Operations Director
Position Circumstances
- Career Category: Operations Management, Social Work, Exec. / Management, Educate/Train/Teaching
- Schedule:Full-time
- Salary: Negotiable
Report to:
- Country Director, Cambodia (N+1)
- Asia Operations Director, Asnières, France (N+2)
Responsibilities for:
- Responsible for implementing the vision, mission, and impact of social and educational programs in the field
- People & Team Management of Cambodian staff with the purpose of Empowering and developing them
- Operational management of the 8 branches
- Execution and monitoring of recurring projects
- Representation with local authorities
Working hours: 40 hours per week
Location: National office based in Sereisophon, with regular travel to all branches and program sites throughout the country.
PURPOSE OF THE POSITION
The Operations Director serves as the operational backbone of Enfants du Mékong’s mission in the field. Drawing on a deep understanding of the Cambodian context and strong cultural legitimacy, the Operations Director leads and supports national teams to ensure a tangible and measurable impact on beneficiaries.
This position joins a team that already works well. The Operations Director does not come to take over or to centralize decisions: the Heads of Education and Social, and the six Branch Managers, are key players whose expertise and autonomy must be preserved and strengthened. The role is first and foremost one of connection, facilitation, alignment: building bridges between the national office and the field, between branches, and between departments, and removing the frictions that slow teams down. The Operations Director succeeds when their direct reports grow, take initiative, and make good decisions without needing to refer everything upwards, while ensuring that the shared framework is respected. The Operations Director leads with humility and a spirit of service, keeping the children at the heart of every decision.
Duties & Responsibilities:
- Vision, Mission, and Impact of Social and Education Programs in the Field
- Education & Social Vision: In partnership with the Heads of Social and Education, ensure the implementation of EDM’s vision, guidelines, technical expertise, and continuous improvement practices in the delivery of social and educational support to sponsored children and their families.
- Mission Stewardship: Ensure the concrete implementation of Enfants du Mékong’s mission and values across all field operations.
- Quality Assurance & Impact Monitoring: Ensure the quality of support provided to children and families and maintain the consistency and effectiveness of field interventions. Monitor outcomes and contribute to the continuous improvement of program impact.
- People & Team Management of Cambodian Staff
- Leadership approach: The Operations Director adapts their leadership style to the person and the situation. With experienced managers, the default is trust, coaching, and delegation, so that they can grow and take ownership. When needed, the Operations Director is equally able to be clear and firm: setting limits, giving corrective feedback, and ensuring that organizational rules, national policies, and child protection standards are respected. The art of the role lies in knowing when to empower and when to hold the line.
- Alignment, Collaborative Support and Accountability: Support the six Branch Managers and the Heads of Education and Social in their daily responsibilities through regular feedback, guidance, and positive recognition, while respecting their expertise and decision-making authority. Ensure appropriate workload distribution and alignment of their actions with the organization’s objectives and mission. When practices, results, or behaviors fall outside the agreed framework, address them promptly and constructively, follow up on corrective actions, and refer to the Country Director when necessary.
- Individual HR Management: Oversee and monitor all HR-related matters concerning direct reports:
- Review job descriptions jointly with the Head of Administration & HR.
- Participate in staff recruitment processes in coordination with the Head of Administration & HR.
- Ensure the operational management of leave, absences, and health-related matters.
- Monitor salaries and salary adjustments in close collaboration with the HR Department and the Resources & Development Director (RDD).
- Skills Development & Performance Management: Monitor staff skills development, motivation, and career progression. Conduct annual performance evaluations and submit recommendations to national leadership. As all direct reports are themselves managers, provide coaching and support to strengthen their autonomy, leadership capabilities, and management skills.
- Team Spirit & Community of Practice: Foster a strong team culture, encourage effective collaboration across individuals and departments, and create the conditions for a healthy and constructive working environment. Continue to facilitate the Branch Managers’ network as both a support group and a community for sharing best practices and operational experience.
