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Deputy Director of Field Operations
International Rescue Committee (IRC)
Location: Khartoum, Sudan
Last Date: July 3, 2008

The International Rescue Committee currently seeks a Deputy Director of Field Operations for its Sudan program, based in Khartoum.

IRC has been working in Sudan since 1981. Working in many field sites across the country, IRC is currently administering a diverse range of grants totaling more than $20 million from a variety of international, government, and private donors. IRC Sudan employs approximately 800 national staff skilled to operate in a range of sectors, with emphasis on health, water and sanitation, food security, governance, protection and civil society development with a focus on return and resettlement and IDP populations. IRC focuses its work primarily at the grassroots level, dealing with community structures, civil society organizations, and local actors from both the private and public sectors.

SCOPE OF WORK
The Deputy Director of Field Operations (DDFO) will play a central role contributing to the work of IRC Sudan at a challenging and exciting time. Based in Khartoum s/he will be responsible for supporting IRC Sudan’s complex programs in Darfur, North & East Sudan. Working in close hand with the Deputy Director Operations, the DDFO will be specifically responsible for the overall management of the field offices across northern Sudan program. The DDFO reports to the Country Representative. Direct reports to this position will include the Field Coordinators in Darfur, Red Sea, Kassala, Blue Nile and S.Kordofan states.

S/he will work closely with the Field Coordinators and particularly the Deputy Director of Operations, Country Representative, regional management and HQ management in resolving operational issues and preparing/resolving key challenges for Field Operations. Other key relationships will be the Director of Programs, Director of Finance and the Deputy Country Representative based in Juba. The DDFO will have key decision making responsibilities to ensure speedy and professional responses to the Field sites overall, with particular responsibilities to Field Coordinators.

RESPONSIBILITIES
Strategic Planning and Management
• Provide strategic, proactive and supportive leadership to Field Coordinators.
• With the Country Management Team, co-lead the process to develop a Sudan wide Operations strategic plan that will strengthen the IRC’s ability to implement excellent programs in support of the Country Strategic Plan.
• Provide mediation between field coordinators and Khartoum program, operations and finance staff to ensure optimal program operations.
• Ensure that the support functions at the field level are optimally structured and staffed to meet Program requirements.
• Work with the Country Representative, Directors of Finance and Programs to ensure that field support costs are sufficiently budgeted for in grant proposals.
• Establish and build collaborative relationships with headquarter and regional staff.
• Support the Director of Finance (DF) and Director of Programs (DP) in ensuring donor programmatic and operational compliance, including project delivery, procurement, realignment and general issues.
• Support the DDO in establishing operational systems to support new and existing IRC programs that will utilize a “service center” approach with IRC Khartoum operational units.

Policies, Systems and Harmonization
• Use a holistic approach to ensure integrated operational responses to meet the complex needs in the field.
• Ensure IRC Operational policies, including security, HR, logistics, admin and IT, are in place, compliant with IRC and donor policies, and implemented at the field offices.
• Lead efforts to harmonize systems, policies and procedures related to operations throughout the field offices.
• Provide support as requested to IRC Southern Sudan, working closely with the SS DDO.
• Assist the DF and DDO in the facilitation of internal and external audits and oversee any necessary follow-up requirements.

Liaison and Communication
• Ensure that effective channels of internal and external communications are established and respected at the field offices.
• Develop a sound understanding of the IRC’s programs so, as a senior member of the IRC management team, to be able to professionally represent the IRC and the IRC’s interests with implementing partners, government and donor entities.

Capacity Building and Training
• Promote a team approach and a learning culture in all sites to prioritize and ensure responsive, quality support to Program within the IRC Sudan field offices
• Work with DDO, Field Coordinators and HR Coordinator to identify training and staff development needs, and develop initiatives to address those needs with an emphasis on nationalizing.

Reporting
• Generate a monthly field operations report for the senior management team that reviews and analyses key indicators and develops strengthening or corrective actions.
• Develop and / or refine standard functional report formats and ensure timely field reporting to Khartoum.

REQUIREMENTS
• Masters degree in Business Management, Operations or a relevant field.
• At least 3 years of progressive management and leadership experience with several of those years working in an INGO
• Experience managing large and diverse staff in programs with portfolios over $8 million.
• Experience in traditional development organizations and/or non-traditional backgrounds in the private sector with logistics or like industries.
• Experience working with donors including USAID (OFDA), BPRM, UNHCR, UNICEF, DFID, ECHO and EU, and knowledge of specific donor guidelines.
• Strong organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills.
• Ability to work independently while being a strong team player displaying leadership skills.
• Must be culturally sensitive with the ability and interest to identify and work with a multi-ethnic team.
• Strong computer skills: must be competent in the use of Windows XP, MS office programs (Word, Excel), email programs, etc.
• Patience and a sense of humor are a must.


To apply for this position please go online to http://www.theIRC.org, click “Jobs” and search under “Sudan”.