Заступниця\k директора країни за напрямком служби підтримки, відповідності та юридичних питань CARE UKRAINE DCD-SSCLA/National Post

Location: Lviv/Kyiv (with frequent travels to area offices) 

Reporting line manager:  Country Director   

Duration: 12 months with possibility of extension   

Conditions: Employment contract, gross monthly salary starting from € 5,555, Risk allowance (€200/month), moving allowance of € 600, medical insurance and psycho-social support. 

Annual leave of 28 days per calendar year. 

Starting date: As Soon As Possible 

CARE INTERNATIONAL

CARE International (CI) is among the world’s largest international non-governmental humanitarian relief and development confederations. Drawing on more than 75 years of experience, through its 21 Members, as both a practitioner and thought leader, CI’s work reaches over 100 countries worldwide to save lives, defeat poverty and achieve social justice.

CARE’s vision is to seek a world of hope, inclusion, and social justice; where poverty has been overcome and people live in dignity and security. CARE focuses heavily on women and girls, and the areas of gender equality, diversity, and inclusion are at the center of our work because we know that we cannot overcome poverty and social injustice until all people have equal rights and opportunities. We recognize that power relations between people and within systems and structures are unequal and that these are entrenched in our broader systems, structures, and institutions.

At the core of the CI Confederation is a globally distributed Secretariat, which provides coordination and support to its members in areas including governance, strategic planning, communications, membership development and accountability, advocacy, humanitarian response, and program development. In addition, the Secretariat represents the CI Confederation at the United Nations and the European Union, and with other external stakeholders.

CONTEXT IN UKRAINE 

On 24th February 2022, the invasion of Ukraine marked a significant escalation to the conflict that started in 2014. It continues to profoundly impact the lives of people across the country at various levels. The front line is continuously shifting and there are areas under Russian military control, as well as cities under siege. Attacks on military installations and critical civilian infrastructures are conducted in the whole territory of Ukraine, often resulting in collateral civilian casualties. The conflict has caused the largest population movement in Europe since World War II, with over 5 million currently displaced within Ukraine and 6 million refugees across Europe. OCHA (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) had counted 17.6 million people in need of humanitarian assistance.

At least one-third of the country’s energy infrastructure is damaged, leaving millions without heating and access to water. In October 2022, the Russian Federation claimed to have annexed four Ukrainian oblasts, further increasing the challenge of access to these areas. Therefore, an ongoing priority for the international humanitarian response is to reach newly accessible areas in the East and South, and to provide aid to previously unreachable and particularly hard-hit areas of Ukraine.

CARE UKRAINE

CARE prioritizes a locally led response and is partnering primarily with Civil-Society Organizations (CSOs), National NGOs (Non-Government Organization), local authorities, and when needed, INGOs (International Non-Governmental Organizations) with a longstanding presence in the country and access to hard-to-reach areas. CARE Ukraine deliberately and strategically prioritizes partnerships with local and national Women Led and Women Rights organizations (WLO’s/ WRO’s), further strengthening the Gender in Emergencies (GiE) principle and the Women Lead in Emergencies (WLiE) approach.

In the first few weeks after the escalation of the war, virtually all humanitarian aid inside Ukraine was organized and implemented by local actors. These groups (together with local authorities) remain the principal aid providers but are quickly being exhausted of funds, fuel, and physical energy. Thereby, a considerable proportion of CARE’s resources is dedicated to strengthening and supporting the capacities of local partners.

As of October 2023, CARE Ukraine has established partnerships with over twenty local/national organizations (incl. WLO’s/WRO’s). From the more than 45 million that have been raised for Ukraine thus far, more than half is allocated to local/national partners. Through the activities that have been implemented so far, CARE Ukraine has been able to reach more than 800,000 people, including IDPs and affected populations in hard-to-reach areas.

While CARE Ukraine’s country office is currently located in Lviv, we also have a coordination office in Kyiv as well as area offices in Dnipro and Odesa, covering both the East and South of the country.

Role Objectives

The DCD Support Services, compliance, and legal affairs (DCD-SSCLA) will provide strategic and operational leadership to ensure the compliance of the support services, including Finance, Logistics, Supply Chain, Administration with CARE and institutional donors’ policies, as well as laws and regulations in Ukraine.

As member of the Senior Management Team (SMT), the DCD Support Services directly reports to the Country Director (CD). The role is pivotal and requires strong capacities to proactively coordinate and cooperate with the Deputy CD for Program implementation (DCD-PI), the Deputy CD for Program Quality and Development (DCD-PQD), and the Area Managers. The position holder is also expected to closely cooperate with the Country HR Manager (HRM) which will remain under the direct CD’s supervision for the time being. The position holder will furthermore be required to closely engage and coordinate with respective counterparts in CARE Deutschland Headquarters. 

