1

Title: Operations Director – Ethiopia Position Description: Reporting to the Boston International Group Associate Director responsible for Ethiopia, the Operations Director - Ethiopia (OD- E) will be responsible for coordinating and enhancing the internal organization processes and infrastructure to allow JSI to continue to grow and fulfill its mission in Ethiopia. The OD-E will manage a wide range of critical functions (see below) and will work closely with the Chiefs of Party (COPs) (or equivalent) and the project Finance and Administration (F&A) Directors (or equivalent) to provide timely support and guidance regarding issues which impact all projects. The OD-E will also provide project specific assistance, working with COPs, F&A Directors, Senior Advisors and other Headquarters staff persons. Background/Rationale for the Position: JSI’s (John Snow, Inc. and JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc.) presence in Ethiopia is arguably one of the organization’s largest. At any given time 12-14 projects are ongoing, with a range of donors including USAID, CDC, Gates, and UNICEF. Currently JSI operates out of ten separate offices in Addis Ababa plus regional operations spread throughout the country. There are an estimated 500 employees working on these projects within Ethiopia, with three projects contributing the greatest number of staff. Each project has a relationship with the appropriate section of the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) and regional health officials. Projects also maintain relationships with their donors, sub-recipients and other NGO partners. Currently, each project interacts with the Ethiopian tax and registration authorities independently. Government rules and regulations around a number of areas, including registration, taxation and working with NGOs, are in constant flux, so it is frequently difficult to obtain up-to-date and accurate information regarding current rules and regulations and subsequently to translate these new rules into any necessary changes within our project policies and procedures. There are also different implications for profit vs. non-profit/NGO registered projects. Projects are increasingly being asked for information by government authorities about their own operations (technical and administrative) as well as those of other projects. Finally, there are real and immediate risks to projects/staff associated with unknowingly being in violation of current operational rules and regulations. The OD-E position will support JSI/Ethiopia projects to manage and monitor the current policy environment and the projects’ response, and at the same time will enhance JSI Headquarters’ ability to exercise responsible administrative oversight. OD-E Position Responsibilities: Registration and Company Status with the Government of Ethiopia

• Serve as the JSI corporate representative with the Government of Ethiopia (GOE) regarding all matters related to legal registration of the organization and its projects, as well as all issues with Government Officials regarding the issue of taxation and reporting of corporate finances.

• Regularly monitor the GOE directives and inform the Chiefs of Party (COPs) and F&A Directors of potential changes. Serve as the point person to clarify policy with the government and present to relevant JSI staff.

• Liaise with other international NGOs regarding organization policies and compliance with GOE rules and regulations. • Be responsible for ensuring timely completion of all annual registration requirements for all projects and for both JSI

and JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc. • Work with COPs and F&A Directors to develop and implement systems that are effective across all projects and

ensure that all JSI-supported projects adhere to GOE laws and regulations, as well as JSI corporate policies and procedures.

• Compile audit reports from projects that have been audited and share best practices with COPs and F&A Directors. • At the request of COPs attend meetings called by USAID that concern overall JSI operations in-country. • Ensure that all projects adhere to the administrative and finance systems and decisions agreed upon. • Engage external support expertise, including legal, taxation and accounting assistance, as necessary. • Provide guidance and advice to COPs and F&A staff regarding project-specific needs related to government

registration, procurement, VAT, and finance and administration.

2

Human Resources • Work with the COPs and F&A Directors, manage and oversee the human resource function for JSI. The OD-E will

ensure that project human resource (HR) functions are consistent with local labor law and JSI personnel policies across all projects. S/he is responsible for engaging a labor lawyer as necessary. The OD-E ensures that a consistent approach is taken to HR across projects and provides specific support as requested in the following areas:

o Recruitment, hiring, employee classification and compensation o Benefits administration and oversight o Professional training and development, including the new employee orientation and ethics training o Employee retention strategies

• Provide support and guidance as requested to COPs and F&A Directors in managing and acting upon instances of poor employee performance, suspected or documented malfeasance, crisis management (illness, death, accidents), and reports of discrimination, sexual harassment and other violations of JSI’s HR policies.

