Mozambique: Business Support Manager - Mozambique

Oxfam is a global movement of people working together to end the injustice of poverty.

Together we save, protect and rebuild lives. And we won’t stop until every person on the planet can defeat poverty or any type of inequality or discrimination.

We are an international confederation of 19 organizations (affiliates) working together with partners and local communities in the areas of humanitarian, development, and campaigning, in more than 90 countries.

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Oxfam Novib is looking for a Business Support Manager for Beira, Mozambique with a Contract Length of 6 months

BUSINESS SUPPORT MANAGER

Internal Job Grade B2 Global

Contract type Fixed term for 6 months.

Reporting to Response and Resilience Lead

Staff reporting to this post Logistics Co, IT Officer, Finance Manager, Funding Co, Partnership Co and Admin Assistant

Budget Responsibility TBC

Location Beira

Our Team

To ensure Oxfam has the management, technical and HR capacity to scale up and to respond rapidly to humanitarian emergencies. Working with other members of the Senior Management Team to ensure an effective, safe, accountable and timely emergency response that adheres to Oxfam, country and donor requirements.

Job Purpose

To provide a proactive, efficient and effective business support service to the Idai and Kenneth response programme in Mozambique. To ensure support functions are working efficiently and effectively together and in compliance with Oxfam, local and donor requirements.

Key Responsibilities

Response Management

• With members of the Response Management Team to ensure that management culture and working practices in the response support both i) effective delivery of timely and good quality programmes and ii) a strong culture of control and compliance.
• To provide strategic leadership to the various business support functions, ensuring the best possible support to the programme and advice to the response management team.
• To develop behavioural ways of working within the BS teams that promotes value addition, non-duplication of roles across functions, empowerment and role enrichment of team and a culture of cost effectiveness by all functional managers.
• Ensure all business support functions operate in an effective manner, complying with all Oxfam and donor requirements and procedures.
• To performance manage directly reporting staff, ensuring work priorities/objectives are developed and staff are fully trained and inducted to undertake their role.
• Be responsible for the implementation of Oxfam’s organisational standards, and ensure the response is in compliance with legal and statutory obligations within the country
• Establish and maintain robust fraud mitigation measures and establish a culture of compliance and rigour across the business support functions.
• Act as a core member of the Senior Management Team and deputise for the response and resilience lead as required
• Liaise and work with country team to help to establish common procedures within Mozambique and promote integration between response and the country programme
• Promote a robust culture of teamworking between the business support, HR and programme functions
• Ensure that all finance, purchasing/logistics and administration procedures are consistent with corporate and regional standards, are clearly defined and understood and operated effectively throughout the response.
• Liaise and co-ordinate with the HR on strategy, ensuring an appropriate level of collaboration, and compliance with Oxfam standards in recruitment, induction, staff development, compensation and benefits, succession plans, staff health & safety, and legal compliance.
• To motivate the support team to work interactively with the programme team and to come up with and communicate innovative solutions and systems that allow the programme to serve its overall goal.

Financial Management

• To provide direction to the Finance Manager on financial management, policies and procedures, ensuring that the programme is informed of all developments in financial policies. Ensure the programme is complying with financial standards set by Oxfam, Mozambique government and donors.
• Where necessary establish clear systems and procedures to ensure robust and donor compliant financial management with clear accountability
• To liaise with the funding team to ensure that all donor reporting requirements are met, including proposals, budgets and donor reporting.
• Oversee the production of monthly financial management information for the Response Management Team and ensure that the finance team provides necessary financial reports for field programme managers to monitor and review their project activities
• Review monthly financial reporting and reconciliations prior to submission to the country office.
• Supervise the programme Admin/Finance/IT/Logistics teams in maintaining the programme inventory and fixed assets, ensuring that all Oxfam assets are properly safeguarded and tracked.
• Maintain an overview of due audits, review management responses to audits, and implement agreed recommendations
• Maintain an overview of the adequacy of controls in Oxfam’s financial systems and makes recommendations as appropriate and necessary

Logistics, IT & Admin Management

• To provide support to the Logistics Manager to ensure timely procurement, in accordance with Oxfam procedures, and payment of suppliers and contractors
• Support the Logistics Manager to embed organisational systems, standards and structures into logistics functions, including strategic advice, clarity on policy, procedures and ways of working.
• Advise on ways of ensuring that effective logistics management and tracking systems are in place and functioning at all time.
• Advise on ways of ensuring that effective administrative and office management systems are in place and functioning at all times
• Co-ordinate with the Administration team on the efficient management of offices/ guest houses as appropriate.
• Coordinate and advise managers on visa/work permit processes for the response
• Ensure continuous follow up with IS processes and day-by-day operation ensuring consistency and compliance with Oxfam minimum standards and policies; promote best practice

