I. Job Context:

ICCO Cooperation (www.icco-cooperation.org) is an international organization, whose mission is to end poverty and injustice in the global south, in partnership with enterprising people. We invest in the power and dreams of entrepreneurial people, stimulate their entrepreneurial spirit, and connect them with businesses, governments and social organizations. 

ICCO Cooperation is planning to implement EU funded “Sustained Opportunities for Nutrition Governance (SONGO) project” to improve maternal and child nutrition in Kurigram and Gaibandha districts. The SONGO project is 5 years duration with 4 inter-linked outcomes; (1) establishing upazila nutrition governance, (2) improving maternal and child health, nutrition (3) improving WASH practices (4) enhancing availability and access to safe and nutritious food.

The operation lead (OL) will report directly to the PM and be responsible for day-to-day management, supervision and timely implementation of the project as guided by the action proposal. The OL, with a strong gender expertise, will coordinate with the field team and will be responsible for tracking project progress along with the preparation of technical and final report to the donor.
In the absence of the Project Manager, the Operations Lead will assume overall responsibility of the activity. The Operations Lead, with the assistance of other personnel, will provide support and technical assistance to each of the thematic areas including governance, health/nutrition, WASH and market facilitation. The Operations Lead will also assist in the management of the sub-grantees under the award.

II.            Responsibilities and Tasks:

Program Management

• With the Project Manager, support program start-up, management and administration. Ensure program implementation is on time, target and budget, using effective M&E systems to reach desired impacts.
• Assist the PM in program oversight, technical, administrative, operational, and logistical management of the activity and in the absence of PM, the OL will assume overall responsibility of the activity.
• With the assistance of other personnel, provide support and technical assistance to each of the thematic areas including governance, health/nutrition, WASH and market facilitation. Assist in the management of delegated, sub-granted and sub-contracted components of the program.
• Ensure that program implementation is responsive to communities and partners and consistent with ICCO's relevant program guidelines, principles, values, quality standards and strategic plan.
• Confirm beneficiaries are effectively targeted according to transparent criteria.
• Develop partnership frameworks, partner agreements/Memorandum of Understandings, and ensure partner capacity building.
• Integrate community approaches, gender and youth sensitivity, a resilience lens and capacity building into all activities as appropriate. Certify all interventions adhere to ICCO's Gender Policy, Do No Harm principles, and beneficiary accountability standards.
• Ensure program strategies and activities represent global good practice in market facilitation, health & nutrition, WASH and governance.
• With the Monitoring and Evaluation Advisor, ensure program staff as well as sub-grantees adhere to EU and ICCO’s monitoring and evaluation requirements and that data analyzed is used to inform programming through adaptive management approaches. Support the Project Manager where necessary in donor reporting.
• With the Project Manager, supervise and/or review the work of program consultants.
• With the Project Manager and Quality & Partnerships Manager, fulfil ICCO's Program Management Minimum Standards based on the organization-wide guide.

Team Management

• With the Project Manager, develop the capacity of the program team, deepen understanding of their roles and assist with career development.
• Assist team members with information, tools and resources to improve performance & reach objectives.
• With the Project Manager, promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback informally and formally via regular one on ones and performance reviews.
• In collaboration with the Project Manager, create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.

Finance, & Operations Management

• Ensure compliance with donor-EU procurement and management guideline and ICCO regulations related to programming and operations
• With the support of the Project Manager and Country Director ensure adequate operational systems are in place to provide for program
• Manage program budget(s) as secondary budget holder
• Strictly follow ICCO Fraud and Corruption Prevention guidelines.

Influence & Representation

• Represent ICCO at government, donor, NGO and other relevant events, in close coordination with the Project Manager. Primary focus will be district level representation, while Project Manager will be responsible for national level.
• Coordinate activities with consortium partners, sub grantees, local government and other implementers, as well as with other ICCO programs.

Security

• With the Project Manager, work closely with the country team’s security focal point to develop and maintain systems that promote the safety and security of all team members.
• Ensure that programs are designed and implemented with a clear analysis and understanding of security.

Organizational and Project Learning

• As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit ICCO as well as themselves.

Accountability to Beneficiaries

• Support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects

Coordination, Networking and Documentations

• Lead role for signing the MoU and agreement with consortium partners, government line department (DAE, DLS, DoF, Health & Nutrition)
• In absence of PM, coordination with the other EU/DFID funded program such as SUCHANA, MUCH project or steering committee for sharing learning and direction for the betterment of beneficiaries 
• Maintain regular coordination with the consortium partners, project manager and ICCO Dhaka team to ensure supports to the project.
• Establish strong working relationships with all consortium members and develop an in-depth understanding of the activities, support needs and strengths of each partner with regards their respective implementation.
• Develop action plans on partnerships activities for the project on annual basis through coordinating with consortium members at the districts levels.
• Establish networking relationships with the public-private sectors and other partner organizations.

Desk Review, Monitoring and Reporting

• Ensure that planning and monitoring tools are developed and standardized, and that data is regularly collected, based on the overall PMEL mechanism.
•  Compile and analyses monitoring data and produce monthly monitoring reports.
• Conduct and coordinate regular monitoring covering operational issues (finance and compliance), capacity strengthening and overall partnership at field level

IV.          Working Conditions:

• Working days from Sunday to Thursday with 40 hours per week. This position may be required to work some overtime hours to attend meetings such as the Annual Audit.
• Any other tasks assigned by the supervisor from time to time.
• Yearly renewable the contract based on fund availability and performance.
• Have to follow ICCO HR, Admin and Finance related policy.

V.       Key contacts:

Project Manager, Operation Lead, Head of Programs, PNGOs, Manager, HR & Admin and Finance department of ICCO

VI.    Key Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in relevant discipline, University degree on food and nutrition, MPH will be given priority
• 7+ years of operations management experience with excellent program and project management skills, including work prioritization, planning, and task delegation.
• Key skill in Strategy development; Operational management; Programme management; Team leadership, Nutrition governance, Gender expertise,
• Leading new product or start-up related projects where processes will need to be defined, implemented and iterated.
• Experience in coordination with the field team and skill for tracking project progress along with the preparation of technical and final report to the donor.
• Experience in EU funded project management skill will be given priority
• Proficiency with tools/systems to analyze data including Google, Excel, or other data management systems
• Proven track record of successfully delivering high profile, high risk projects
• Enviable detail orientation and ability to organize, both self and others.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a fast-paced, ambiguous, deadline-oriented work environment. You create order, without stifling progress and adaptation.
• Experience working with distributed teams, often in different countries.
• Consortium partner management skill, experience in nutrition specific and sensitive project implementation.
• Excellent communication skill- English (Spoken: fluent), Written: fluent) and Bengali
• Experience in coordination with government and different stakeholders.
• Excellent in activity monitoring and reporting.
• Excellent interpersonal communication skill, problem solving skills, strong value based commitment to right based approach
• Good computer skills in MS Office.