The DCD-SSCLA will lead and supervise the Country Logistics Manager (and supply chain advisors), Country Finance and Compliance Manager and Budget and Finance Reporting Manager. the role will primarily focus on overseeing management systems, increasing the cost-efficiency and effectiveness of support service functions, developing a risk mapping together with a mitigation plan, ensuring the program’s operation is compliant with donor requirements and with CARE internal policies and procedures, as well as laws and regulation in Ukraine.

Role Responsibilities:

The position holder will be essentially responsible for:

Strategic & Operational Leadership of Support Services

• Effectively lead, coordinate, and manage the support services functions in CARE Ukraine, including Finance, Administration, Logistics/Procurement, and IT, ensuring that CARE operations in Ukraine are compliant with donors’ regulations and national legislation.
• Contribute to the development Annual Strategy and Business Plans in the areas of finance, logistics/procurement, administration, and IT,
• Establish, review, and improve policies, procedures, systems, practices, standards, and tools within the support function in compliance with CARE regulations and rules and national legislation while at the same time ensure effective monitoring of the organization’s resources, i.e. budget, finance, administration, etc.,
• Ensure CARE Ukraine is compliant with donor rules and regulations in all the program support functions,

• Ensure sound internal control mechanisms are in place and functioning to ensure adherence to policies and procedures,
• Ensures the consistent and uniform implementation of the Policy and Procedures throughout the Country and Area Offices to ensure the accomplishment of the deliverables,
• Lead and oversee improvement initiatives in support service areas, ensuring adequate changes in management activities are in place when required and that all relevant stakeholders are properly engaged and supported,
• Ensure adequate segregation of duties, internal control systems and delegation of authority are properly implemented across the program, taking corrective initiatives when contextual adaptation is required,
• Ensure that key objectives for all support service functions are established and aligned with program strategic objectives,
• Provide support to the CD in ensuring a sustainable and coherent cost-structure for program operations, providing cost analysis and developing propositions for cost savings/optimization and increased efficiencies,
• Oversee coordination between logistics and finance to ensure effective cash-flow and procurement activities, to meet operational needs in safest and most efficient way and ensure payments are processed appropriately,
• Coordinate improvement/standardization initiatives, focused on efficiency/effectiveness of internal processes,
• Coordinate regular reviews of all relevant manuals for support service functions and manage the dissemination of any relevant changes,
• Support the SMT in the development, implementation, and management of projects, with a particular focus on support service requirements,
• As a member of the SMT, play a significant role in ensuring gender equity among staff is maintained across the organization with quarterly follow-up on the gender balance in all offices and area offices in CARE Ukraine.

Finance Management

• Provide the SMT with financial planning and analysis of the program’s expenditures, including the production of monthly, quarterly, and yearly budgets and forecasts, highlighting risks and opportunities in the financial plan to ensure readiness in risk mitigation,
• Oversee the Program’s Cash Flow to ensure cash is available to meet Programs’ needs,
• Supports the Country Finance manager in managing exchange rate fluctuations between local and contract currencies, highlighting upcoming issues early and identifying mitigating strategies.
• Oversee program audit matters including the planning and delivery of donor audit and CARE Ukraine’s internal statutory audit, ensuring it is successfully delivered and relevant auditor’s findings are actioned as/when required and recommendations are implemented.
• Support with the recruitment, training and development including capacity building of senior local finance team in the country office.

Logistics & Procurement

• Oversee the country’s overall procurement/logistics and supply chain, ensuring organizational procedures and the country’s requirements are adhered to.
• Oversee the development of the Country Procurement and Logistics Policy and Procedures for CARE Ukraine,
• Assess the performance and risk management of the function’s activities, ensuring improvement plans, scale up/down of the team structure and capacity-building activities are pro-actively engaged,
• Support the Logistics Advisor and Logistics Manager in establishing Program Procurement Strategy, in coordination with key internal stakeholders, and ensure implementation of a sourcing strategy,
• Manage the Program suppliers’ database, supplier selection and contracting with third parties, monitoring supplier performances across all critical / high volume / high risks contracts.
• In coordination with budget holders, ensure adequate accountability is in place for requestors, ensuring proper tracking along the whole supply chain process and ownership and responsibilities are understood and enforced.
• Ensure the senior logistics team develops and implements an appropriate and effective country- wide inventory management system.

• Supervise Fleet Management operations, ensuring adequate management of the related costs and risks, and monitoring the performance of vehicle fleet and mechanical operations.
• Establish coherent and measurable performance objectives for senior Procurement and Logistics roles in country and ensures tracking and management of overall team performance,
• Oversee the management of the office and guesthouse allocation and ensure budget is sufficiently allocated to accommodate the needs.

