The Support Services Manager (SSM) is a key member of the Senior Management Team, providing both strategic leadership and hands-on operational oversight across Finance, HR, Logistics and Administration. Based in Iraq, the SSM supervises a small support team and ensures efficient, compliant and value-for-money operations in alignment with organizational and donor requirements.

In a relatively lean set-up, the role combines high operational involvement—overseeing daily financial controls, HR processes, procurement and logistics flows—with active participation in strategic decision-making, risk management and country strategy development. The SSM supports localization efforts, strengthens partner capacity, and reinforces internal control systems.

By delivering timely analysis, performance monitoring and informed recommendations, the SSM enables sound managerial decisions while ensuring that support functions effectively serve program implementation and organizational sustainability.

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT & PROGRAM INTELLIGENCE

• Lead the different sectors in support of the activities, performing proactive monitoring and analysis to facilitate strategic decisions and continuous improvement activities, as:
• Support the development of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and action planning to meet targets.
• Understand the key drivers / scenarios that impact performance.
• Analyze the impact of different financing strategies on programs.
• Monitor and perform high level of control and analysis to inform and ensure proactivity in strategic decision-making.
• Respond to informational requests from the country management team, the operational units, the head office, the partners, as well as be the main contact point for information on program support matters. 

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

• Lead the Financial management of TDH and its partners on the shared projects. 
• Lead the annual and periodical financial planning, budgeting, forecasting and reporting processes to ensure efficiency and compliance with all organizational standards of management and accountability.
• Lead the budget management:
  • on a monthly basis, review the projects’ budgets follow-up and forecast with the budget holders; then compile in the FMT, share with CD (and SMT) the analysis of the financial risks, then share it, accompanied with a proposal of corrective measures if needed, with Country Director.
  • during the yearly preparation of annual budgets, capacity to support but also challenge financial and operational teams in budgeting exercises, to conduct exhaustive and detailed budget and financial risks analysis and then to propose corrective measures if needed.   
• Monitor grants and ensure compliance with all donor reporting requirements, including proposals, budgets and donor reporting liaising with donors and partner organizations.
• Provide strategic financial counsel to the Country Director and Management team, ensuring accurate and timely financial information (accurate and regular financial analysis, cost coverage, variances, key performance indicators/
• Provide direct support to Programme Managers and/or budget holders on all matters of finance specifically budget preparation, monitoring, control and reporting with a view to ensuring good financial standards are met.
• Design and influence adoption by TDH and its partners’ finance team of tools for management information and reporting purposes.
• Assume a strategic overview of financial management systems across all program/projects, taking note of changing external and internal environment in financial and economic conditions.
• Manage and validate monthly, semestrial and annual accounting closures, giving a special attention to SAGA.
• Monitor the partner’s financial practices and reporting, establish a capacity building/ support plan, when needed is responsible to conduct site audit with his/her team.
• Act as delegation signature in financial bank accounts together with the Country Director.Coordinate and validate yearly/ statutory audit, donor audits and act as the focal point person for the auditors.

HR/ADMIN MANAGEMENT

• Supervise the Admin officer who is in charge of the liaison work in Baghdad and HR administration.
• Supervise and ensure that the HR administration tasks and workplan is implemented on a timely manner and without mistake (payroll, leave follow up, social security, archiving, recruitment process when needed).
• Formalize the HR policies in terms of guidelines, procedures, and tools related to the department (i.e internal staff regulation, recruitment, health insurance, disciplinary aspects, training plan and staff follow up).
• S/He shall ensure that Human Resource plan is followed
• Ensure that career management is provided to TDH staff through a regular appraisal, offer of development (trainings, etc.) in line with the resources available and CO and RO strategy.
• In collaboration with the Country Director, s/he ensures the management of TDH issues with government institution such as the social security clearance, 2018 DNGO financial report and Personal Income Tax (PIT).
• S/he will work in network with the other INGO, NNGO and IO HR coordinators to be connected and aware of the changes, decisions and challenges faced by the INGO community.
• Ensure HR assessment/audit of TDH partners, implement a support plan in line with identified area of improvement and conduct audits if needed.
• Ensure that access to field for TDH team, by ensuring that Access letter (NOC), POA, Visa, Activity & service approvals, etc. are all up to date and renewed in a timely manner

LOGISTICS MANAGEMENT

• Supervise the logistics
• Supervise through the Log officer, the logistics management of TDH and its partners operational bases and sub-bases.
• Ensure that logistics planning is operational and implemented, such as purchasing cycle and procurement plan. 
• Ensure compliance with TDH and donor logistics policies and procedures.
• Define, implement and follow up a flexible but efficient logistics management for TDH Partners.
• Audit/assess, propose tailored support and follow up to TDH partners
• Ensure the implementation of internal control mechanisms and the securing the logistical flows.
• Define & carry out analysis of the sector's KPI and implement corrective measures when needed.
• Strengthen the CO's procurement planning capacity and anticipate constraints by integrating the logistics component into the operational schedule (design, planning, follow-up).
• Initiating and coordinating the implementation & update of procurement plans with other services.
• Ensuring logistics flows streamlining (logistics calendar, grouped order, buffer stocks, etc.).
• Initiating, supervising, and coordinating the tendering process.
• Optimizing the CO's logistics operating costs.
• Supervising the staff under his/her responsibility, formalizing their action plans / objectives and ensuring that this is done for employees under indirect management.
• Compiling and analysing the delegation's monthly logistics report, informing the Country Director and HQ Log advisor of the situation and any corrective measures to be taken.
• In collaboration with Risk Department and the Country Director, contribute to the development and implementation of the delegation's operational safety plan.
• In collaboration with the CD, preventing and managing situations of fraud and corruption.

