Head of Operations

SAWA for Development and Aid is a Civil Society Organization founded initially as a spontaneous initiative in December 2011 to respond to the arrival of the first 40 Syrian families displaced from Syria into the North of Lebanon.
This initiative then grew to include individual activists, locals and internationals, who worked together (literally meaning ‘SAWA’ in Arabic) to share their knowledge and exchange their experiences in order to support Syrians, internally displaced or refugees in neighboring countries, united by their belief in their right to live in dignity, freedom, and to be active individuals in their communities and wherever they are.
SAWA sees itself as part and parcel of the society, and that it is on a continuous learning journey based on a participatory relationship at all levels with the communities that it works with, whether host or displaced, as well as with local and international partners.
SAWA believes that humanitarian, developmental, and civic work has to always strive to achieve social justice, and so it aims to work with individuals and communities through holistic interventions towards a society based on democracy, pluralism, and the values of citizenship and human rights. 

Objective of the Role:

The Head of Operations is a member of executive management that is responsible for maintaining and driving operational results within SAWA. H/she works closely with the Director, as well as other members within the management team. H/she must be a skilled communicator, effective leader, maintain key operational procedures, create new processes, and ensure day-to-day administrative and operational functions of the organization. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

•    Provide management and leadership to staff of the organization which aligns with SAWA’s plan and overall strategic vision. 
•    Assist executive team members in creating, growing, and building a leading organization. 
•    Drive the organization’s results, from an operational perspective, by working closely with the Director and the Finance Manager.
•    Set challenging goals for growth and performance.
•    Create effective measurement tools to estimate the efficiency and effectiveness of internal and external developments.
•    Provide accurate and timely reports outlining SAWA’s operational condition.
•    Organize and direct the development, communication, and implementation of effective growth strategies and processes. 
•    Work with other managers on budgeting and resource allocation programs. 
•    Works closely with Senior Management Team to create, implement, and roll out plans for operational processes, reporting systems, and organizational policies.
•    Motivate and encourage employees at all levels to optimize performance and to meet organizational goals.
•    Foster a growth oriented, positive and encouraging environment while keeping employees and management accountable to SAWA’s policies, procedures, and guidelines. 
•    Represent SAWA at relevant meetings and assist in hosting key donor visits.

Competencies and Skills:

•    The ability to find ways of solving problems.
•    Excellent written and verbal communication skills.  
•    Professional, hard-working, and a self-motivated person. 
•    Very strong interpersonal and teamwork skills; collaborative approach with the ability to work within different cultural environments. 
•    Positive and solutions-oriented leader focused on team-building, problem-solving, and provides support to the teams and beneficiary communities. 
•    Flexible and can cope with stressful workload and work with limited resources.
•    English language proficiency is required.
•    Good knowledge of techniques for planning, monitoring, and controlling programs.
•    Good knowledge of budgeting and resource allocation procedures.
•    Sufficient seniority and credibility to advise staff members in their departments in relation to the overall objectives.