Administrative Assistant - Beirut - National Candidates Only

Job Overview:  

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 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 child protection and early childhood development in close coordination with national partner, the Lebanese Government and broader humanitarian community.

In 2017, Sesame Workshop and IRC won the inaugural MacArthur Foundation 100&Change competition, a $100 million grant to make measurable progress toward solving a significant problem. In 2018 the LEGO Foundation made an additional investment to Early Childhood Development Programming in the Middle East and Bangladesh, further contributing to this effort. The Ahlan Simsim program is five-year intervention to bring vital early learning and nurturing care to more than nine million children and families affected by the ongoing civil war in Syria. Among other activities, the program will create multimedia programming for children affected by the conflict. Together with the Sesame Workshop and with support from the Brookings Institution, we will develop a pliant platform to reach young children and their caregivers wherever they are and measure how we impact their lives.  At the core of Ahlan Simsim’s project objectives is the ambition to work in partnership and collaboration with other organizations in areas such as design, service delivery and policy change.

 Reporting to the ECD Program Administrative Officer, the Administrative Assistant will be responsible for the administrative support of the ECD program.

Major Responsibilities:

• Documentation and supplies:
  • 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 Administrative Officer.
  • Provide direct administrative support to all ECD team members (full-time, part-time, temporary staff, teachers, enumerators, community mobilizers) regarding timesheets, attendance, payments, etc. with close follow-up and track record.
  • Ensure office equipment is stocked with required supplies (toner, paper etc.) for the ECD team.
  • Raise Purchase Requests and Payment Requests as needed/requested and track their progress until delivery.

• Schedule, meetings, and travel:
  • Maintain detailed schedule management for the ECD team, including local and international travel and meetings/workshops/training.
  • Maintain and update a meetings tracker for the ECD team.
  • Organize ECD team members’ staff external meetings, local and abroad conferences, and workshops, including venue logistics, travel, and transportation.
  • Book travel arrangements (flights, accommodations, and transportation) as requested by the Administrative Officer.
  • Coordinate and schedule all necessary calls/meetings with partners, donors, and internally, regionally, and with HQ, as needed and requested.
  • Attend meetings as requested to take notes, produce minutes, and follow up on actions as needed.
  • Maintain and circulate organized meeting notes.
  • Organize ECD team members’ field visits.
  • Coordinate fleet needs and capacity.
  • Coordinate with Admin Dep. (Travels, TAF, Transportation, etc...)
• Visitors Coordination
  • Ensure all visitors documentation is submitted in a timely manner.
  • Ensure timely booking of visitors’ accommodation, transportation, etc.
  • 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.
• Training Coordination:
  • Ensure timely booking of venues and refreshments.
  • Follow up on invitations, participants’ attendance, certificate of completion, etc.
  • Ensure timely provision of all training material, printing, and supplies.
  • Ensure timely logistics support for the training as needed.
• Admin:
  • Track emails, purchase requests, expenses, Volunteer’s payments etc.
  • Proof lists (recharge cards tracking, distribution items tracking…) for Finance.
  • Follow-up on Volunteers Contracts, supporting docs and their signatures from the DDO.
  • Follow-up on items deliveries / coordinating with Fleet regarding Movement to fields.
  • Follow-up on Inventory with field focal points.
  • Focal point for all fields: able to manage requests for all fields.
  • Focal point for stationery.
  • Support on distribution in fields if needed.
  • Support on Salary Mapping.
  • Support on Spending Plan.
  • Prepare all needed requests and On Boarding Meetings for new joiners.
  • Support on Vacation Plan for the team.
  • Support on asset replacement for staff when applicable and in contacting different focal points for maintenance purposes.
  • Support in lease agreement for centers with field logistic teams and in coordinating with them regarding maintenance of centers. Travel to fields if needed.

• Supply Chain:
  • Purchase Request Tracking Sheet (PRTS) with their budget allocations.
  • Support preparing Procurement Plan (Meeting with Field Leads); sharing PP with SC with close follow-up.
  • Able to understand and address properly the field’s needs.
  • Able to handle pressure, ad hoc request, multi-tasking; being able to highly communicate with different departments.
  • Coordinate with Supply Chain focal points regarding quality, packing of items as well as delivery dates with suppliers.
• Finance:
  • Issuing Payment Requests and following-up the signatures until submission with all supporting documents.
• IT/Logistics:
  • Follow-up with IT department on Mobile Tracking Sheet.
  • Support with all asset needs; follow-up on unused items (SIM, phones, etc ..).
• Other:
  • Liaise with other departments as required.
  • Other tasks as assigned by the Administrative Officer.

Job Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Business Management, or any related relevant field.
• Minimum 1 year 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, and Outlook.

Work Experience:

• Experience within NGO, INGO or multi-national firm.
• Experience with budget software.
• Experience with Supply Chain procedures.

Education: Business Administration

Language Skills:  English – Arabic

Working Environment:  

• Standard office work environment.
• Position is based in Beirut, Lebanon (with possible field visits and support).