Partnerships:

• In coordination with relevant peer managers, coordinate, maintain and manage effective relationships with national partners,
• Participate in the Partner’s Due diligence review of potential partners as appropriate, and contribute to efforts to collaboratively analyze and manage material risks identified, as it relates to finance and procurement,
• Work collaboratively and supportively with partners to develop and finalize budgets and budget amendments, and in determining the costing of milestones when needed,
• Review draft partnership agreement terms relating to advances, reporting and any special conditions relating to finance and procurement,
• For cost-reimbursable partnership agreements, agree with partners the specific documentation required to support each type of cost, adjusting standard requirements to the operating context and the partner,
• Participate in project kick-off, review, and closure meetings, including to review successes, challenges, and lessons learned with the partners, and capture effective finance and procurement practices for future partnerships,
• Work collaboratively with partners to ensure the timely provision of funding to partners in accordance with the partnership agreement to ensure program continuity, ensuring clear communication with the partner and efficient resolution where for whatever reason this is not possible,
• Collaborate with partners to ensure completeness, correctness, and accuracy of financial reports from partners,
• Review partner financial reports (and narrative reports for consistency) and supporting documents to ensure compliance with the partnership agreement, donor regulations and CARE policy, and provide feedback to the partner as appropriate,
• Monitor partner budgets and actual spending in collaboration with grants managers, identifying issues and working proactively and collaboratively with partners to resolve them,
• Assist in the close-out of partnership agreements, including in relation to financial verification and asset confirmation.
• Participate in the review of the performance of partners,
• Provide finance and accounting training and mentoring support to partners, in accordance with partner project support plans, with a focus on supporting the partner to strengthen financial management systems and capacities that are responsive to the needs of the partner (rather than replicating CARE’s systems and policies),

IT Management

• In liaison with IT in CARE Germany, ensure that the IT infrastructure is in place, adequate data protection system is implemented, and possible risks are mitigated,
• Ensure regular investment, sufficient maintenance and technical equipment/assets are incorporated within the program operations running costs and ensure the IT budget is included in the overall program budget,
• Ensure all staff in CARE Ukraine understand and follow the global CARE Germany IT policy and procedures.

Management of Field Support

• Provide technical management to Area Support Services Coordinators to ensure that support to field operations is aligned with CARE Ukraine standards and follow donor requirements.
• Ensures adequate coordination system is in place between field locations and DCD office concerning all areas of support services, consolidating data and information to ensure oversight and performance monitoring.

Representation & Coordination

• Cultivate good relations with key humanitarian actors, including UN agencies, INGOs and donors, through regular attendance at coordination meetings/clusters and bilateral meetings. Maintain a strong contextual awareness of who is doing what in the area and up to date contacts to the greatest extent possible
• Represent CARE as required by the CD. This includes supporting or leading visits from donors, journalists, diplomats, authorities, etc.

Health and Safety

• Maintain oversight of the health and safety minimum standards with CARE Ukraine, supporting the CD in ensuring that relevant policies and controls are adequately applied to ensure the safety of CARE Ukraine staff, assets, and resources.

Requirements:

• Master’s degree in relevant sector (accounting, finance, supply chain, management etc.),
• At least 5 years of experience in operations management in international INGOs,
• At least 2 years of experience at senior management level (SMT) with ability to support and empower a large team,
• Minimum 3 years in managing acute emergency crisis,
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and listening skills,
• Ability to take on a significant workload and work under pressure,
• Adaptability, cultural awareness, and ability to work with various nationalities and cultural pattern,
• Fluency in English,
• Knowledge of PeopleSoft would be a strong asset.

Accountability within CARE:

A commitment to CARE values and CARE’s integrity framework is critical to working with CARE. Any candidate offered a job with CARE will be expected to adhere to the following key areas of accountability:

• Comply with CARE’s policies and procedures with respect to safeguarding, code of conduct, health and safety, confidentiality, do no harm principles and unacceptable behavior protocols.
• Report any concerns about the welfare of a child or vulnerable adult or any wrongdoings within our programming area.
• Report any concerns about inappropriate behavior of a CARE staff or partner.

Safeguarding:

Children and vulnerable adults who come into contact with CARE as a result of our activities must be safeguarded to the maximum possible extent from deliberate or inadvertent actions and failings that place them at risk of abuse, sexual exploitation, injury, and any other harm. One of the ways that CARE shows this on-going commitment to safeguarding is to include rigorous background and reference checks in the selection process for all candidates.

Gender equality:

CARE is committed to meeting the standards of the CARE International Gender Policy (2019). Through this policy, CARE seeks to promote the equal realization of dignity and human rights for girls, women, boys and men in all diversities, and the elimination of poverty and injustice. Specifically, this policy seeks to improve the explicit incorporation of gender in programmatic and organizational  practices.

 How to Apply:

CARE values equal opportunities and diversity. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability.

Please send your CV (in pdf format max. 4 pages) and a cover letter in English to <[email protected]>, no later than 2nd of July 2024. Please name your documents Surname_CV, Surname_Cover Letter. Put DCD-SSCLA as the subject title of your email.

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.