Director of Operations

Major functions

The Director of Operations leads the secretariat’s work in the areas of Finance and Administration which includes the Human Resources (HR) functions, as well as that of IT systems and platforms. Furthermore, the function leads the Secretariat’s work on Quality and Accountability, Membership Management and coordinates the work on Resource Mobilization and donor relationship. The Director of Operations is the Secretariat and Alliance focal point for complaints.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Ensure that the ACT governance and management have in place all relevant policies and procedures enabling sound management of finances and human resources within ACT secretariat
• Establish guidelines for budget and forecast preparation, prepare and manage the annual budget in consultation with the Core Management Team (CMT)
• Develop and maintain timely and accurate financial statements and reports in accordance with contract agreements with funders and generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP)
• Support the CMT in developing and implementing performance management systems and staff development
• Develop and monitor risk management policies and procedures to ensure that financial, programmatic and organizational risks are minimized
• Continuously develop and maintain sustainable, predictable and effective funding mechanisms to the Secretariat and coordinate donor relations to ensure appropriate financial stability of the Alliance
• Oversee and supervise the HR administrative function of the organization, including property and facility management, safety at work, provision of furnishings and equipment necessary for effective operations
• Ensure that the staff is informed, fully understand and comply with staff rules and regulations of the alliance
• Lead the development and implementation of the membership strategy and policy
• Lead the quality and accountability work in the Alliance, including complaints handling
• Enables a culture of learning throughout the alliance, fostering learning communities, enabling learning spaces, facilitating linkages and promoting learning tools and resources
• Builds synergies between ACT members in capacity development, quality and accountability
• Is a member of the ACT Secretariat Core Management Team and the Global Leadership Team

Competences

• Committed to the values of the ACT Alliance and takes pride in delivering on agreed priorities according to the highest standards individually and as part of a global team
• Proactively finds innovative and creative solutions, is efficient and reliable, adapts to change and uncertainty, is decisive and acts with integrity
• Builds effective internal and external relationships, involves others when solving problems and treats others with consideration and respect in an alliance where faith is a key ingredient of people’s lives
• Passion for building and developing core skills for the role and contributes knowledge outside of immediate own role
• Effectively motivates, influences and develops others, drives high performance, inspires people to follow them and acts as a role model

Working relationships

• The Director of Operations establishes and cultivates relations with staff within the decentralized Secretariat
• He/she will liaise with and report to the General Secretary and manage the Secretariat Finance and Operations Team
• The Director of Operations will work closely with his/her colleagues in the CMT, the regional representatives, as well as the Head of Policy and Advocacy, the Head of Humanitarian Affairs and the UN Representative in New York
• Externally, the Director of Operations will liaise with the ACT Governing Board and relevant ACT members in connection with managing member relations and administration. He/She will also liaise with both external and internal donors.

Skills and experiences

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in a finance and operations management role, including an international role
• Relevant degree in finance administration, human resources, general management or business administration
• Technical skills in all aspects of financial management, administration and HR including adequate knowledge of Swiss human resources legislation
• Demonstrated ability to work in multi-cultural environment and/or multi-locational settings using a collaborative approach
• Proven ability to set clear priorities and handle challenging workloads
• Qualified user of financial management and information management systems and applicable administration software packages
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, fluency in English and good working knowledge of French
• Working experience in a faith-based or ecumenical organization is an asset