SUPERVISION OF SUPPORT IN BASES

• Provide strategic guidance to the field operations.
• Implement operational policies and procedures at each field location.
• Frequent visits to each field location for close monitoring of operational compliances.
• Ensure timely deliverables for quality program implementations.
• Coordinate with logistics sectors to determine timely distribution of supplies to the field locations.

TRANSVERSAL RESPONSIBILITIES

 I. Grant Management and Donor Reporting

Ensure that the Finance Team provides proactive response to the Program Team in:

• Departmental planning and budgeting (in departmental preparing plans, budgets, and (re)forecasting and analysis).
• Cost recovery through proactive recharging of core costs and key positions to restricted donor funding.
• Contribute to proposal development (for Grants and Tenders) and lead the development of detailed internal cost models and external budget / pricing proposals together with the Supply and Logistics Manager.
• Review and sign off all proposal budgets, budget reallocation/addendum and donor financial reports.
• Manage donor’s funds, such as European Commission, Education Cannot Wait Foundation, La Chaine du Bonheur, FCDO, SDC, United Nation, NHF, etc. in collaboration with Grant Officer, Programme Coordinator and CD to ensure best practice for compliance and financial reporting as required.
• Review partner grant budgets, activity plans and partnership agreements to ensure compliance with donor requirements and TDH's policies and procedures.
• Review and sign off financial accounts, comments and supporting documentation for inclusion in donor reports, ensuring that all donor reporting deadlines are met and that reports adhere to donor requirements.

II. Risk Management

• Conduct regular effective risk analysis (i.e. variance analysis, trends) and reviews for the office, ensuring proper financial and operational controls are in place.
• Regular sample check country office and file offices documents to ensure the audit trails are in place.
• Conduct field visits and partner visits in coordination with program staff and ensure quality supports are provided.
• Create strategies to mitigate financial and operational risk, working closely with Country Director.
• Ensure compliance with all legal and statutory reporting requirements including providing reports to the relevant bodies.
• Ensure compliance with TDH financial procedures and policies, including financial risk management, money laundering, value for money etc. and reduce risks associated with the program around legality and compliance issues and alert the Country Representative of any imminent risks.
• Lead Pre-audits, expenditure verifications, audits and forensic audits ensuring that TORs are up to tasks and management response is properly coordinated and submitted timely.

III. Leadership, Coordination and Capacity Building

• As a member of the coordination team, s/he supports the development of the country strategy, with a focus on ensuring sufficient capacity and support in program operations.
• To proactively address the interface between Finance/Admin & HR, and IT & Logistics team to ensure they operate effectively and provide support to programs on cost effectiveness, efficiency and compliance with organizational standards of management and accountability.
• Support a climate of continuous professional improvement in operations support identifying key gaps and training opportunities for staff.
• Ensure that the transformation agenda in the country and its action plan is effectively implemented, ensuring guidance and adequate support.
• Promote and shape the TDH culture by facilitating spaces of participation and contribution across the various programs and support functions.
• Support in the localisation process, providing insight and vision on how to enable change and create process improvements.
• Support and strengthen the professional capacity and autonomy of the Finance and HR Managers.
• Support local partner capacity building in financial planning, management and reporting.
• Ensure that each budget holder has received adequate training for managing their budget and codifying expenditure correctly. 

IV. HR Policies Management

• S/he will ensure the respect of the Iraqi and Kurdish legal framework
• Make sure that the rules and procedures are known, understood, and implemented by all operational teams and partners, and that they have all tools needed for their application (internal regulations, employment contracts, job description, etc.).
• Implement the current and supervise the resolution of the issues related to Personal Income Tax (PIT), Social Security and DNGO reporting for Federal Iraq and Kurdistan 

V. HR routine Management

• Ensure the proper HR routine work such as payroll, payslip, timesheet, leave tracker, social security, etc.
• Follow-up the recruitments application phase; treating the contracting (first contracting, renewal, amendments; end of contracting, induction process, etc.).
• Ensure the proper filing/archiving of all the TDH’s employee cases.
• Supervise the appraisal process of the employees.
• Track the career development in TDH Iraq.
• Ensure that the regular support tools related to HR, supposed to be applied by the other units are properly used. 

VI. Office Management

• Ensure the visa application process / Tracking for the international staff.
• Ensure the allocation of the ID Card, Business cards, phone bundles for the staff.
• Ensure the regular updating of the contact list of the CO.
• Manage and track the rental contract for the facilities (accommodations/office).
• Manage the booking related to the domestics and international travels (accommodation, flights, etc.)
• Supervise the housing keeping staff for the facilities.
• Ensure the proper maintenance of the facilities