Administrative Assistant – Yumbe At Catholic Relief Services

Title: Administrative Assistant
Department: Programs
Report to: Senior Project Officer
Duration: Full time
Job Location: Yumbe/Uganda
Vacancies: One (1)

About CRS
Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. CRS works to save, protect, and transform lives in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. CRS’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance and peacebuilding.
CRS has been working in Uganda since 1965 and has a vibrant portfolio of projects, serving over a million vulnerable Ugandans and refugees each year through the Country Program 2030 Strategy. CRS programs in Uganda currently support five strategic priority areas, including Health and Social Services Systems Strengthening, Resilient Food Systems, Emergency Preparedness and Management, Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation, and Local Leadership. CRS Uganda implements its programs through partnerships with local organizations, including international and local NGOs, Ugandan government departments and ministries, the Catholic Church, and community-based organizations for maximum impact and sustainability. CRS Uganda employs around 150 staff and has its main office in Kampala, with sub-offices in Yumbe, Kyangwali, Kasese and Hoima.

Background
CRS is preparing to implement a new project titled Intensive Mixed Use Agroforestry Systems on household Plots. The specific objective of the project is to increase uptake of agroforestry in refugee host communities in 19 target districts. The key to achieving the objective is to understand the motivation of smallholder farmers in the target districts, and to instill a demand for mixed-use agroforestry uptake from the household level. By placing the household at the center of the project strategy and by connecting both environmental and economic goals, CRS and partners will facilitate the acceleration of land restoration and increase community resilience in the target districts for generations to come.

Job Summary:
You will provide service in the day-to-day delivery of responsive, effective, and efficient administrative activities in support of the Catholic Relief Services’ (CRS) mission to serve the poor and vulnerable. You will provide consistent and high-quality service and contribute to the proper stewardship of resources to help ensure operational effectiveness in support of high-quality programming.

Roles and Key Responsibilities:
• Facilitate communication with all units of the organization and external stakeholders as relevant. Send/receive and distribute all incoming and outgoing mail/faxes/letters/documents.
• Provide specialized administrative transactions and processes (e.g. translate, type, proofread, and/or format documents; record and transcribe meeting minutes; draft simple correspondence messages).
• Prepare transactional documents in support of general operations processes and support coordination of transaction processing (e.g. payment requests, travel authorizations, travel advances, visas, etc.).
• Compile data, perform data entry and data verification in relation to general administration processes (e.g. various contact lists, employee leave balances, staff attendance reports, Vehicle Log Sheets review, visitors’ welcome packages, etc.).
• Support travel and logistics arrangements for staff and visitors. Schedule and coordinate appointments. Provide logistical and communication support to event planning activities.
• Support implementation of property management processes, such as property receipt and distribution, property labeling, physical counts, etc.

Basic Qualifications
• High School diploma required. Professional diploma/Certificate or courses in Administration preferred.
• Two years’ experience working in an office environment in a clerical or administrative role. Experience with a local or international NGO a plus.
• Additional education may substitute for some experience.

Required Languages – Ability to speak English and any of the local languages.

Travel – Must be willing and able to travel up to 30% within the region of operation.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
• Good time management skills with ability to work on multiple tasks.
• Strong customer service orientation with good communication and interpersonal skills
• Proactive, resourceful, solutions oriented and results oriented.

Preferred Qualifications
• Experience with typing/word processing, data entry into online databases and forms, and working with various office equipment.
• Experience in MS Office package (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Visio) and information management systems. Proficient in Word.

Agency REDI Competencies (for all CRS Staff):
Agency competencies clarify expected behaviors and attitudes for all staff. When demonstrated, they create an engaging workplace, help staff achieve their best, and help CRS achieve agency goals. These are rooted in the mission, values, and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.
• Personal Accountability – Consistently takes responsibility for one’s own actions.
• Acts with Integrity – Consistently models values aligned with CRS Guiding Principles and mission. Is considered honest.
• Builds and Maintains Trust – Shows consistency between words and actions.
• Collaborates with Others – Works effectively in intercultural and diverse teams.
• Open to Learn – Seeks out experiences that may change perspective or provide an opportunity to learn new things.

Agency Leadership Competencies:
• Lead Change – Continually looks for ways to improve the agency through a culture of agility, openness, and innovation.
• Develops and Recognizes Others – Builds the capacity of staff to reach their full potential and enhance team and agency performance.
• Strategic Mindset – Understands role in translating, communicating, and implementing agency strategy and team priorities.

Key Working Relationships
• Supervisory: None.
• Internal: Staff
• External: Visitors.

Disclaimer: This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.

CRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Our Catholic identity is at the heart of our mission and operations. Catholic Relief Services carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. We welcome as a part of our staff people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need. CRS’ processes and policies reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.
By applying to this job, I understand and acknowledge that CRS requires its staff to treat all people with dignity and respect and to actively prevent harassment, abuse, exploitation, and human trafficking. Further, I understand that if I am a successful candidate, I will be subject to a comprehensive background check, and my personal/professional references will be asked to evaluate my behaviors related to the above safeguarding related topics.