Programme Operations Lead at Mary’s Meals International

Programme Operations Lead (1 Post) – Turkana County

We are delighted to be recruiting for a talented Programme Operations Lead to join our team in Lodwar, Turkana County. Reporting to the Head of Programmes, the Programme Operations Lead will provide strategic leadership to the programme Operations team and will be an active member of the Global Operations Forum. The Programme Operations Lead is ensuring robust process for fleet management, supplier management, assets management, warehouse management and facilities management, are in place to support our school feeding programme. The Programme Operations Lead provides key inputs and innovative ideas on how to continuously improve our operations.

The post is key to the successful delivery of the school feeding programme in country and will have regular interaction and strategic alignment with key personnel in the MMI (Mary’s Meals International) Programme Delivery & Operations and Development teams and will lead the field-based operations team in order to provide a strong quality assurance in support to the Head of Programmes.

Key duties & responsibilities for the role include:

Work in a highly effective and collaborative manner with our global programme delivery and operations staff to support the Head of Programmes in the following key areas:

Programmatic Excellence

• Lead on implementation of logistics strategies, policies, procedures, tools, continuous improvement, and operational excellence
• Implement monitoring of key performance indicators for all strategic areas of programme operations function.
• Proactively contribute to programmatic planning, risk management and reporting
• Strengthen communication across pillars, sharing best practices and learning, including forming and leading a highly effective operation team
• Deliver capacity building to operations team and promote a strong culture of compliance and highly robust ethics
• Work with procurement team to ensure strong cohesion between Procurement and our Operations function

Fleet Management

• Implement efficient and effective fleet management processes and procedures ensuring adequate controls are in place (e.g., vehicle and fuel usage, spare parts, maintenance costs, disposal, etc.)
• Ensure vehicles are adequately tracked for operational and security purposes
• Review fleet key performance indicators and implement corrective action where required
• Effectively use Fleet Management and Vehicle Tracking Systems to ensure operational controls are met

Warehousing & Construction

• Ensure effective functioning of our warehouses and distribution process with emphasis on optimal stock level management and efficient distribution planning.
• Ensure the warehouse is highly organized, clean, and all transactions are traceable and transparent.
• Support global logistics staff in ensuring strong framework and processes to monitor performance (quality, cost, timeline) in construction projects such as kitchens

Supplier Management

• Lead on the analysis and management of supplier performances in collaboration with Procurement.
• Working with the Procurement team on the development of a long-term strategic overview of procurement activities, reflecting planned and possible expansions in our school feeding programme.
• Actively manage supplier relationships to ensure that MM (Mary’s Meals) receives best value for money.

Facility Management

• Ensure efficient and effective facilities management processes and procedures with adequate controls are in place
• Ensure that agreed work by staff or contractors has been completed satisfactorily and follow-up on any deficiencies
• Use performance management techniques to monitor and demonstrate achievement of agreed service levels and to lead on improvement
• Routinely inspect office buildings and premises, and pro-actively resolve issues as they arise.

Quality Assurance

• Continually review and refine system and process in collaboration with MMI Programme Delivery and Operations Team
• Define and implement detailed programme operations reports and dashboards for various management levels, ensuring regular monitoring and clear actions, learnings and recommendations are identified and acted upon
• Provide support and technical advice on the implementation of Fleet Management digital systems.
• Provide support and technical advice to the audit and risk function

Working with others

• Ensure robust implementation and continual improvement of operational tools that lead to enhanced effectiveness and efficiency of our feeding programmes
• Ensure strong, ongoing training and coaching for all stakeholders of Programme Operations, in close collaboration with our MMI Programme Operations Team
• Regularly benchmark other relevant organisations for best practices and emerging opportunities for optimising effectiveness and efficiency of our programme delivery
• Facilitate information sharing across the Kenya team and our global programmes through the MMI Programme Operations Lead
• Work closely with the Operations team to develop meaningful weekly, monthly, and annual plans, and measure performance against agreed plans.

Other

• Coordinate responses to external audits conducted by MMI Risk & Assurance, liaising with MMI Programme Delivery and Operations as required
• Develop a high-performing, innovative, resilient, and sustainable delivery team through constant coaching, mentoring and role modelling
• Any other duty as assigned from time to time.

The role will require to travel to locations in which Mary’s Meals programmes operate.

Qualifications, skills, and experience

Essential

• Strong commitment to Mary’s Meals vision, mission, and values
• Degree qualification, with a relevant post qualification experience
• Proven experience of strong leadership of a function, and in coaching and developing high performing teams and individuals
• Strategic thinker, with experience of developing and delivering strategy in a complex environment
• Proven ability to identify and drive to a goal, and focused on delivering objectives while consistently demonstrating our values
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with ability to establish effective working relationships at all levels
• Experience of monitoring, evaluating, learning, and reporting against agreed strategy and plans
• Strong analytical skills and effective financial management experience
• Strong cultural sensitivity, with an ability to work well with a wide range of people in many different contexts
• Strong experience of liaising with community groups and governments

Desirable

• Experience of international development, knowledge of the place of school feeding, and working in international environments and teams
• Experience working in emergencies
• A postgraduate degree in a relevant subject