Administration and Operations Manager

ChildSAFE Cambodia

• Background

ChildSAFE is a U.S. Department of State-funded initiative led by Catholic Relief Services that seeks to strengthen child protection systems through improvements in workforce capacity, case management, information systems, data use, and service delivery.

In Cambodia, Palladium will work with relevant government institutions and child protection stakeholders to assess the digital readiness and interoperability of priority child protection information systems and applications (for example, Primero/CPIMS managed by the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation (MoSVY), OSCaR used by NGO case management partners, and the interoperability layer linking them), including current case management workflows, institutional roles, staffing capacity, connectivity, equipment, data quality, cybersecurity and data-protection needs, training requirements, and user-support structures. Drawing on the assessment findings, Palladium will support government stakeholders to develop and validate a practical roadmap, for endorsement by the Royal Government of Cambodia, for strengthening and harmonizing priority digital child protection case management systems, with clear activities, responsibilities, sequencing, resource requirements, and implementation considerations. The work will build on existing investments by MoSVY, UNICEF and other partners in Cambodia’s child protection case management and information systems, and will align with national child protection policy frameworks, including the Child Protection Sector Strategic Implementation Plan and its successor, as well as applicable digital government and data protection requirements.

ChildSAFE Cambodia will be supported by technical personnel with expertise in child protection workflows, data and information systems, and assessment methods, together with project coordination, finance, and operational support.

• Purpose of the Assignment

The Administration and Operations Manager will serve as Palladium’s Cambodia-based consultant responsible for managing the day-to-day administration, operations, procurement, logistics, contracting, payment, accounting documentation, and budget tracking that underpin financial accountability, compliance, and effective delivery of ChildSAFE activities. Working under the direction of the ChildSAFE Country Team Lead and with regular guidance from the HQ Operations Manager and ChildSAFE Project Director, the consultant will help ensure that meetings and workshops, consultant documentation and payments, procurements, budgets, trackers, project records, and travel arrangements are prepared accurately, completely, and on time.

A key strategic function of this role is to ensure that Palladium’s global policies, guidelines, and procedures, together with applicable U.S. Government and CRS requirements, are applied in a way that fits Cambodia’s operating context. This includes government regulations and protocols (for example, official correspondence and approval letters, and rules on mission allowances for government officials), the prevailing practices of UN agencies and other development partners (for example, participant allowance and transport rates), Cambodian tax and banking requirements, and community norms in provincial and rural settings. Where Palladium procedures and local practice do not fit neatly, the consultant will identify the gap early, propose practical and compliant options, and seek HQ guidance and approval, rather than adopting informal local workarounds.

The consultant will balance administrative and financial requirements with the need for smooth, timely, and effective implementation, planning ahead so that procurement lead times, advances, approvals, and documentation support rather than delay project activities and the achievement of project objectives, while never compromising financial accountability, donor compliance, or Palladium policy.

This is a hands-on, multi-functional role suited to an experienced and resourceful operations professional who can shift between administrative coordination, meeting logistics, contract paperwork, procurement support, financial tracking, and records management. The consultant will coordinate closely with Cambodia-based technical personnel and external stakeholders and will maintain orderly project files on the shared Teams drive.

Role Boundary The consultant will prepare complete and accurate supporting paperwork, maintain trackers and shared files, obtain required information and signatures, and submit documentation to the HQ Operations Manager or other authorized Palladium staff for review, system entry, approval, and processing. The consultant will support the Country Team Lead and the HQ Project Director and Operations Manager in financial management and tracking, providing input as needed. The consultant must not commit Palladium funds, sign contracts on Palladium’s behalf, approve expenditures, or represent that an internal approval has been granted. As a consultant, the Administration and Operations Manager will not have access to Palladium’s internal systems or delegated approval authority, including the Delegation of Authority system. The ‘Manager’ title reflects the scope and accountability of the functions managed; the position does not supervise staff.

