Senior Administrative Assistant

Vacancy Number: A/030/14
Institute: International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
Duration: Two years contract

The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) seeks to recruit a highly competent and motivated Senior Administrative Assistant to its IWMI office which is based in Addis Ababa.

General: the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) is a non-profit international research organization, serving a global mandate to improve management of water and land for food, livelihoods and nature. IWMI headquarters is located in Colombo, Sri Lanka and one of its sub-regional office is located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. IWMI is one of the 15 research centers supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR).

Key Responsibilities: 

• Drafts routine correspondence and follows up day-to-day matters relating to project operations,
• Handles telephone calls and attends to them appropriately,
• Maintains filing and other office systems,
• Prepares and distributes messages by fax/e-mail,
• Creates and proofreads all work for accuracy and conformity before signature,
• Handles travel requests, authorization and prepares travel expense reports,
• Assists in organizing workshops and meetings,
• Takes minutes of departmental meetings,
• Prepares and manages schedules for the supervisor and team members, taking appointments, scheduling meetings with other programs, offices and visitors,
• Assists team members in preparing presentations, arranging bookings and liaising with different Departments for seminars,
• Keeps attendance records for the project staff and submits records to the Human Resources Office,
• Assists the Program Management Officer in her daily duties as required.

Skills and Competencies

Education:
•    Degree in Business Administration or College Diploma in Secretarial Science and Office Management

Experience:
•    2 (Two) years of relevant work experience for degree holders or 5 (Five) years for diploma holders

Skills:
•    Solid composition, grammar and proofreading skills with the ability to compose correspondence in English;
•    Attention to detail and ability to follow through to closure;
•    Ability to handle & prioritize multiple tasks with minimal supervision;
•    Ability to work within a team in a multi-cultural environment;
•    Ability to handle confidential matters;
•    Thorough knowledge of word processing, spreadsheet, graphics, and data entry, as well the Internet.
•    Must be fluent in spoken and written English
•    Should have the ability to work under pressure

Duty Station: Addis Ababa

Grade: 2A

Minimum Base:     Birr 9,326 (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 fixed term for two 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: A/030/14 should 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 02 June 2014.

Suitably qualified women are particularly encouraged to apply.