- Operational Management of the 8 Branches (Including 6 Scholar Centers and Boarding Houses)
- Multi-Site Operational Leadership: Oversee the operational management, performance monitoring, and activity supervision of all eight branches, while working collaboratively with and empowering the Heads of Education and Social in their respective areas of responsibility.
- Field Monitoring and Hands-On Support: Travel regularly to branch locations to monitor the activities of centers and programs, provide on-site coaching and support to local teams, ensure the proper implementation of national policies and directives, and serve as a key link between field realities and national leadership.
- Staff–Volunteer Relations: In partnership with the Resources & Development Director (RDD) whose primary responsibility this is, contribute to fostering strong collaboration, mutual understanding, and effective communication between Cambodian staff members and Bambou volunteers.
- Internal Coordination and Operational Effectiveness: Streamline and clarify procedures, communication channels, and workflows between educational centers, isolated programs, and the national office in order to improve coordination and remove operational bottlenecks.
- Execution and Monitoring of Recurring Projects
- Project Continuity: Ensure the continued and effective implementation of projects that have transitioned into the operational phase and are being delivered in the field.
- Administrative Collaboration: In partnership with the Resources & Development Director (RDD), provide the necessary support for project reporting requirements and the overall monitoring of project budgets.
- Internal Communication and Local Partnerships
- Executive Committee (CODIR) Member: Actively participate in Executive Committee meetings, contributing within its collaborative and participatory governance framework.
- Internal Events: In collaboration with other Executive Committee members, co-organize and co-facilitate internal events, including seminars, training sessions, and team-building activities, to strengthen collaboration across teams and within the organization.
- Local Partnerships and Representation: Maintain relationships and represent the organization with local partners, according to responsibilities agreed upon with the Country Director (CD) and the Head of Administration&HR.
- External Relations and High-Level Representation
- Ensure the organization’s institutional representation with local authorities, Cambodian ministries, and diplomatic stakeholders. Exercise sound judgment in determining when to represent the organization personally and when a matter requires the involvement of other members of the organization.
Benefits:
- Salary x,xxx$ with lunch, private insurance, and all benefits required by Cambodian labor law.
Expected Profile of Candidates
Languages:
- Khmer - Fluent is required
- English - Good is required
- French - Medium is preferred
Qualifications:
- Master's Degree in Social Sciences, Organizational Management, Education, NGO Management, or a related field.
Work History:
- Proven experience in managing multidisciplinary teams and multi-site operations in Cambodia for 5 years as a minimum
Skills & Knowledge:
General & Technical Skills
- Humility and a service-oriented mindset: A leader who sees the role as serving the teams, the children, and the mission, rather than as a position of status or power.
- Alignment with EDM’s values: Genuine adherence to the vision, spirit, and values of Enfants du Mékong, and a strong commitment to child protection.
- Connection to the children: A genuine attachment to the children EDM serves, and the ability to stay connected to them, despite a demanding managerial role, so that every decision remains guided by their interests.
- Proven experience in managing multidisciplinary teams and multi-site operations in Cambodia (minimum 5 years, ideally 10).
- Recognized expertise in education, child protection, or social work in rural settings.
- Languages: Native-level Khmer proficiency and excellent command of English. French is an asset; a willingness to learn it is welcome. The OD also communicates directly with colleagues at the Asnières headquarters.
Soft Skills
- Leadership posture: A flexible leader who combines a coaching, enabling approach with the ability to set clear limits and hold people accountable when needed. Proven ability to connect teams and strengthen the autonomy of experienced managers.
- Interpersonal skills: Excellent communication, diplomacy, and conflict-resolution skills.
- Partnership: Demonstrated willingness and ability to co-lead with an expatriate counterpart, and full commitment to EDM’s intercultural partnership model built around the Staff–Bambou relationship.
- Travel: Willingness and availability to travel to France (on average, approximately two weeks per year).
