CLS – OCONUS Operations Manager
CACI International
Total years of experience :27 years, 2 months
• OCONUS Operation & Contractual Logistics System (CLS) manager for Air Force physical security systems services contracts totaling over $90M over the past 13 years. Subject matter expert in OCONUS procurement, labor laws, culture, and customary policies in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries.
• Responsible for all aspects of day to day operations, including delivery of SOW (Statement of work) requirements, project finance, budgeting, cost improvements, continuity of personnel support, and employee safety, security and welfare.
• Manages and Leads a team of 4 technician in support of AFCENT Security Services contract in the Middle East area of responsibility (AOR).
• Serves as primary point-of-contact and provides guidance and supervision for all personnel assigned to Kuwait. Contribute to generate good teamwork environment at Operation staff.
• Supervise and coordinates AFCENT technicians for site visits for Preventative Maintenance inspections (PMI) for AF security equipment in the AOR. Participates in site surveys with AFCENT management team when needed.
• Manage all over cost including manpower, equipment and materials including negotiating contracts with suppliers. Makes bid decisions on major procurement activities on all firm fixed price contracts.
• Reconcile and resolve all travel and over direct cost billing to create cost-savings reports for the PMO to present to the client to demonstrate cost-savings. Monitors budget expenditures to ensure adequate funding for supply and travel requests.
• Build and maintain respectable working relationships with clients, external vendors, foreign nationals, and sponsoring vendor. Effective links with all external vendors and contractors.
• Manages and conducts annual staff appraisals, merit increases, and assessments to determine staff training needs. Approves Timesheets and Expense reports.
• Support, mentor and launch coaching when needed to improve management team leadership skills. Used own judgement and knowledge to resolve any staff, customer and/or supplier issues when needed.
• Kept up-to-date on country specific travel requirements (COVID) and other travel restrictions to support our reconfiguration teams and project.
• Subject Matter Expert of the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) immigration, labor laws, department of work policies, and work visa requirements in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region.
• Successfully satisfied programmatic operational, financial, planning, and administrative oversight to the organization and over 40 CACI employees in the assigned area of responsibility (AOR) for the AFCENT Operational Readiness Support (ORS2) contract. The AFCENT ORS2 contract is a $70 million-dollar contract with a wide area of responsibility to include the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan, Oman, UAE, Afghanistan, and program headquarters in the State of Qatar.
• Discovered and analyzed the company’s operational problems in order to maximize efficiency by 33% in 13 years.
• Identified and facilitated resolutions of operational issues and acted as a liaison between technical and functional areas. Oversee multiple non-technical and technical assignments.
• Collaborated with colleagues from other departments, pro-actively participated in meeting with managers and performed other tasks as required.
• Interacted with program managers, such as CACI finance, contracts, and procurement, as well as external customers on a daily basis to address operational issues in a timely and effective manner.
• Managed all program office procurement responsibilities for the project. Managed the process of establishing agreements with vendors across the AOR. Reviewed Request for Proposals (RFPs). Maintained purchase orders and guaranteed processing of invoices (tools, materials and services).
• Monitored and provided approvals to head office regarding immigration and worker wage protection system (WPS) in Qatar, ensuring our vendor (sponsor) is committed to the wage payments in a timely manner.
• Acted as the primary point of contact between CACI Benefits and Cigna Insurance Middle East for proper in-country policies and authorizations. Interpreted and communicated benefits policies and procedures to management and employees when needed.
• Provided in-region expertise ensuring host nation guidelines are followed by our program and employees in Qatar and other countries in the AOR. Maintained overall responsibility for AFCENT contract in-country operations, liaison for the team with the Host Nation Coordination Cell (HNCC), military and government officials and US embassy in Qatar.
• Ensure leadership on full visibility of how immigration changes and risk and additional cost on the program (labor files, WCI policy, work Injuries).
