POSITION: Associate Operations Manager, Malawi/Zambia
DEADLINE: Applications reviewed on a rolling basis
DURATION: 1 Year (Renewable)
START DATE: ASAP
LOCATION: Lilongwe – Malawi/Lusaka – Zambia

About Innovations for Poverty Action: is a non-profit organization dedicated to discovering and promoting effective solutions to global poverty problems. In close partnership with decision makers – the policymakers, practitioners, investors, and donors working with the poor around the world – IPA designs and evaluates potential solutions to poverty problems using randomized evaluations, the most rigorous evaluation method available. We also mobilize and support these decision makers to use these solutions to build better programs and policies at scale.

POSITION SUMMARY

IPA Malawi/Zambia seeks an Operations Coordinator to manage country office operations staff and systems that support the administrative and operational needs of the office. The Operations Coordinator will provide in-country support in Human Resources, IT, Safety & Security, Procurement, and Inventory Management Systems and will ensure the general compliance of the country office with relevant laws and regulations.

The Operations Coordinator will work under the direction of the IPA Malawi/Zambia Country Manager and will collaborate significantly with the Finance and Admin team. The Operations Coordinator will also liaise with the key Global Functional Teams led by the General Counsel, Chief Financial Officer, Chief People Officer, Senior Director of Technology, Senior Director of Global Operations, and others as required.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

PROCUREMENT

• Lead regular prequalification of suppliers
• Supervise procurement of goods and services in line with IPA  procurement policy.
• Oversee the general implementation and continuous refinement of IPA’s procurement systems, including online process flows.
• Assist in the review of agreements, MoUs, and contracts as required, both as oversight to procurement processes and to review content in coordination with General Counsel and Country Manager.
• Manage relationships with suppliers and other external bodies which serve the office as a whole, such as landlords, transport providers, insurance carriers and brokers, local legal counsel, etc.

COMPLIANCE

• Ensure IPA Malawi/Zambia’s registration is up to date and that it complies with all statutory requirements.
• Ensure IPA Malawi/Zambia complies with all Malawi/Zambian laws and regulations and all IPA Operations-related Global policies, all in coordination with IPA’s General Counsel, IPA Global Operations team, and IPA Malawi/Zambia’s lawyers.

OPERATIONS AND SECURITY

• Work closely with the Country Manager to define and implement IPA Malawi/Zambia’s long-term operational strategy in HR, IT, Procurement, Safety & Security, Office Management, and Compliance.
• Lead the development and implementation of annual strategic plans for all Operations functions.
• Continuously analyze and review internal controls, operational policies and procedures, and business processes and identify gaps for strengthening, training, and implementation.
• Provide input to and oversee the roll-out and implementation of global operations and administrative policies and procedures at the country office level.
• Be IPA Malawi/Zambia’s Safety & Security Focal Point.
• Lead the maintenance and management of the country risk register, and risk management in general.
• Work closely with the IPA Global and Regional ICT functional support teams to ensure the Malawi/Zambia office has a functioning ICT infrastructure and support.
• Ensure IPA Malawi/Zambia assets are properly managed and the asset register is up to date.

HUMAN RESOURCES

• Work closely with the IPA Global HR functional support team to manage country-level human resource needs in line with global and local policies.
  Provide timely information for payroll management to the finance department.
• Plan and conduct orientation training for all new staff.
  Facilitate exit clearance in liaison with line managers and other departments and liaise with the Finance Team to calculate terminal benefits and issue service certificates.
• In collaboration with the HR assistant, maintain an organized filing system and personal files for all staff that is UpToDate and well-secured.
• Regularly update the HR Information Systems (HRIS) and prepare monthly and quarterly HR reports.
• Oversee and build the capacity of the Malawi/Zambia Operations team to execute routine operational processes and solve operational problems with minimal management intervention.

QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

QUALIFICATIONS

• Minimum of Bachelor’s degree-level education; Master’s degree an added advantage
• A minimum of 3 years of relevant work experience, preferably in an NGO
• Experience managing compliance requirements for an NGO in Malawi/Zambia
• Experience with a wide range of donors
• Experience with operations support management
• Excellent management and organizational skills
• Close attention to detail and ability to multitask effectively
• Strong communication skills and ability to represent an organization professionally
• Sensitivity to working in a culturally diverse organization