Manager of Operations, Eastern Mediterranean Regional Hub

Mercans Consulting DMCC is advertising this job on behalf of our client, St. Jude Global Operations Platform LLC – Rep. Office (SJGOP).

Overview

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is one of the world's premier centers for research and treatment of catastrophic diseases in children, primarily pediatric cancers. Headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee in the United States, St. Jude seeks to advance cures, and means of prevention, for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. Within St. Jude, the Department of Global Pediatric Medicine (GPM) is a growing department looking for professionals who are eager to help implement the St. Jude Global (SJG) mission by training the clinical workforce, developing and strengthening health systems and patient-centered initiatives, and advancing knowledge to sustain continuous improvement through research. 

SJG is at a pivotal moment in the development of its Regional Programs, establishing hubs across the globe to improve outcomes for children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases around the world. St. Jude has established the St. Jude Global Operations Platform LLC – Rep. Office (SJGOP), a foreign branch of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, TN, as the first regional hub, which is in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. SJG is seeking a dedicated Regional Hub Manager of Operations, to oversee operations and administrative services for the hub. This hub will drive the work of SJG’s Eastern Mediterranean Region, which has numerous active projects and partnerships with more than 40 institutions across 15 countries in the region. The Manager of Operations will work collaboratively with both internal and external customers to develop and systematically coordinate the administrative and operational services for the hub, working closely with the new Regional Hub Director and Regional Programs Hub team members. Because this is a new position, the responsibilities will evolve over time, which means that the Manager of Operations will have an opportunity to shape their role.  

The Manager of Operations will require a physical presence in the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Hub office in Dubai, providing on the ground operational support for Hub programs, ensuring work is effective, efficient, and aligned with the St. Jude brand and mission.  

The Manager of Operations will be responsible for: 

• Overseeing day-to-day operations (e.g., finance, technology, facilities, and human resources) of the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Hub, including operational processes, negotiation of contracts and vendor management, and coordination with other departments;
• Leading the design and implementation of policies and procedures in collaboration with internal (e.g., Memphis-based operations teams) and external parties (e.g., vendors) to deliver impact on efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and quality of operational processes;
• Managing HR services, including payroll, benefits, recruitment, compliance with contractual agreements, and any additional activities, with vendor and St. Jude Human Resources; 
• Managing budget and resource planning for the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Hub in alignment with the department budget;  
• Managing our real estate, including lease payments, office design needs, and communication with landlord, building, insurance, and other facilities vendors; 
• Managing internal office responsibilities to support day-to-day operations including purchasing office supplies, managing maintenance requests, tracking equipment needs, and mail distribution;
• Coordinating end-to-end event management processes for meetings, workshops, and other events, both in-person and virtual; 
• Ensuring compliance with local laws and regulations, including tracking government requirements for our business license and other legal documents and working with our public relations official (PRO) to do so;
• Managing vendors that provide services to the hub;
• Offering administrative support for the Programs teams on an as-needed basis (e.g., coordinating travel, translation services, scheduling meetings, taking minutes);
• Maintaining inventory of software used in the hub and coordinating with both internal tech teams as well as local IT support contractors/vendors to ensure efficient operations;
• Developing and distributing Hub communications in coordination with GPM Communications team; 
• Supporting strategic planning and execution of the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Program;
• Supporting relationship management with key regional collaborators (i.e., St. Jude Global Alliance members, governments, strategic partner organizations) as the hub seeks to establish itself in the region, coordinating and facilitating site visits, and providing ongoing administrative support to regional Alliance members;
• Tracking Eastern Mediterranean operational success metrics.

Minimum Education:

• Bachelor’s degree required;
• Master’s degree in a relevant field preferred.

Minimum Experience:

• 5+ years of experience;
• Experience driving department-wide process improvement initiatives;
• Experience in contract and vendor management, including negotiations;
• Experience with business relationship management in an international setting;
• Experience building relationships with diverse actors across an ecosystem;
• Experience in budget planning, tracking, reporting, and risk management;
• Experience with Microsoft SharePoint, Microsoft Outlook Calendar tools, and Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint required;
• Experience working with project planning tools (e.g., Microsoft Project, Microsoft SharePoint, ServiceNow, Smartsheet, Clarity, Planview) and CRM tool (e.g., Salesforce, Hubspot, Microsoft Dynamics) preferred;
• Experience working in different countries and/or cultural contexts preferred;
• Experience working in the UAE and/or knowledge of UAE regulations and laws preferred;
• Experience working in a decentralized organization with multiple offices preferred.