Deputy Director for Operations

CONTEXT

Ipas Mozambique is a non-governmental, non-profit organization, operating in Mozambique since 2018, with headquarters in Maputo and provincial offices in Nampula, Zambezia, Niassa, and Cabo Delgado. Ipas works in partnership with government, NGOs, and community-based partners to strengthen Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, including awareness and access to contraception, safe abortion services, and gender-based violence care. Ipas Mozambique is a member of the global Ipas Impact Network and operates as a branch office of Ipas US.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Summary: The Deputy Director – Operations is responsible for supervising and implementing programs in alignment with project workplans, budgets, donor commitments and Ipas policies and procedures. The Deputy Director – Operations works closely with the Programs team to ensure strong project implementation, quality activities, reporting of data, and efficient procurement to support project implementation. The Deputy Director – Operations brings a deep understanding of project administration and implementation. S/he supports and oversees the Provincial teams, who conduct project activities, currently in Maputo, Nampula, Zambézia, Niassa, Cabo Delgado and Sofala. The Deputy Director – Operations ensures that project implementation is in compliance with organizational policies, donor requirements, and the legal requirements in the country, and ensures good stewardship of all Ipas funding. The Deputy Director – Operations reports to the Country Director and serves as a member of the Ipas Mozambique senior leadership team.

Project Implementation

• Lead operational planning and implementation to ensure that project activities are executed in alignment with approved workplans, timelines, and deliverables.
• Provide mentoring and supportive supervision to all provincial team leaders, to ensure quality and timely project implementation, aligned with approved workplans and budgets.
• Build the capacity of provincial teams through mentoring, training, and regular performance feedback and promote a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and collaboration within the provincial teams.
• Ensure effective communication and coordination between the national office and provincial teams, and across Ipas Mozambique teams
• Provide accurate and timely information to the programs and M&E teams, to ensure robust project monitoring.
• In close collaboration with the Program and Technical teams, closely monitor project implementation progress and proactively address delays and operational challenges as these arise, and ensure achievement of committed results.
• Ensure compliance with policies and SOPs, operational efficiency and good value for money in all project implementation.
• Participate in monthly/quarterly program review and planning meetings, contributing operational insights to strengthen performance.
• Ensure accurate and timely reporting of all project and financial data, as per Ipas Mozambique processes; Work closely with the Finance and Program teams to ensure robust sharing and use of all project data.
• Uphold and promote the ethical principles and practices aligned with the organization’s values.
• Support the Country Director in representing Ipas Mozambique with government, donor and NGO partners, as needed.

Procurement and Logistics

• Work with the Program team to prepare the annual procurement plan.
• Lead in the implementation of the annual procurement plan, reviewing any needed changes or challenges with the Programs and other teams.
• Oversee all procurement processes to ensure quality, timeliness, cost effectiveness, and compliance with Ipas policies and donor terms and conditions.
• Ensure Ipas Mozambique has clear procurement and logistics policies and guidance and ensure compliance particularly at the Provincial team level.
• Ensure all service or goods providers meet performance and deliverable expectations and provide value for money.
• Work closely with the Administration team to strengthen internal systems and processes for recording, tagging monitoring and maintenance of all institutional assets, with a focus on provincial team assets.

Contracts and Grants

• Oversee the management of sub-grants and project-related contracts, including due diligence, budgeting, implementation monitoring, and reporting.
• Ensure all contractors and grantees meet performance and deliverable expectations and provide value for money.
• Ensure that contracting and granting processes are compliant with Ipas, donor and national government requirements.
• Ensure Ipas Mozambique has clear procurement and logistics policies and guidance and ensure compliance particularly with the Provincial teams.
• Provide oversight and support capacity building of contractors and grantees, to ensure their strong perfomance, reporting and compliance.
• Coordinate regular monitoring and field review visits to sub-grantees to assess performance, compliance, and support needs.

Safeguarding and Risk Management

• Ensure implementation of all Ipas and donor safety, security and safeguarding policies to ensure a safe environment for all employees, beneficiaries and other stakeholders engaged with the projects, with a focus on the Provincial Teams.
• Ensure that the principles of gender equality, human rights, and professional ethics are applied in all operations.
• Contribute to maintaining and implementing the Ipas Mozambique risk management plan that includes the identification of risks and measures for their mitigation; Monitor risks and develop and regularly update mitigation plans, as needed.
• Coordinate or lead emergency response plans as needed, particularly with Provincial teams.
• Lead or support internal and external audits related to project operations, procurement, and grant compliance.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration/project management, Logistics, Finance or related areas, or equivalent experience
• Minimum of 10 years of relevant progressively responsible experience in program operations, preferably in international NGOs.
• Strong commitment to human rights, gender equity, and reproductive justice, especially abortion access.
• Proven experience and success in procurement, contract management, logistics and compliance in large-scale donor-funded projects.
• Experience in managing sub-grants, contracts, and partnerships with local organizations.
• Proven ability to lead and mentor geographically dispersed teams.
• Deep knowledge of the Mozambique programming, cultural, and legal context.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, problem solving, and leadership skills.
• Fluency in Portuguese required, Fluency in English preferred

• Availability for travel, with up to 35% of domestic travel. Occasional international travel may be needed.

Work Environment

• Ability to travel up to 35% domestically, and up to 10% regionally or internationally
• Ability to work in a typical office environment, with the need to sit or stand for extended periods.

IPAS is strongly committed to providing a work environment free from all forms of harassment, discrimination and inequality. We recruit, employ, train, promote, and compensate our personnel without regard to race, age, sex, religion, national origin, color, creed, ancestry, citizenship, marital status, veteran status, military service, disability, genetic information, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, sexual orientation, or any other personal characteristic protected by law or outlined by Ipas policy.

Ipas se compromete firmemente a proporcionar un entorno de trabajo que esté libre de todas las formas de acoso, discriminación e inequidad. Contratamos, empleamos, capacitamos, promovemos y compensamos a nuestro personal sin distinción de raza, edad, sexo, religión, nacionalidad, color, religión, ascendencia, ciudadanía, casta, origen étnico, identidad regional, identidad tribal, estado civil, condición de veterano, servicio militar, discapacidad, información genética, identidad de género, expresión de género, condición de transgénero, orientación sexual o cualquier otra característica personal protegida por la ley o detallada en la política de Ipas. Ipas reconoce que estas características personales pueden ser distintas en diferentes contextos.