• Assist projects with the relocation of expatriates in order to ensure a smooth transition to and from Ethiopia. Operations

• Initially, then annually, review and compare individual project manuals and per diem policies to ensure consistency and equity across all JSI projects.

• Develop, maintain and update comprehensive security policies and emergency plans. S/he is responsible for ensuring that appropriate training is offered routinely to all staff and that they are aware of and follow JSI security and safety procedures. S/he is responsible for rapidly disseminating information to JSI staff in-country regarding emerging and rapidly evolving security threats and responding appropriately. S/he will compile all expatriate evacuation information and serves as the point person for evacuation.

• Review office space, staffing and resources available across projects to identify possible areas for operational and cost efficiencies.

• Work with F&A Directors to ensure that projects have appropriate financial systems and controls are in place. Serve as point person for Directors to solve problems related to program operations.

• Follow-up with projects concerning new policies and adapt systems according to feedback while maintaining consistency across projects.

• Identify best operational policies and practices among JSI/Ethiopia and with project teams to share with COPs and F&A Directors.

• Provide support to projects to oversee risk management and legal activities: letters of agreement, contracts, leases, and other legal documents and agreements.

• Conduct market research as requested by the COPs concerning new vendors, banks, etc., in order to ensure that JSI has the most up to date information to further effective and efficient program implementation.

• At the request of F&A Directors and/or COPs, conduct internal control checks to prepare individual projects for external audits.

• Provide resources to the F&A Directors concerning upcoming trainings, activities, and events that can be shared between projects.

• Information Technology – work with COPs and project to staff to develop a plan for better integrated IT functions across the projects. Work with the projects to identify ways to mainstream IT, minimize redundancy of systems, and ensure that IT systems are state of the art.

• Convene and chair monthly meetings of JSI F&A Director’s including developing an agenda, ensuring that minutes are taken and distributed, and taking JSI-wide administration and finance recommendations to the COPs for review and approval.

• Convene quarterly COP meetings, working with the COP designated to lead the meeting to develop an agenda, ensure that minutes are taken, and ensure that decisions made are disseminated to project leadership in Ethiopia as well as at Headquarters (HQ) (Boston, MA and Washington, DC).

Corporate

• Works with the COPs, Communication Staff, HQ Communication Staff, Senior Advisors, and technical leadership to develop, implement and oversee a corporate marketing strategy for JSI that addresses both internal and external needs. Internally, the strategy would identify ways to better share technical information across projects. The focus is on sharing best practices and making/supporting links and dissemination between projects. Externally activities will focus on training senior JSI staff to articulate the values, vision, strengths and activities of JSI as a whole, in addition to speaking about their projects. External communications will also include the development and dissemination of materials that weave together aspects of different project activities to tell a more comprehensive story about how we

3

have helped the Federal Ministry of Health and the country achieve results and add to the international evidence base on public health best practices.

• Work with COPs to develop a system to track new business development activities and inform headquarters of opportunities.

• Assist projects, as requested, with organization of major events such as receptions, high level observation visits, and close out meetings.

Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree in Business Administration or an advanced degree in economics, development studies or law. • Strong operational experience: has worked in a senior management role for 10+ years with an international

organization with progressive experience leading to at least three years of experience in operational/administrative management.

• Demonstrated experience in working with the GOE on issues of registration and taxation. • Proven skills in organizational development, personnel management, budget and resource development; demonstrated

success developing and monitoring systems to manage both operational and programmatic work that involve high levels of collaboration.

• Excellent interpersonal skills, with an ability to partner with and inspire a dynamic leadership team. • Personal qualities of integrity, credibility, and commitment to the mission of JSI. • Flexible and able to multi-task; can work within an ambiguous, fast moving environment, while also driving toward

clarity and solutions; demonstrated resourcefulness. • Oral and written fluency in English and Amharic.