Deputy Operations Manager

Job Description:

PURPOSE

The Deputy Operations Manager ensures effective program delivery across the portfolio by strengthening operational leadership, driving consistent and high-quality execution, and building the capacity of Sector Portfolio Managers and Project Managers/Coordinators. The role ensures alignment with plans, budgets, timelines, and quality standards while promoting strong accountability, performance management, and cross-functional coordination. It supports resource acquisition readiness and ensures compliance with safeguarding standards. The role also contributes to emergency preparedness and response, ensuring timely and coordinated delivery. Through values-based leadership, the role fosters a high-performing, accountable, and mission-aligned operational team grounded in integrity and compassion.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITY

Strategy Execution & Leadership

• Contribute to operational strategy and planning at the portfolio level
• Provide operational insights and recommendations to the Operations Manager to inform decision-making and improve program effectiveness
• Oversee and coordinate the implementation of programs through SPM and Project Managers/Coordinators, ensuring delivery is aligned with agreed plans, budgets, timelines, and quality standards.
• Ensure clear roles, expectations, and accountability across teams, fostering strong ownership and alignment at the manager level.
• Directly manage and develop the capacity of SPM and Project Managers/Coodinators , ensuring they effectively lead their teams and deliver program outcomes.
• Provide coaching, guidance, and performance management to SPM and Project Managers/Coordinators to strengthen day-to-day leadership, decision-making, and execution capability.
• Address staff performance and conduct issues in line with P&C policies, ensuring timely resolution and escalation where necessary
• Identify and manage operational risks across programs, ensuring timely mitigation and escalation of critical issues.
• Ensure compliance with organizational policies, donor requirements, and safeguarding standards across all operational activities.
• Role-model a high standard of Christian leadership, demonstrating humility, integrity, and compassion through personal conduct and professional relationships, and supporting staff to grow as leaders who embody the organization’s values through spiritual disciplines and Transformational Development practices

Operational Delivery and Reporting

• Strengthen accountability and ownership among SPM and Project Managers/Coordinators for achieving results, ensuring consistent delivery across all programs
• Monitor performance across programs and portfolios, ensuring accurate tracking of progress, outputs, and key performance indicators.
• Oversee implementation of approved budgets across programs, ensuring effective utilization of resources and adherence to financial controls.
• Ensure SPM and Project Managers/Coordinators actively manage budgets, monitor expenditures, and address potential underspending or overspending
• Identify cross-program performance gaps and drive corrective actions through SPM and Project Managers/Coordinators to maintain delivery standards
• Ensure timely, accurate, and high-quality reporting through SPM and Project Managers/Coordinators to meet internal and donor requirements.
• Coordinate procurement planning and execution to ensure the timely availability of resources for program implementation.
• Act as an escalation point for critical operational issues, making timely decisions to ensure program continuitY

Partnering

• Lead stakeholder engagement by ensuring consistency, reliability, and professionalism in operational delivery and communication
• Oversee operational coordination with partners and stakeholders through SPM and Project Managers/Coordinators to ensure smooth and effective program implementation.
• Ensure partner activities are aligned with agreed plans, operational standards, and program requirements.

Resource Acquisition

• Co-lead proposal development from an operational perspective, ensuring competitive and feasible program design
• Ensure operational teams are fully prepared to implement new grants effectively upon award.
• Lead execution of funded programs, ensuring compliance with donor requirements and operational standards

Safeguarding focal point

• Lead and oversee the implementation of the Child and Adult Safeguarding Policy across the Operations function, ensuring full compliance and integration into all program activities.
• Coordinate and support response to Level 1 child protection community-level incidents according to the local Child Protection/Safeguarding Incident Preparedness Plan
• Coordinate agreed incident response actions, including safeguarding investigations, with support from P&C, Security, Communications, Legal, Regional Safeguarding Focal Point, and the Global Center’s WVI Integrated Safeguarding Unit

Emergency Response

• Lead operational execution readiness and mobilization through Project Managers during emergency response.
• Ensure effective coordination, communication, and delivery of response activities across teams.
• Become a Response Manager (if applicable) by ensuring operational teams are aligned, resourced, and performing effectively

QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience in program or project design, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and report writing.
• At least 6 years of experience working in a managerial position of operations in the INGOs
• Experience at the Leadership level is preferable.
• Experience in the Emergency response
• Bachelor’s degree or higher in development, social science, project management or similar
• Excellent written and verbal communication (fluency in English required).
• Relational skills, especially in a cross-cultural environment
• Strong planning, organisational and project management skills and ability to prioritise and handle multiple tasks.
• Demonstrated technical experience in implementing monitoring and evaluation theory, processes, and systems
• Demonstrated ability to work well with national staff and a passion for capacity building & organisational development
• Strong work ethic with demonstrated ability to work with autonomy (without constant supervision), whilst effectively working as part of a team to deliver high quality results.
• High degree of computer literacy especially in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), or similar database, and competent internet research skills. Understand to use AI.
• Proactive problem solver with the ability to identify issues early; analyse and resolve issues, persuade, network and negotiate.
• Ability to maintain calm and work gracefully under pressure, juggling priorities; delivering on deadlines; and communicating early and clearly when unable to meet expectations.
• Ability to give and receive feedback to help improve personal and team performance.