Bioversity International Vacancy: Program Assistant

Program Assistant

Bioversity International

REF: PA/11/2016   

24 February 2016

The Position:  Bioversity International seeks to recruit a Program Assistant who will provide administrative support to the Ethiopia Country Representative, within the Ecological Intensification and Diversification research component. The incumbent will be based at Bioversity Ethiopia office in Addis Ababa located at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) Addis Ababa campus.

General:  Bioversity International is a global research-for-development organization. We have a vision – that agricultural biodiversity nourishes people and sustains the planet.

We deliver scientific evidence, management practices and policy options to use and safeguard agricultural biodiversity to attain sustainable global food and nutrition security. We work with partners in low-income countries in different regions where agricultural biodiversity can contribute to improved nutrition, resilience, productivity and climate change adaptation. Bioversity International is a member of the CGIAR Consortium – a global research partnership for a food secure future. For further information on Bioversity International, consult our Web page at: www.bioversityinternational.org.

Key Responsibilities:

• Generates monthly financial reports with accompanying data for the office;
• Maintains petty cash and bank accounts;
• Performs monthly reconciliations and prepares monthly expenditure forecasts; ensures financial ethics and accountability of all Bioversity staff including following-up of staff advances;
• Follows-up on all collaborations and partners to ensure that the accounting is received;
• Checks and verifies all financial transactions, review payment requests, purchase orders, and contracts for accuracy and integrity before approval by the supervisor;
• Prepares and monitors Ethiopia country budget; liaise and advices the Country Representative on expenditure levels of projects;
• Follows-up to ensure timely submission of reports (both financial and technical);
• Ensure year end audit requests are submitted as and when requested (bank confirmations, bank statements, reconciliations, etc…);
• Follows-up and ensures internal audit recommendations are implemented and adhered to.
• Coordinates administrative issues in collaboration with Bioversity Head Quarters office;
• Provides advice and support for visiting scientists and students to acquire necessary work permits in compliance with existing Ethiopian laws; supervise management of office premises/space;
• Organizes meetings, workshops and conferences (travel coordination, airfare, budgets, logistics, etc…);
• Takes minutes and keep record of staff meetings;
• Any other duties as assigned. 

Minimum Requirement:

Education:

• Bachelor of Commerce or Business Administration or related degree in Accounting/Management; Diploma in Secretarial Science and Office Management, desirable. 

Experience:

• At least 5 years of experience in activities such as budget preparation and finance management.
• Organization of meetings and workshops, day-to-day operations of the office, compilation of technical and/or financial reports; experience in an international organization, desirable.

Skills:

• Good analytical, organizational, planning and coordination skill; good level of English (written and spoken).

Duty Station: Addis Ababa

Grade: 2C 

Minimum Base Salary: Birr 16,619 (Negotiable, depending on experience, skill and salary history of the candidate).

Terms of appointment:  This is a Nationally Recruited Staff (NRS) position, initial appointment is for three years with the possibility of renewal, contingent upon individual performance and the availability of funding. The ILRI remuneration package for nationally recruited staff in Ethiopia includes very competitive salary and benefits such as life and medical insurance, offshore pension plan, etc. The ILRI campus is set in a secure, attractive campus on the outskirts of Addis Ababa. Dining and sports facilities are located on site. 

Applications: Applicants should provide a cover letter and curriculum vitae; names and addresses (including telephone and email) of three referees who are knowledgeable about the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience to be included in the curriculum vitae. The position and reference number: REF: PA/11/2016should be clearly indicated in the subject line of the cover letter. All applications to be submitted online on our recruitment portal: http://ilri.simplicant.com/ on or before 9 March 2016. 

To find more about ICRAF, visit our Website at www.bioversityinternational.org.

To find out more about working at ILRI visit our website at http://www.ilri.org/ilricrowd/         

Suitably qualified women are particularly encouraged to apply.