Overview
The Deputy Director of Operations (DDO) will lead operations and coordinate support for programs across Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador, ensuring efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability in a complex, multi-country environment. This role involves direct supervision of operations teams and close collaboration with finance and country directors.
Key Responsibilities
- Supervise Administration, IT, and Supply Chain teams.
- Oversee Field-level management.
- Collaborate with Finance on overall financial management.
- Work with HR on staff safety, wellbeing, and duty of care.
- Ensure timely execution of mission workplans within budget.
- Set up emergency operations in complex security environments.
- Support rapid delivery of humanitarian supplies.
- Contribute to strategic thinking on operations, security, and coordination.
- Maintain working relationships with Deputy Director of Programs, Sector Coordinators, Finance, Safety and Security Coordinators, and partnership staff.
- Supervise Supply Chain Coordinators across three countries.
- Ensure Administration & Supply Chain policies and procedures are documented, disseminated, and applied.
- Oversee external financial commitments including procurement contracts and lease agreements.
- Ensure compliance monitoring processes are implemented.
- Assist in developing coordination mechanisms for operational units.
- Partner effectively with other units to improve planning and resource utilization.
- Work with program staff on procurement planning and operational support needs.
- Ensure systems are streamlined between Supply Chain and Finance.
- Provide input on operational risk analysis and recommendations.
- Ensure proactive involvement of key processes with the finance department.
- Support field and program teams to ensure efficient and transparent field office operations.
- Manage IT Officers across the region.
- Ensure IT policies and procedures are documented, disseminated, and applied.
- Ensure staff and offices meet IT compliance standards and monitor risks.
- Support IT staff in providing effective IT services and contingency planning.
- Work closely with Safety and Security Coordinators on context assessment.
- Support crisis management response for security incidents and natural disasters.
- Ensure staff receive appropriate security briefings, training, and equipment.
- Monitor the security and operational environment and adjust decisions in real time.
- Manage Field Coordinators and Managers in all three countries.
- Ensure strong working relationships between Field Offices, Country Operations, and Program teams.
- Support the Country Director in identifying program expansion opportunities.
- Support the Finance team in developing and updating country operating budgets.
- Work with the Country Director on the Country Program Strategic Planning process.
- Provide support to program coordinators, especially during emergency scale-up periods.
- Support Operations Coordinators in developing procurement and distribution plans.
- Serve as an active member of the Senior Management Team and deputize for the Country Director.
- Provide senior-level representation on safety and security matters in coordination forums.
- Ensure proactive communication within the Regional Unit, HQ Support Departments, and NY offices.
- Support IRC partners’ assessment and improve/support their operational capacity.
Required Experience
At least five years of progressively responsible international work experience, including at least three years in a leadership role at the Deputy Director level of multi-site, multi-sectoral operations in a complex, insecure operating environment. Experience working on emergency operations office start-up, including natural disaster or rapid-onset emergency response. Demonstrated successful leadership and management experience with a multi-disciplinary team in a cross-cultural setting, including active mentoring and coaching. Proven experience delivering appropriate levels oversight of a portfolio consisting of a variety of complex, high-value donor-funded projects. Substantial experience managing security in a fluid, high-risk environment. Demonstrated ability to operate with a high degree of autonomy and sound judgment in dynamic, fast-changing and access-constrained contexts. Ability to work, live and thrive in a complex, insecure environment. Skilled at building trusting effective relationships and coordinating operations within a large, geographically dispersed team. Strong budget and fiscal oversight capacities. Established capacity to deal with ambiguity in stressful situations. Ability to respond to multiple, simultaneous priorities across different country contexts in a timely manner, producing high-quality outcomes. Previous experience working in region and/or with IRC preferred. Experience in IT is strongly preferred. Regional experience is preferred.