• Responsible of ensure visas’ and residency renewals are submitted in accurately in a timely manner and compliance requirements are satisfied. Ensured proper work permits and business licenses and visas were obtained for Qatar, Kuwait, UAE, Afghanistan and Turkey.
• Managed HR & operations for 50 employees in locations internationally.
• Worked directly with the management to ensure that project deliverables are met. Prepared, monitored, and updated program requirements and spending plans.
• Participated in the preparation of budgets and scheduling for contractual work. Assisted in financial analysis such as billable/non-billable for over direct costs (ODC) and Travel budgets.
• Performed a variety of research, analytical, project and administrative tasks in support of the AFCENT program.
• Worked directly with the CACI-NSS procurement office in vetting local vendors for lodging, vehicles, and materials for the AFCENT ORS2. (including the SOCCENT, AFRICOM, USAFE contracts).
• Maintained various rosters and personnel database information, providing input to performance evaluations reports. Maintained Contract Data Requirements List (CDRL’s).
• Managed on the ground orientation and on the job-training program for all newly hired personnel. Lead and assisted employees with processing of travel orders, vouchers, expense reports and accounts payable.
• Responsible for deployment scheduling, traveling, reimbursement processing to OCONUS employees. Secures Letters of Authorization and Travel Orders. Facilitated process for issuance and renewal of CAC cards. Initiated and submitted employee NIPR account requests for processing. Validated and witnessed SF312 documentation.
•
• Identified Qatari companies to provide sponsorship, lodging and vehicles. Collaborates within implementation of contract requirements.
• Identified current and potential areas of risk with OCONUS and Immigration issues and suggested ways to mitigate these risks. Served as multicultural advisor / Linguist for L-3 when dealing with the Qatari government.
• Assisted employees with open enrollment process for health, dental, life plans, flexible spending plan and benefits eligibility. Demonstrated ability to apply policy, regulations, and procedures to a variety of employment situations.
• Served as a link between Human Resources and management (head office) by handling, explaining and helping resolve staff questions regarding human resources policies, Benefits, Payroll, Bonuses, managing and correcting of Reports and Charge codes.
• Served as an International subject matter expert to faculty and staff members regarding complex immigration matters; answers non-routine visa sponsorship questions and resolves related problems
• Provided a full life-cycle recruiting function to include assisting hiring managers with developing and marketing job positions, sourcing, screening, coordinating interviews, reference checking, extending verbal and written offers while also maintaining candidate information in the automated recruiting system.
• Partnered with company executives and technical leads in Software Engineering, Sales, IT, Product Management and Finance to define and execute recruitment strategies aligned with business unit objectives. Negotiated contract rates and salary expectations based on the current market conditions and skill set of the candidate.
• Meet with hiring managers and line leadership on an on-going basis to review organizational recruiting requirements and plans. Responsible for delivering weekly and monthly status reports outlining account progress, direction, and strategy.
• Lead and managed the recruitment process for new business proposals to include identifying and recruiting a pipeline of key personnel.
• Assisted in training hiring managers in the use of Applicant Tracking System and Social Media outreach. Analyzed job descriptions to develop further understanding of client needs and required skills of candidate.
• Reviewed applications and interviewed applicants to obtain work history, education, training, job skills, and salary requirements, and to provide information about the organization and position.
• Attended weekly internal recruitment meetings and provided status updates on all orders being worked on. Consistently exceeding quotas on a monthly basis.
• Developed strategies and reduced time-to-fill, cost-per-hire by type of contracts (Cost Plus, Fixed Firm, and Time & Materials) which resulted in increased revenues of the business group.
• Calculated, compiled & analyzed annual recruiting report for the Director of Recruiting providing numbers to include cost per hire data, salaries, source, & cycle time
• Developed and maintained professional relationships with appropriate third-party organizations/entities in order to support staffing needs. Established an enormous network through groups such as DoD Installation Transition Classes, ACAP (Army Career and Alumni Program), and TAP (Transition Assistance Program).
HR coordinator - Federal Deployment Center (FDC)