Administrator At International Center for Tropical Agriculture

Position Summary

The Administrator has the responsibility of providing overall administrative and program support to the on-going Projects of CIAT in Malawi. The position will work closely with the regional coordinators based in Lilongwe Office, Malawi to ensure adherence to policies, procedures and compliance with host country requirements.

Duties & Responsibilities

Project & General Administration **

· Provide on-site support to researchers in the preparation of proposal budgets and maintain a database of all project activities in Malawi.

• Lead the support team to provide project implementation support in the country to ensure timely and effective support is provided consistently.

· Support the review and revision of office shared cost distribution table

• Manage, review and respond to the internal and external communication flow ­drafting correspondence and responding to queries from collaborators and internal clients.
• Assume responsibility for other project functions such as planning meetings, drafting letters/reports, scheduling appointments as appropriate.
• Lead the procurement management and processes – identifying, evaluating and recommending potential suppliers/service providers and management of active Prequalified Supplier list.
• Oversee Fleet Management and take a lead in office vehicle acquisitions, registration, maintenance and disposals.
• Oversee the Travel and Conferences function by managing relationships with the service providers and ensuring adherence to travel authorization process for project staff and collaborators.
• Coordinate the security function for staff, hosted institutions, premises and assets and assist staff to handle accident matters – liaison with police for reporting and insurance for claims.
• Conduct periodic asset check and annual physical asset verification and oversee management of organizational assets in the country by ensuring compliance with institutional policies and directives.

· Oversee the VAT remittance and claims process

Host Country Requirements & CIAT Policies & Procedures compliance **

• Manage and monitor agreements pertaining to CIAT and Government of Malawi institutional relations and prompt the Country Coordinator on expiry of agreements and/or any change of regulations
• Follow up on renewal and management of hosting and other general partner agreements
• Oversee Human Resource arrangements and ensure regular dissemination/education on policies and procedures; implement and monitor adherence to CIAT policies and country labor laws
• Coordinate tax/duty exemption applications from the Government where applicable, ensuring compliance with duty/tax regulations in line with host country agreement
• Continuously monitor relevant government laws and regulations in the country (labor, tax, levies, hosting, etc.) and keep management updated.
• Ensure timely application and acquisition of work permits and clearance of personal effects, temporary visas for visiting scientists and conference participants
• Liaise with project leaders on arrival of expected project students and visiting scientists ensuring that administrative and logistical support, contracts, accommodation, transport, insurance, etc. are provided

Management of Audit Process

· Coordinate station audit processes in liaison with the Country Coordinator by continuously monitoring documentation and processes and ensure implementation of audit recommendations.

· Ensure and supervise

Human Resource and Payroll Management

• Lead process of application and acquisition of work permits, clearance of personal effects and temporary visas for internationally recruited staff and visiting scientists
• Supervise the monthly local payroll by providing HR input, reviewing payroll reports and ensuring compliance to all payroll statutory deductions and remittances
• Coordinate renewal of all staff contracts ensuring adherence to government policy on statutory requirements and ensure staff records and files for all staff are updated
• Manage national staff leave and approve applications in the system
• Ensure compliance with country labor laws on engagement of casuals and temporary staff engaged for administration and project support purposes.

Qualification and Experience **

· Masters’ Degree in Business Administration/Project management with proven office management skills

· At least five (5) years of relevant work experience in a closely related field gained in an international organization

• Excellent knowledge of computer applications, especially Outlook, Power Point and Excel and ability to learn new applications quickly.

· Experience in Operations and Administration management in international organization.

• Good knowledge of rules, regulations and procedures of government and related agencies, including understanding interpretation of country labor laws and tax laws

· Ability to work independently with minimal supervision, but also participate as a team member in accomplishment of duties

· Strong ability to co-ordinate, prioritize and organize workload; take initiative and work under pressure

· Highly effective planning, organizational and multi-tasking skills with a positive attitude and strong administrative service orientation

• Possess excellent interpersonal and communication skills, good judgment and a high level of respect for confidentiality.
• A genuine appreciation for and understanding of protocol, discretion and professionalism
• Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment.

· Commitment to organization’s mission and core values.

Terms of employment:

This is a nationally recruited position and will be based at the Malawi Country Offices in Lilongwe, Malawi. The contract will be for a one-year period, subject to probation period of three (3) months, renewable depending on performance and availability of resources. CIAT offers a multicultural, collegial research environment with competitive salary and excellent benefits; we believe that the diversity of our staff contributes to excellence. CIAT is an equal opportunity employer, and strives for staff diversity in gender and nationality.