submission of applications is encouraged. DRC remains a right to close the vacancy once a suitable candidate is identified.

For further information about the Danish Refugee Council, please consult our website drc.ngo.