USAID AGRICULTURE GROWING RURAL OPPORTUNITIES ACTIVITY IN UKRAINE (AGRO)

Administrative Assistant

Background:

USAID Agriculture Growing Rural Opportunities in Ukraine (AGRO) Activity is a seven-year cooperative agreement between the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Chemonics International, Inc. It began on November 15, 2019.

The AGRO Activity Is to accelerate the economic development of rural Ukrainian communities with the greatest need through a better governed agricultural sector that encourages more productive, modern, and profitable micro, small, and medium agricultural enterprises (MSMEs) that are successfully integrated into competitive markets both in Ukraine and internationally.

The Activity objectives are aligned with the three elements of the market systems conceptual framework: the core value chain, supporting functions, and rules and regulations.

To effectively address the food crisis that emerges in Ukraine and internationally, AGRO works for the restoration of the agricultural sector, in particular its modernization, efficiency improvement, and diversification, which contributes to the long-term economic recovery of Ukraine and the improvement of global food security.

AGRO operates on the basis of the market system conceptual approach (https://beamexchange.org).

In September 2022, the estimated cost of the Activity was extended to US$120,000,000, and its implementation period was extended through November 13, 2026; on August 24, 2023, the estimated cost of the Activity was extended to US$205,000,000. AGRO employs 60 long-term CCN employees.

Position Description:

The Administrative Assistant is to be responsible for a wide range of administrative responsibilities for the AGRO Activity. The Administrative Assistant works directly with all staff members and is responsible for project administration and office reception duties in a professional manner.

Principal Duties and Obligations (Essential Functions):

• Full compliance of administrative activities with USAID rules, regulations, policies and strategies.

• Providing administrative and operation support to operations and administration on guaranteeing quality, efficiency, and effectiveness for the project activities.

• Answering phone calls or messages; sending email; preparing and mailing packages and pouch/mail packages periodically.

• Providing answers to requests in the general mailbox of electronic communication.

• Maintain administrative systems, including but not limited to communication logs, filing systems and budget trackers.

• Copying and properly filing all project correspondence and documents. Record meeting minutes at project staff meetings.

• Contacts with visitors and staff, arrangement of appointments and meetings.

• Translation of simple correspondences, when needed.

• Reviewing and distributing incoming pouches and maintaining the pouch logs.

• Greeting and welcoming visitors and guests to the project office and providing them with food or drink if appropriate.

• Follow up with project stakeholders as required, prepare project correspondence, file all relevant hard- and e-copy correspondence, and facilitate communication between the AGRO Activity office and Chemonics’ home office.

• Support to organization of administrative procurement processes.

• Custodian for management of office stationery supplies and kitchen supplies including maintenance of stock list of stationery, distribution of stationery as required by staff and keeping a log of distribution.

• Assist in procurement of required goods and services for the AGRO Activity needs, office supplies and materials (e.g., for seminars and workshops) and ensure an adequate supply of office materials (paper, toner, stationary, cleaning substances, toiletries etc.) for the day-to-day running of the office.

• Provision of support to maintenance of premises and common services.

• Maintain up-to-date files and records for all administrative departments.

• Provide logistical support for workshops and other meetings.

• Assist in preparation of PO and other required forms for payments.

• Administrative support to organization of conferences, workshops, retreats.

• Extraction of data from various sources.

• Research and retrieval of statistical data from internal and external sources; preparation of statistical charts, tables and reports if required.

• Follow up on deadlines, commitments made, actions taken and coordination of collection and submission of the reports to head of unit.

• Participating in routine project discussions on project status and work plans.

• Prepare project information materials and maintain an adequate source of such materials ready for distribution to interested parties.

• Assist in maintaining an accurate inventory of all project equipment, showing location, user, owner, and condition.

• As requested, writing, drafting, copying, translating, and distributing correspondence, proposals, reports, contracts, subcontracts and other project documents.

• Perform other appropriate tasks as requested.

• Performing any other tasks assigned by the chief of party or finance and administration director or their designees, consistent with the person’s qualifications, this scope of work, and the general requirements of the AGRO Activity.

• Use Microsoft Teams as needed to carry out tasks and collaborate with other activity staff.

• Participate as directed in collection and analysis of Monitoring and Evaluation (MEL) data.

• Prepare sections of reports, plans, success stories and similar documents as requested.

• Participate in regular activity Collaboration, Learning and Adapting (CLA) discussions.

• One-year fixed term employment agreement with possible extension each work year up to the end of the Activity implementation (November 13, 2026), subject to the inclusion of appropriate tasks in the successive Annual Work Plans of the Activity.

Administrative Assistant works in a Finance and Administration Team under direct supervision of, and reports to the Finance and Administration Director or his/her designee, or other person(s) as designated by the Chief of Party.

Primary Work Location: Kyiv, Ukraine.

Periodic travel to other parts of Ukraine might be required.

Required Skills and Qualifications:

• Minimum one year assistant experience, preferably with USAID- or other donor-funded projects in a similar position in terms of the job tasks and responsibilities outlined above;

• Secondary special education or incomplete higher education in accounting, finance, economics or other relevant fields; High school diploma with additional 2 years of relevant work experience will be acceptable. Bachelor or equivalent degree in accounting, finance or economics would be a benefit;

• Proven ability to work professionally, constructively and collaboratively as part of a team, meet deadlines, communicate effectively, and deal with diverse partners in a challenging environment;

• Attention to details;

• Strong organizational, multi-tasking, administrative, inter-personal and customer-service skills;

• Ability to work both independently and in a team, to manage and coordinate the work of others in an effective and efficient manner;

• Versatility, integrity, and positive attitude;

• Native speaker of Ukrainian;

• English sufficient for professional purposes;

• Experienced user of MS Office 365 applications. Advanced skills in using Excel;

• Demonstrated success working in a multinational, multilingual team, working under pressure and tight deadlines. Previous international donor experience preferred.

Application Instructions:

Send electronic submissions to [email protected] by December 31, 2023. Early applications are encouraged – we will consider candidates on an ongoing basis. Please submit your CV and cover letter with "Administrative Assistant" in the subject line; please do not forget to additionally indicate your name in the subject line of your e-mail. No telephone inquiries, please. Only finalists will be contacted.

Chemonics is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its selection and employment practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, or other non-merit factors.