Support Services Manager NGO Job CARE

NGO Jobs. CARE Jobs

CARE Kenya is a trusted development and humanitarian partner with over 50 years of continuous presence, driving social impact, economic transformation, and resilience in Kenya. Rooted in communities and backed by CARE International’s global expertise, we aim to empower 5.5 million vulnerable people through Women and Girls’ Empowerment, Food, Water and Nutrition Security, and Humanitarian Response.

To deliver on this ambitious agenda, CARE Kenya is seekign a Support Services Manager to provide strategic leadership across supply chain, logistics, administration, and IT systems, ensuring efficiency, compliance, and high‐quality support that maximizes program impact.

The Support Services Manager provides strategic leadership and oversight of CARE Kenya’s operational functions, ensuring that procurement, logistics, fleet management, and administrative systems are efficient, transparent, and aligned with CARE International, CARE USA, and donor requirements. S/He is responsible for managing supply chain operations across the Country Office and field offices, guaranteeing timely, cost-effective, and compliant delivery of goods and services that enable CARE Kenya’s programs to achieve maximum impact.

This position ensures that all program support activities are implemented in a professional, efficient, and cost-effective manner, providing high-quality services and information to staff, donors, and stakeholders. The Support Services Manager continuously analyzes existing processes to identify opportunities for increased efficiency, effectiveness, and cost reduction, while safeguarding CARE’s resources and strengthening accountability

The Support Services Manager as a strategic enabler of CARE Kenya’s mission, provides strategic leadership and oversight of CARE Kenya’s operational functions, ensuring that supply chain, administration, and logistics systems are efficient, transparent, and aligned with CARE Kenya and CARE USA standards.

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II. Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic and Operational Management (25%)

The Shared Services Manager sets the strategic direction and provides overall management across all operational functions — Supply chain, Procurement, Administration, Logistics, and IT Systems. S/He ensures that CARE Kenya’s operations are efficient, transparent, and aligned with CARE USA policies, donor requirements, and national regulations. By fostering strong links between programs and operations, the Support Services Manager guarantees seamless coordination and high quality support that enables CARE Kenya to deliver impactful programming.

Specific roles and responsibilities include:

• Provide strategic leadership and advice to the Operations team, ensuring operational strategies are integrated into the overall Country Office (CO) strategy.
• Develop, organize, and oversee activities of the Operations Department to deliver timely and effective support to the Country Office and ESA Regional Office teams, ensuring organizational objectives are met.
• Manage Country Office supply chain performance against global KPIs, analyze results, and take corrective action to continuously improve efficiency, effectiveness, and compliance.
• Foster strong collaboration between Programs and Operations, ensuring operational systems directly support program delivery and impact.
• Work with the Senior Management Team to ensure CARE Kenya has appropriate operation structures, management systems, and support mechanisms to implement high quality programming.
• Lead business process improvements across operations, introducing innovations and efficiencies that reduce costs, strengthen accountability, and enhance service delivery.
• Influence ways of working within the Operations Team to maximize efficiency, strengthen collaboration across units, and add value to the Country Office as a whole.
• Ensure operational strategies and practices are aligned with CARE USA standards, donor requirements, and CARE International’s global priorities, safeguarding resources and reinforcing organizational credibility.

2. Policy and Operations Systems Development (25%)

The Support Services Manager ensures that CARE Kenya’s operational policies, systems, and procedures are robust, compliant, and aligned with CARE USA, donor requirements, and national legal frameworks. S/He provides strategic leadership in initiating new policies, revising existing ones, and embedding operational systems that strengthen accountability, efficiency, and transparency across all functions. By safeguarding compliance and continuously improving systems, the Support Services Manager ensures CARE Kenya delivers high quality support services that enable impactful programming.

Specific roles and responsibilities include:

• Initiate, revise, and implement operations policies, systems, and procedures in line with CARE Kenya, CARE USA, donor requirements, and Kenyan legal frameworks.
• Ensure full Country Office compliance with donor rules and regulations across all operations functions (supply chain, procurement, logistics, administration, IT).
• Establish and maintain sound internal control systems to ensure adherence to policies, procedures, and accountability standards.
• Guarantee consistent and uniform implementation of Operations Department policies and procedures throughout the Country Office, ensuring operational deliverables are achieved.
• Collaborate with the Country Director and Head of Programs to ensure operational policies and systems are supportive of partnerships with local organizations, strengthening CARE Kenya’s localization agenda.
• Provide technical support to the Procurement Team and Internal Procurement Committee (IPC) to ensure donor regulations are fully understood and applied.
• Support audit processes (internal, donor, statutory), proactively resolving audit queries and leading the implementation of recommendations.
• Lead the annual vendor verification review in line with CARE Kenya Procurement Policy, ensuring vendor credibility and compliance.
• Ensure the Country Office’s compliance with semi-annual Bridger checks, sharing results with CARE USA to safeguard against reputational and financial risks.
• Continuously analyze operational systems to identify opportunities for efficiency gains, cost reduction, and improved service delivery.

3. Planning, Monitoring and Reporting (20%)

The Support Services Manager provides strategic leadership in planning, monitoring, and reporting across all operational functions, ensuring that CARE Kenya’s resources are safeguarded, utilized efficiently, and aligned with donor requirements and CARE USA standards. S/He coordinates functional unit budgets, strengthens internal controls, and ensures transparent reporting that supports effective decision making and risk management. By embedding strong monitoring systems, the Support Services Manager enhances accountability, operational efficiency, and program impact.

