Operations Assistants

Over 80 years ago, Albert Einstein helped create the International Rescue Committee (IRC). Today, we are a leading humanitarian and development organization working in more than 40 countries and 26 U.S. cities to help  people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. The IRC has been present in Liberia since 1996, serving as a lead partner in the health sector. The country program supports the Ministry of Health (MOH) in strengthening the health care systems and service  delivery at all levels in accordance with the MOH national standards.

In recent years, IRC Liberia has deepened its commitment to supporting the Government of Liberia to strengthen  its health recovery efforts - first from the devastating civil war, the Ebola crisis, and now the COVID-19 Outbreak. The Scaling Up Community Health Activities Project presents an opportunity to improve health services in hard-to-reach communities and the rebuilding of health systems in Liberia.

 Job Overview

 The IRC is running a four-year cooperative agreement with USAID to implement Liberia's Scaling Up Community Health Services project. This project will strengthen the Liberian community health system to provide   health care services in hard-to-reach areas while supporting sustainable country ownership of community-based health services through technical assistance and capacity building of the Ministry of Health (MOH)/County Health Teams (CHTs). This project will increase service providers’ coverage in underserved districts and improve their capacity to deliver quality health services while strengthening CHTs and communities’ capacity to plan, manage and monitor health services. In addition, the project will work directly with County and District Health Teams and at the community level, providing them with the technical and operational capacity to play a vital role in service delivery.

This new award builds on the gains achieved under the previous USAID community health grant, “Partnership for Advancing Community-based Services (PACS),” implemented by the IRC and partners. PACS supported the government in strengthening health systems, improving reproductive, maternal, and child health, and restoring public confidence in health facilities and staff. PACS also provided support to build the government of Liberia’s capacity to control infectious diseases and efforts to rebuild the health system.

USAID Community Health Activity Implementation Overview

USAID Community Health Activity will work in Lofa, Bong, River Gee, and Grand Kru to assist in the decentralization process and ensure that county and community-level systems are equipped to deliver high-quality community-based services in line with crucial MOH strategies. The Operation Assistant is responsible for supporting the efficient coordination and management of procurement functions for IRC’s Lofa, Bong, River Gee, and Grand Kru. One of the Ops & Training Manager's core functions is rapidly procuring program supplies, services, and equipment for CHSS and CHA training roll-out while ensuring best practices, adhering to the code of conduct, and maintaining audit-compliant records.

IRC is seeking a Liberian National to serve as Operation Assistant. The primary purpose of the Program is to provide health care services in hard-to-reach areas while transferring ownership to the government by increasing coverage of CHAs in underserved districts, improving their capacity to deliver quality health services as well as strengthening CHTs and communities’ capacity to plan, manage and monitor health services. The Operation and Training Manager will work under the supervision of the Community Health Coordinator at the project office in Lofa, Bong, River Gee, and Grand Kru and indirectly/administratively to the Operation Coordinator at the Monrovia office. They will be the focal person for all Operation and Training coordination at the County and District level and guide all the procurement processes leading to CHSSs, and CHAs Training roll-out at the county and district level. In addition, they are expected to collate and analyze PRs data collected from the suppliers and update the BVA system accordingly.

 Key Responsibilities

 The Operations Assistant is critical to the Operations Department and Team in successfully delivering the USAID Community Health Activity Project and the Office Closeout Activities. IRC defines Operations as the support systems and functions necessary to implement programs effectively, including planning along with the following departments: procurement, fleet, inventory management, property, and asset management, as well as support to HR.

 Under the supervision of the County Health Coordinator and the Operations Coordinator, the Operations Assistant is responsible for supporting the USAID CHA Project at the County-level to ensure efficient assistance to procurement, Fleet, Inventory Management, property, and asset management operations functions, and other project duties as required by the county coordinator, and operations coordinator.

 Supply Chain Planning

The Operations Assistant is responsible for working closely with the Project team, Procurement Manager and Warehouse and Fleet Manager to ensure adequate supply chain planning and preparation to support the CHA implementation, which includes -

• Preparation of procurement plans for the project activities in the field.
• Warehouse distribution plans and documentation for field materials/activities.
• Project team movement plan.
• Maintain supplier information for regularly purchased items and be informed of local market conditions.
• Routine communication and planning with the relevant requesting staff regarding the order and delivery of supplies at the various training venues.
• Serve as the county safety and security focal lead and provide weekly safety and security updates to the Operations Coordinator.

Procurement

In coordination with the Monrovia Operations team, execute procurement plans at the county level and ensure all project procurement needs for the field office are met on time in line with the IRC Global Supply Chain and donors’ standards. This includes: -

•  The implementation and maintenance of standard IRC procurement policies and procedures
• Ensuring that IRC carries out procurement and donor-specific policies.
• Attend all procurement committee meetings as duly required.
• Processing approved Purchase requests through the procurement software (online BVA) and ensuring data accuracy.
• Request for quotations/proposals.
• Participate in tender meetings & evaluations.
• Conduct negotiations with suppliers that are transparent and documented.
• Demonstrate value for money in procurement
• Work with Finance and the project team to ensure integrated internal controls, timely payment of vendors, and full, auditable support documentation.
• Ensuring that a transparent and responsive procurement process is executed and  maintained.
• Follow up with finance on vendors’ payments from procurement, ensuring that all payments processes       completed as outlined in the procurement policy.
• Review procurement documents for accuracy before taking payment for approval.
• BVA assistance ensures that PRs, POs, and Payments requested are completed in the system.
• Complete all Supplies, services, and equipment required to be delivered in time.
• Establishment and maintenance of ethical, professional working relationships with suppliers/providers.
• Be willing to serve as backup to other related procurement positions and functions

Fleet

• Prepare, in coordination with the County Health Coordinator, the monthly fleet movement plans and vehicle service schedule.
• Prepare monthly vehicle and motorbike fuel requests and prepare monthly fuel reports.
• Execute the IRC Vehicle Policy in terms of staff and vehicle safety, and vehicle parking.

 Warehouse

• Receive and document materials from suppliers, Monrovia, and other field offices.
• Inspect materials during receiving and update required documentation.
• Implement the IRC Global Supply Chain SOPs on assets and inventory management.
• Ensure that all assets at the county level are controlled and managed properly in coordination with the Warehouse and Fleet Officer in accordance the IRC and to donor-specific polices.

Operations Assistant Competency’s matrix

The Operations Assistant Competency matrix is the primary supporting document to this job description and must ensure that all tasks are performed to standard.

 Key Working Relationships

Position directly supervises: None

Other Internal and external contacts:

Internal: Regular relationships with Project staff, HR, Finance, Grants, Information systems, Technology, and staff at all levels.

External: Vendors, Service Providers, Implementing Partners, GOL - Ministry of Health (MOH) as requested by the project leadership.