Risk Management

• Review and where necessary support programmes to formulate partnership contracts, supplier’s contracts that align to policy and mitigate financial and operational risks.
• In collaboration with the Security focal point, to ensure that Oxfam Health and Safety and Security guidelines are implemented by the BS team.
• To support programme managers and coordinators through relevant financial and related contextual information gathering, monitoring situations and consolidating and reviewing proposals as required.
• Support the Response and Resilence Lead to achieve the programme objectives and reduce risks associated with the programme around legality and compliancy issues and alert the Response and Resilience Lead to any imminent risks.
• Support the development of a risk register for the response.

People Management

• Performance management/reviews of staff reporting to this position, according to the Oxfam standards and procedures.
• Coach and provide technical guidance and leadership to Business teams. Ensure capacity building and skill training of all Business Support staff.

Other

• Required to adhere to Oxfam’s principles and values as well as the promotion of gender justice and women's rights
• Understanding of and commitment to adhere to equity, diversity, gender, child safety and staff health and wellbeing principles

Skills, experience and knowledge

• Post Graduate Degree or Degree with equivalent work experience from a recognised University/college in International Development or any other related area that can bring added value to the job.
• Relevant international experience of 7 - 10 years for post graduate holders, or 10 years + for degree holders, including budgeting, planning, programme cycle management, preferably in an international NGO/operational UN agency/equivalent, out of which at least 5 years should be supervisory/managerial experience
• Proven senior business support management experience.
• Educated to part-qualified level with proven accounting experience and financial, donor and risk management skills.
• Strong experience and understanding of effective management of supply & logistics including procurement processes,
• Good understanding and experience of management of IT systems.
• Experience of working with donor agencies and knowledge of their reporting requirements.
• Ability to prioritise own workload, work independently, be pro-active and innovative, and work to deadlines.
• Experience of management/supervisory responsibilities, including decision making and being an active member of senior management teams, and ability to take charge and manage a team when required.
• Good interpersonal and team skills and proven ability to be flexible in demanding situations.
• Demonstrates high levels of personal team working.
• Ability and confidence to take high impact decisions, ensure implementation and manage and mitigate associated risks.
• Ability to communicate with and influence senior managers and peers over a wide range of issues and deliver complex messages in clear terms
• Ability to develop close working relationships with all stakeholders.
• Fluency in English (written and spoken) and Portugese is an added advantage.
• Capacity to manage frequent change and its implications
• Highly motivated with clear vision and ability to inspire and lead staff, teams and peers

Desirable:

• Substantial experience of the NGO sector, preferably within the Humanitarian context.
• Experience of working with donor agencies and a knowledge of their reporting requirements. Experience of reviewing legal contracts/consultancy contracts.
• Previous regional and/or in country working experience and understanding of regional and Mozambican political context and government policies.
• Training or capacity building skills.
• Fluent in Portuguese

Key Attributes

• Ability to demonstrate sensitivity to cultural differences and gender issues, as well as the commitment to equal opportunities
• Ability to demonstrate an openness and willingness to learn about the application of gender/gender mainstreaming, women’s rights, and diversity for all aspects of development work
• Commitment to Oxfam’s safeguarding policies to ensure all people who come into contact with Oxfam are as safe as possible

How to apply

If you are interested in this position, please use the 'apply' button. Your application must be received by September 30th, 2019 at the latest. Please note that only applications received using the link provided can be taken into consideration. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

We are committed to ensuring diversity and gender equality within our organization. Therefore, people of all gender identities, sexes, sexual orientations, races, colours, religions, cultures, abilities, etc. are eligible for this position.

Oxfam aims to attract great talent that not only fits the job but also Oxfam’s high standard of values and principles, who shares and demonstrates Oxfam’s commitment to prevent and eradicate any type of misconduct including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, any other type of misuse of power or lack of integrity and financial misconduct. We are committed to promoting the welfare of children, young people, and adults. We place a high priority on ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us.

Note: All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and may be subject to appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks, or integrity screenings/references relating to misconduct and disciplinary actions in prior employment.

Acquisition on the occasion of this vacancy is not appreciated.