Specific roles and responsibilities include:

• Coordinate and consolidate functional unit operations budgets in line with agreed Country Office plans, ensuring alignment with CARE USA guidelines and donor requirements.
• Approve and monitor spending of the Operations budget, ensuring compliance with donor rules and regulations and adherence to CARE financial policies.
• Establish and maintain effective internal control systems to safeguard CARE Kenya’s assets and resources, ensuring accountability and transparency across all operations functions.
• Collaborate with program teams to ensure compliance with standardized CARE policies and procedures in procurement, logistics, and fleet management.
• Provide operational risk analysis and recommendations to the Country Director, strengthening the effectiveness of Country Office reporting and planning systems.
• Ensure a comprehensive Country Office operations risk mitigation and response plan is developed, implemented, and regularly updated.
• Guarantee inventory and assets are properly secured, accounted for, and reconciled:
  • Conduct weekly, monthly and quarterly reconciliation of the property register against PeopleSoft records.
  • Lead annual physical asset counts and report findings to the Country Office and Regional Management Unit (RMU).
• Oversee the disposal of CARE property and assets in accordance with CARE’s Property Management Manual and donor requirements, ensuring compliance and transparency.
• Ensure all CARE property is appropriately insured on an annual basis, mitigating financial and operational risks.
• Continuously analyze reporting and monitoring systems to identify opportunities for efficiency gains, cost reduction, and improved service delivery.

4. Team Leadership & Management (25%)

The Support Services Manager provides strategic leadership and management of the Operations team, ensuring staff performance, talent development, and capacity building are aligned with CARE Kenya’s mission and CARE International/CARE USA standards. S/He fosters a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement, ensuring that operational units are structured, staffed, and managed to deliver efficient, compliant, and high quality support services across the Country Office and field offices.

Specific roles and responsibilities include:

• Provide effective supervision and management of all direct reports, establishing and sustaining a strong, coordinated, and high performing Operations team.
• Ensure the timely and consistent implementation of CARE’s performance management systems for direct reports, including clear job descriptions, regular feedback, midterm reviews, and annual performance appraisals.
• Proactively address performance issues through constructive feedback and coaching, while identifying staff development and career growth opportunities to strengthen engagement and retention.
• Ensure compliance across all Operations functions with organizational, donor, and Government of Kenya rules and regulations, safeguarding CARE’s reputation and accountability.
• Oversee the effective and efficient implementation of PeopleSoft (CARE’s financial and operational software) at all applicable levels of Operations, ensuring staff are trained and systems are fully utilized.
• Ensure functional units under Operations are optimally structured and resourced:
  • Staffing structures are aligned to unit goals and operational realities.
  • Staff roles and responsibilities are clear, well designed, and supported with training and motivation.
  • Policies are relevant, practical, and easy to implement.
  • Systems are efficient, effective, and user friendly.
  • Services are delivered in a timely, professional, and cost effective manner.
• Guide operational units in setting goals, developing plans, and monitoring progress, ensuring objectives remain relevant and adjusting strategies as needed.
• Work closely with the Head of Programs to ensure support systems and structures meet program needs and are compliant with CARE, donor, and national requirements.

5. Support to Finance Department (5%)

• Other Responsibilities as assigned.

III. Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Finance, or a related field (Master’s degree or professional certification such as CIPS, CSCP, PMP is an added advantage).
• Minimum of 8–10 years of progressive experience in operations management, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role within Private Sector, international NGOs, and or development organizations.
• Proven expertise in supply chain management, procurement, logistics, fleet management, and administration in complex, multi project environments.
• Strong knowledge of donor regulations (USAID, EU, UN agencies, etc.) and compliance requirements.
• Demonstrated experience in developing, implementing, and monitoring operational policies, systems, and procedures aligned with CARE International and CARE USA standards.
• Solid understanding of financial and operational systems (e.g., PeopleSoft) and their application in operations management.
• Experience in risk management, internal controls, and safeguarding organizational assets.

Leadership and Management Skills

• Strong track record in leading diverse teams, talent management, and capacity building.
• Ability to foster collaboration between operations and program teams to ensure seamless support for program delivery.
• Skilled in performance management, coaching, and succession planning to build high performing teams.
• Demonstrated ability to lead organizational change and business process improvements that drive efficiency and effectiveness.

Strategic and Analytical Competencies

• Excellent strategic planning, monitoring, and reporting skills, with the ability to translate operational data into actionable insights.
• Strong analytical and problem solving skills, with the ability to anticipate risks and propose timely corrective actions.
• Ability to balance operational efficiency with compliance and accountability requirements.
• High integrity, professionalism, and commitment to CARE’s mission and values.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build trust and maintain relationships with donors, partners, and stakeholders.
• Results oriented, innovative, and adaptable to dynamic operating environments.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in multicultural teams and across decentralized field offices.

Desired:

• Master’s Degree in a business-related field (MBA, MSC- Supply Chain management) – Added Advantage
• High level of analytical and interpretative problem solving.
• Ability to develop and implement solutions independently.
• Action Oriented; Timely decision making
• Functional technical skills
• Strategic agility
• High level of integrity
• Ability to build effective teams
• Good training and facilitation skills

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