Iraq: Project Assistant - PROJE01296-00001

If you have a passion for making the world a better place and want to have a front row seat to the world stage, USIP is the place for you.

We are a nonpartisan institute chartered by Congress to tackle the world’s toughest problems. Working in conflict zones around the world, our staff advise and support community leaders, government officials, and the military – to promote knowledge and practices that prevent, mitigate and resolve violent conflict. To learn more about USIP programs and job openings go to https://www.usip.org/about/careers. The Institute is headquartered in Washington DC with staff working in 22 different countries, at any given time up to 20% of the staff could be deployed working in the field.

JOB BRIEF

The Project Assistant, based in Erbil, assists USIP’s program in Iraq that aims to enable the voluntary return of internally displaced communities from Nineweh Plains and Western Nineweh. She/he will work with a coalition of national partners and assist in day-to-day development and planning, as described in the following sections. She/he will provide effective logistical and administrative support for the successful implementation of activities. The incumbent will also perform other duties as assigned. This position reports to the Senior Program Officer. This position is for national hires only.

This is a Fixed-Time Term Personal Services Contractor position.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide logistical and administrative support for the implementation of project activities. This includes, but is not limited to: contract submission, document preparation for payments, vendor contacts, and preparation of event budgets;
• Coordinate project expenditures and disbursements following approval from the Project Officers;
• Provide support for the drafting of concept notes, proposals, and quarterly and monthly program monitoring reports;
• Under supervision and with guidance, create draft budgets of activities and monitor project expenditures using Excel, in coordination with relevant accounting staff;
• Provide research and monitors political developments in Iraq;
• Monitor social media on topics related to conflict, stabilization and reconciliation in Iraq;
• Attend events and meetings as needed, takes detailed notes, and provides written summaries and translations of each. Provides simultaneous verbal translation, as needed, for USIP personnel from English to Arabic and Arabic to English;
• Translate documents from Arabic to English, and English to Arabic as needed;
• Plan project-related travel for Washington-based, Tunisia-based, and local USIP staff in the Middle East and North Africa for the project;
• Prepare and disseminate timely project related programmatic and financial reports to the USIP Iraq field team, USIP Regional Team, or USIP HQ and to other entities as appropriate;
• Update program databases and documents as necessary to ensure the knowledge management of USIP’s programs;

• Work closely with the regional and in-country administrative and logistical team;

• In coordination with Administrative Assistant and Logistical staff, ensure adequate supplies and equipment are available to support the program;

• In coordination with Administrative Assistant and Logistical staff coordinates administrative and logistical arrangements for program events, including scheduling events, reserving rooms, developing invitations, monitoring RSVPs, ordering food and supplies, arranging room set-up, and serving as the main point-of-contact for attendees;

• In coordination with Administrative Assistant and Logistical staff coordinates domestic and international travel and overnight accommodations for event participants;

• Travels occasionally and as needed to other parts of Iraq, including Basra, Erbil and Sulaimaniya to assist in meetings and events. Other travel may include to the USIP Regional Office in Tunis for USIP regional events, and to USIP Headquarters in Washington, D.C. for meetings and events such as the annual team retreat;

• Perform other duties as needed.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in international relations or related field required.
• One (1) or more years of business or administrative experience to become familiar with general personnel practices, accounting and budgeting principles and coordination of major office activities required.
• Knowledge of program management processes, especially monitoring and evaluation­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­.
• Expertise in database management and knowledge management highly desirable.
• Excellent writing skills, including experience with drafting program reports and supporting the proposal writing process.
• Familiarity with budget development and implementation.
• Prior experience of working with and/or extensive knowledge of USIP and USAID is required.
• Strong skills in the Microsoft Office Suite, particularly MS Word, MS Outlook, and MS Excel is required. Strong computer skills in database usage is preferred.
• Strong English language skills required. Fluency in Arabic required. Strong Kurdish language skills a plus.
• Prior experience working in the MENA region a plus.

Compensation is commensurate with qualifications and experience.

HOW TO APPLY

To be considered for this position, please submit a complete application package consisting of:

1. Completed employment application including titles, dates of hire and salary history.
2. Cover letter
3. Resume

For questions about this position please email recruitment@usip.org. Do not send resumes or attachments to this email address. Due to the high volume of candidates, only those applicants that are selected for further discussions will be contacted.

USIP is an equal opportunity employer. While females are strongly encouraged to apply to this position, it is the policy and practice of USIP to offer equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees without regard to race, color, age, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information, HIV/AIDS status, political affiliations or belief, pregnancy, or any other characteristic protected by law.

To apply for this position, please use the following URL:
https://ars2.equest.com/?response_id=4fba678af417b7d3812f49f499c6a85e