Programme Assistant

Bioversity International undertakes, encourages and supports research and other activities aimed at improving the well being of present and future generations of people by enhancing conservation and the deployment of agricultural biodiversity on farms and in forests. The organization is active in over 100 countries worldwide, and has more than 300 staff working from some 20 country offices. It is one of 15 centres supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). Bioversity’s headquarters are located in Maccarese, just outside Rome, Italy. The Organization is now seeking a well-qualified candidate at Bioversity’s office in New Delhi, India for the position of:

Programme Assistant

Under the direct supervision of the Regional Coordinator of the UNEP/GEF supported project “ Conservation and sustainable use of cultivated and wild tropical fruit diversity: Promoting sustainable livelihood, food security and eco system services ” to be implemented in India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, and under overall supervision of the South Asia Coordinator, the Programme Assistant will provide effective and efficient administrative support for the activities for the project in the following areas:

• Assist in project administration by assembling and preparing necessary documentation; assist with the preparation of letters of agreement for research and consultancy services; edit correspondence and reports in English;
• Translate and proofread project documents, including national reports, quarterly progress/technical reports, meeting reports and other related project documents in close consultation with the Programme Science Writer;
• Format reports, proceedings and other relevant documents in Bioversity International and UNEP-GEF formats in close consultation with the Programme Science Writer;
• Assist Regional Coordinator in organizing and conducting International Steering Committee Meetings and National Workshops and training programmes;
• Update project website with relevant information and documentation.
• Assist Regional Coordinator in communication with national partners and local authorities by phone, fax and other correspondence;
• Liaise with accounting staff about payments and financial reports; interact with external agencies on non-technical and administrative matters;
• Liaise with the Programme Budget and Finance Assistant on project expenditures, funds availability and financial reporting deadlines to support the implementation of project activities; and
• Other duties as required by South Asia Coordinator and the Regional Coordinator of the UNEP/GEF project.

Minimum mandatory qualifications and competencies:

• The candidate should have a bachelor’s degree from any reputed university.
• Candidate with a minimum of two years’ of relevant working experience in an international or government organizations will be preferred, however, candidates without any prior experience having a good academic record throughout their career may also apply.

Skills & abilities:

• Strong computer skills in word processing and other relevant office applications software packages (i.e. Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel).
• Sound knowledge of standard office procedures.
• Excellent, both verbal and written in English.
• Strong interpersonal, communications and teamwork skills; courtesy, tact and the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with people of cultural and national backgrounds
• Well developed skills in personal organization, priority setting, problem solving and accuracy.

Personal qualities:

• Considerable judgment and initiative; ability to work with significant independence within assigned areas.

Applications: A letter of application (responding to the required qualifications and competencies) and curriculum vitae in English, with names and full contact details of at least three referees, including telephone, fax and email address, should be sent to Human Resources Services, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru, Andhra Pradesh 502 324, India. Applications by E-mail should clearly state the job title in the subject column and forward to: icrisat.nrsjobs@cgiar.org to reach us latest by 30 March 2009.

Bioversity is an equal opportunity employer and strives for staff diversity in gender and nationality.