Operations Manager

The Market Development Facility (MDF), an Australian Government funded initiative, aims to:

• Create additional employment and income earning opportunities for poor women and men through broad- based and sustainable pro-poor growth;
• Improving the competitiveness and growth potential of rural and urban sectors of the economy in which the poor are involved as producers and workers;
• Trigger lasting 'systemic' changes in the markets systems around these sectors to reduce constraints to growth and to increase their capacity to innovate and deal with competitive, regulatory, social and environmental pressures, so that the benefits for the poor will sustain and expand in time.

The Facility is committed to implementing a systems approach to stimulating pro-poor growth:

• Rather than working with the poor directly, the Facility will seek to develop partnerships with players in the private and public sectors with the ability and leverage to trigger lasting systemic changes that create broad-based, sustainable pro-poor growth.
• With each partner, the Facility will design and negotiate detailed action plans, which include clear financial and resource commitments, to arrive at appropriate, innovative and sustainable solutions.
• Sector players take the lead in implementing and the Facility's role is limited and short-term.

MDF is a multi-country facility, currently operational in Fiji, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka and Timor-Leste. Each country has its own Country Team (CT) on the ground. A Core Leadership Team (CLT), led by the Team Leader, works across all MDF partner countries to ensure uniformity and integration of approach and systems across countries. MDF can be scaled up to support further market development activities both in existing countries and in additional countries as needed.

As a multi-country facility, MDF offers opportunities for career progression, including possible relocations to other MDF country offices, if in line with programme needs. The Operations Manager role will be located in Lahore for a minimum of 12 months. Location may be reviewed at a later date in collaboration with the incumbent if  and when the  needs of an expanding multi-country programme require such a review.

Assignment Objectives:

The Operations Manager will be based in the MDF Pakistan office in Lahore, and will work alongside and coordinate a central operational team consisting of the Central Facility Accountant, Central Procurement and Contracting Specialist and Central HR Administration Specialist. This team supports operational delivery throughout MDF.

The Operations Manager will provide overall coordination of the administrative, logistical (including security and IT), financial management, procurement, and human resource management functions necessary to provide a stable, uniform and integrated operational platform for technical activities across all MDF countries that is conducive to its implementation approach. The Operations Manager will continuously monitor the MDF operational systems to ensure they remain flexible and responsive to the needs of country teams and are conducive to a flexible program implementation approach. The Operations Manager will also provide capacity development support to Country Team and Facility-wide operations personnel. 

MDF is a fast-paced work environment in which Country Teams work in a dynamic, ‘business-like’ fashion with their partners and travel to the field whenever required. Operations, under the direction of the Operations Manager, should support this dynamic environment in all its facets whilst at the same time ensuring that MDF systems are robust and comply with relevant MDF manuals, DFAT requirements, the Australian Government Commonwealth Grant and Procurement Guidelines and Palladium corporate requirements.

To achieve this, the role will be hands-on, enhancing and managing the integration of processes and systems as necessary, and coordinating project operational delivery, with a focus on supporting an operational performance culture that is proactive, creative and flexible. 

This in turn will be achieved through building the operational capacity of relevant in-country roles (such as operations administrators and accountants) and working in close collaboration with these personnel as well as their respective Country Representatives, the MDF Team Leader, Deputy Team Leader/s and Head Office staff. Emphasis is placed on ensuring compliance with all DFAT and Government of Australia regulations, head contract stipulations and relevant Managing Contractor procedures. Value for money in all procurement must be ensured.

The Operations Manager will be required to travel extensively to all MDF partner countries.

Reporting to the Team Leader and serving as a member of the CLT, this is an outstanding opportunity for a seasoned professional who has managed operations for complex, multi-county programmes, has private sector operational/business administration experience and a proven track record of creative problem-solving and change management.

