Support Service Director

26-July-2024

About Action Against Hunger 

Action Against Hunger is an international, non-governmental humanitarian organization that takes decisive action against the causes and effects of hunger through implementing relief and development programs in different countries of the world.

Action Against Hunger was established in 1979 and has led the global fight against hunger for more than 40 years in over 50 countries, saving the lives of children and working with communities before and after disasters to enable people provide for themselves, see their children grow up strong and build prosperous communities. Working with communities in such humanitarian context, we recognize that our programs and operations put out teams in contact with children and vulnerable adults who may be particularly at risk of harm and abuse.

About the Country Program in Ethiopia 

Action Against Hunger’s Ethiopia country office was established in 1985 in response to severe drought and subsequent famine, implementing relief and development projects in Tigray, Amhara and Oromia regions. Action against Hunger currently operates in six regions of Ethiopia (Amhara, Benishangul Gumuz, Gambella, Somali, Oromia and Tigray) and in Addis Ababa city administration responding to different crisis and building people’s resilience through a multi-sectoral strategy where nutrition, Food Security and Livelihoods, WASH, and Mental Health and Psychosocial Support activities are integrated to have a meaningful impact on people’s resilience.

With more than 8,900+staff in over 50 countries, last year, we helped 28 million children and their families across 55 countries. We have a country team of over 900 staff in 17 regional and satellite offices. Our main donors in Ethiopia in 2023/24 are BHA, ECHO, EU RESET, UNHCR, UNICEF, GAC, GFFO, BPRM, SIDA, EHF, FAO, WFP, CIAA, Dutch Government and others.

I. Summary of position   

As member of the Senior Management Team, the Support Services Director will be based in Addis Ababa with frequent travels to the field. He/She will oversee supply chain, logistical support to program activities and ICT in adherence to the laid down policies and procedures. S/he will provide direct operational support (logistics, administration, ICT and Security) in program implementation and delivery in Ethiopia. The Support Services Director reports to the Country Director.

Purpose

The Support Services Director provides leadership and management of supply chain, logistics, ICT and security management to ensure quality support to program delivery in line with Action Against Hunger Ethiopia Country Strategy, internal policies, good practice and donor guidelines. She/he will follow up on implementation of internal and external audit recommendations in operational areas. The Support Services Director will support the Country Director to ensure all program interventions are implemented and delivered timely and of quality at field level.

Engagement

The Support Services Director will represent Action Against Hunger in coordination and planning engagements with relevant stakeholders in areas of logistics, supply chain, ICT and security management. In addition, the position holder will provide operational support to Field Coordinators on program delivery, track and support the implementation.

She/he will externally engage and liaise with local authorities, donors, humanitarian actors and other stakeholders at Country and State levels for exchange of information. 

Delivery

The position holder will establish performance metrics, which will support sustained delivery in line with beneficiaries’ needs and broader departmental needs, create where needed and adapt operations processes, procedures and approaches that accelerate timely and quality delivery of services.

Establishes quality standards that ensure substantive deliverables are consistent and uphold the organization reputation; turns new concepts/approaches into functional reality through creation of metrics and standards that enable program/service delivery

II. Essential Job Functions: Supply chain, logistics, ICT and security management:

• Oversee operational support (supply chain, logistics and ICT) for timely and quality program and service delivery in line with the objectives of the country strategy
• Take lead of safety and security policy implementation and operational support to enable safest and most effective implementation of programs and activities.
• Analyze security trends, advise, update and implement Action Against Hunger Security Management Plan, SOPs, and contingency plan 
• Streamline humanitarian access approaches in line with humanitarian principles, humanitarian needs 
• In close coordination with the Program Director, Technical Leads, Heads of Finance and HR, participate in program proposal process and ensure that all programs progress in accordance with grant agreements.
• Work with Program Director, contribute to conceptualizing and designing cost effective, innovative and high-quality programs
• Manage the Country Office Logistics department ensuring that all logistics activities (fleet, equipment, supply chain, ICT/IS, base setup etc) are coordinated
• Build a high performing Supply Chain & logistics team, capable of gearing up to provide a humanitarian response when necessary, ensuring that the Program secures value for money at all times and that Action Against Hunger procedures and processes are followed to the letter with zero audit findings.
• Oversee the day-to-day management of the ICT department ensuring it is adequately resourced and contributes to program planning and implementation using technology and where feasible encourage innovation
• Develop and implement an Internal Control/Audit Framework and produce reports with recommendations on areas that need improvement on logistics and security procedures and policies to ensure compliance and reduce the risk of fraud, abuse, and waste.
• Lead in periodic compliance reviews ensuring work is carried out ethically and in compliance with national and international laws and regulations, professional standards, accepted business practices, and internal policies and procedures.

