CARE Ethiopia Program

 CARE started working in Ethiopia in 1984 in response to severe drought and famine that devastated the population and claimed the lives of nearly one million people. Since then, the organization’s activities have expanded to address the root causes of poverty and vulnerability.

In 2008, CARE Ethiopia’s office moved from a project-based approach to a more focused and strategic program-based approach. Over the eight years since that transition, CARE Ethiopia has implemented a series of programs with successful outcomes, while simultaneously impacting the policies and practices of government, serving as a thought leader amongst NGOs, and bringing transformative change to rural communities. These broader and deeper impacts go beyond the direct impacts of its programs and are a result of CARE Ethiopia’s overall country strategy, which enables CARE to design for scale.

CARE Ethiopia works in various sectors but has particularly targeted the following: Food Security and Resilience; WASH+; Nutrition; Dignified Work; Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights and Humanitarian Response as cross-cutting (focusing on the above sectors).

Job Summary

The Business Service Manager (BSM) is responsible for the efficient management of transport, administration, IT and travel and event services. This includes ensuring that all administration, transport and logistics systems and processes are functioning efficiently across the CO and that communication between the Addis and Field Offices is effective. Critical to this function will be identifying where work processes require improvement and re-engineering and leading regular customer service feedback mechanisms. The BSM holds overall responsibility of all assets within the CARE Ethiopia Country office. The position will also ensure the effective coordination of all travel and event related issues, including identification of potential service providers to improve work efficiencies. S/he will also provide management support and oversight to IT ensuring that services are supporting decentralization of support functions.

The BSM must possess a broad understanding of other functions and must be well versed in business processes. S/he should have strong planning and prioritization, execution and monitoring skills and be detail oriented without losing the wider vision. These competencies should be matched by strong communication and people skills.

Responsibilities and Accountability

Leadership and Direction

·         Ensure that CARE Ethiopia is provided with the business services management, analysis and support necessary to accomplish its strategic objectives.

·         Lead the business services department in effective and efficient organization of and planning of business service resources.

·         Ensure proper staffing/recruitment to enable the business services team to manage CARE Ethiopia’s resources efficiently. Work with the program team to ensure timely and quality service provision in support of each project.

·         Manage the business services team towards high standards of performance through clear roles and responsibilities, on-going feedback and appraisals. Pro-actively address performance issues through timely constructive feedback and coaching.

·         Ensure that the Field Office staff are mentored and supported in all administrative, transport, logistics and IT related functions.

·         Lead business process improvement and re-engineering within the  business service department for the continuous improvement of functions of the Country office to bring efficiency and effectiveness.

·         Ensure value for money and high-quality standards across all business services.

 Administration Management

·         Ensure the up to date and effective recording and maintenance of all assets including the local and global insurance requirements.

·         Ensure all CARE assets meet safety requirements and are maintained with quality standards.

·         Ensure the maintenance of all CARE rented/ owned facilities and follow utility obligations in a timely manner.

·         Mitigate possible risks by ensuring safety and security for both rented and owned assets.

·         Ensure CARE Ethiopia is meeting required occupational health and safety standards and that disposal of assets are following government, donor and CARE rules and regulations.

·         Oversee the office floor plans and allocation of work space in Addis office and support Field offices in fulfilling their work space demands.

Fleet Management and Warehousing

·         Ensure systems are in place for vehicle maintenance and reported in a timely manner.

·         Support the team to embed organizational systems, standards and structures into logistics functions, including strategic advice, clarity on policy, procedures and ways of working.

·         Ensure policies and procedures for logistics are adhered to, including ensuring metrics and reporting.

·         Analysis of Country office logistics to determine the most cost effective and efficient means of delivery.

·         Ensure CARE warehouses are using sound internal control systems to safeguard assets, records and documents of the Country office and in conformity with CARE’s policies and procedures.

Travel and Events Management

·         Strengthen CARE Ethiopia’s CO systems for travel and events management.

·         Ensure a customer service orientation in the provision of travel and event related support.

·         Lead the analysis of Country office’s travel and event related needs and coordinate with procurement to identify high quality service providers and manage subsequent service level agreements (SLAs). 

·         Ensure program staff are supported in their travel requirements and organization and booking of venues for events, workshops and meetings (internal and external).

·         Ensure the coordination of travel and event functions across units and departments across the Country office.

Information Technology

·         Ensure that CARE Ethiopia’s IT strategy is regularly reviewed and refined based on the CO context.

·         Lead the determination of business requirements for IT systems.

·         Lead the development of effective business solutions and services with the underlying infrastructure and ensure the introduction of appropriate technology enabled solutions.

·         Ensure continuous follow up to IT process and day-by-day operation that complies with CARE’s minimum standards and policies; promoting best practice.

Customers Service Excellence

·         Ensures coherence in business service functions to have positive impact on efficiency and value addition to the Country office.

·         Establish and maintain effective relationship with customers for improved service delivery.

·         Conduct periodic customer surveys and use the outcomes for process improvement.

·         Effective networking/partnership with peer agencies for customer service bench marking and improvement.

·         Provide proactive, rigorous and logical methods to solve service-related challenges.

Qualification

·         Bachelor’s Degree in social science or relevant field

 Experience and Competencies

·         Minimum of 5 years of experience in an international organization or private sector business

·         Demonstrated experience with administration and business processes

·         Understanding of IT basic requirements and challenges

·         Proven planning, organizational and execution skills

·         Strong communication and people skills

·         Focused and detailed with an understanding of the big picture

·         Dynamic, agile and innovative

·         Solution oriented