Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) – Operations AT University Research Co.

Hours: 40 hours a week

Salary: Commensurate with required experience and qualifications

Reports to: Chief of Party

Project Overview:

USAID BARMM Health Capacity Building Activity in the Philippines is a five (5) year project from February 2019 to February 2023. This project aims to support the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to improve access to high quality Family Planning (FP), Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) and Maternal and Child Health (MCH) services. Under this project, URC will: 1) comprehensively improve demand for health services; 2) increase the supply of high-quality appropriate care: and 3) foster an enabling environment in which the system can successfully operate.

Position Overview:

The DCOP, in collaboration with and supervision of COP, will provide overall direction for all project operations covering financial and administrative issues at all levels of the BARMM Health Project. The DCOP Ops reports to the COP.

Job Description:

• Supervise project’s operations including administration, logistics, procurement, budgeting, financial, and grants.
• Ensure that program operations are in accordance with USAID regulations and procedures and the specifications determined in the SOW. This will include monitoring grantee worthiness, ensuring that all procurement processes are transparent by beneficiary communities, assuring fair and transparent procurement processes, review of financial management, and monitoring grant implementation.
• Ensure that the most reasonable, fair, expeditious, and appropriate procurement choices were made pursuant to the URC’’s rules, polices, regulations and procedures.
• Supervise the project’s day-to-day field presence in the areas of operations (including the project’s facilities such as office space, equipment and project vehicles), administration, logistics, procurement, budgeting and financial accounting and act as the Office-in-Charge (OIC) when the COP is absent from the program.
• Supervise the daily financial operations of the contract, which includes cash flow management, timesheet recording, reporting to USAID on the financial aspects of the project, and daily monitoring of obligations, budgets, and expenditures.
• Ensure continuous liquidity for the project; handle all human resource issues; supervise the day-to-day implementation of all grants made under the program; and investigate and identify new ways of achieving project efficiencies.
• Coordinate with the URC’s Home Office on all compliance issues, seeking legal and policy guidance on sanctions and other applicable restrictions.
• While not directly responsible for overseeing activity development, the DCOP-Ops will be expected to have a strong grasp of the local context and programmatic aspects, and be prepared to step in as needed to support the COP, team leaders, and other program staff in activity development and other technical aspects of the project, while staying apprised of the evolution of the local political, legal, and economic situation and on how to continuously adapt the program.
• Oversee internal control processes, ensuring that Project F&A teams are working in accordance with URC’s internal financial procedures as well as USAID rules and regulations.
• Work with COP to ensure efficient functioning of administrative and financial processes and maintain adequate internal control to ensure compliance with URC and donor policies.
• Communicate with HQ on financial and administrative issues on a regular basis.
• Work in collaboration with the COP to liaise with other key technical personnel and local staff to ensure smooth administrative and financial processes are upheld.
• Coordinate with project provincial officers to ensure that administrative and financial operations at the provincial level are coordinated and streamlined and to maintain regular communication and reporting from each provincial office.
• Work in close collaboration with COP and M&E Director to ensure effective project monitoring and sound reporting and financial management according to the budget allocated for each activity.
• Assist COP in project management, all logistical coordination and procurement.
• Attending meeting with USAID, partners, and stakeholders.

Required Experience & Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Public Administration, Accounting, Finance, or related field or BA with 5 years of equivalent experience.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in program management, administration with at least 3 years in a senior management position including COP or DCOP.
• Prior experience working with USAID and other international donors and knowledge of USAID and Federal Government policies and procedures is required.
• The candidate should be fluent in the USAID’s policies and procedures with regard to human resources, financial management, financial reporting, and procurement processes, systems, and grants management.
• It is highly desired that the candidate has experience with grants or small grants under contract programs.
• Demonstrated experience and knowledge in establishing systems and overseeing program start-up under limited time constraints as well as program close-out is highly desired, but not required.
• Relevant experience working in the Philippines. Experience in the BARMM is highly desired.
• Experience with remote management in insecure and/or transition environments highly desired, but not required.
• Experience working in security challenged environments is highly desired, but not required.
• Complete fluency in written and oral English is required.
• Proven capacity in building and effectively supervising a diverse team of employees.
• Demonstrated effective interpersonal skills, leadership, creative problem-solving and ethical management.
• Able to travel with ease to all provinces in the BARMM region.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• English language fluency (minimum 4/4) is required.
• Past experience with public health program desirable but not required.