Associate Director, Operations

Research Triangle Institute

Full-time - Mid Level

5,001-10,000 employees

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

About the position

RTI International / Research Triangle Institute (RTI) is a global research institute and a leading international development organization dedicated to creating impactful solutions for a more prosperous, equitable, and resilient world. The Associate Director, Operations will play a crucial role in the anticipated USAID Feed the Future Demand And Supply for Safe, Healthy Diets (FTF DASHED) Activity, which aims to transform local food processing to sustainably and equitably increase access to and affordability of safe, nutritious foods for women and children. This position will be based in Washington, DC, and is contingent upon award and funding. The Associate Director will provide operational direction for the FTF DASHED Activity, ensuring synergy across technical and operational components of the project. This includes overseeing the project's day-to-day operations, which encompass administration, logistics, procurement, budgeting, and accounting. The role requires strong managerial oversight over financial operations, including cash flow management and monitoring of obligations, budgets, and expenditures. Additionally, the Associate Director will oversee the Human Resources function, addressing recruitment needs and resolving any HR issues that may arise. The position also involves preparing and delivering high-quality reports to USAID, ensuring that all contractual deliverables and reporting requirements are met in compliance with U.S. federal regulations. The Associate Director will assist in establishing and managing trackers for local subcontractors, developing RFPs, RFQs, and contracting instruments, and ensuring compliance with USAID rules and regulations regarding the project grant process. Continuous improvement and identifying new efficiencies will be key components of this role, along with assisting in annual work planning, budgeting, and overall program financial management as required.

Responsibilities

• Ensure synergy across technical and operational components of the project; ensure good team planning and coordination, deployment of resources and intra-team communication in support of project objectives.
• Supervise the project's day-to-day operation requirements including administration, logistics, procurement, budgeting, and accounting.
• Supervise the finance team and provide managerial oversight over financial operations including cash flow management and monitoring of obligations, budgets, and expenditures.
• Oversight of the project Human Resources function, to address as-needed recruitment and resolve any human resource issues.
• Oversee preparation and delivering high-quality reports to USAID, including quarterly and annual reports, annual work plans, technical and financial reports.
• Ensure all contractual deliverables and reporting requirements are of high quality and meet and are in compliance with contractual requirements and U.S. federal regulations.
• Assist with the establishing and/or managing trackers for local subcontractors.
• Assist with the development of RFPs, RFQs, and contracting instruments including reviews of documentation prior to client submission.
• Supervise and ensure that the project grant's process is compliant with USAID rules and regulations.
• Seek opportunities for continuous improvement and identify new ways of achieving project efficiencies.
• Assist with annual work planning, budgeting, and overall program financial management as required.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree and 12 years of relevant experience, Master's degree and 10 years of experience, PhD and 6 years of experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Strong communication skills, both interpersonal and written, and proven ability to develop and communicate a common vision among diverse partners, including in varying geographies, and lead multidisciplinary teams.
• Familiarity with international development systems, policies, finances, and management in low- and middle-income countries.
• Experience working in an operations management capacity on a donor-funded activity, of which at least one-year cumulative work experience supervising staff.
• Familiarity and experience working in different cultural contexts.
• Proficiency in English.
• Previous experience of working on USAID programs is strongly desired.