Business Support Officer I (Project Assistant) at icipe - African Insect Science for Food and Health

Overall Purpose of the Job

The Project Assistant provides administrative support to the Regional Coordination Unit of the Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (Rsif).

Specific Duties
Programme Management

•  Maintains database of key contacts for the Theme/Programme.
•  Handles maintenance of office assets and keeps an inventory of equipment, vehicles and procured supplies.
•  Prepares and maintains lists of staff, visiting scientists, consultants and students in the Theme/Programme.
•  Creates and manages electronic and manual filing systems, and maintain and update files and records, archiving and storage.
•  Responds to routine correspondence, and handle e-mail, telephone communication, requests, enquiries and other communication systems and processes to appropriate parties.
•  Assists in organising internal and external meetings for proposal development and other events (e.g., folders and materials, registration forms, workshop programmes and name tags, follow up on payments and settlement of working advances, documentation, and proceedings).
•  Assists in preparing meeting materials.
•  Prepares payments to meeting participants, where necessary.
•  Maintains publications database.

Project Planning

•  Assists in tracking progress of activities in annual work plan.
•  Supports the collection of documents required in drafting partner and donor agreements.
•  Keeps electronic and manual records for project agreements and other project documents.
•  Participates in meetings and assists in preparation of minutes.

Project Execution

•  Assists with project staff travel arrangements and logistical support in conjunction with the relevant units, including handling of travel requests and travel expense reports, accommodation, and travel advances.
•  Receives accounting reports from partners and reviews them before submitting to supervisors for approval and thereafter to finance for review. Once the reports are approved, in liaison with the supervisor, initiates the process of replenishing the collaborating/ partnering countries’ imprest and/or instalments as per the agreement.
•  Maintains various data bases e.g., funds transferred to partners for ease of follow-up and reference when processing the requisitions and payments.
•  Follows up on any financial issues within the Theme that need clarification.

Project Closure

•  Coordinates the maintenance of documentation of all project assets and documents to facilitate project closure.

Requirements/Qualifications

•  Bachelor’s degree in business administration, project management, or a related field.
•  At least 2 years’ work experience in a business support role.
•  Experience working in an international organization.
•  Finance or Accounting knowledge is an added advantage.
•  Knowledge of basic French is an added advantage.
•  Experience in facilitating teamwork and collaboration across multiple functions.
•  Effective communication and writing skills.
•  Effective administrative skills.

Other Desirable Attributes

•  Expected to analyse, solve problems and make decisions within own work area with approval from the supervisor.
•  Supervises tasks that are mostly routine in own job activities.
•  Expected to handle travel imprest, make payments to participants and accountability for advances.

Reporting
This position reports to the Senior Business Support Officer I (Project Support Officer)