Operations Lead

Focus of the Role

We don’t just talk, we do. Lead the change with us.

At the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, we work with political leaders around the world to drive change. We help governments turn bold ideas into reality so they can deliver for their people. We do it by advising on strategy, policy and delivery, unlocking the power of technology across all three. And by sharing what we learn on the ground, so everyone can benefit. We do it to build more open, inclusive and prosperous countries for people everywhere. 

We are a global team of nearly 800 changemakers, operating in more than 30 countries, across five continents. We are political strategists, policy experts, delivery practitioners, technology specialists and more. We speak more than 45 languages. We are working on over 100 projects, tackling some of the world’s biggest challenges. We’re all here at TBI to make a difference. 

In a world of ever more complex challenges, we believe diversity of background and perspective is a strength. We pride ourselves on a culture that values and nurtures difference. We are dedicated to unlocking potential, not only for the countries we work in but also for each of our team members. No matter where you’re from or who you are, if you’re passionate about the transformative power of progressive politics, we invite you to build a better future with us.

Job Introduction

TBI has a growing program in Ethiopia supporting the Government of Ethiopia across top priorities to drive economic and digital transformation.  Our work, since 2014, involves policy advice, strategy development, as well as delivery and coordination support.  Currently, the Ethiopia country team is working with multiple government institutions and development partners in key areas including E-Commerce, Digital ID, Implementation of the 10 Year Plan, Manufacturing Sector Development and Investment. 

In addition to our work with the Ethiopian Government, the TBI office in Addis Ababa also hosts a separate team which works with the Africa Centre for Disease Control.

TBI is looking to recruit for an experienced Operations Lead to support the Country Director with oversight and management of key operational and administrative activities of the office in Ethiopia.

The role will include administrative, logistical, financial, and team safety related tasks to ensure smooth operations of TBI’s project in the country. The role reports to the Ethiopia Country Director while working closely with the Operations, Legal, HR, Risk, and Finance departments that centrally support country projects. The successful candidate will need strong communications, interpersonal skills, and time management skills to deliver well on the required tasks.

Please note, it is essential you have an existing right to work in Ethiopia to apply for this role.

Key Responsibilities

Office Operations

• Support the Country Director and the team with administrative tasks as needed
• Follow up with office building staff to resolve repair and maintenance issues at the office
• Track and refill on office consumables (stationary, printer materials etc.)
• Periodically, organise team social events
• Carryout induction with all new staff to provide guidance on norms and requirements in TBI Ethiopia
• Office and accommodation maintenance: liaise with landlord/managing agents for TBI rented properties to resolve maintenance, security or H&S issues that may arise 
• Carry out H&S and security assessments on all new potential office and accommodation locations that TBI may procure

Legal

• Prepare KYC and due diligence documents to submit to TBI legal departments for evaluation of new suppliers and service providers
• Monitor contracts of staff, consultants and other service providers to initiate process for renewal, where applicable
• Ensure all legal and regulatory documents are filed and monitor compliance with laws and regulations (withholding tax, pension etc.)
• Act as the main contact for key suppliers and service providers to the project team  

Finance

• Track bill payments and receipts for all office expenses and submit cash tracker and payment requests to TBI central teams in accordance with TBI policies and procedures for financial management
• Maintain a clean and accurate record of expenditures, collect bank statements and reconcile books with central finance teams  
• Follow up on in-country cash and payment schedules to promptly advice the Country Director on cash advance requests
• Supports the Country Director and team in financial management including preparing requests for advance of funds and/or direct payments; monitoring budget expenditures and maintaining a proper record of budgets and spending 

Safety, security, and access

• With support from the Global Operations and Security team, update the country-level security SOPs and full ESP (Essential Security Packs) according to changes in the political and security situation which may impact TBI’s staff and/or activities, and inform the Country Director and the central security teams on elevated risks
• Maintain an active network with other agencies as well as key interlocutors to ensure that TBI understands the security context. Notify the Country Director and Security and Ops Team when the political or security situation may impact TBI’s staff or activities 
• Ensure that any violation of safety and security rules as well as security incidents are reported to the Country Director and Global Operations and Security team 
• Work with the Country Director to enable safe access for TBI staff to new areas and identify key stakeholders and interlocutors relevant to the area of operation 
• Report safety and risk incidents to the Country Director, and action mitigation and corrective actions as requested
• Attend safety and security trainings provided by central TBI teams, contextualize content for Ethiopia and update safety and risk documents to be communicated with the local team
• Ensure that all TBI locations are compliant with fire regulations and equipped with firefighting equipment where necessary.  Ensure that all safety and security equipment including medical and firefighting equipment is effectively distributed and maintained to the appropriate standards and is serviced according to the recommended maintenance schedule 
• Act as the point of contact in the country in the implementation of security and safety related tasks that may be directed by the Global Security and Operations team
• Maintain an up-to-date country Flap sheet and communications tree document

Travel Management 

• Coordinate in country moves outside of core locations 
• Support visa applications and arrival procedures of international staff and visitors to the programme 
• Ensure that all international staff and visitors have a working means of communication within 24 hours of arrival in country 

• Support VIP visits and coordinate with Senior Leadership, Travel Team and IO to manage on the ground requirements

It should be noted that the above list of responsibilities is not comprehensive, and other similar operational and administrative duties may need to be covered on an as-need-basis and as requested by the Country Director.

Person Specification

We are looking for an outstanding individual with drive, resilience, a can-do attitude, and track record of delivering successfully.  The successful candidate should have strong experience of working in an operations lead or office management role - preferably in international organisations in Ethiopia.  The individual should work to the highest standard with a keen attention to detail delivering workable solutions to various teams with competing priorities.

The candidate should be:

• Bold and confident in their approach
• A problem solver and solution oriented in dealing with administrative and operational issues
• Eager to improve operational efficiency and make the office a conducive environment for all staff
• Strive to maintain the institute’s relationships and healthy reputation
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to deliver products or presentations that are concise, easy to understand and influential.
• Fluent in written and spoken English and Amharic

In addition, the post holder must have experience in managing a variety of operational and administrative duties in an office environment with more than 20 staff.

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