Head of Support Services

The Head of Support Services provides strategic leadership and oversight of all support functions, ensuring efficient, compliant, and accountable operations across the country programme in Venezuela. The role leads Finance, Human Resources, Supply Chain and Procurement, Administration, IT, and Risk & Compliance functions, supporting programme delivery and compliance with donor requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the support managers including people planning, performance, well-being and development.
• Manage, deliver and report on current operations programme support in Venezuela.
• Establish high performing support teams ensuring high-quality approaches are maintained.
• Develop and improve operational approaches, compliance and systems, and support the Country Director to build and deliver effective and sustainable interventions.
• Responsible for the strategic development, management and implementation of the support operations.
• Ensure appropriate technical support is available to programmes, in line with organisational priorities.
• Ensure support for annual planning and review processes.
• Direct responsibility for ensuring that the DRC programme operates in accordance with DRC’s support function guidelines.
• Support the Country Director and the Senior Management Team in liaising with donors and with national authorities on compliance, registration, taxation, labour law and audit.
• Oversee the operational support units for the country by providing strategic leadership and technical support.
• Supervision, audits and controlling and implementation of corrective actions related to DRC’s operational standards within support area.
• Ensure operational capacity to provide rapid emergency response within procurement and transport systems.
• Develop, maintain and update the country risk register and risk management plan and lead mitigation measures.
• Ensure administrative and legal-related systems are accurate and maintained.
• Build capacity of operational support staff through training and mentoring.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of DRC’s global development initiatives.
• Lead treasury, cash and liquidity management in a multi-currency environment ensuring compliance with regulations and donor requirements.
• Ensure systematic compliance with regulatory, screening and due-diligence requirements including vetting of suppliers, partners and staff.
• Maintain DRC’s legal registration and compliance with tax, labour, migration and administrative requirements.
• Make operational decisions under pressure documenting rationale and residual risk.
• Lead business continuity and contingency planning for support services including infrastructure, logistics and financial contingencies.
• Ensure support services can scale rapidly in response to emergencies and funding changes.
• Lead support-services set-up and consolidation of the Caracas field base for earthquake emergency response.
• Ensure support functions absorb earthquake response caseload alongside regular programmes without degrading compliance.
• Provide effective remote management and supervision to support staff in distant field bases.
• Strengthen and monitor financial, procurement and HR compliance of national implementing partners.
• Lead preparation, facilitation and follow-up of internal, donor and statutory audits.
• Lead prevention, early detection and response to fraud and irregularities within DRC operations.
• Uphold duty of care for staff including safe working conditions and wellbeing measures.
• Participate in the country crisis management team ensuring support functions deliver during emergencies.
• Ensure ERP functionality is properly used and apply data analytics to improve performance.
• Comply with occupational health and safety legal requirements and actively participate in system improvements.
• Provide leadership and direction to team ensuring clarity of roles and performance standards.
• Exercise team budget oversight and decision-making authority.
• Lead or contribute to recruitment and termination decisions.
• Conduct and sign off on performance appraisals and provide constructive feedback.
• Support professional development of team members through coaching and capacity building.
• Address poor performance and disciplinary issues including Code of Conduct cases.
• Provide technical direction and guidance ensuring compliance with DRC policies and standards.
• Support managers and technical staff through communication and capacity building.
• Assess technical skills and performance of senior technical staff.
• Escalate and address issues of non-compliance or poor performance.
• Participate in recruitment of senior technical staff.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in business administration, finance, supply chain management, international development, economics or another relevant field.
• A professional qualification in accounting, audit or supply chain (e.g. ACCA, CIMA, CPA, CIPS) is an asset.
• Equivalent professional experience in support services management in complex operations may be considered.
• At least 7 years’ experience in relevant field.
• At least 4 years’ experience with people management.
• Experience in a similar role in an international NGO.
• Proven leadership skills and competence in people management.
• Proven operational management experience and capability in large and complex operations with demanding financial, logistical and compliance environments, including multi-currency settings.
• Proven significant financial, information and systems management experience.
• Significant experience in procurement and tender processes.
• Understanding and experience of institutional fundraising.
• Experience working in an ERP system, including supply chain, finance and HR systems.
• Demonstrated ability to take sound and timely decisions under pressure, with incomplete information and shifting parameters, and to be accountable for them.
• Proven experience in treasury and cash management in multi-currency environments and in operations with a significant cash component.
• Demonstrated working knowledge of the regulatory, screening and due-diligence requirements applicable to humanitarian organisations and their donors.
• Experience leading donor, internal and statutory audits and managing compliance across a diversified multi-donor portfolio.
• Experience working through, and strengthening the compliance capacity of, national implementing partners.
• Experience in business continuity planning, crisis management and rapid scale-up or scale-down of support functions.
• Demonstrated experience in opening, setting up or rapidly reinforcing field bases and support systems in response to sudden-onset emergencies (earthquakes, floods, mass displacement).
• Proven ability to lead, motivate and hold accountable dispersed teams managed remotely.
• Full professional proficiency in English and Spanish.

Skills

• Support Services
• People Management
• Operational Management
• Finance Management
• Information Systems Management
• Procurement Management
• Tender Processes
• Institutional Fundraising
• ERP Systems
• Supply Chain Management
• Financial Systems
• Human Resources Systems
• Decision-Making Under Pressure
• Treasury Management
• Cash management
• Regulatory Compliance
• Due Diligence
• Audit Management
• Compliance Management
• Business Continuity
• Crisis Management
• Rapid Scale-up Management
• Field Base Setup
• Remote Team Leadership

Languages

English, Spanish