Chief Operating Officer (COO) , Dehsabz Barikab City Developement Authority

About Dehsabz Barikab City Developement Authority

In 2006, the President of Afghanistan established an Independent Board for the development of a new city in the Dehsabz area of Kabul. The Board consists of Senior Economic Advisor of the President, Minister of Urban Development, Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, leading private sector representatives, urban planning specialists and an urban economist. 

As a national priority, the Board formed the Dehsabz City Development Authority (DCDA) in late 2006 as its Financial and authoritative body. The DCDA was tasked to pave the way, through mostly private sector-led activities, for the administration, design, documentation, marketing, implementation and maintenance of this exciting new economic hub for Afghanistan and the region. 

A number of European companies specializing in urban design, water management, and sustainable environment and landscaping, business strategies and energy resource management were commissioned to develop the conceptual master plan for the new city. Preliminary conceptual designs, initial feasibility, technical and economic impact studies and a 1:20000 model of future city were complete. With the assistance of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the master plan of the New City is now complete and endorsed by the Afghan Cabinet. The project is moving into the final feasibility study and detail design phases and enjoys growing support from the national and international private sector as well as government agencies. 

DCDA is a young organization, operating with a top level of professionalism. All DCDA staff are recruited in a highly competitive manner. It aims to build its capacity in 2009 as the project nears its implementation phase. 

Job Summary

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Duties and Responsibilities

General Description/Background:

Working as a member of Senior Management Team under the leadership of CEO, the Director of Administrative/ COO will be responsible for managing and overseeing the operation of all corporate departments. The Director of Administration/COO is supposed to lead a team, develop policies and procedures for overall management of the corporate departments in accordance with interest and goals of DCDA.

Reporting Line:

The Director of Administration/ COO will report directly to the CEO of DCDA.

Accountabilities/Responsibilities:

Specific and key accountabilities and Responsibilities are outlined as under:

General Management:

 Zero Tolerance for corruption
 As the internal service providers to the projects of Dehsabz City and Barikab agricultural Economic Zone, day to day management of the operations of all the corporate departments i.e. Legal, Land clearance and acquisition, Administration, Communication, Quality control, Compliance, Security, Shared services etc. will be the main task of the Director of Administration/ COO.
 Formulate procedures, operational and strategic plans for the corporate departments.
 Supervise, lead and cooperate with Head of departments in their day to day operations.
 Demonstrate high motivation and enthusiasm to ensure dynamic working environment for overall operations of DCDA.
 Implement the strategies and translate plans into action to achieve performance goals.
 Host and prepare briefs for donors.
 Promote a courteous environment and efficient operations by introducing new procedures within DCDA.
 Prepare periodic operations Reports.
 Embark on new management, policy, analytical task as assigned by the CEO.

Leadership:

 Lead the teams of all corporate departments of DCDA towards the overall goals and mission of the organization.
 Provide leadership to the DCDA's administrations for Dehsabz, Barikab, and taking responsibility for ensuring that the necessary skills are available to the DCDA and that appropriate staff development opportunities are made available.
 Develop and implement measures enabling the DCDA to achieve world’s best practice management
 Supporting and constituting project management teams for various projects at Dehsabz and Braikab.

Internal Control:

 Control resources and ensure that the assets of DCDA are being used efficiently and securely.
 Implement high standard of internal Control.
 Execute the internal audit recommendations in the overall operations of DCDA.
 Coordinated approach with all the divisions for internal cooperations

Reporting:

 Respond to all operational and other management reporting requirements in accordance with internal policies of DCDA.
 Fulfill and ensure timely reporting to DCDA management, governments, donors and other as required by the law.
 Oversee the preparation of background documents for keeping the society and various stakeholders up to date in terms of progress achieved.

External Relation/Coordination:

 Coordinated approach with all the internal divisions before any communication to out side of DCDA
 Maintain a steady flow of information with government bodies, general public, donors, NGOs, Co-financiers on operational related matters and other relevant stakeholders.
 The Director of Administration/ COO will liaise with cooperating partners and will present the DCDA in relevant donor fore. 
 Respond to ad-hoc information requests from external parties, as may be necessary.

Compliance:

 Zero tolerance for any corrupt activities and lack of transparency 
 Ensure the applicability of all local laws in the operations of DCDA.
 Keep an up to date record of the activities of DCDA.
 Guarantee the usage of all assets at all offices of DCDA, is in accordance with local laws, policies of DCDA and is in the paramount interest of DCDA.
 Ensure vital application of the policies and compliance policy of DCDA in all its operations.

Quality Assurance:

 Provide leadership in identifying issues which may affect portfolio quality and possible remedies.
 Monitor, and seek the views of management and employees, the conduct of due process on all DCDA activities in all its offices.
 Follow up with the DCDA operational Team and Project Teams to ensure adequate action plans are developed and implemented to improve portfolio quality.

Institutional Development:

 Struggle for institutional development by showing his/her excellence in all the areas of his/her duties and responsibilities.
 Formulate and implement a staff capacity building plan.
 Work for the development of DCDA’s plan projects by coordinating with potential donors.

Skills/Qualification Required:
Strong candidates will be knowledgeable in the areas of organizational development and program operations. They will have a passionate commitment to Life-Spring’s mission and values: integrity, courage, ownership, and respect. In addition, they will demonstrate leadership and management skills, an entrepreneurial spirit, and the ability to convert innovative ideas into complete processes.
Additionally, they will possess the following attributes:

 Professionalism in all aspects of work and life.
 Well-developed planning, organizational development and business skills.
 Ability to think clearly and logically.
 The ability to be successful in an entrepreneurial and fast changing environment.
 Skills in problem identification and solution.
 Commitment to accuracy, attention to details and flow-through.
 An appreciation for data, which will be required for meaningful management decisions.
 Exceptional interpersonal skills.
 Ability to meet deadlines, ability to allocate and review priorities.
 High degree of flexibility in work and personal life.
 Demonstrated ability to communicate with persons of various cultures and disciplines.
 Excellent oral and written communication skills of English, Dari/Pashto is strongly Desired.
 Adept at using a range of computer hardware and software.
 A desire to build the skills of, and motivate, a team

Qualification

Education:

Completion of Master’s degree at an accredited college or university is required. MBA or Master degree in similar field will be preferred.

Experience:

8 to 10 years of Experience is preferred including a management/Leadership background and in addition:
• 2 to 3 years previous work experience with a satisfactory performance in the same or similar functional area preferably with Private Sector, Civil Society Local Government, UN or World Bank.
• Demonstrated extensive professional experience at senior level of management is ideal. 
• Demonstrated extensive professional experience at senior level of Legal Activities will be ideal
• Demonstrated experience in the development and implementation of business plans and the operational strategies for commercial opportunities.
• Demonstrated strategic skills and the ability to link macro and sectoral issues in an integrated way.
• Demonstrated experience in the management and development of the corporate organization and staff under his/her supervision.
• Proven experience in the design and production of management and teams for the achievement of organization goals.
• Demonstrated experience in the management and supervision of staff.

Skills

Submission Guideline

To apply for the above position, please email your application, together with a CV before 15th January 2013, to 
Administrative Manager
Dehsabz City Development Authority (DCDA)
House #4, Street #6, 10th Precinct 
Qala-e- Fathullah Khan
Kabul, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
Email: jobs@dcda.gov.af

DCDA will not be able to respond to inquiries about application status and will only contact short-listed candidates.