Vice President, Operations at JA Africa

Job Description:

As the Vice President, Operations, you will be responsible for overseeing the seamless and efficient functioning of our organization’s day-to-day operations. You will also focus on strengthening our network of Member Nations (MNs) to advance our mission and impact in the region.
Goal: Operational Excellence at the JA Africa Regional Operating Center (ROC) and Member Nations (MNs)
Reports to: President & CEO, JA Africa.

1. Team Leadership and Coordination:

• Manage and lead teams responsible for various administrative functions, such as Finance, HR, Legal, Risk/Compliance, and IT.
• Lead coordination of all teams/departments mentioned above to foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and excellence throughout the organization.
• Provide coaching and development opportunities to team members to enhance their skills and capabilities.

2.  Staff liaison for:

• Governance and People Development Committee of the JA Africa Board
• Member Nation Board Chair Council (MNBCC)

3.  Human Resources:

• Coordination of all HR activities to ensure best in class policies, procedures and systems for superior performance and welfare of all staff.
• Management of Africa HR relationship for maximum effectiveness in all payroll, hiring
  and offboarding practices
• Select and operationalize effective HR digital solution for:
  – Performance appraisal
  – Leave management
  – Staff personal development plans
• Manage training and development for all staff using all available resources from JA Worldwide (OneJA, Ivy, Global Orientation, JA Fellows, etc.), donors (e.g. project management training), and partner institutions (Lagos Business School, Harvard Business School, Oxford University).

4.  Compliance and Risk Management:

• Ensure compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, and industry standards.
• Implement risk management strategies to safeguard the organization’s assets, beneficiaries, stakeholders and reputation.
• Oversee internal audits and assessments to identify and address operational and compliance risks.
• Ensure legal statutory compliance with JA Worldwide, government of Ghana and all countries where we work.
  a.  Manage relationship with legal counsel for JA Africa
  b. Manage relationship with JA Worldwide General Counsel and Head of Risk

5.  Data and Performance Analysis:

• Utilize data and key performance indicators to evaluate the effectiveness of our operations.
• Continuously monitor and report on the performance of our network and partnerships.

6.  Strategic Execution Support:

• Work closely with VP, Strategy & Impact to operationalize the organization’s strategic plan.
• Ensure alignment between day-to-day operations and the organization’s long-term strategic goals.
• Plan and coordinate staff retreats, Board retreats, and all convening across the network

7.  Technology:

• Oversee Digital Director to develop and coordinate technology (hardware and software, including a knowledge resource database/platform) required for optimal performance of all processes including HR, finance, legal, stakeholder [volunteers, alumni, board] management processes
  i. Templates for MNs
  ii. Templates for Boards
  iii. Templates for ROC staff

8.  Member Nation Management:

• Active, engaged board who fully understand their fiduciary duties.
• Active Board Committees that assume ownership of their respective areas and ensure statutory & financial compliance with JA Worldwide Member Agreement, JA Africa

9.  Regional Operating Agreement, and laws and policies of their respective governments.

• Active board charter with clear terms & responsibilities for Board Members.
• Specific, measurable board strategic plan, with KPIs by year and quarter, that aligns with JA Worldwide and Africa ROC strategic plans.
• Highly capable management with capacity to execute Board strategic plan and deliver effective results.
• Path to sustainability for all MNs.

Qualifications:

1. Bachelor’s degree in business administration, public administration, nonprofit management, or a related field (Master’s degree and/or PMP certification preferred).
2. 10+ years of experience in nonprofit operations, business management, or a related role with at least three years in senior executive capacity.
3. Proven track record of results-driven strategy execution, successful stakeholder engagement, and network building.
4. Strong leadership and team management capabilities.
5. Excellent communication and negotiation skills.
6. Understanding of nonprofit compliance, risk management, and financial management.
7. Data-driven and analytical mindset with the ability to use metrics to drive decisionmaking.

The Vice President, Operations is a critical role within JA Africa, and the successful candidate will have the opportunity to make a significant impact on our daily operations and the growth of our regional network. If you are passionate about driving administrative excellence and expanding our influence within the continent, we invite you to apply and be a key player in our missions.
Direct Reports:
• Grants & Programs Director (50%)
• Digital Strategy Director (50%)
• Director, Strategy & Development for Non-English-Speaking Africa (50%)
• Finance & Operations Director (50%)
• Admin & Operations team

To apply

please send your resume and a cover letter outlining your relevant experience and
achievements to recruitment@ja-africa.org

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