Support Services Manager

Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is a Danish international non-governmental organisation, which promotes and supports durable solutions to the problems faced by refugees and internally displaced people all over the world. DRC is present in more than 30 conflict territories around the world assisting displaced people with shelter, food, income generating activities, and wide range of other assistance. It is of utmost importance for DRC to work in compliance with the DRC Accountability and Quality Management system and national legislations. Smooth, reliable, and effective operational systems are preconditions for DRC to maintain its position as a trustworthy and reliable partner for our donors and an accountable organisation towards our beneficiaries.  

DRC has been operating in the West Africa region for over 15 years, running a combination of emergency, livelihood, protection, and advocacy programmes through Country Offices (COs) Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria and a Regional Office (RO) in Abidjan. DRC has 17 offices and more than 500 staff members across the WA region.

DRC started operating in Nigeria in 2015 where plans to run a combination of emergency, livelihood, WASH, protection, and advocacy programmes has been set. DRC currently has offices in Abuja, Yola, Mubi, Maiduguri and planning to run an office in Yobe, besides 50 staff members subject to increase in near future.

Overall purpose of the role: This role has an area focus and ensures compliance to DRC procedures and guidelines within the area. The role contributes to the development of area strategies, which are translated into action plans and day-to-day tasks. The role provides support and/or technical guidance to base operations.

Duties and Responsibilities

Planning and strategy

• To ensure that annual planning for support services is completed, that regular targets are met and linked to the program needs and coordination unit for country-wide consistency.
• To ensure that project planning includes relevant support service requirements (such as lead times and appropriate budgets).
• To ensure that resource mobilisation is realistic and meets the needs of support functions, by using the operations budget to input to donor proposals.
• To ensure that support services are fit for purpose to meet programme needs.
• To be the focal point for the compliance self-check, internal audit and results contracts.
• Ensure the capacity building of the support personnel with the area office

Finance

• To serve as primary budget holder for all support service lines.
• To be responsible for budget monitoring and forecasting for support service budgets.
• To work with managers and team leaders to conduct budget monitoring of existing grants.
• To support Area Finance staff in area tasks, building their capacity and connecting them with the Country Finance Manager where required.
• To ensure that key finance tasks are completed (such as the monthly, periodic and annual reports).
• To work with finance to ensure programme teams clearly understand compliance requirements.
• To ensure that monthly finance tasks are completed on the area level (payroll, SOS, PIT, cashbooks and cash forecasts) and in line with Operations Handbook procedures.
• To conduct area level BFU meetings on a monthly basis, ensuring expenses and forecasts are reviewed by budget managers and comments are added where needed.

HR Support

• To ensure that monthly reports and produced and that targets are met by the department, while being a link to the HR coordination unit.
• To ensure that HR tasks are completed on time (such as staff induction, Code of Conduct training and leave planning).
• To ensure that annual HR tasks are completed as per the Operations Handbook (e.g., Performance & Development Reviews).
• To ensure the HR team fulfils daily tasks, such as recruitment, contract renewal/ amendments, timesheet submission and leave tracking.

Administration support

• To be the focal point for key administrative tasks.
• To oversee the team to ensure follow up on routine tasks are carried out (guesthouse supplies, phone credit purchase, utilities bill payments, rental and lease agreements).

Supply Chain support

• To ensure procurement procedures are followed while being the focal point for tenders together with the coordination unit (including being a chairman for most major tenders).
• To ensure area procurement plans are finalized, closely monitored, updated as and when required.
• To closely follow department KPIs and ensure that monthly report submissions are timely and of high quality.
• To work with the teams to ensure each of the sub departments (procurement, fleet, assets, warehouse and maintenance) have targets and are meeting them, in line with Operation Handbook procedures.
• To ensure area supply and logistic teams are trained and their technical capacity strengthened.

As Manager the post-holder is responsible for the following:

• Accountable for achieving DRC’s strategic goals and objectives within the area of responsibility.
• Accountable for making significant decisions on what the unit does: its purpose, functions and role, and for making commitments and decisions that require the expenditure of significant unit resources.
• Accountable for people management of direct reports, at least 3 employees including Team Leaders and officers. This includes hiring & firing, objective setting, probation, performance appraisal, development of staff, managing performance, including poor performance, etc.
• Accountable for making sound decisions based on DRC policies, SOPs, standards, and the advice of technical experts in DRC

Other

• The responsibilities listed in the JD are not exhaustive and may be readjusted according to operational needs but will remain in line with the overall purpose of the role.

Experience and technical competencies

Essential

• Strong technical background (3+ years) in one of the support functions (Finance, HR or Logistics) with 2 years' experience in similar role an asset
• At least 2 years' experience with people management or demonstrable experience in staff capacity building
• Experience with Microsoft Dynamics in a humanitarian context is required
• Experience with budget cycle, monitoring processes, and project cycle management
• Possessing a strong degree of honesty and integrity, and a solid sense of ethics including the ability to appropriately handle confidential information.

Desirable

• Knowledge of code of conduct principles and the HR systems for performance management
• Knowledge of key donor policy and compliance procedures
• Knowledge of supply chain management and procurement processes

• Past experience with DRC in a similar role
• Previous experience as support services management is an asset

Education

• Master's degree in relevant area, or bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, supply chain management, human resources, business administration, economics will suffice with an additional 2 years of commensurate experience.

Languages

• Proficiency in spoken and written English
• Hausa highly desirable and any other language

All DRC roles require the post-holder to master DRC’s core competencies:

• Striving for excellence: Focusing on reaching results while ensuring efficient processes.
• Collaborating: Involving relevant parties and encouraging feedback.
• Taking the lead: Taking ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.
• Communicating listening and speaking effectively and honestly.
• Demonstrating integrity: Acting in line with DRC’s vision and values

Deadline: Applications close on the 28th of January 2024 at midnight (GMT time).

Note: Applications will be reviewed on rolling bases due to the urgency, therefore a candidate who closely meets the requirements may be selected before the above deadline.

• Only short-listed applicants will be invited for written tests and oral interviews.
• For general information about the Danish Refugee Council, please consult: www.drc.dk