Systems Director - Kenya

Reference:

DK/SD/KEN

Country:

Kenya

Job Title:

Systems Director

Contract Grade: C

Contract Length: 24 months

New Post or Replacement: New Post

Accompanied / Unaccompanied: Accompanied

Exact Job Location: Nairobi, Kenya (with significant travel to field offices in Kenya approximately 30-50%)

Reports To: Country Director (CD)

Responsible For: All systems functions including Finance, HR and Admin and Logistics. Direct reports: Country Financial Controller; Human Resources and Administration Coordinator, Logistics Manager

Liaises With: Director Programmes, Area Coordinators, Dublin advisors

Job Purpose: The post holder will ensure that Concern Worldwide Kenya has a robust, compliant and integrated system that effectively and efficiently delivers support services to enable programmatic objectives to be achieved. This will entail management of the following departments; Finance, Human Resources, Administration, Logistics including transport and IT. It will include coaching and mentoring of all the systems staff within and outside Nairobi. The post holder will be responsible for ensuring that policies, procedures and manuals are reviewed on a regular basis, updated as needed and rolled-out across the organisation and that the skills and knowledge are in place to be compliant with these policies. The Systems Director is a member of the Kenya Senior Management Team and will contribute to the implementation of the Country Strategic Plan, its growth and development.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Systems Reviews

• To ensure compliance (donor and Concern policy) review systems and procedures in all locations through periodic monitoring and support visits and follow up from internal audit findings.
• Lead on systems aspects of change management processes.
• Carry out a logistics, admin and security assessment for all new programmes and oversee establishment of systems for new locations and interventions.
• Put in place management information systems to monitor and regularly report on the effectiveness and efficiency of admin, HR, IT, transport and logistics, and security functions.
• To oversee drafting of all external contracts to ensure consistency, clarity and minimize liability for Concern.
• To ensure finance functions are clear

Finance

• Oversee the functioning of the finance department.
• Lead the development of a system of internal compliance both within Concern and within its partners involving all members of systems and finance teams.
• Put in place mechanisms to understand strategic finance issues enabling informed decision making (eg. What proportion of donor funding covers our actual administration support costs? Why do our transport and admin costs consistently exceed ceilings? Etc)
• Trigger donor budget decisions – budget realignments, no cost extension requests – and drive their timely completion.
• Ensure timely completion and submission of financial requirements both internally and externally.
• Track and provide regular updates on audit recommendations
• Follow partner finance issues arising

Budget management

• Promote a value for money approach through working with heads of departments to analyse systems costs centres, identifying potential savings and either implementing cost saving measures or making recommendations to CMT.
• In collaboration with system and programmes staff, lead the preparation of administration and transport budgets and track related expenditure. Guide heads of systems departments on proactively identifying issues for discussion with budget holders and CMT.
• Lead heads of departments to develop and update standard costings for transport, administration, etc to facilitate proposal development for funding applications. Review budgets for all funding applications before submission ensuring a maximisation of cost recovery from donors.
• For all new donor contracts, conduct a review of and summarise donor conditions ensuring communication to all the relevant personnel in all departments to ensure compliance throughout the duration of the project.
• Monitor donor compliance.

International Staff Administration

• Ensure that visas and work permits for Concern Worldwide Kenya are obtained in a timely manner.
• Ensure all international staff houses meet security, health and safety standards.
• Oversee the identification and management of residences for International staff.
• Management of Health Care provision for International staff.
• Support flights and other travel arrangements
• Oversee the logistics arrangements for visitors including security and Programme Participant Protection Policy briefings.
• Strengthen security compliance within Concern Kenya. Conduct periodic security audits to reinforce compliance.
• Establish a system to ensure all visitors to Kenya have CD approval and security clearance.
• Keep international staff manual, Kenya component, up to date and compliant with HQ and national laws.

Office Management

· Oversee the on-going maintenance and running of Concern’s premises (offices and residences) ensuring that adequate supplies, staffing and support systems are in place

• Ensure the leases for all premises are actively managed, ensuring payments (including taxes) are processed on a timely basis and that contract renewals are assessed and implemented or amended on a timely basis
• Ensure that all issues related to government authorisations (such as work permits, licences on communications equipment, legal registration, annual returns etc) are managed proactively.
• Ensure all offices meet security, health and safety standards.
• Contribute to a working environment in all Concern offices that reflects Concern’s values, motivates staff and encourages good performance.
• Work to improve the image of Concern through a well organised, well maintained, and visually aesthetic office environment.