• Scope of Work

3.1 Administration, Travel, and Activity Logistics

• Coordinate domestic travel arrangements for project personnel and consultants, including itineraries, quotations, hotel/car/flight reservations, required traveler information, and supporting documentation, in accordance with approved plans and Palladium guidance.
• Organize meetings, workshops, consultations, and other project activities, including securing venues, participant communications, materials, catering, local transport, attendance records, participant allowance and transport payments with signed acknowledgments, and post-event documentation.
• Contribute to team calendars, activity schedules, contact lists and action trackers, and follow up with responsible persons on deadlines and outstanding items.
• Draft routine correspondence, meeting agendas, minutes, administrative forms, and other project documents in Khmer or English, as required.
• Provide responsive administrative support to Cambodia-based team members, consultants and visiting Palladium personnel, escalating questions or exceptions to the Country Team Lead and HQ Operations Manager.

3.2 Contracting, Procurement, and Payment Documentation

• Prepare and organize consultant, vendor, and service provider documentation using Palladium templates and checklists, including compiling scopes of work, biodata and due-diligence materials, quotations, evaluation records, agreements, purchase orders, amendments, invoices, deliverable approvals, and closeout documents.
• Support competitive procurement processes by requesting quotations, documenting communications, preparing comparison materials, checking completeness, and maintaining a clear audit trail; HQ will provide direction and complete required internal approvals.
• Review invoices, receipts, timesheets, expense claims, travel documentation, and other payment support for mathematical accuracy, consistency with approved terms, and completeness before submission to authorized Palladium staff.
• Track the status of contracts, procurements, invoices, payments, advances, and liquidations; follow up promptly on missing information or documentation.
• Liaise professionally with consultants, vendors, venues, hotels, and other service providers while referring contractual commitments, disputes, exceptions, and approval decisions to the HQ Operations Manager.

3.3 Budget, Financial Accountability, and Compliance

• Prepare, update, and monitor activity budgets and spending trackers, maintain commitments logs, and simple forecasts using templates provided by Palladium.
• Develop cost estimates for travel, meetings, workshops, consultants, and procurements and compare actual or committed costs against approved budgets.
• Check calculations, coding information, supporting documents, and budget availability before submitting financial paperwork to the HQ Operations Manager or other authorized Palladium staff.
• Support reconciliation of travel advances, activity advances, vendor payments, and consultant invoices by organizing documentation and resolving missing or inconsistent information.
• Where cash or activity advances are required, apply agreed controls for safe custody, minimal cash handling (using bank transfer or mobile payment where feasible), timely liquidation, and complete supporting documentation, and keep advances in the consultant’s name to the minimum necessary.
• Flag projected overruns, unusual costs, delayed payments, unsupported expenses, or other budget and compliance concerns promptly; financial authorization and formal reporting remain the responsibility of authorized Palladium personnel.

3.4 Records, Coordination, and Compliance Support

• Establish and maintain a logical, current, and access-controlled filing structure on the project’s shared Teams drive for contracts, procurements, travel, meetings, financial support, deliverables, correspondence, and approvals.
• Apply consistent file naming, version control, and document-retention practices so that records are easy to locate and ready for management review or audit.
• Maintain consultant, vendor, travel, procurement, deliverable, and payment trackers and provide concise status updates to the ChildSAFE Project Director and HQ Operations Manager.
• Coordinate administrative requirements and requests between Palladium and government counterparts, project consultants, and other partners, while protecting confidential, safeguarding, financial, and personal information.
• Follow Palladium and donor procedures and seek guidance before proceeding when requirements, approvals, allowability, or authority are unclear.

3.5 Policy Alignment and Operational Readiness

• Within the first month, review applicable Palladium policies and procedures and donor requirements against Cambodian practice, and prepare a short Cambodia Operations Note for HQ approval covering, at a minimum: allowances and transport support for government and other participants; payment methods (bank transfer, mobile money, and cash) and related controls; receipts and payment acknowledgment for informal and rural vendors; tax withholding and invoice requirements; official correspondence and approval protocols with MoSVY and provincial departments; and public holiday and government calendar constraints.
• Advise the Country Team Lead during workplan and activity planning on operational feasibility, lead times, cost implications, and compliance requirements, so that planned activities are realistic, properly resourced, and achievable within project timelines.
• Establish and maintain an operations readiness package, including a pre-screened list of venues, hotels, transport providers, and other vendors with current quotations, and Khmer-language versions of key participant forms (registration, attendance, and allowance acknowledgment).
• Track recurring issues where Palladium procedures and local practice do not align, recommend practical and compliant solutions for HQ decision, and document approved approaches so that they are applied consistently.
• Support readiness for monitoring visits, spot checks, and audits by Palladium, CRS, or the donor.
• Deliverables

