Operational Planning Manager

BACKGROUND:

Global Support and Development (GSD) is a humanitarian organization whose mission is to work with regional, national, and local communities across the Caribbean, Central America and South Pacific for resilience to crisis through rapid response, disaster preparedness, and climate adaptation. 

GSD began as an impromptu response to Cyclone Pam in Vanuatu in 2015. Since our founding, we have worked with a number of regional, national and local communities and supported various international and United States domestic disaster Operations and Plans efforts.  Our first response defined the core of GSD’s DNA as an organization – to work with communities – led by their needs, filling the gaps they have identified while leveraging unique approaches and capabilities with an innovation mindset. We work to support rapid response and strengthen local capacity through disaster preparedness initiatives, including innovation and climate adaptation, to reduce the impact disasters and the climate crisis have on communities.

PURPOSE OF POSITION:

The Operational Planning Manager supports the Operations and Plans Department by developing and maintaining a robust planning framework that ensures organizational readiness and operational continuity for the mid-term (4 weeks to 4 months out). This role focuses on anticipating future needs, developing proactive plans, and establishing standardized planning processes. This position plays a key role in fostering collaboration through its oversight of the organization's unified planning team, as well as working in close coordination with the Operations Manager to enhance GSD's response and disaster preparedness mission. This role bridges the gap between immediate operations and long-term strategic goals, ensuring a smooth transition and consistent approach to planning across the organization.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

1. Develop, implement, and execute plans, processes, and projects in support of departmental strategy, maximizing efficient use of resources and ensuring shared vision;
2. Support the professional development and growth of direct reports;
3. Support critical decision-making processes, to include identifying issues and driving problem-solving, especially in resource-constrained and time-sensitive contexts;
4. Support budgetary planning, control, and analysis for the Planning department;
5. Planning Framework and Process Management: Design, implement, and maintain the mid-term (4 weeks to 4 months) planning framework including standardized templates, processes, timelines, and continuous improvement mechanisms;
6. Scenario Planning and Risk Management: Lead scenario planning exercises, conduct risk assessments, and develop mitigation strategies to anticipate future challenges and minimize operational disruptions;
7. Plan Development and Integration: Develop comprehensive mid-term plans, integrating them with short-term operational activities and long-term strategic goals, ensuring organizational coherence;
8. Resource Management and Forecasting: Develop resource forecasting methodologies, anticipate future needs (staffing, equipment, funding), and support effective budget planning;
9. Operational Playbook and Exercise Development: Create and maintain operational playbooks for common scenarios, design and facilitate exercises (table-top, simulations) to test plans and improve readiness;
10. Cross-Functional Collaboration and Team Leadership: Lead and facilitate a cross-functional planning team, fostering collaboration with internal stakeholders (e.g. Maritime, Field Operations, Logistics);
11. Global Operations Schedule Management: Maintain and update the organization's Global Operations Schedule, providing a comprehensive overview of all planned activities;
12. Operations Manager Collaboration: Work closely with the Operations Manager to ensure seamless integration between planning and execution, including joint reviews, resource coordination, and after-action reviews;
13. Documentation and Knowledge Management: Maintain comprehensive documentation of plans, processes, and related information, facilitating knowledge sharing and organizational learning;
14. Prompt and action GSD’s core values of accountability, humility, and integrity in all work we conduct;
15. Promote good stewardship of financial and other resources to achieve maximum benefit to those impacted by disaster or at risk of impact; and
16. Perform other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS: 

Required Experience:

• Three (3) or more years of relevant management experience in disaster response, preferably with experience in operational planning;

• Two (2) or more years experience operating in disaster response, preferably in an international context;
• Proven effective coordination and collaboration across departments; and
• Proven experience developing programs and teams.

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in emergency management or relevant field; or
• Equivalent combination of experience and training.

Professional Licenses/Certifications:

• Emergency management certification is desired; and
• Certification in project management is desired.

Knowledge/Skills:

• Proven ability to lead and motivate teams to produce quality results within challenging timeframes and ongoing change;
• Program oversight and management, development of programmatic policy, procedure, and guidelines;
• Ability to coordinate multiple projects simultaneously under pressure;
• Confident and effective written and verbal communication, including presentation ability;
• Cultural awareness and the ability to work collaboratively with a wide array of stakeholders to build relationships;
• Discernment for confidentiality in relation to organizational, partner, and donor activities and communications;
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to rapidly shift tasks;
• Experience working with unified situational awareness platforms is preferable; 
• Familiarity with relational databases is strongly desired;
• Working knowledge of Spanish and/or French desired. 

WORKING CONDITIONS AND PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

GSD prioritizes the safety, security, and well-being of all of our staff members. All employees are expected to follow strict safety protocols, including the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) as required and adherence to safety regulations (maritime, and other), to mitigate risks. 

Consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and North Carolina state law, GSD will provide reasonable accommodation for a qualified applicant or employee with a disability, unless such accommodation would cause an undue hardship or a direct threat to the health and/or safety of the individual or others. 

