Operations Director at Chemonics

Chemonics International, a US-based international development consulting firm, seeks a Director of Operations for the USAID Iraq Together project. Iraq Together aims to provide more equitable, efficient, and sustainable public services in Iraq, as well as improving government responsiveness to citizens’ needs and demands. Objectives of this project include working with the Government of Iraq (GOI) to improve service delivery and strengthen democratic and participatory governance.

The Operations Director reports to the Chief of Party and is responsible for all operational, financial, human resources, administrative and logistical aspects of the program, and will coordinate closely with operations staff across Chemonics’ Iraq platform to ensure project and corporate compliance with local legal requirements. This is a one-year position, with the possibility of extension. This position is expected to be based in Baghdad, Iraq, but may be subject to change, and may require periodic local and regional travel. The Operations Director must have strong management and leadership skills and demonstrated experience successfully operating.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Ensures that program implementation is in accordance with USAID regulations and procedures and the specifications determined in the scope of work, ensuring fair and transparent procurement processes, and reviewing of financial management
• Supervises 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, IT and information security, and translation
• Supervises the daily financial operations of the contract, including cash flow management, time sheet recording, reporting to the client on the financial aspects of the project, and daily monitoring of obligations, budgets, and expenditures. Responsible for overall cost oversight, ensuring that all incurred expenses are allowable, allocable, and reasonable in accordance with USAID cost principles, and Chemonics policies and procedures
• Oversee operational procurement to ensure compliance with all applicable rules and regulations, and that procurement file documentation is thorough and complete in accordance with Chemonics’ Field Procurement Guide
• Manages relationships and agreements with key operational service providers and vendors (legal services, CPA, transportation services, banking) to ensure program receives timely, quality services
• Ensures that the most reasonable, fair, expeditious, and appropriate procurement choices are made pursuant to Chemonics’ procurement standards to support the management and operations of the project office
• Establishes and maintains project inventory for expendable and non-expendable inventory, regularly updating (at least quarterly) to ensure timely and accurate reporting to USAID
• Establish and maintains redundant payment processes and systems to ensure continuous liquidity
• Oversees all human resource and personnel management issues and tasks, including recruiting and hiring of local staff, administration of local staff leave and benefits, local staff care and professional development, and performance management and review
• Ensures compliance with Iraq Policy Manual and HR policies and practices of Iraq Platform for consistency across projects
• Provide staff training in all relevant Chemonics Iraq HR and admin policies and procedures – including those associated with timekeeping, expense reporting, movement requests, etc.
• Ensures compliance with host country requirements, and coordinates closely with the Chemonics’ home office and other Chemonics projects in country (Iraq country platform), as needed
• Establishes business conduct standards and procedures in compliance with Chemonics and USAID standards, and ensures staff are regularly trained in this area, including the establishment and use of systems and internal controls to reduce risk and exposure to vulnerabilities
• Coordinates closely with the Iraq Country Security Director on staff and consultant travel to and within Iraq, including arranging lodging, airport pick-up/drop-off, communications equipment issuance, etc.
• Coordinate, manage, oversee, and build capacity of Operations Manager to gradually assume leadership of operations team
• Coordinates with the home office on all compliance issues, seeking timely legal and policy guidance as required. Serves as focal point for Home Office, Office of Business Conduct for issues related to audit, fraud, waste, abuse or conflict of interest
• Serve as an alternate point of contact for Chemonics and USAID and acting Chief of Party when the Chief of Party is unavailable
• Other duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications:

• At least five (5) years of relevant work experience, including at least one (1) year supporting field operations for a donor, contractor, or international NGO
• Fluency in USAID’s policies and procedures regarding human resources, financial management, financial reporting, and procurement processes, and systems
• Demonstrated experience in establishing and/or maintaining HR, finance, operations, administrative, and/or logistics systems, and developing operational policies and/or procedures
• Experience working in Iraq desirable but not required
• Experience working in operationally complex and/or non-permissive environments preferred
• Fluency in English is required, Arabic or Kurdish language skills strongly preferred