Specific assignments will be authorized by Palladium within the approved level of effort. Expected deliverables include:

• Up-to-date administrative and management trackers that capture information about travel, meetings, procurement, contracts, deliverables, invoices, advances, and payments, submitted or shared at the frequency agreed with the HQ Operations Manager.
• Complete travel and activity logistics packages, including quotations, itineraries, participant information, attendance documentation, expense support, and required follow-up records.
• Accurate and complete draft procurement, contracting, amendment, invoice, and payment-support packages prepared for HQ review and approval.
• Current activity budgets, cost estimates, commitment logs, spending trackers, and supporting reconciliations, with discrepancies or projected overruns clearly flagged.
• A complete, logically organized, and current set of project operations and financial-support records maintained on the shared Teams drive in accordance with agreed naming, version-control, confidentiality, and retention practices.
• Concise routine status updates identifying completed actions, upcoming logistics and deadlines, outstanding documentation, budget or compliance concerns, and decisions required from Palladium.
• Cambodia Operations Note (Section 3.5), submitted for HQ approval within 30 days of contract start and updated as needed.
• Operations readiness package (vendor list, Khmer-language participant forms, filing structure, and trackers) in place before the first major project activity.
• Working Arrangements
• The consultant will work under the direction of the ChildSAFE Country Team Lead and in close day-to-day coordination with the HQ Operations Manager, who will provide templates, procedural guidance, review, and access to authorized Palladium personnel and internal systems.
• Because demand will be uneven, the consultant is expected to be available at short notice during peak periods (for example, consultations and validation workshops). Outside peak periods, a predictable minimum availability will be agreed with the Country Team Lead.
• The consultant will prepare documentation and maintain shared Teams records but will not enter information into restricted internal Palladium systems, exercise delegated authority, approve transactions, or sign on behalf of Palladium.
• The consultant will communicate regularly with Cambodia-based technical personnel, the Country Team Lead, the ChildSAFE Project Director, and the HQ Operations Manager and will promptly escalate missing approvals, documentation gaps, safeguarding or confidentiality concerns, conflicts of interest, suspected irregularities, or other issues requiring Palladium direction.
• The consultant will comply with Palladium and client requirements related to safeguarding, confidentiality, data protection, professional conduct, secure handling of project information, travel, procurement, contracting, and financial documentation.
• Required Qualifications and Experience
• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, finance, accounting, management, international development, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience. A recognized accounting qualification (e.g., ACCA or CPA), completed or in progress, is an advantage.
• Demonstrated ability to manage varied responsibilities independently, shift priorities, solve practical problems, and follow through on multiple concurrent tasks and deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to balance compliance requirements with practical implementation needs, proposing workable and compliant solutions rather than simply identifying barriers.
• Experience arranging travel and events and preparing procurement, contract, invoice, payment, expense, and budget documentation with strong attention to detail.
• Strong numerical skills and practical proficiency with budgets, spreadsheets, cost comparisons, reconciliations, and financial trackers; formal accounting responsibility is not required.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams, including management of shared folders, file naming, version control, and document organization.
• Working knowledge of procurement, contracting, travel, and financial documentation requirements; experience with U.S. Government-funded projects (including familiarity with 2 CFR 200 cost principles and procurement standards) is an advantage.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in Khmer and English and the ability to communicate professionally with vendors, consultants, partners, and government counterparts.
• High integrity, discretion, sound judgment, and commitment to safeguarding, confidentiality, accurate recordkeeping, and respectful collaboration.
• Working knowledge of Cambodian tax (including withholding tax and VAT invoicing), labor, and NGO regulatory requirements, and of government protocols and development partner operating practices in Cambodia.
• Acceptance of Deliverables

Deliverables will be considered complete upon review and written acceptance by the ChildSAFE Project Director or another Palladium representative designated in the consultancy agreement, in consultation with the Country Team Lead. Palladium may request reasonable revisions to ensure that outputs are clear, complete, and responsive to the authorized assignment.

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