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Operations Director – USDA Malawi MTENGO at Winrock International

  • Full Time
  • Lilongwe, Malawi
  • Applications have closed
  • Salary: 000

Winrock International

The Market Transitions to Enable New Growth Opportunities (MTENGO) project is a five year, USDA-funded project implemented by Winrock International in the Northern and Central regions of Malawi. MTENGO uses a farmer-first approach grounded in market incentives to increase resource-efficient, reliable production from Malawian agriculture in the face of climate unpredictability. MTENGO’s approach will enable farmers to:

  1. Diversify and achieve stable returns from their farming portfolio through climate smart farming by responding to market demands with diversified production;
  2. Increase access to water for productive purposes through improved water management practices;
  3. Make ecosystem services work for farmers by improving farmer access to, and collective management of, water, soil, and forest products; and
  4. Increase access to markets and finance so farmers can make climate smart investments.

The Operations Director will provide oversight of all financial and operational activities for MTENGO, including operations of the main project office in Lilongwe and the field office in Mzuzu.

Essential Responsibilities:

  • Responsible for all financial, operational, and logistical aspects of the activity, ensuring systems efficiently support technical implementation.
  • Train, supervise, and lead a team of professional staff that oversee project finances, procurement, subcontracts, logistics, and security.
  • Ensure that the project is compliant with USDA regulations and Winrock policies; train staff and subcontractors on USDA regulations and Winrock policies as appropriate.
  • Ensure compliance with local tax and employment law.
  • Serve as point of contact for internal and external auditors.
  • Establish and monitor internal controls to ensure sound financial management and program operations, in compliance with Winrock and USDA regulations.
  • Work with Winrock staff in the regional and Home Office to update project operation manuals (procurement, travel, security, etc.) as necessary.
  • Coordinate with managers on recruitment and onboarding of new staff, including coordinating orientation in accordance with Winrock policies and the duties of the position.
  • Prepare employee contracts and amendments, based on templates, policies and procedures including those related to establishing salary and benefits.
  • Support managers on the implementation of the Performance Management System, ensuring tracking of setting of annual goals, preparing staff development objectives and plans, and annual performance reviews in accordance with Winrock policies for field office staff.
  • Supervise office functions and serve as the point person on ethics, office administration, and fleet management.
  • Ensure maintenance of physical and electronic records related to operations including finance, human resources, procurement, contracts, grants, legal registration, logistics, and security.
  • Coordinate with home office regarding support requirements (Contracts, Procurement, Finance, HR, and IT).
  • Supervise Finance Manager, Grants Manager, and Drivers.
  • Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications And Background:

  • Education:
    • S. or equivalent university degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or related field.
  • Experience:
    • At least 8 years of experience leading financial, administrative, and/or procurement of donor-funded programs, USDA or USAID experience preferred.
    • Experience managing office staff.
    • Experience managing small grants to local organizations desired.
    • Familiarity with the USG financial and procurement rules and regulations desired.
    • Strong computer software skills in MS Excel, Word, Outlook, Teams, and SharePoint.
    • Strong communication skills, both oral and written with fluency in English.

About Winrock International

Winrock is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all people and value diversity and inclusiveness. Winrock recruits, employs, trains, promotes and compensates regardless of race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, family care status, or any other basis protected by law.

At Winrock we have a clear mission: Empower the disadvantaged, increase economic opportunity and sustain natural resources through unwavering dedication to accountability, equity, innovation, integrity and transformation.

Winrock knows that its success comes from the hard work and steadfast dedication of its diverse workforce. Winrock remains committed to maintaining diversity, inclusion and equity across the entire organization.