These working conditions and physical demands are described to provide a clear understanding of the nature of the role, including the essential deployment responsibilities that may be necessary, to ensure that potential candidates are well-prepared for the challenging and demanding nature of the duties and realities of disaster response work. GSD is not able to reasonably predict when or whether it will become necessary to deploy an employee in this position for disaster response work.  Such decisions are made as circumstances arise to meet organizational needs, and employees in this role are therefore expected to be able to fulfill disaster response work responsibilities. 

Working Conditions During Non-Deployment Periods

• Work is performed in an office setting and is generally sedentary, but may involve movement (e.g., walking, standing or otherwise being mobile throughout the office) for brief periods of time;
• Ability to use hands, reach, and independently lift and move items weighing up to 20 pounds, carry, push, and pull or otherwise move objects;
• Ability to bend and stoop;
• Ability to sit and view a computer screen for extended periods of time;
• Ability to demonstrate manual dexterity to operate computer and other office equipment;
• Ability to communicate effectively with others.

Working Conditions During Deployment Periods

• May be regularly exposed to and required to work in varying outdoor weather conditions, including extreme heat or cold, heavy rainfall, and other extreme weather events; 
• May be required to engage in irregular travel and / or work schedules, which may include extended hours exceeding 8 or 12 hours in a day;
• While wearing appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) which is required and provided by GSD: 
  • Work may be conducted near moving mechanical parts, which could include exposure to loud noises;
  • Work may be conducted near and include potential exposure to fumes, airborne particles, and toxic or caustic chemicals; or 
  • Work may be conducted in areas that include exposure to the risk of electrical shock or vibration.
• Ability to obtain necessary travel documents and fulfill any other travel requirements (including an active passport, visa requirements, vaccinations, etc.);
• This role may include deployments to support natural disaster response efforts within hazardous environments (economically/environmentally) in pre- and post- disaster scenarios, which could include, among other conditions: lack of access to medical care, exposure to critical incidents (including severe injury, death, traumatic encounters, and/or mental strain), and uncommon sleeping arrangements (i.e. not in a hotel, could include close living quarters and cohabitation);  
• GSD’s nutritional environment contains milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy, and wheat products. Ability to make dietary accommodations may be limited. Potential exposure to food borne allergens; and
• Employees may be required for this role to work upon our humanitarian vessel for up to 30 consecutive days. The vessel’s working environment entails performing in conditions inherent to vessel travel, including but not limited to: steep and narrow stairs and living spaces, close quarters including cohabitation, sharp surfaces, metal gangways and ladders, heavy doors, European-type plugs and wiring (220-240v, 60Hz) which cannot support all American appliances, in addition to bright and flashing lights, loud noises, nuts and shellfish exposure, poor weather, movements which can trigger motion sickness, and / or limited access to hospital / definitive care. This setting involves various sea conditions, including but not limited to rough seas, adverse weather, and potential for sea sickness.

Physical Demands During Non-Deployment Periods

• Ability to perform work indoors in an office environment;
• Ability to work a varied schedule to complete projects and meet deadlines in response to changing demands;
• Ability to travel to attend meetings, industry or professional association conferences and stay overnight as required.

Physical Demands During Deployment Periods

• Must be able to remain in a stationary position (sitting or standing) for up to 50% of the time;
• Ability to regularly engage in manual dexterity; 
• [FOR VESSEL] Essential physical requirements (depending on job description requirements) may also include climbing, balancing, reaching or stretching, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling; 
• Ability to frequently move lift, push, pull, carry  items weighing up to 20 pounds for various needs;
• Ability to observe details at a close range (within a few feet of the observer), and the ability to communicate information and ideas so that others will understand (must also be able to exchange accurate information in these situations); 
• Specific vision abilities include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

This job description reflects an assignment of essential functions.  It does not prescribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned.  Other duties and tasks may be assigned to this job at GSD’s discretion.

Work Authorization Requirements: GSD participates in E-verify, an internet-based system that allows employers to determine the eligibility of their employees to work in the United States. E-Verify is administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration. Our participation in E-Verify is in compliance with federal law and is limited to the use of E-Verify for employment eligibility verification only. We do not use E-Verify to pre-screen job applicants or to re-verify current employees and may not limit or influence the choice of documents presented for use on the Form I-9. 

This job description is a summary rather than a detailed list of the duties performed.  The essential functions, knowledge, skills, and working conditions may change along with business needs.  This job description does not constitute a contract between employer and employee as employment is at will.  Global Support and Development provides reasonable accommodations to assist qualified individuals in order to perform the essential functions their job requires.

GSD is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and embraces all candidates regardless of race, color, sex (including pregnancy), nation of origin, ethnicity, religion, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, age, gender identity or expression, genetic information, military/veteran status or any other basis prohibited by law. GSD promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion in all candidate selections. GSD promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion in all candidate selections.

Salary : $120,000