Job posting: Administrative Assistant
Organization: MRI Research and Development (MRD)
Job Title: Administrative Assistant
Location: Damascus, Syria
Employment Type: Full-time
About the organization
Mary Research and Development (MRD) is a licensed non-profit organization that works to support peace and development and enhance the capacities of civil society, through the implementation of programs and projects in the areas of protection, health and psychosocial support, livelihoods, food security, water and sanitation, peacebuilding, civic dialogue, and building the capacities of civil society organizations.
MRD announces its desire to hire an Admin Assistant to join its team in the Damascus office, and to contribute to ensuring the efficient running of daily operations, by providing administrative and logistical support, following up on purchases, inventory and assets, and coordinating the office’s and projects’ operational services and needs.
Job purpose
The purpose of the position is to support the implementation of the daily administrative and logistical operations of the MRD office in Damascus, to ensure the timely provision of required supplies and services, and to contribute to the implementation of procurement procedures, asset and inventory management, and the maintenance of operational documents in accordance with the organization’s policies and donor requirements.
The job holder will work in coordination with the programs, finance, administration and suppliers teams, ensuring efficient use of resources, accurate documentation and adherence to transparency and accountability procedures.
Main tasks and responsibilities
First: Administrative and logistical tasks
- Monitoring the daily operational needs of the Damascus office, and working to secure the necessary supplies and services to ensure business continuity.
- Monitoring the office’s needs for stationery, office supplies and operational necessities, and ensuring their availability according to actual needs.
- Organizing and monitoring inventory, and updating receipt, disbursement and balance records on a regular basis.
- Monitoring assets, holdings, and office equipment, updating their records, and contributing to periodic inventory processes.
- Coordinating maintenance, repair, cleaning, communications and other services necessary for the operation of the office.
- Following up on the needs of meetings, training sessions, events and field visits, and ensuring that the required logistical arrangements are available.
- Coordinating transportation, accommodation, and logistics bookings related to the organization’s activities, in accordance with approved procedures.
- Following up on requests for services and supplies received from program and project teams, and coordinating the response to them within the priorities and available resources.
- Organizing and archiving administrative and operational documents and facilitating access to them when needed.
- Contributing to improving the organization of daily operations, identifying recurring operational needs, and proposing appropriate solutions.
Second: Procurement and dealings with suppliers
- Receiving purchase requests from the relevant departments and reviewing the completeness of the required information and specifications before referring them to the approved procedures.
- Collect price quotes from suppliers, prepare initial comparison tables, and document the offers and available options.
- Communicating with suppliers and service providers and monitoring prices, availability and delivery dates.
- Follow up on procurement and supply procedures in accordance with MRD policies, limits of authority, and donor requirements.
- Coordination for receiving materials and services and verifying their conformity to approved requests and specifications, and documenting any shortage, damage or discrepancy.
- Collecting and maintaining procurement documents, including purchase requests, quotations, approvals, purchase orders, receipt records, and invoices.
- Monitoring the status of open purchase orders and delayed deliveries, and informing the direct supervisor of any challenges that may affect workflow.
- Ensuring that purchasing procedures are documented in an organized, reviewable, and auditable manner.
- Adherence to the principles of transparency, equal opportunities, and avoidance of conflicts of interest when dealing with suppliers.
Third: Operational and financial support
- Collect and organize the supporting documents for operating expenses and purchases, and ensure their completeness before forwarding them to the finance department.
- Tracking invoices, receipts, delivery reports and documents related to operational payments.
- Coordination with the finance department regarding the completion of the required documentation for processing payments and settling expenses.
- Assistance in preparing schedules for tracking purchases, operating expenses, inventory, and assets.
- Entering operational data and updating follow-up records using Microsoft Office programs, especially Excel.
- Monitoring administrative and financial documents related to suppliers and operational services, and ensuring they are archived in an organized manner.
- Commitment to separating operational and financial tasks according to the approved authorities, and not implementing or approving any process outside the scope of the responsibilities granted to the job.
Fourth: Coordination, compliance, and reporting
- Ongoing coordination with the programs, finance and management teams to identify operational needs and follow up on their implementation.
- Prepare periodic updates for the direct supervisor regarding the status of purchases, inventory, assets, and operational needs.
- Report any delays, shortages of supplies, or problems with services or suppliers that may affect the implementation of activities.
- Contributing to the preparation of periodic operations reports and providing the necessary data and documentation for internal audits or donor requirements.
- Compliance with the organization’s policies and procedures relating to procurement, logistics, asset management, safety and security.
- Maintaining the confidentiality of operational and financial information and documents, and handling all records professionally and responsibly.
- Performing any other administrative or operational tasks related to the nature of the job, within the scope of authority and directives of the direct supervisor.
Required qualifications and experience
- A university degree or associate degree in business administration, logistics management, operations management, accounting, or any related field.
- At least one year of practical experience in management, logistics, procurement, or operational support, preferably within non-governmental organizations or civil society organizations.
- Good knowledge of procurement procedures, collecting price quotes, managing inventory and assets, and maintaining operational documents.
- Good skills in using Microsoft Office programs, especially Excel, for setting up follow-up schedules and organizing data.
- The ability to organize documents and records and accurately track orders and purchases.
- Good communication, coordination, and professional dealings with suppliers and service providers.
- The ability to prioritize, manage multiple tasks simultaneously, and meet deadlines.
- The ability to work within a team and cooperate with different departments.
- Integrity, transparency, commitment to professional confidentiality and avoidance of conflicts of interest.
- The ability to work in a dynamic environment and respond to urgent operational needs.
Preferred additional skills
- Previous experience in managing operations or procurement within donor-funded projects.
- Knowledge of procurement documentation requirements and financial and operational audit procedures.
- Experience in preparing price comparison tables, inventory records, and asset records.
- Proficiency in English, especially in reading correspondence, specifications and operational documents, is an added advantage.
Salary and workplace
- Monthly salary: US$535.
- Work location: MRD office in Damascus, Syria.
- Contract type and duration: These are determined according to the project’s needs and the organization’s approved recruitment procedures.
Equal opportunities
Mary Research and Development (MRD) is committed to the principles of equal opportunity and non-discrimination, and encourages all qualified candidates to apply. It also expects all employees to adhere to the organization’s code of conduct, internal policies, and principles of integrity, accountability, and professional respect.
How to apply
Apply now
https://forms.gle/6qQ9Wfb4LkQaFxxs9