Systems Director – Burundi & Rwanda At Concern Worldwide

About the role: This is a 24 month, replacement role with accompanied (partner only) terms based in Bujumbura, Burundi with a salary of Grade 5 (€48,648 – €54,053).

You will report to the CD and will line manage all systems staff and work closely with programme staff.

We would like you to start on July 1st 2023.

Concern Worldwide is one of the biggest humanitarian organisations operating in Burundi, where we have been present since 1997. Its operations have grown substantially in the last three years to meet growing challenges in the domains of food security, health, nutrition, and youth reintegration. Concern has also been operating in Rwanda since 1994. In 2016, the two country programmes were merged with Concern’s head office in Bujumbura. The Systems Director, a member of the Senior Management Team (SMT), is pivotal in ensuring the high quality delivery of our humanitarian and development programmes in Burundi and Rwanda by putting efficient and transparent systems for logistics, procurement, HR, IT and security in place. The Systems Director is ultimately responsible for the systems teams in Burundi as well as Rwanda. A key part of this role is therefore direct and remote management of the Burundi and Rwanda systems functions with frequent visits to all field offices.

We are looking for a proactive, passionate, experienced humanitarian with long-standing expertise in systems management (logistics, procurement, HR, IT and security) to help consolidate and grow the Concern programme in Burundi and Rwanda further.

Your purpose:

You are a member of the Senior Management Team and will lead the effective and efficient delivery of Concern’s programmes by managing the support systems required whilst following Concern Worldwide and donor policies and standards.

Among others, your tasks will include:

Systems management

• Reviewing system procedures in all Concern offices with periodic monitoring and support visits;
• Carrying out logistics, admin and security assessments for all new programmes and establishing systems for new locations and interventions;
• Ensuring existing system procedures follow Concern internal policies and procedures as well as best practice;
• Managing information systems to monitor and report on the effectiveness and efficiency of Admin, HR, IT, transport and logistics/ procurement;
• Supervising the Systems teams, including logistics, procurement, HR and ICT specialists based in Bujumbura as well as a Senior Systems Officer based in Rwanda.
• Ensuring each systems team member has a clear objectives and is held accountable for those;
• Monitoring and reviewing team performance, giving corrective feedback where required and taking decisive action in the case of poor performance.

Budget management

• Identifying and implementing potential savings and making recommendations to SMT;
• Preparing administration, transport, and staff budgets and track related expenditure. Proactive identification of issues for discussion with budget holders and SMT;
• Costing systems requirements for funding applications;
• Identifying all donor-specific system requirements to ensure compliance

Office management

• Ensuring adequate supplies, staffing and support systems are in place for all Concern’s premises;
• Ensuring all contracts, including leases for premises are actively managed;
• Ensuring all issues related to government authorisations are managed proactively;
• Ensure all offices and international staff residences meet Concern’s security, health and safety standards.

HR management

• Ensuring Concern is fully compliant with national employment legislation and requirements as well as Concern’s global HR policies and procedures;
• Ensuring the national staff handbooks for both countries are revised and updated regularly in collaboration with Concern’s HQ HR Department and in accordance with the Concern schedule and understood by all staff;
• Ensuring staff are trained on the protection of participants, the code of conduct, and safeguarding procedures and ensure mechanisms to report and reduce potential for abuse are functioning effectively;
• Overseeing and managing grievance and disciplinary procedures;
• Liaising with legal counsel as and when the need arises;
• Leading salary and benefit review processes in collaboration with Concern’s HQ HR Department and ensuring results are analysed and shared with SMT and other staff as appropriate;
• Managing the Health Insurance provision for National Staff;
• Promoting gender equality in the office and organisation;
• Plan and oversee timely recruitments, inductions, contract renewals and exit procedures in collaboration with SMT and hiring managers and in line with internal procedures;
• Ensuring an effective performance development review (PDR) system is in place and ongoing training is provided to line managers and staff;
• Identifying and addressing strategic training needs for all staff;
• Overseeing the administrative and logistics arrangements for incoming international staff and visitors.

Transport management

• Ensuring cost effective maintenance of the Concern Worldwide fleet of vehicles;
• Ensuring accurate and timely transport reports and make any recommendations to SMT;
• Assessing the transport requirements of the country programme on a regular basis and ensuring appropriate solutions are implemented;
• Ensuring the Transport and Fleet Management Policy is revised and updated regularly and that all offices adhere to it.

Procurement and asset management

• Ensuring efficient procurement of goods and services in a transparent and accountable manner, ensuring value for money for the organisation and justifiable use of donor funds;
• Preparing and overseeing an annual procurement plan for each programme;
• Establishing and maintaining a Pre-Qualified Suppliers list;
• Training, supporting and capacity building of personnel involved in procurement;
• Leading on tendering, contracting and international procurement;
• Revising all external contracts to ensure consistency, clarity and to minimise liability for Concern.
• Ensuring a clear, well-documented paper trail in systems files;
• Developing a multi-year plan for asset replacement (fleet and IT);
• Ensuring the Asset Register is updated and managed correctly;
• Ensuring all stores and assets are managed and accounted for in line with Concern and donor policies.

Information Technology

• Ensuring the IT infrastructure, devices, and services adequately support the need in all offices;
• Coordinate with the Regional IT Officer on any outstanding work as appropriate;
• Ensuring Concern’s IT policy and procedures are understood and adhered to by all staff;
• Ensuring provision of effective support systems, enabling the smooth operation of IT systems and management of information (including the servers);
• Developing IT capacity of all staff in using common software packages.

Security Management

• Acting as Security Focal Point (SFP) for Concern Worldwide Burundi and Rwanda and liaise with Security Focal Points from each field office as well as the global Security Advisor;
• Supporting Security Focal Groups in each location and ensure they have the knowledge and information to operate successfully;
• Reviewing and updating of the Concern Worldwide Security Management Plans for both countries regularly in accordance with the Concern schedule and adhered to by all staff;
• Advise the Country Director and the Security Focal Points on handling security incidents and make recommendations on additional rules to be implemented;
• Ensuring all new staff and visitors receive thorough security briefings and sign the briefing forms.

Accountability

In line with Concern’s commitments under the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS):

• Promote and ensure compliance with the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) commitments and quality criteria
• Ensure that all staff are familiar with the principles underpinning accountability, safeguarding and Concern’s Complaints and Response Mechanism (CRM) and ensure that information about Concern’s commitments on accountability and safeguarding are disseminated among programme participants and communities
• Ensure that the CRM is functional, effectively implemented and accessible in all programmes’ locations, enabling safe reporting of both programmatic and sensitive complaints, including safeguarding concerns
• Ensure that complaints are welcomed, managed and responded to in a timely, fair and appropriate manner; ensure that sensitive complaints, including safeguarding concerns, are handled with utmost confidentiality and that the safety of the complainants and those affected is prioritised at all stages.

Your skills and experience will include:

Essential

• Relevant graduate qualification;
• Five years’ experience in a systems/operations position with an international NGO, with two years at a senior level;
• Specialist knowledge and experience in at least two of the following areas: logistics, procurement, HR. Proven experience in resource planning & budget management; and/or tendering & contract management; and/or management of diverse and multi-operational teams;
• Ability to manage heavy workload, work under pressure and to strict deadlines;
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and an ability to motivate others;
• Computer literate and good knowledge of Word and Excel;
• Fluent in both French and English (spoken and written);
• A reliable ‘can-do’ attitude;
• Empathy with Concern’s mission, vision and goals, and our target group.

Desirable:

• Working with major international donors and grants compliance requirements;