REGIONAL BUSINESS SERVICES DIRECTOR – WEST AFRICA At CARE USA

Job Summary:

CARE works around the globe to save lives, defeat poverty and achieve social justice. We are a global leader within a worldwide movement dedicated to ending poverty. We are known everywhere for our unshakable commitment to the dignity of people, and we put women and girls in the center because we know that we cannot overcome poverty until all people have equal rights and opportunities. Our Core Values Commitment describes who we are, what we do, and how we do it. It reflects our Core Values of Transformation, Integrity, Diversity, Excellence, and Equality which serve as a foundation for all that we do. If these values and our mission speak to your personal values and if you are a highly-motivated self-starter with organizational political savvy who likes to help solve problems behind the scenes, read on!

CARE USA manages, supports and oversees 8 country offices in the West Africa region through the regional management unit (RMU). Within the RMU, the Regional Business Services Director is a strategic position and will report to the Regional Director and will provide business services operations oversight and support to country offices:

1. Serve as a lead network connector and liaison within CARE for the WA region to both coordinate country office business services support and ensure information flows freely and through the right pathways to solve business services issues swiftly and effectively. The Business Services Director collaborates with key colleagues across the business services matrix and keeps abreast of developments in the region, in order to represent CARE country offices and/or the WA region in appropriate business services forums as and when needed or as requested by the Regional Director. The Business Services Director also keeps abreast of developments within the business services functions within CARE USA to ensure and drive continuous improvement and alignment with policies and practice with COs.

2) Ensure timely execution of business services processes, assess the organizational efficiency and monitor the internal control framework and its implementation. Escalate issues from the region and country offices to business services matrix points of contacts for support and resolution. Receive feedback and recommendations from business services matrix points of contact regarding improvement of business services functioning within country offices.

3) Business partner with the CFO and Regional finance team members based in the Shared Services Center (SSC) on all CO and Regional strategic financial management matters.4) Partner with Award Management Solutions (AMS) to identify solutions to strengthen donor compliance in country offices.

5) Oversee the financial planning and financial health KPI assessment for country offices .

6) Oversee the procurement, supply chain and property management in country offices .

7) Ensure that statutory and legal compliance requirements in country offices are being met; partner with the Country Directors regarding context changes or other operational considerations when renewing and reporting.

8) Manage the RMU financial resources and business service operations.

9) Partner with the program operations function regarding risk management, specifically as it relates to business services functions.

10) Partner with the Regional Director to support and oversee the country office transformation and change management.

11) Partner and work closely with the Regional HR business partner as related to the staff, HR policies, procedures and related business process
The Director of Regional Business Services should be passionate for CARE’s mission and for continuous improvement, and be someone who can combine their experience in international humanitarian relief and development work with functional skills and experiences in business services, as well as demonstrated competencies in accountability and impact, working in partnership, staff development, and coordination and teamwork.

Responsibilities:

1. Provide Business Service operations support and oversight to country offices
   • Provide oversight and support to country offices and the region related to procurement, administration, inventory, IT, logistics, etc. concerning their structure, processes and staffing patterns, and work with COs to address any gaps or weaknesses identified.
   • Monitor COs legal and statutory compliance in respective contexts and get regular updates regarding the status through various tools such as COMFORT and risk registers.
   • Oversee the production and analysis of COMFORT, ROAR, audit reports from COS and partner with AMS, SSC other CARE USA functions and CO to mitigate the risks and issues identified. Report trends and challenges faced by the country offices as well as potential solutions.
   • Partner with HRBP and CO Leadership (either through direct technical advisor or through identification of external consultants) in reviewing their structures, organizational efficiency, staffing ( Key finance and operations roles) and work flows.
   • Oversee the implementation of CARE internal policies and procedures at CO level.
   • Oversee the major changes in the Region (business models).
2. Regional Business Service Operations review, analysis and improvements
   • Conduct periodic CO visits to ensure compliance with CARE USA, donors and CO policies, procedures and practices. Identify areas for improvement or where support is needed
   • Partner with AMS, SSC and other functional units within CARE to identify systemic solutions to commonly identified issues
     Support COs in implementing identified solutions.
   • Share analysis results , observations and recommendations for the improvement for larger Organization through various channels
3. Serve as a network connector and liaison within CARE
   • Ensure communication and cooperation within the region and between the region and the wider organization around PS strategic and operational issues.
   • Ensure information flows freely and through the right pathways to solve business services issues swiftly and effectively.
   • Stay up-to-date on CARE’s policies, procedures and systems in order to effectively assist countries in address the issues that arise or mitigate emerging or changing risks.
   • Maintain regular contact with IPO in HQ as well as any appropriate units within CARE USA to facilitate the process of obtaining appropriate assistance when local knowledge or resource is insufficient to solve a problem.
   • Identify opportunities for troubleshooting TDYs by business service staff in the region and encourage/facilitate those assignments.
   • Represent WARMU COs and/or the WA region in appropriate business services forums as and when needed or as requested by the Regional Director.
   • Keeps abreast of developments within the business services functions within CARE USA to ensure and drive continuous improvement and alignment with policies and practice with COs.
4. Oversee and support country offices financial planning and performance.
   • Lead the CO and Regional Budget and Mid-year forecast process and manage CO sustainability issues.
   • Business partner with the Regional Finance team based in the Shared Services Center (SSC) with financial management support to the region and country offices as requested.
   • Monitor country office key performance indicators for financial management.
   • Oversee country offices financial health, planning and assessment of viability.
   • Support country offices to develop financial models and scenario planning.
   • Review the financial statements analysis prepared by the SSC and monitor status of issues with major financial impact.
   • Review and analyze country office portfolio, burn rates and pipelines status.
5. WARMU financial and operations management
   • Stewardship of the financial resources of WA RMU and overall compliance.
   • Develop the budget, propose the funding and cost recovery approaches for existed structure and roles.
   • Financial Management of all types of allocations to the RMU from HQ USA and different CARE Member Partners (CMP): UNR, Appeal/pool funds, private funds, restricted Donor funds.
   • Oversee the Budget and Agreement Memorandum (BAM) and Individual Project Implementation Agreement (IPIA) with various CMPs for fund allocations for the RMU, and for processing of all necessary set ups.
   • Manage the allocation of UNR for COs in collaboration with the Regional Director and HQ IPO, and oversee and control funds utilization.
   • Prepare and manage the BAMs and IPIAs to allocate the regional funds to the COs.
   • Ensure that the support team delivers high standard customer services to the RMU staff and various visitors. Control quality of the deliverables.
   • Partner with DRD PQ and Program teams to ensure integration and collaboration for impactful results.
   • Oversee the RMU compliance with local statutory requirements implemented through the CO.
   • Oversee support for the operations related to the arrangement of events, workshops and conferences by the RMU as well as to the RMU team and visitors for travel planning.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance / Business Administration or equivalent.
• Minimum of 12 years work experience at CO or Regional set up in an International Non-Government Organization (INGO).
• At least 7 years of experience demonstrating knowledge of bilateral and/or multilateral institutional donor grants and operations management, finance and compliance practices working with and interpreting applicable donor rules and regulations
• Experience with operational process reviews, analyzing data to make decisions.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills. in English and French
• Demonstrated knowledge of (or professional experience with) working in the West Africa region.

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