Key responsibilities

The Operations Manager will focus on:

Operational Coordination

a)       Provide overall coordination and increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the administrative, logistical (including security and IT), financial management, procurement, and human resource management functions. Where required, lead the establishment of new country offices in advance of country team arrivals in MDF countries. 

b)      Improve productivity and efficiency using appropriate technologies, processes and systems.

c)       Ensure compliance with all administrative and financial requirements of the head contract in collaboration with Palladium, the Facility-wide operations team, Country Representatives, and country finance and operations teams. 

Financial Management

a)       Monitor financial processes to ensure a uniform and integrated day‐to‐day financial management of program activities and operations across all MDF countries, applying consistency in accounting policies and procedures in accordance with international accounting standards.

b)      Support the Central Facility Accountant to:

-          Oversee overall financial management, planning, systems and controls.

-          Ensure adequate controls are installed and that substantiating documentation is approved and available such that all purchases may pass independent and governmental audits.

-          Ensure compliance with all administrative and financial requirements of the head contract in collaboration with Country Representatives and Country Accountants.

-          Prepare financial reports, including variance reports, for Head Office, the Team Leader and ensure the accuracy and quality of financial reports provided to DFAT.

-          Ensure that activity financial management, including budget management, estimates of expenditure, acquittal and invoicing processes are timely, accurate and of a high standard.

-          Support Country Teams to develop and submit funds requests to the Managing Contractor at agreed intervals and in line with available budget.

-          Coordinate the annual Facility-wide annual budget planning and ongoing review processes.

-          Oversee the coordination and activities of internal and independent auditors and, in collaboration with Head Office, review and respond to audit reports and ensure auditors’ recommendations for improvement are implemented.

Procurement

a)       Monitor the MDF procurement system to ensure it is clear, comprehensive and consistent with Australia’s Commonwealth Procurement Guidelines and conducive to a flexible program implementation approach.

b)      Support the Central Procurement Specialist to:

-          Monitor the MDF procurement system to ensure it is clear, comprehensive and consistent with Australia’s Commonwealth Procurement Guidelines and conducive to a flexible program implementation approach; oversee the procurement of goods, services and works at both the individual country and Facility‐wide levels. 

-          Oversee the procurement of goods, services and works at both the individual country and Facility‐wide levels. This includes developing contracts, Deeds of Standing, Tasking Notes etc. and any required amendments for Short-Term Advisers, subcontractors, panel members, service providers, and see them through compliance and approval processes.

-          Support CTs throughout tender and sub‐contracting processes, including supporting the development of scopes of work, seeking vendors, assessing proposals, awarding contracts, and ensuring delivery of required works or services.

-          Coordinate annual insurance policy renewal exercises with all MDF offices and ensure that all insurance coverage is adequate, rational and in line with Managing Contractor requirements.

-          Coordinate annual quotation exercise with all MDF offices to select preferred suppliers for regularly purchased goods and services (purchased outside of an established contractual relationship).

-          Where required, establish fully functional offices in advance of country team arrivals in new MDF countries.

-          Ensure measures are in place and followed to prevent misuse, inappropriate, or non‐allowed use of funds and ensure MDF personnel comply with Fraud and Corruption guidelines.

-          Oversee ongoing management of MDF country office asset registers and assets, including documentation of required maintenance and disposal for all MDF offices.

Human Resource Management

a)       Monitor HR systems including documentation and communication of guidelines and processes to ensure uniform and integrated day‐to‐day HR management across all MDF countries.

b)      In collaboration with the Team Leader/Deputy Team Leader provide first-line information and advice to CLT members regarding HR administration and management.

c)       Support the Central HR Administration Specialist to:

-          Develop employment contracts and contract amendments for Long-Term Advisers and Locally Engaged Staff, see them through compliance and approval processes.

-          Facilitate adherence of all members of the MDF team to the HR Administration documentation requirements in compliance with MDF operational guidelines and to maintain an accurate and up-to date centralised archive of all MDF country office HR files.

-          Coordinate with Country Representatives and Office Administrators/Managers to ensure that the police clearance process required by the Managing Contractor's Criminal Record Check Policy for all Locally-Engaged Staff every five years.

