Head of Support Services - Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq

Who are we?

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is a leading international humanitarian organization supporting refugees, internally displaced people and communities affected by displacement. DRC has a long-standing presence in Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq, delivering programmes that respond to humanitarian needs while supporting protection, resilience and longer-term solutions for displacement-affected populations.

DRC is moving towards a shared management arrangement across Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq, bringing the three country operations under a more integrated leadership and management structure while maintaining the appropriate operational and legal arrangements in each country.

 About the job

The purpose of the Head of Support Services (HOSS) role is to provide coherent and effective leadership of support functions across the three operations and to enable the new structure to operate efficiently.

The HOSS will lead the development and implementation of harmonized, efficient and fit-for-purpose support services across Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Middle East, Asia and Europe (MEAE) HQ Hub and neighboring country offices where necessary ensuring that systems and resources effectively support programme delivery and organizational priorities. Working closely with the Country Director and senior management, the role will help drive the transition towards shared ways of working, identify opportunities for efficiencies and greater consistency, and ensure strong standards of compliance, risk management and operational support across the three countries and MEAE HQ Hub.  

 

Responsibilities:

Staff Management

• Lead and manage Support Services Department Heads across Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq, including workforce planning, performance, well-being and professional development, while providing technical guidance to the wider support teams.
• Strengthen team capacity through coaching, mentoring, targeted training and regular engagement with country and field offices.
• Promote effective collaboration across the three countries and model DRC’s values, Code of Conduct, and commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Support Services Management

• Provide strategic leadership and, where required, hands-on support across Finance, HR, Supply Chain, Administration and IT, ensuring responsive, effective and sustainable support to programmes and operations across Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq as well as in the MEAE Hub, to best support implementation of strategy
• Strengthen and align support-services systems, processes and controls across the three countries, promoting efficiency and shared approaches where appropriate while responding to different legal, operational and contextual requirements.
• Advise senior management on support-services priorities, compliance, registration, audits, resource management and other operational matters requiring senior-level attention.
• Lead coordinated workforce and resource planning across Finance, Supply Chain, HR, Administration and ICT, ensuring effective financial management and support arrangements across the three countries in line with operational resource plans.
• Ensure effective hosting and operational support to the MEAE HQ Hub, including the support-services arrangements required for Hub staff and functions based in or operating through the three countries.
• Participate as a member of the SMT in the development of the country strategies, annual delivery agreement, and contribute to the strategic leadership of the country programmes.

Operational Management

• Lead short- and long-term operational resource planning, ensuring Support Services enable delivery of country strategies, programmes and projects and maintain sufficient capacity to respond to changing operational needs and emergencies.
• Under supervision of the Country Director, oversee implementation of DRC’s Risk Management Framework across Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq, ensuring robust compliance and internal controls, with country-level mitigation measures managed through the responsibilities set out under Risk Management.
• Ensure relevant policies, standard operating procedures and administrative systems comply with national legislation, donor requirements and DRC organisational standards. In collaboration with the Country Director, lead on managing legal issues and relationships with legal counsel.
• Regularly review and improve Country SOPs to ensure the internal control environment is strengthened as well as develop policies as required where gaps are noted.
• Oversee internal and external audits and ensure timely implementation of corrective actions and recommendations, escalating systemic or significant issues to the HQ/ MEAE HQHub as appropriate.
• Contribute to project development, budgeting and resource-allocation decisions and work closely with programme colleagues to ensure Support Services effectively enable programme delivery, localisation and partnerships.
• Ensure that DRC retains and continually develops its operational capacity to provide rapid emergency response in particular within its procurement and HR systems.Ensure that the country master budget is updated on a regular basis and is used to adequately prepare project proposals  to manage resources efficiently.
• Contribute to organisational development initiatives and deputise for the Country Director when formally requested.

Risk Management

• Support the Country Director and Senior Management Team in external engagement with donors and authorities on compliance, registration and audit matters. 
• As part of the internal and external audit oversight described under Operational Management, supervise audits and controls relating to DRC’s operational standards within Support Services and follow up implementation of corrective actions. 
• Support Senior Management to ensure risk register is up to date and action plans are implemented accordingly. 
• Develop a country risk management plan identifying major financial and operational risks and implement a mitigation strategy, linked to the risk register and action plans maintained with Senior Management. 
• Participate in audit kick-off and exit meetings and ensure cooperation at all time during every audit field works. Lead on providing management response on each audit report
• Supervision, audits and controlling and implementation of corrective actions related to DRC’s operational standards within support area. This also includes ensuring the timely implementation of DRC’s internal audit and external audit recommendations and contextualize HQ understanding of local challenges.

DRC Dynamics ERP System

• Ensure relevant teams across Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq use DRC Dynamics effectively and consistently.
• Use system reporting and data to strengthen management oversight, decision-making and operational performance.
• Act as a lead user for relevant Projects and Finance functions and coordinate technical follow-up with the HQ/MEAE HQ Hub where required.

             

About you

To be successful in this role we expect the following:

Required

• Minimum 7 years’ relevant experience, including substantial senior-level experience managing Support Services within an international NGO.
• Demonstrated experience managing multi-functional Support Services within an INGO with an institutional donor portfolio, including responsibility for donor compliance, financial and operational controls.
• Minimum 4 years’ people-management experience, with proven ability to lead, develop and support diverse teams.
• Strong operational management experience, including in complex and emergency settings, with the ability to provide strategic leadership and hands-on support where required.
• Proactive, solutions-focused and change-oriented leadership style, with the ability and willingness to take the lead, make necessary changes and drive improvements.
• Strong communication, negotiation, planning and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and work effectively with country teams, partners, authorities, donors and other stakeholders.

Desirable

• Extensive professional experience and strong technical expertise in Finance and/or Supply Chain.
• Knowledge of and ability to manage Microsoft Dynamics 365 ERP is a distinct advantage, particularly across Finance, Supply Chain and related operational functions.         

 

Languages

• Proficiency in English required while other proficiency in Arabic is an advantage

 

In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’ five core competencies: 

• Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process. 
• Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback. 
• Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation. 
• Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly. 
• Demonstrating integrity: You uphold and promote the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation to our values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.

 

Education

• A Master’s Degree or advanced professional qualification in Finance, Business Administration, or Logistics Management

 

We offer

• Contract length: 12 months contract (Renewable based on funds)
• Band: Management - E1
• Duty Station: Amman – Jordan
• Designation of Duty Station: Unaccompanied – Family Duty Station
• Start date: January 01, 2027

Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for national and expatriate employees.

 

Application process

All applicants must upload a cover letter and an updated CV (no longer than four pages) in English. Applications sent by email will not be considered.

Closing date for applications: November 19, 2026

For further information about the Danish Refugee Council, please consult our website drc.ngo.

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