Human Resources

• Ensure that Concern Kenya is fully compliant with all national employment legislation and requirements.
• Ensure adherence to Concern global HR policies and procedures (HR policy, Competency Framework, People in Need, Equality Policy, HIV & AIDs policy, Programme Participant Protection Policy, anti-fraud policy)
• Oversee the focal point for the Programme Participant Protection Policy (P4) to ensure that staff are trained and that P4 representatives are established in each office and that mechanisms to report and reduce potential for abuse are functioning clearly.
• Oversee implementation of the Concern Kenya HIV & AIDS workplace policy.
• To promote a culture of accountability within Concern, ensuring compliance with Humanitarian Accountability Partnership benchmarks.
• Oversee the roll-out of complaints mechanisms and oversee grievance and disciplinary procedures
• Advise the Country Director and CMT on key issues and proposed changes with regard to national employment legislation.
• Lead any salary and benefit review processes, including the Birches survey, and ensure that data and information is submitted and that results are analysed and shared with CMT and other staff as appropriate.
• Manage the Health Insurance provision for National Staff.
• Review and strengthen system to identify, attract and retain good staff to the Concern Kenya programme and promote a gender balance at all levels in the workforce.
• Agree targets with CMT for recruitment and ensure these are met.
• Ensure an effective performance development review (PDR) system is in place and that ongoing training is provided to line managers and all staff.
• Develop, support implementation of and monitor of annual Staff Training and Development Plans, based on information coming from the PDR process and identified strategic training needs for Concern Kenya.

Transport

• Ensuring the cost effective maintenance of the Concern Worldwide Kenya fleet of vehicles.
• Ensure all monthly transport reports on fuel usage, mileage, repairs and maintenance for each vehicle are accurate and submitted in a timely manner and review these for any potential issues. Provide regular reports and recommendations to CMT.
• Assess the transport requirements of the country programme on a regular basis and ensure that appropriate solutions (eg vehicle rental arrangements, transfers between country programme locations, vehicle procurement to increase the fleet and vehicle replacement plan) are implemented on a timely basis to meet these needs.
• Ensuring that all offices adhere to the Transport and Fleet Management Policy.
• Establish a system to maximise use of Concern transport and minimise use of hired vehicles.

Procurement and Logistics

• Manage the Logistics and Procurement Officer (s).
• Ensuring efficient procurement of goods and services in a transparent and accountable manner, ensuring value for money for the organisation and justifiable use of donor funds.
• In collaboration with budget holders prepare an annual procurement plan for each programme.
• Establish and maintain a Pre-Qualified Suppliers list
• Ensuring all procurement adheres to Concern policies and relevant donor policies. Carry out training, support visits and process checks for local and HO personnel involved in procurement
• Providing regular updates and overseeing procurement planning.
• Pro-actively review service provision to ensure it is effective and cost efficient.
• Agree procurement targets with CMT and ensure these are met.
• Lead on tendering and related contracting
• Ensure the Logistics teams maintain a clear, well-documented paper trail in their files
• Lead on all international procurement including timely ordering of supplies, quote evaluations, delivery and customs clearance.
• Develop multi-year plan for asset replacement (fleet and IT)
• Oversee the management of the fixed asset register.
• Ensure all stores and assets are managed and accounted for in line with Concern and donor policies.
• Put in place a procurement compliance system including spot checks within Concern and partners.

Information Technology

• Ensuring Concern’s IT policy and procedures are understood and adhered to by all staff.
• Ensuring provision of effective support systems, enabling the smooth operation of IT systems and management of information (including the servers).
• Developing staff IT capacity, skills and confidence in using common software packages.

Security Management

• Support Security Focal Groups in each location and ensure they have the knowledge and information to operate successfully.
• Coordinate the review and updating of the Concern Worldwide Security Management Plan.
• Ensure all new staff and visitors receive thorough security briefings

Partner support

• Assist and advise the programmes teams to build the capacity of Concern partners specifically in Human Resources, Logistics/ procurement, Transport, Office Administration/management and IT field.

