Description
The International Water Management Institute (IWMI), a CGIAR Research Center is looking for a competent, self-motivated, and dynamic candidate to join as Program Support Officer.
The Program Support Officer provides high quality -program coordination and administrative support. The Program Support Officer will interact internally with multiple levels and departments within IWMI and as required CGIAR-wide including, but not limited to the Project Management Office (PMO), Corporate Service Departments, Research leadership and Communication & Knowledge Management (CKM). The successful incumbent will have key relationships with the strategic program directors, (SPDs), Research Group Leaders (RGL), Country Representatives as well as external clients & service providers.
The Support Officer will provide administrative and program management coordination, specifically supporting the SPD’s work program, planning key events and activities effectively, ensuring delivery to target of key internal outputs, as well as managing travel and other budgetary matters. This role requires the incumbent to be organized, proactive and able to prioritize and provide intensive support to SPDs during very busy periods. It necessitates a high level of communication skills, integrity and experience of navigating effectively a complex, multicultural and multi time-zone environment. Dependent on experience and skills of the applicant, the role also is likely to encompass budget, HR, IT and Comms coordination and therefore good relationships with key contacts in other departments (both in Head Quarters and in Country Offices) are essential.
Duties AND Responsibilities:
- Ensures the effective coordination of SPD’s schedules by maintaining diaries and arranging appointments, meetings, conference calls.
- Liaising with the administration office, arranges all travel according to IWMI policy including visas, accommodation, and preparing itineraries as well as claiming expenses in a timely manner. Helps manage and oversee the SPD workload, including liaising effectively with respective portfolio managers, RGLs, researchers and CRs.
- Performs basic budget functions, including data and budget reconciliation, raising and goods receipting purchase orders, validating travel expenses when required and monitoring budget usage for SPD-specific projects.
- Manage the processing of consultant contracts, including organizing of invoicing and payments, to ensure the process runs smoothly for SPD-specific projects.
- Performs any other administrative and/or support duties, as required by the SPD within the remit of this function
- Provides supportin the recruitment of consultants and in the preparation of documentation for short-listing and processing of contract variations, and organization/liquidation of workshops and capacity building events for SPD-specific projects.
- Helps ensure good communication and coordination with the other research scientists and senior IWMI staff.
- Assists in establishing and running workshops, preparing invitations, and preparing certificates/documents and arranging logistics for participants for SPD and SPD-specific projects.
- Assists with preparation and editing of internal documents to be submitted to IWMIs Board/Committees for DG/DDG as required.
- Assists with preparation and submission of PR forms, PO forms, Microsoft Flow forms and other documents on behalf of the SPD as and when required in accordance with IWMI policies.
- Through liaising with other IWMI units and programs, collects, compiles and analyzes relevant information and data related to the program/office/department to produce routine and/or ad hoc statistics/reports as instructed on respective strategic programs’ performance and profiles
- Edits and formats documents as required for submission to internal publications or external submission to clients
- Manages internal/external correspondence/requests including drafting responses for review, forwarding for action within the team and interfacing with other SPs to ensure that follow-up action is taken in a timely fashion.
- Organize training and outreach initiatives for SP staff and clients
Requirements
MINIMUM EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:
- Bachelors or master’s degree in administration, science or a related field preferred
- Over 2 years’s of experience in an administrative function
- Advance administrative skills with senior managers
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
- Fluent English, with excellent written and oral communications skills
- Excellent communication, organizational and effective planning skills
- Demonstrated ability to prioritize and independently co-ordinate workload to comply with deadlines
- Ability to keep calm under pressure and be flexible.
- Able to anticipate needs/issues, drawing on a high degree of initiative and judgement in reliably executing or coordinating a range of tasks independently
- Proven experience in working at a senior administrative level within a multi-disciplined and multi-cultural organization
Benefits
What we are offering:
This is a nationally recruited position and only candidates who are eligible to work in Sri Lanka will be considered. IWMI offers a competitive salary and benefits package, inclusive of health insurance, life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance, and long-term disability coverage. The duration of the contract will initially be for a period of three years.
HOW TO APPLY: Apply for the position by following the application instructions at www.iwmi.org/jobs. We will be accepting applications through 24:00 (IST) February 23, 2023 (applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis). Receipt of all applications will be acknowledged, but only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
IWMI believes that diversity powers our innovation, contributes to our excellence, and is critical for our mission. We offer a multi-cultural, multi-color, multi-generational and multi-disciplinary working environment. We are consciously creating an inclusive organization that reflects our global character and our commitment to gender equity. We, therefore, encourage applicants from all cultures, races, ethnicities, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientations, and gender identities.