III. Supervisory Responsibilities

• The Support Services Director will directly line-manage the Logistics Head of Department, the ICT manager, the Safety and Access manager, and the Safeguarding Manager. 

IV. Physical Demands

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to sometimes sit for long periods and to concentrate on work, including typing, and turn out heavy volumes of work accurately, within short time frames under stressful situations. Interruptions. Must be able to proofread own work accurately so that only minor corrections are needed on an infrequent basis. 
• To travel to the field, the employee must attest to a level of physical fitness capable of enduring physically difficult, highly stressful situations, which may include the necessity to walk long distances, to eat a limited diet and/or to reside in potentially uncomfortable housing or tents. 
• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

V. Working Conditions, Travel and Environment:

• The duties of the job require regular job attendance at least five days per week. Must be available to work outside normal office hours or on the weekends as required.
• Must be able to travel as required in any part of the Country where the team will be deployed. While performing the duties of this job in the field, the employee may be exposed to precarious settings under high security risks and/or very basic living conditions and outside weather conditions, as well as infectious diseases.
• All Action Against Hunger employees are required to engage with and follow the performance management program in place.

VI. Gender Equality and Safeguarding Commitments:

• Fostering environment that supports values of women and men’s equal access to information.
• Provides an environment where women and men must be promoted based on the performance objectives.
• Respect for beneficiaries, women, men, children (boys & girls) regardless of gender, sex, disability, religion, etc.
• Value and respect for all cultures.
• Promote and uphold the PSEA policy and procedures

VII. Fiscal Responsibility

• This position will be responsible to develop all operations budget both at coordination and field level during proposal and Country Financing Plans (CFP) development stage
• Directly manages all operational budget lines at coordination level and support Heads of Bases in managing operations and program delivery budget lines effectively and in transparent ways.

VIII. Required Qualifications and Professional Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in social /development/Humanitarian studies/Operations and Supply Chain or other related field
• Previous experience in logistics management & program cycle management.

Required Skills, Competencies & Attributes:

• Minimum 5 years’ INGO experience in a management role, preferably as Head of Operations Department, Head of Logistics or Field Coordinator
• Robust experience of NGO program cycle management, and with experience of working within a complex and matrix organization structure
• Substantial experience in logistics, including procurement, supply chain, fleet management & inventory, ICT and Information System (IS)
• Significant knowledge of international humanitarian systems, institutions and donors, and of procedures, accountability frameworks
• Good experience and knowledge of effective financial and budgetary control and securing and managing grants from major institutional donors
• Solid safety and security management experience in complex and conflict location
• Good anticipation, planning skills, especially in changing work contexts.
• Experience communicating in different cultural work environments
• Good communicator: verbal and written
• Highly organized, detail oriented and able to work under pressure.
• Candidates must have a strong understanding & experience of Humanitarian Principles
• Experience working in high security demanding environments

How To Apply

                   APPLICATION PROCEDURE

If you are interested, please send your application composed of nonreturnable CV, a Covering Letter with “Support Service Director-Addis Ababa” written in the subject line, and three references, applicants to the following addresses:

Through www.ethiojobs.net 

Deadline: Sunday 04-August-2024

NB: Only shortlisted applicants will be communicated, and the selection process includes a 

technical test and an interview.