Senior Administrative Assistant, Cotonou, Littoral, Benin

TechnoServe Benin is recruiting a Senior Administrative Assistant for its BeniPoule project in Cotonou.

TechnoServe is an international organization that has been working for more than fifty years to create sustainable ways out of poverty by harnessing the power of businesses and markets. The low-income communities she works with are full of enterprising people whose small farms and businesses are the keys to economic development. However, these actors face many challenges: low levels of literacy, lack of access to jobs and markets, unpredictable political dynamics and, increasingly, the effects of climate change. For many women and young people, these barriers are even more daunting. By collaborating with TechnoServe staff, people around the world are able to lift themselves out of poverty, and the results are remarkable: as incomes rise and families’ living conditions improve, they gain access to previously out-of-reach health care and education, and communities, if not entire countries, are better off.

BeniPoule is an initiative for the systemic transformation of the poultry sector in Benin, funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of Benin. Pays-Bas. Implemented by TechnoServe Benin, it aims to sustainably improve the competitiveness, structuring and inclusiveness of the poultry sector for the benefit of actors in the value chain, from producers to processors and service providers.

Job overview

The role of the Senior Administrative Assistant is to assist the Project Manager and Deputy Project Manager and to participate in the implementation initiatives of the selected activities as well as in the administration of the project. He/She is responsible for setting up the logistics necessary for the effective execution of the BeniPoule project, monitoring administrative and operational systems to facilitate the success of the project and the achievement of objectives.

General administrative responsibilities

The Assistant supports the preparation and transmission of payment files, invoices and supporting documents related to the Finance department. He/She contributes to the updating of the monitoring system of the financial commitments of the program.

Logistic responsibilities

He/She plans and coordinates the logistics of workshops, trainings, institutional meetings and programmatic events (room reservations, catering, transport, accommodation) in conjunction with the operations department. He/She follows up on invitations and confirmations for activities involving institutional actors, in coordination with the person in charge of the component concerned, and coordinates the reception of equipment and their distribution to field teams. The Assistant monitors and supports, as necessary, the provision of logistical resources (vehicles, office equipment, field equipment), in coordination with the Operations Officer. He/She consolidates and transmits the logistical needs of field staff and follows them up with the Operations team, then formulates and monitors the evolution of procurement requests as well as the processing of invoices, in collaboration with the Operations department.

Documentation

The Assistant occasionally assists the Project Manager and Deputy Project Manager in preparing supporting documents for meetings and workshops. Under the control of the Deputy Project Manager, he/she ensures that the program's documentation library (Shared Drive) is kept up to date: standardization of file titles, archiving and access control.

Other responsibilities

He/She performs all other tasks related to the duties of the position and at the request of the supervisor, and scrupulously respects the policies, procedures and values of TechnoServe, especially in terms of protection and backup.

Required qualifications

The job requires a baccalaureate+3 minimum in Project Management, Administration, Planning, Economics, Social Sciences or equivalent field, as well as at least 2 years of experience in a similar position combining administration, logistics and technical support in a project or NGO context. Previous experience with TechnoServe or a development NGO is highly valued. Experience writing activity reports, reports and programmatic documents is an asset, as is experience managing relationships with public and private institutional stakeholders.

Personal and organizational skills

The successful candidate will have to demonstrate a strong sense of organization, rigor and prioritization, with the ability to manage several tasks simultaneously within tight deadlines. He/She must be able to work in a multidisciplinary and multicultural team, have an excellent interpersonal and oral communication skills as well as an excellent writing ability. Discretion, honesty and a sense of responsibility are expected, as well as adaptability and initiative in a dynamic programmatic environment.

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