Job Purpose
The Project Assistant performs a range of administrative duties for the International Staff and senior National Staff in support of AZRM activities and operations. He/She provides administrative support in project administration and portfolio management activities; and performs a full range of administrative requirements, including standard activities as may be directed by supervisor. The incumbent will report to International Staff and senior National Staff.
Responsibilities
Administrative Support
- Coordinates supervisors’ schedules by maintaining their diaries and arranging appointments, meetings in accordance with bank procedures.
- Ensures that all correspondence and documents for supervisors are correctly typed and prepared in compliance with internal organization
- Responds on behalf of supervisors to straightforward/routine correspondences and drafts replies on more complex issues in accordance with guidelines. Monitors progress/status of tasks/documents requiring immediate action/attention to ensure timely completion of required action. Prepares and sends documents for dispatch and logs the same.
- Provides efficient reception services by screening incoming telephone calls, taking accurate messages, dealing with queries from callers and visitors, establishing nature and priority of requirements of unexpected visitors, to ensure that they are attended to and/or referred in a timely manner to the concerned staff/appropriate party;
- Liaises with relevant counterparts to facilitate fielding of missions from HQ. The tasks include effective handling of visa issuance requests, follow up on mission concurrences, arranging meetings with various counterparts, assistance with mission logistics (transportation, interpreter’ services, etc);
- Provides full range of administrative support in relation to project organized activities, including international and/or domestic travel arrangements, workshops logistics, outsourcing of services, prescreening of documentation, etc;
- Under supervisor’s guidance, maintains liaison with government authorities and agencies, development partners and other stakeholders, and bank to support and facilitate operations and coordination, client and stakeholder relations;
- Translates documents from the national language to English and vice versa to facilitate AZRM to undertake its professional work. Translates bank news releases and press stories into the national language, as required. Coordinates and proofreads out-sourced translation. Interprets for AZRM seminars, meetings, interviews as may be required;
- Other duties as may be required, such as retrieving files/documents for preparation of reports, preparing tables and charts for reports, distribution of project related materials, printing, photocopying, and any other routine office administrative functions etc.
Programming, project processing and administration
- Assists with programming work under guidance of supervisor;
- Assists with logistics of project processing and project administration missions including annual country portfolio reviews;
- Maintains project files and e-Star uploads in accordance with the existing framework for easy retrieval;
- Under supervisor’s guidance, follows up with executing agencies (EA) on their outstanding obligations relating to submission of financial statements, procurement documentation, withdrawal applications, etc.;
- Provides timely updates and entries to various project information and management systems.
Other
- Performs other duties as may be assigned by supervisors and reflected in the incumbent’s workplan.
Relevant Experience & Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in business administration and accounting.
- Minimum of 5 years of relevant working experience, preferably in an international development organization.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English and Azeri are required. Knowledge of Russian is preferable.
- Good computer skills with sound knowledge of common word-processing, spreadsheets and graphics software used in bank.
- Proven ability to undertake background research and analysis on difficult but well-defined tasks, collect and organize required data and information.
- Ability to manage priorities and workload within general schedule of work, instructions and standardized practices.
General Considerations
- The selected candidate is appointed for an initial term of 1 year with possibility of extension for further years.
