Senior Operations Manager At Catholic Relief Services

Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. CRS works to save, protect, and transform lives in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. CRS’ relief and development work are accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance and peacebuilding.

CRS is seeking qualified, experienced, and highly motivated Senior Operations Manager. As a member of the Country Program’s (CP) Senior Management Team, you will provide leadership and management of the following operational functions – Human Resources (HR), Supply Chain Management (SCM), Grants & Compliance, General Administration/Logistics, Information and Communication Technology and Security – in support of the Catholic Relief Services’ (CRS) mission to serve the poor and vulnerable. You will promote stewardship of resources, ensure principled compliance, proactively manage risk, and lead operational improvements including from a Climate Action lens. As part of the Senior Management Team, you will collaborate with the Country Representative to proactively manage security and mitigate security risks.

The position is based in Yaoundé / Cameroon

Roles and Key Responsibilities:

• Contribute to the CP strategic planning and programming by providing input on needed investments in operations capacity – systems, processes and staffing – that meet CRS’ standards, donor requirements, and local regulations and support high-quality programming. Represent CRS, as needed.
• Plan, integrate, coordinate, and monitor day-to-day operations to ensure all support services are delivered with high-quality in an efficient manner. Address issues where operations support needs to be adapted for complex programming.
• Collaborate with programming leads to ensure appropriate pooled project expenditures in line with financial plans and proper stewardship of material sources. Promote effective use of CRS ERP systems for budget management and oversight.
• Coordinate and monitor day-to-day operations to ensure support services are delivered with high-quality in an efficient manner. Identify and help address challenges that affect the proper stewardship and optimal utilization of program assets and resources (financial, human, and material). Proactively manage security and mitigate security risks.
• Effectively manage talent and supervise. Manage team dynamics and staff well-being. Provide coaching, strategically tailor individual development plans, and complete performance management for direct reports. Monitor and assess performance to ensure adequate capacity for successful support of high-quality programming. Contribute to staffing plans and recruitment process of senior staff.
• Provide guidance of internal processes for approving expenses, monitoring spending, and making budget adjustments in line with operational and programmatic needs and with donor requirements.
• Contribute to effective staffing of CP needs and adherence to HR systems, policies and practices that support a high-performance culture, staff development and retention. Help assure quality personnel administration and a work environment that truly reflects the agency’s guiding principles.
• Coordinate compliance with agency and donor requirements and local laws and regulations through periodic systems checks, review and assessment of operations policies and procedures. Coordinate response to issues that emerge from internal and external audits and provide guidance to implement improvements.
• Create and maintain the proper conditions for learning – a safe environment for the sharing of ideas, solutions, and difficulties and the capacity to detect, analyze and respond quickly to small deficiencies. Identify capacity strengthening needs and provide guidance for project teams and partners, which includes cross-departmental learning.
• Lead the operational aspects of a country program’s Climate Action strategy with support from the SMT including implement action plans and monitor progress, prioritize entry points and investments for operational efficiency and the reduction of GHG emissions and waste.
• Promote safeguarding at the country program level. Ensure quality implementation of CRS safeguarding policy and principles across operations at both CRS and partner level. With support from technical advisors, ensure capacity building efforts and technical guidance to CRS staff and partners, in line with CRS principles and standards, donor guidelines, and industry best practices.
• Oversee Health, Safety, and Security management. Ensure all staff understand and adhere to CRS staff safety and security policies and plans and ensure the updating of such plans.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Finance, Accounting, or another relevant field. Masters preferred.
• Minimum of 5 years work experience in Operations (human resources, logistics, administration, procurement, security, officer/support level position with progressive responsibilities.)
• Additional education may substitute for some experience; additional experience may substitute for some education.
• Proficient in MS Office package (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Visio), Web Conferencing Applications, and information and budget management systems

Preferred Qualifications

• Management experience a plus. Experience with an NGO preferred.

• Understanding of financial systems, including budgeting and budget/expense analysis experience preferred. Knowledge of Oracle accounting/ERP software or similar financial reporting software a plus.

• Knowledge of multiple public donors’ regulations, including USAID, a plus.

• Staff management experience and abilities that are conducive to a learning environment a preferred.

Required Languages

• Professional proficiency and fluency in written and oral French; Competent in written and oral English

Personal Skills

• Good strategic, analytical, systems thinking, and problem-solving skills and ability to make sound judgment and decisions.
• Good relations management abilities. Ability to work collaboratively
• Ethical conduct in accordance with recognized professional and organizational codes of ethics
• Proactive, resourceful, solutions-oriented and results-oriented

Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff)

These are rooted in the mission, values, and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.

• Integrity

• Continuous Improvement & Innovation

• Builds Relationships

• Develops Talent

• Strategic Mindset

• Accountability & Stewardship

Required Travel: Must be willing and able to travel domestically and internationally up to 20 % of time

Disclaimer: This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position