Administrative Officer - Beirut - FOR NATIONAL CANDIDATES ONLY

Background

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC works with people forced to flee from war, conflict and disaster and the host communities that support them, as well as with those who remain within their homes and communities. At-work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. IRC reaches over a million children annually with education and child protection programs in 25 countries around the world.

In response to the influx of Syrian refugees to Lebanon in mid-2012, IRC opened a country office and launched humanitarian assistance programming. IRC operates throughout Lebanon, with the main office in Beirut and field offices in Qobayat, Zahle, Tripoli, Tyre and Mount Lebanon. IRC’s programs assist Syrian refugees and vulnerable Lebanese in host communities across multiple sectors: education, livelihoods, protection, women's protection and empowerment and child protection in close coordination with the Lebanese Government and broader Humanitarian Community.

High-quality Early Childhood Development (ECD) programs provide the foundation for children’s future academic success, health, prosperity and wellbeing. A large body of scientific evidence emphasizes the need for increased investment in early childhood, particularly for children experiencing conflict, crisis and displacement; these children are extremely vulnerable to the long-lasting effects that prolonged stress has on the developing brain.

In December 2017, Sesame Workshop and the IRC were awarded the MacArthur Foundation’s inaugural 100&Change grant to make real progress toward solving a critical problem of our time. With the extraordinary investment of $100 million, our partnership will transform the language, early reading, math, and social-emotional skills of a generation of children ages 0-8 affected by the Syrian war. Focusing on children in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria over the next five years, the inclusive plan combines the depth of in-person services, reaching 1.5 million children, with the breadth of mass media, reaching 9.4 million children. For more information, please visit: http://refugee.sesameinternational.org/.

Reporting to the Integrated ECD Coordinator, the Administrative Officer will be responsible for all the administrative management of the ECD program.

Major Responsibilities:

ECD program administrative support

• Provide direct administrative support to ECD team including copying, dissemination of documents, preparation of expense reports, etc. 
• Produce reports, collect information, compile data, and organize files as requested by the IECD Coordinator.
• Organize incoming documents to the ECD team members – checking file completion and prioritizing appropriately in order to follow up with the appropriate staff.
• Book travel arrangements (flights, accommodations, and transportation) as requested by the IECD Coordinator.

Schedule and meeting management

• Maintain detailed schedule management for IECD Coordinator and ECD team, including local and international travel.
• Coordinate with relevant regional and HQ ECD staff to schedule all necessary calls/meetings with IRC ECD technical unit, Regional Project Director Sesame Seeds, and Sesame Workshop staff.
• Coordinate and organize on boarding meetings for new joiners
• Attend meetings as requested to take notes, produce minutes, and follow up on actions as needed.
• Maintain and circulate organized meeting notes.

Visitor Management and Event Coordination

• Manage and maintain detailed visit schedules for all incoming visitors.
• Maintain detailed visitor tracking log for all program sites.
• Liaise with security and relevant units for visitor logistics.
• In coordination with the ECD team and relevant colleagues ensure that all visits have needed documents and briefing notes.
• Whenever applicable, ensure high-level visits follow appropriate protocol.

Focal point with Shared Services Unit, Finance, and Supply Chain

In coordination with Shared Services Unit:

• Ensure office equipment is stocked with required supplies (toner, paper etc.) for IRC and Sesame workshop team   
• Organize ECD team members’ staff and/or external meetings, local and abroad conferences, and workshops, including venue logistics, travel, and transportation  Coordinate international staff benefits (e.g., housing, security)

In coordination with Finance and Supply Chain:

• Organize ECD team members’ field visits
• Coordinate fleet needs and capacity
• Responsible for payments tracking and communication, including updating the tracking sheet and informing suppliers about transfers and checks readiness for collection
• Responsible for raising Purchase Requests, and tracking their progress until delivery
• Track and verify status of spending according to budget lines and timeframe
• Development of the procurement plan
• Development of the spending plan
• Provide support on budget management needs as necessary
• Provide support on financial management needs as necessary

Other

• Support IECD Coordinator to maintain project management tools, systems, and document storage.
• Other tasks as assigned by the IECD Coordinator.

Key Working Relationships:

• Position Reports to:  Integrated ECD Coordinator.
• Position supervises: N/A

Other Internal and/or external contacts:

• Internal: Finance, Supply Chain, Logistics, and Administrative staff; regional, in-country, and HQ ECD staff.
• External: Sesame Workshop regionally based staff, all visitors

Requirements:

• Bachelor degree in Business Administration, Business Management, or any related relevant field.
• Minimum 2 years of professional experience in office administration or office management.
• Self-motivated, honest, highly responsible, and punctual.
• Ability to improvise and be flexible when needed.
• Ability to work and meet deadlines under pressure.
• Excellent organizational skills, flexibility, integrity, and ability to multi-task in fast-paced working environment while maintaining attention to detail.
• Works well in and promotes teamwork, comfortable in a multi-cultural environment.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both verbally and in writing.
• Fluency in English and Arabic, oral and written.
• Demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Office Word, Excel, PowerPoint, 365, and Outlook.
• Demonstrated proficiency in supply chain (including procurement and logistics) procedures.
• Demonstrated proficiency in working with budgets and using a budget software.

Preferred:

• Master degree in Business Administration, Business Management, or any related relevant field.
• Experience within INGO or multi-national firm.
• Experience with organizational software.

Working Environment:

• Standard office work environment.
• Position is based in Beirut, Lebanon.

WOMEN OF ALL BACKGROUNDS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY