Head of Operational Support

Background:
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is an independent humanitarian organisation dedicated to protecting the rights of displaced and affected people during crises. NRC delivers high-quality programmes to support people forced to flee, helping them rebuild their lives and establish a new future. NRC provides immediate humanitarian assistance, prevents further displacement, and contributes to durable solutions. It operates across both new and protracted crises across 40 countries.
The country programmes in the East and Southern Africa region incorporate Ethiopia, Uganda, South Sudan, Sudan, Somalia, Kenya, and Mozambique. NRC exited from Tanzania in 2026.
NRC has a simplified organisational structure with a leaner Head Office in Oslo and Representation Offices and smaller Regional Teams. Global support structures are established for functions previously managed by the Regional Offices, including Finance, Risk & Compliance, People & Organisation, Media and Communication, PCM & Grants Management. The Regional Team and Country Offices will access support capacity from these Global Resource Pools.
Resource Pools (hereafter pool) gather staff in one common team which is organised and managed (but not necessarily physically located) at Head Office. The purpose of pooling is to improve efficiency, equity, access and flexibility. The teams should ensure predictable access to the same services and deliver them in an efficient way.
In Nairobi Kenya, several members of the different pools are physically located in the regional office, the Regional Head of Operational Support ensures streamlining of hosting arrangements and a conducive working environment for all.
What we are looking for:
The Regional Head of Operational Support will ensure an integrated approach to operational management, supporting the quality and timeliness of NRC's response in the region.
The role is responsible for enabling support needs in countries across HR, Risk and Compliance, Humanitarian Access and Safety (HAS), Finance, ICT, Logistics and Administration, ensuring compliance with NRC policies.
The Regional Head of Operational Support plays a crucial role in ensuring that the region is accountable for the performance of country offices, ensuring they meet operational standards and deliver on strategic objectives.
The role ensures a conducive working environment for all teams, including members of different global teams physically located in the regional office in Nairobi.
This role is a member of the Regional Management Team and the Global Support Advisory Group (GSAG) led by the deputy SG/ CFO.
What you will do:
Ensure that support functions within the regional team operate efficiently, fostering a collaborative and effective working environment.
Hold country offices accountable for progress on their operations by leveraging reports, analyses, and compliance data from NRC’s global resource and pools.
Support country directors and heads of support, HAS Managers with capacity building and problem-solving related to operational challenges.
Provide advice and mentorship to country office operational support teams, fostering capacity building and skills development.
Participate in global discussions on planning and strategy relating to support functions.
Review of finance, HR and logistics requirements related to regional grants in collaboration with the Global PCM and Grants Management facility.
Streamline the hosting arrangements for members of global pools physically located in the regional office and ensure a conducive working environment
The postholder, upon request, can act on behalf of the Regional Director including leading relevant Crisis Management Teams.
Note: The above responsibilities are just a snapshot. Hence, please refer to the full job description for you to have a full understanding.
What you will bring:

Work arrangement
No