BACKGROUND ON IMPACT AND REACH

IMPACT Initiatives is a humanitarian NGO, based in Geneva, Switzerland. The organisation manages several initiatives, including the REACH Initiative. The IMPACT team comprises specialists in data collection, management and analysis and GIS.  IMPACT was launched at the initiative of ACTED, an international NGO whose headquarter is based in Paris and is present in thirty countries. The two organizations have a strong complementarity formalized in a global partnership, enabling IMPACT to benefit from ACTED’s operational support on its fields of intervention.

We are currently looking for a Chief Operations Officer to join our team in Geneva.

Start Date: 1 January 2024

POSITION PROFILE

The Chief Operations Officer (COO) will oversee IMPACT’s operations and ensure that the organization’s  objectives are effectively and efficiently met, that solutions are identified to achieve required change, and that risks are addressed. The COO will lead a team of directors and managers of IMPACT’s support functions (including finance, HR, projects and partnerships, Transparency and Compliance, logistics, IS and IT), holding them accountable and supporting them in fulfilling their strategies, promote organizational culture and vision, work as a team, and make good decisions in the face of problems and opportunities. The COO will report to the CEO, keeping him regularly updated and flagging key concerns and opportunities as early as possible.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Chief of Operations responsibilities include the following:

1. Overseeing the implementation of the organizational operational strategies. The COO supports and holds accountable Directors and managers under her/his responsibility for the implementation of their strategies. S/He centralizes strategy progress, achievements and lessons learnt, regularly updating the CEO and consulting him on identified issues of concern or opportunity.
2. Ensuring definition, implementation, and continuous improvement of IMPACT’s processes and procedures.  The COO ensures that IMPACT has a body of processes and procedures that promote effectiveness, efficiency, quality control and compliance to legal and donor requirements. He supports and holds into account Directors and managers/teams under his/her responsibility for their implementation and continuous improvement.
3. Providing direct oversight of IMPACT’s operations at global and country level, including operational relations with our sister organization ACTED and other partners. The COO works with Directors to oversee the implementation of operational strategies and to identify and address operational issues. This includes regular coordination with key operational partners, including ACTED but also other hosts and downstream implementing partners.  The COO ensures that IMPACT’s operations are compliant to required legal frameworks.
4. Identify, mitigate and address risks. The COO develops and implements systems to identify risks at global, department, country and project level. S/He works with the Directors and managers to ensure that these are tracked regularly, and that appropriate mitigation strategies and responses are actioned; zooming in directly for key risks. The COO keeps the CEO updated on a regular and ad hoc basis on all risks, as far in advance as possible; facilitating the direct implication of the CEO when required and relevant
5. Promote and ensure coordination, communication and learning across the organization. The COO promotes coordination and, communication across various departments, hierarchies and geographies of the organization. S/he identifies and oversees processes dedicated to this, on a regular and predictable basis, as well as on an ad hoc basis when required. In coordination with the CEO, and all Directors, s/he promotes a culture akin to the Learning organization.
6. Identifying and nurturing leadership and management throughout the organization.
7. Promote an efficient and effective use of resources throughout the organization. This includes financial resources, human resources, partnerships, products and intellectual property, etc.
8. Provide direct oversight and resolution of key risks and challenges when required. The COO is able to directly step in to mitigate risk and resolve issues when needed, at department and inter-department level, field or HQ.  S/he is able to understand, focus on and manage key challenges, risks and organizational change directly when required.

REQUIREMENTS

• Years of work experience At least 15 years of proven experience and progressive managerial responsibilities in operations.
• Work experience Previous successful experience as COO/equivalent or overseeing multiple support departments at organizational level. This has to include familiarity with finance, grants management and HR.
• Management experience Previous successful senior management experience in international not-for-profit entity. Previous experience in management in organization also producing research preferred.
• External engagement Proven experience in nurturing, coordinating and operationalizing partnerships with other actors.
• Experience in managing organizational change Proven experience in leading cross cutting organizational change dossiers. Proven experience in risk identification and mitigation, and in problem resolution.
• Travel Ability to travel regularly, including to challenging contexts.
• Level of independence A self-starter with a proven ability to work independently.
• Cross-cultural work environment Ability to operate in a cross-cultural environment requiring flexibility.
• Academic qualifications Excellent academic qualifications, preferably including a University degree in a relevant discipline.
• Language skills Fluency in English and French required.