Line Management of staff:

• Ensuring that each member of the team fully understands outcomes which are expected of them.
• Building an effective and supportive team culture within the systems staff especially between field and Nairobi support personnel.
• Ensuring that work is planned and organised in a way which will meet the needs of colleagues within the organisation in the most cost effective manner possible; ensuring that team members are given appropriate workloads and are working efficiently.
• Monitoring and reviewing performance; giving corrective feedback where required and taking decisive action in the case of poor performance.
• Acknowledge the high levels of capacity of the heads of department and coach them to perform at a higher strategic level.

Other key tasks and responsibilities:

• To adhere to and support the implementation of the Concern staff code of conduct and Programme Participant Protection Policy as described in the National Staff HR Manual
• To support and promote the standards outlined in the Programme Participant Protection Policy and Concern Code of Conduct to their team, partner organisations and beneficiaries, and be committed to providing a safe working environment.
• To contribute to the establishment of preventive measures to reduce the potential for abuse in Concern programme (as per P4 section 6).
• To contribute to and support the implementation of Concern Kenya’s Humanitarian Accountability Framework and plan.
• Other tasks as directed by the line manager.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Education, Qualifications & Experience Required:

ESSENTIAL

• Required - degree in finance.
• Experience and education in Management, or other related discipline desirable
• Minimum 7 years relevant experience in a senior operations management and leadership role
• Experience of managing teams of several operations specialists, e.g. Finance HR, IT, Administration
• Experience of various donor grants and compliance requirements
• Specialism in finance
• Strong communication and team-work skills.
• Commitment to Concern’s core values and mission to alleviate extreme poverty in Zambia
• Excellent report writing skills and IT literacy.
• Proven experience in resource planning & budget management
• Experience in Tendering & contract management

DESIRABLE

• Previous Concern experience and knowledge of Concern policies, procedures and standards.

Special Skills, Aptitude or Personality Requirements:

· Effective networking abilities

· A strong commitment to helping the poorest people in the world to improve their wellbeing and achieve their goals.

· Strong interpersonal and influencing skills.

· A high standard of spoken and written English,

· A strong team player with a can do attitude

· Ability to work to deadlines and under pressure

HOW TO APPLY:

How to apply: All applications should be submitted through our website at https://jobs.concern.net by closing date. CVs should be no more than 4 pages in length. All candidates who are short-listed for a first round interview will be notified via email after the application deadline.

Due to the urgency of this position, applications will be short listed on a regular basis and we may offer the post before the closing date.

Concern Worldwide is an Irish-based non-governmental, international, humanitarian organisation dedicated to the reduction of suffering and working towards the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in the world’s poorest countries.

Concern has a Staff Code of Conduct and a Programme Participant Protection Policy which have been developed to ensure the maximum protection of programme participants from exploitation and to clarify the responsibilities of Concern staff, consultants, visitors to the programme and partner organisation, and the standards of behaviour expected of them. In this context staff have a responsibility to the organisation to strive for, and maintain, the highest standards in the day-to-day conduct in their workplace in accordance with Concern’s core values and mission. Any candidate offered a job with Concern Worldwide will be expected to sign the Programme Participant Protection Policy and the Concern Staff Code of Conduct as an appendix to their contract of employment. By signing the Programme Participant Protection Policy and the Concern Staff Code of Conduct candidates acknowledge that they have understood the contents of both the Concern Staff Code of Conduct and the Programme Participant Protection Policy and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these two documents.

Concern receives a substantial amount of funding from external donors each year. Increasingly donors are introducing requirements whereby future funding is conditional on Concern ensuring that the names of any new employee or volunteer do not appear on terrorism lists generated by the European Union (List of person, groups and entities to which Regulation (EC No. 2580/2001 applies), the US Government (Office of Foreign Assets Control list of specially designated Nationals and Blocked Persons) and the United Nations (Consolidated List). Any offer of employment (either paid or voluntary) with Concern Worldwide will not be made pending a clearance check being conducted on the applicant. For additional information please consult our web site or contact the Human Resource Division in our Head Office.

Concern Worldwide is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.