Vacancy title:
Operations Officer

Jobs at:
Busara Center for Behavioral Economics

Deadline of this Job:
17th February 2017

Duty Station:
Kampala, Uganda

Job details:
Reports to: Director of Operations
The Busara Center for Behavioral Economics is an advisory and research organization focused on evaluation and implementation of behavioral interventions in understudied countries and populations. Busara’s mission is to work with researchers and organizations to advance and apply behavioral science in pursuit of poverty alleviation. This involves the application of research and rigorous methods to enable partners to improve program design, evaluate existing programs, and optimize internal processes. To this end, Busara has worked with a variety of organizations in an advisory capacity to apply behavioral insights, build analytical models, and develop new products. In addition, in its research center capacity, Busara operates a Nairobi-based lab capable of implementing advanced experiments in psychology, behavioral economics and other academic disciplines.

Job Summary: The Operations Officer is the primary representative of Busara’s Operations department for our projects in Uganda and is responsible for establishing and running a new office. The Operations Officer will be responsible for setting up and managing operations and administration of our Uganda office and day to day operational support to project teams in country. This includes planning, directing and controlling all activities related to the management of the office, financial management, logistics support and asset/inventory management. The Operations Officer should be a multi-skilled administrator, able to respond to day to day requests as well as plan for longer term operational needs. The Operations Officer must be skilled at managing multiple channels of communication in order to best support project teams. A proactive nature, high attention to detail, commitment to efficiency, familiarity with operations management, and strong communication skills are key success factors for this position.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:
Admin:
• Ensure proper administration of the start-up phase of Busara’s projects in Uganda and all subsequent stages, including setup and management of the Uganda Office
• Ensure that an effective filing system is in place in the office, and coordinate with project staff to ensure that the project’s resources are effectively and efficiently utilized
• Maintenance of project documentation, plans and reports
• Ensure legal compliance and maintain appropriate legal paperwork (e.g. research permits and IRB requirements)
• Assist in hiring and managing casual staff as project needs arise, performance management, capacity building, leave management and welfare
• Manage the general upkeep of the office including weekly cleaning and dealing with repairs etc.
Finance:
• Undertake and support in budgeting and planning, financial management and reporting of overall projects in constant coordination with Senior Project Manager
• Monitor proper management of cash flow, ensuring project liquidity at all times
• Process and approve expenditure (imprest, returns and purchase requisitions) for approved work plans and budgets
• Support in the preparation of monthly and quarterly financial reports for the Uganda office
Procurement & Logistics:
• Work in close coordination with the Nairobi office, manage procurement and logistics for the Uganda office, including all in –country project needs
• Manage and procure office stock including for office furniture, IT equipment, stationery, cleaning materials, airtime, internet, etc.
• In partnership with the Senior Project Manager, coordinate movement plans in both the field and main offices including booking of hotels, conference facilities, transport of staff etc.
• Maintain key relationships and contracts with suppliers, and ensure timely processing and payment of bills.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
• The ideal candidate for the Operations Officer job placement should preferably hold a Bachelor’s degree or college diploma in social sciences, economics, development studies and/or business administration
• A minimum of three years of related work experience in reputable organization. Previous experience with a nonprofit organization would be ideal
• A good working knowledge of project management with experience in office management
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Keen attention to detail and familiarity with good practice in operations management
• A proactive approach to improvement, including a willingness to suggest and implement solutions to operational challenges
• Flexibility and an ability to quickly respond to needs
• Demonstrated budgeting, budget monitoring and financial reporting skills
• Advanced user of Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, Powerpoint). Working knowledge of QuickBooks accounting will be an added advantage

Job application procedure
All suitably qualified and interested candidates should send an updated CV and cover letter to jobs@busaracenter.org  and ensure that the subject line reads: “Operations Officer: REF NO: BU-2017-02-01.” Only online applications shall be considered.