As Resilience Action Network (RANA) launches this year in Africa. We are seeking a part-time (60%) Operations Director to establish and run RANA’s operations in Africa and connections with the global team at Pandemic Action Network.

This is a role for a self-driven, master doer with an ability to work in a fast-paced international context — someone who is an agile and seasoned leader who enjoys managing complexity with acute attention to detail and has the ability to proactively lead, working closely with the RANA Director. This role will be responsible for enabling RANA’s success with the right operational and financial tools to drive decision-making and action at all levels and will report directly to the RANA Director. This role will also involve working closely with the leadership team of Pandemic Action Network. The successful candidate will be process-driven, forward-thinking, proactive, and strategic, embracing our mission and enabling growth and sustainability. 

RANA’s headquarters is in Nairobi, however, this role is eligible for remote work for those based in Africa.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Operations Leadership

• Use an organization-wide leadership lens to translate strategic directions and priorities into organizational capacity.
• Drive development and management of operational systems to support our high-performing team, i.e., policies, standard operating practices (SOPs), work plans, roadmaps, key organizational documents, and other operational management tools to support RANA team and RANA partners, and ensure quality outcomes 
• Advise on the most appropriate organizational and staffing models to advance dynamic workstreams and key goals
• Contribute to the team’s efforts to promote an organizational culture of collaboration, open and frequent communication, adaptation, alignment with a common vision, and celebration of success in achieving specific project and broader Network objectives
• Drive RANA’s network of networks operations and employee productivity, building a highly inclusive culture ensuring team members thrive and organizational outcomes are met
• As needed, ensure effective recruiting, onboarding, professional development, performance management, and retention
• Ensure effective use of Information Technology systems
• Work with team members and close partners across time zones and cultures to optimize collaborative systems

Finance Leadership

• See around corners and provide strategic finance counsel to RANA’s Director to solve challenges, assess opportunities, and mitigate risk
• Advise on the most cost effective but efficient models of doing business
• Ensure compliance with the statutory requirements of host country laws
• Actively participate in leadership meetings with a solution-oriented approach and provide appropriate support to the Leadership Team as a whole
• Contribute to and manage funding strategy and supporting materials, i.e., concept notes, memos, budgets, and other supporting materials
• Model through leadership and support a culture of belonging/inclusion 
• Develop short-term scenario plans and long-term strategic plans that incorporate opportunities for scalable growth as well as risk analysis.

Regular Finance Management

• Utilize financial systems and tools to generate real-time forecasts and budgets, support sound business decisions, and build  to review programs from a budgeting perspective
• Work with the Panorama Global team to provide timely, accurate and complete monthly financial reports 
• Establish internal and external processes and key performance indicators 
• Manage grant accounting and oversight of preparation of financial reports for submission to funders
• Work with the Leadership Team to inform budget narratives and ensure that our budgets tell a story for funders and key stakeholders
• Work with the Panorama team to ensure adherence to international, federal, state, and local business requirements, enforcing compliance and acting when necessary

Contributing to the Leadership Team

• Be an active thought partner to leadership and the cross-functional team in order to solve challenges and assess opportunities. Be ready to pitch in to fill gaps within our small, committed team to serve RANA and connected PAN priorities
• Work with RANA and PAN team members to ensure the smooth running of all processes involving finance, budgets and expenditure
• Balance a big-picture perspective with attention to immediate priorities to develop dynamic frameworks to guide strategy, planning, senior-level decision-making, and prioritization
• Exercise discretion in the execution of sensitive tasks and strategies, and work closely with the RANA Director to give timely feedback on team processes and performance.

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
• A minimum 15 years of operations and finance leadership experience 
• Proven background in effective operations management including systems development/management, HR, information management, work planning, and internal communications 
• Background overseeing finance, including budgets, forecastings, finance scenario planning, audits, and taxes 
• Experience managing nonprofit grant financial reporting to philanthropic donors
• Proven experience in international contract negotiation and management
• Working knowledge of data analysis and performance/operation metrics

Competencies

• Team player with demonstrable experience of getting results in both in-person and remote team environments 
• Deep commitment to RANA’’s mission and knowledge/interest in policy and issue advocacy
• Ability to embrace ambiguity and pivot to pursue new opportunities
• Ability to manage through influence and use interpersonal/emotional intelligence skills and political acumen in respectful, collaborative, and diplomatic ways
• Adept at working remotely and utilizing global team communication tools including Google Drive, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom

Compensation & Benefits

Compensation and benefits will depend on the experience, education, and location of the candidate and team equity. Benefits include unlimited paid time off with pre-approval of the manager.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should submit a resume and cover letter here. Applications received by Nov. 16 will receive priority review. 

About Resilience Action Network Africa

Resilience Action Network (RANA) is an emerging African network which serves as a collective of like-minded organizations driven by a vision of an Africa where the health resilience of all countries is safeguarded through African-led solutions, informed by African needs, and driven by African leadership. RANA is an independent African advocacy network with an Africa-wide mandate, registered in Kenya. The network is built to uniquely fill African policy and advocacy gaps to advance the emergence of local institutions and agencies with capacity to realize the vision of the African Union’s New Public Health Order. With a unique collective advocacy model, RANA is a network of allied networks, connecting national and regional priorities with global processes while delivering policy, advocacy and communications acumen, convening power, and Network impact across issues, sectors, expertise, and geographies. Evolving from Pandemic Action Network’s unique networked advocacy model, RANA is an independent non-governmental organization. RANA continues to work in close partnership on mutual priorities with Pandemic Action Network (PAN), a fiscally sponsored project of Panorama Global.

About the RANA — PAN — Panorama Global Relationship

Pandemic Action Network (PAN) drives collective action to end the COVID-19 crisis and prevent the next pandemic. The Network consists of more than 350 partners across sectors and geographies working to build and sustain political will, enact the policies and mobilize the resources necessary to ensure that the lessons from the COVID crisis translate into a future where humanity is better prepared to deal with emerging infectious disease outbreaks and stop a deadly and costly pandemic from happening again. 

Pandemic Action Network (PAN) is a fiscally sponsored project of Panorama Global, a 501(c)(3) social impact non-profit that empowers changemakers through radical collaboration.   

Employment of this role will be facilitated by Panorama Global. PAN team members in the USA are employees of Panorama Global, and team members outside of the USA are employees of a Professional Employer Organization/Employer of Record (PEO/EOR) that is appropriately registered as an employer in the individual’s respective country of work to ensure compliance with local labor law.   

RANA and PAN are committed to creating a diverse team and we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We know that representation matters in the workplace and with our partners; to that end we are committed to a hiring process grounded in equity and inclusion. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, caste, citizenship or immigration status, national origin, genetic information, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, political ideology, the presence of any physical, mental, or sensory disability, age, or any other status or characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.   

If reasonable accommodation or specific accessibility needs are needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please email [email protected]. 

Final offer will be contingent on confirmation of the individual’s eligibility to work in his/her respective country.