Overview
The Operations Manager is accountable for all aspects of Humanitarian Mine Action (HMA) work in Syria, ensuring operations are conducted effectively, safely, and in accordance with international standards. The role involves developing and implementing HMA activities, supervising staff, and contributing to national capacity development.
Key Responsibilities
- Plan, implement, monitor and evaluate all aspects of HMA activities.
- Manage, monitor and supervise staff, ensuring duties are carried out as tasked.
- Ensure the highest possible standards of safety and security are maintained.
- Promote safety culture, and safe and effective methods of munitions clearance and disposal.
- Exercise responsibility for safe storage and handling of explosives.
- Monitor HMA productivity and recommend methods to enhance it.
- Lead the planning and monitoring of training, and competence-building of staff.
- Support the development of sustainable national operational systems and capacities.
- Ensure that teams are adequately supplied with all necessary equipment.
- Assist DRC support services in developing appropriate plans for operational support, procurement planning, procurements and budgeting.
- Report operational outputs.
- Be responsible for the internal Quality Control (QC) and Quality Assurance (QA) of HMA activities.
- Keep a record of all HMA related trainings carried out.
- Gather and store technical information on munitions encountered.
- Ensure operations are implemented in a conflict-sensitive and community-centred manner.
- Promote cross-sector integration between HMA and other DRC programming.
- Ensure operational planning is informed by evidence generated through EORE, NTS and community engagement mechanisms.
- Support Head of HDP in matters related to required permits to conduct HMA.
- Support Head of HDP with strategic planning and implementation of all HMA projects.
- Contribute to donor proposals and reports and assist Head of HDP in donor liaison.
- Develop a professional collaborative relationship with Syrian authorities, UN and HMA agencies, and non-HMA agencies.
- Establish direct communication channels and bilateral relationships with non-HMA actors.
- Work towards a joint prioritisation and complementarity of ongoing activities with other HMA actors.
- Assist in proposing improvements to technical procedures and SOPs to DRC HQ.
- Support and strengthen collaboration with national mine action authorities.
- Represent DRC in relevant coordination forums, technical working groups and strategic discussions.
- Promote meaningful engagement with local organisations and community structures.
- Identify opportunities for operational partnerships and integrated programming.
- Support the expansion of principled and conflict-sensitive access.
- Maintain and develop Syria HDP SOPs, HMA workplans, training management plans (TMP), and other operations documents.
- Assist Head of HDP in recruitment of HMA staff to Syria and coach all HMA staff.
- Communicate lessons learned, challenges faced, and solutions sought in Syria.
- Contribute to the strategic growth and adaptive development of DRC’s HMA programme in Syria.
- Support the establishment and scale-up of new operational bases and operational capacities.
- Foster a positive, inclusive and accountable team culture.
- Promote lessons learned, innovation and adaptive approaches across DRC’s global HMA portfolio.
Required Experience
- Minimum 7 years of previous experience in HMA (ideally minimum 5 years as Operations Manager).
- Full understanding of HMA technical and operational requirements.
- IMAS EOD 3+ qualifications and previous work experience as Operations Manager.
- Proven management experience gained in a range of settings.
- Knowledgeable of Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA) and GIS mapping applications.
- Experience and a knowledge of operating with mechanical assets is highly desirable.
- Proven record of training national staff and ability to train and mentor national counterparts to international standards (IMAS).
- Demonstrated experience in localisation, national staff development and institutional capacity strengthening.
- Experience working with national authorities, UN agencies and humanitarian coordination structures.
- Proven ability to manage complex stakeholder relationships in politically sensitive environments.
- Experience integrating HMA with broader humanitarian or recovery programming is highly desirable.
- Experience of working in insecure and conflict environments.
- Strong leadership, mentoring and interpersonal skills with the ability to manage multicultural teams in dynamic environments.
- Experience supporting programme scale-up and establishment of new operational structures/bases is highly desirable.
- Excellent command of Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
- Willingness to embrace and further develop DRC’s objectives such as gender equity, impact monitoring, and cross-sector cooperation.
- Commitment to localisation, accountability to affected populations, diversity and inclusion.
- Knowledge of Armed Violence Reduction (AVR) concepts and programming.
- Knowledge of supply chain systems.
- Substantial and longterm experience in the Syria and/or Middle East context (highly desirable).
- Strong understanding of Syrian operational, cultural and stakeholder dynamics is highly desirable.
- Experience working in nexus or integrated programming environments.
- Familiarity with conflict sensitivity and area-based approaches and integrated programming environments.
Qualifications
- IMAS EOD 3+ qualification (required)
- IMAS IEDD level 3 (desirable)
