African Economic Research Consortium (AERC)
An Exciting Short-Term Opportunity
Position Title: Programme Assistant, Training
Background: Established in 1988, African Economic Research Consortium is a premier capacity building institution in the advancement of research and training to inform economic policies in sub-Saharan Africa.
AERC’s mission rests on two premises: first, that development is more likely to occur where there is sustained sound management of the economy; second, that such management is more likely to happen where there is an active, well-informed cohort of locally based professional economists to conduct policy-relevant research.
AERC builds that cohort through a programme that has three primary components: research, training, and policy outreach.
The organization integrates high quality economic policy research, postgraduate training, and policy outreach within a vast network of researchers, universities, and policy makers across Africa and beyond.
The training department runs three programmes, Collaborative Masters Programme in Economics (CMAP), Collaborative Masters in Agricultural and Applied Economics (CMAAE), and the Collaborative PhD Programme in Economics (CPP).
We are seeking to recruit a Programme Assistant, to be based in Nairobi, Kenya.
The position will report to the Programme Administrator in the Training Department for a period of seven months from December 2022 to June 2023.
Overall, Job Purpose: The Programme Assistant is responsible for providing administrative, secretarial, and programmatic support services to the Training programme for efficient and effective programme administration.
Duties & Responsibilities
Programmatic
- Assist in liaison with collaborators and other network members and respond to all enquiries on programme activities.
- Assist the programme administrator in processing basic accounting and financial issues as may be required time after time.
- Follow up on donor agreements, keep track of due dates of individual donor progress reports, disbursements, and requests.
- Follow up on awards, contracts, and agreements for the CMAAE programme and maintain an up-to-date database for the contacts of persons and institutions that collaborate with the programme.
- Provide assistance in drafting and administration of client survey instruments during evaluation of workshops/events.
- Provide support in processing scholarship applications offered by AERC as well as from targeted donors for Msc, PhD, internships, staff exchanges and any other targeted activity.
- Support verification of various program grantees financial reports and follow up of outstanding narrative and financial reports.
- Maintain up-to-date records of all projects, program grantee files proposals and reports and an up-to-date database of Msc and PhD students in the pipeline, contacts of persons and institutions within the programme network.
Administration
- Maintaining adequate supply of stationery for the programme and provide administrative/logistical support in the preparation of meetings, workshops and social functions in the training department.
- Booking of workshop venues, preparing of invitation letters, communication with researchers, travel coordination, processing and distribution of workshop materials.
- Preparing post workshop communication to researchers and the preparing of rooming and participants’ lists and day to day liaison with the hotel representatives to ensure quality of service is provided at the venue.
- Arranging travel for participants and staff to workshops and meetings.
- Assisting in handling finances for above meetings when required including consolidating support documentation for payment processing and assist in preparation of payments.
Secretarial
- Provide secretarial support to the Manager and staff of the Training Department including dealing with incoming and outgoing mail, drafting of letters, filing and other communications.
- Maintain programme records.
- Organize travel and meetings for the programme staff as required.
- Any other duties that may be allocated by the Director, Manager, or Programme Administrator, Training.
Qualification and Experience
- A Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Secretarial Studies, or related fields.
- At least two years relevant experience.
- Basic accounting knowledge and experience.
Key Skills and Competencies
- Computer literacy including knowledge of MS office applications, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Internet applications.
- Team player and good interpersonal skills.
- Ability to work with data bases.
- Good communication and writing skills.
- Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.
Application Procedure
All applications must include a cover letter and a resume which has at least three referees which should be sent to recruitment@aercafrica.org by Friday 28th October 2022.
Due to the expected volume of applications, AERC will only enter further correspondence with short-listed candidates