Director of Operations

Organisation Background

Founded in 2011, the International NGO Safety Organisation (INSO) is an international charity that supports humanitarian aid workers by establishing safety coordination platforms in insecure contexts. INSO provides registered NGOs with a range of free services, including real-time incident tracking, analytical reports, safety-related data and mapping, crisis management support, staff orientations and training.

INSO services help NGOs with their day-to-day risk management responsibilities and improve their overall situational awareness to support evidence-based humanitarian access decisions. The organisation has grown from an innovative start-up to become a globally recognised charity and a valuable component of the humanitarian safety coordination system.

Today, with more than 1000 employees globally, INSO provides daily support to over 1000 NGOs operating in 14 of the world’s most insecure countries and has earned a strong reputation for its performance, principles and professionalism.

As of April 2019, INSO is registered as a charity in the Netherlands with its global headquarters  based in The Hague, the international city of peace and justice.

To support our mission, we are now seeking an experienced individual to lead the Operations Department as the Director of Operations (“DO”).

Job Summary:

The overall aim of the Operations Department is to facilitate the safety and wellbeing of INSO personnel, support the effective delivery of INSO projects and strengthen our organisational governance, duty of care and safeguarding capacity.  

The DO will oversee the operational support services to our humanitarian missions including in the areas of logistics, procurement, asset management, facilities, communications, transport, safety & security, IT, and regulatory compliance such as data protection, environmental policy, and 3^rd party liabilities & services.

The DO is a departmental director and member of the INSO Senior Management Team (SMT) reporting directly to the Executive Director. They will directly manage three personnel at HQ level (Safety & Security Manager, IT Manager and NL Operations Manager), coordinate with other departmental heads (HR, Finance, Programmes) and have dotted line management over 14 field level Operations Managers.

The post will combine HQ level policy and leadership work with more practical field support missions and will suit someone comfortable transitioning between the two. The ideal candidate will be an operations generalist committed to INSO’s mission with wide experience in both HQ and field level operational support functions.

INSO is not involved in significant procurement, so we are not looking for Logistics, Procurement or Supply Chain Management specialists but rather generalists with a range of management level experience across operations, IT and safety & security such as Directors of Operations, Support Services or Administration.

Major responsibilities:

• Manage and develop the Operations Department strategy, action plan and budget, in line with organisational strategy.
• Recruit and manage Operations Department personnel including org-structure, job orientations, task allocation and ongoing performance management.
• Provide timely and reliable support to Country Offices in the recruitment, training and management of in-country Operations Managers.
• Lead regulatory compliance in areas including data protection (GDPR), environment, health and safety, etc. and maintain awareness of changes in legislation.
• Review and proactively develop the operational policy environment, modifying or drafting new policies to fill gaps as they are identified.
• Proactively develop and improve INSO’s operational policies & practises, taking advantage of technology where possible.
• Ensure awareness of, and compliance with, internal operational policies and procedures establishing training, monitoring, auditing, and reporting systems as needed - to include regular field monitoring missions.
• Proactively build the capacity of in-country Operations Managers to provide effective operational support to projects.
• Supervise country office registrations, legal files and new office set ups to ensure compliance with internal and external requirements.   
• Develop and maintain operational support document files (electronic and hard copy) in support of audit and regulatory review.
• Participate in SMT meetings to contribute to wider organisational development and growth.
• Connect and communicate across the operations teams to stimulate a positive and engaged team spirit.

Role requirements:

• Minimum 10 years in an NGO operational management role with demonstrable experience in the required sectors including operations/support, IT and safety & security.
• Demonstrable experience of leading departmental strategy and developing policy frameworks in the required sectors.
• Demonstrable experience of leading and capacity building field staff and supporting field operations.
•  An advanced degree (Msc/MA) in a relevant field such as management, organisational development, business administration or a technical field etc.
• Demonstrable experience of the regulatory practises and trends influencing the humanitarian sector (environment, GDPR, safeguarding, duty of care, health & safety, etc.)
• A commitment towards INSOs mission of improving humanitarian safety.
• Work experience in any of the countries/regions we work and willingness to travel to INSO field sites, most of which are insecure.
• Fluent in English language (written and spoken).
• Willingness to relocate to our HQ in The Hague, Netherlands.

Nice to have:

• Fluent in French language
• Prior knowledge of INSO mission and activities

INSO’s Safeguarding Policy

INSO is fully committed to safe recruitment, selection and vetting of all potential new staff, trustees and volunteers and we will ensure rigorous compliance with our Code of Conduct and Safeguarding policy throughout the recruitment process. As such, the following safe recruitment practices will be applied:

• All offers of employment will be conditional on receiving at least two satisfactory professional references.
• INSO will ask candidates about significant gaps in employment history or frequent changes of employer and address.
• All essential qualifications and relevant professional accreditations and memberships will be verified.
• The successful candidate will be required to provide a valid proof of identity (passport, ID card).
• All new hires will receive an orientation in INSO’s safeguarding policy and procedures and associated documents (Code of Conduct, Whistleblowing etc.).
• All new hires will be required to sign and abide by the Code of Conduct as a condition of employment.

Terms & Conditions

Fixed-term (renewable) full-time contract based in The Hague, Netherlands, €7,500 per month, 8% vacation pay (vakentiegeld), 2.5 days annual leave per month. The post is eligible for a Highly Skilled Migrant visa sponsorship.

How to apply:

Interested applicants are requested to send the following to jobs@hq.ngosafety.org and reference “Director of Operations” in the subject line of the email. The closing date is midnight 31^st May 2021. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Please include the following in your application:

* An up-to-date CV (2 page maximum).

* A cover letter explaining your motivation and interest in the position. Please explain how you meet the minimum requirements of the role.

Please do not send any additional information (such as copies of certificates, copies of diplomas, other writing samples, etc.) and keep the total size of your application under 2MB if possible.