-          Work with Country Representatives and Office Administrators/Managers to maintain a schedule of performance review due dates and ensure all required documentation is completed and centrally archived as required.

-          Collect monthly data from Country Representatives and Office Administrators/Managers and maintain a central database of training records.

Administration, Logistics (including security) and IT

Administration and logisitics:

a)       Monitor the MDF administration systems to ensure they remain flexible and responsive to the needs of country teams and are and conducive to a flexible program implementation approach.

b)      Support Operations Administrators to:

-          Ensure the smooth daily operation of each MDF country office, including maintenance of electronic and paper filing systems as defined by the MDF Operations Manual.

-          Coordinate maintenance of IT and communication systems.

-          Work proactively with colleagues to ensure effective coordination, management, planning and monitoring of logistics in support of travel and event management.

-          Undertake procurement and ongoing management of assets, including documentation of required specifications, procurement, maintenance and disposal for the MDF country office in line with MDF procurement policies.

-          Work with Country Representatives to facilitate HR administration including logistical support and record keeping for recruitment, performance reviews, training and end of service processes.

Security:

a)       Monitor MDF security systems, including documentation and communication of guidelines and processes, to ensure comprehensive day‐to‐day security management across all MDF countries.

b)      Coordinate development of a comprehensive MDF security manual and processes relevant to each MDF location, incorporating an annual review/revision process.

-          Ensure that regular briefings and training on security management are provided as required to Security Anchors and other staff.

-          MDF’s operating environments in all locations are regularly assessed and any changes that impact operations are reported.

-          Ensure all international visitors to any MDF location receive an appropriate security briefing including personal security and MDF SOPs.

Information Technology:

a)       Improve productivity and efficiency using appropriate technologies, processes and systems, this will include proactive engagement with Palladium’s enterprise resource planning system and the development, maintenance and application of a planned management information system for the Facility.

b)      Identify technology to support streamlining of operational functions, including, but not limited to MangoApps, with a focus on forms, approval processes, implementation planning and progress reporting.

Build capacity of the central operations team

a)       Ensure that they are extremely fluent with relevant operational policies, processes and compliance requirements and that they are applied in a standardised and transparent manner.

b)      Provide ongoing, consistent mentoring to ensure they have the skills and confidence to transfer this knowledge to and support the learning of other staff as required.

c)       Support capacity development in strategic analysis, planning and management practices and principles that will enable them to continue to contribute to the development of MDF operations processes and systems. 

Selection Criteria:

• Strong qualifications and a minimum of ten years of experience in administrative, logistical, financial management, procurement, human resource management and program management functions on DFAT programs and private sector operational/business administration.
• A proven track record of operations systems development, creative problem-solving and change management in a mid-size organisation experiencing rapid growth. 
• Client focused and solution-oriented, with exceptional organisational development, planning and decision-making skills.
• Excellent skills in effective leadership, communication and coordination in cross-cultural environments, with internal teams and external stakeholders.
• Understanding of multi-jurisdiction program management and use of decentralised management systems to mitigate operational risks.
• Demonstrated experience in managing the procurement and mobilisation of quality inputs into a major development project.
• Extensive managerial experience in establishing and maintaining operations systems, conducting compliance and quality control checks.
• Demonstrated experience in the use of accounting principles, conducting reconciliations, financial, compliance and efficiency/effectiveness audits, financial monitoring and risk management.
• Demonstrated understanding and experience of capacity development approaches and the ability to utilise a range of techniques to increase the confidence, skills and action of colleagues and team members.
• A high degree of personal initiative, lateral thinking, and ability to work under pressure to meet deadlines.
• Willingness to travel and stay in MDF countries for reasonable periods to implement procedures and systems, train staff or undertake trouble shooting.
• High level of knowledge of Microsoft Office and QuickBooks.

Application Requirements:

Applications should be emailed to [email protected]. Please quote ‘MDF Operation Manager’ in the subject line.

The deadline for submission of applications, including an up-to-date CV, is 31^st August 2017.