The World Bank country program provides selective, flexible financial support and technical advisory services across a variety of sectors. The Country Office in Brazzaville is seeking to recruit a dynamic individual to join the team as a Program Assistant to provide operational support to management and implementing agencies in execution of Bank-financed operations.
The selected candidate will report to the Resident Representative in Congo and is expected to work in close collaboration with the CMU, colleagues in other GPs, as well as other team members based in Washington DC working on the different programs.
Roles & Responsibilities:
Operational and administrative support:
Provide support for preparation and implementation of World Bank projects and activities according to Bank procedures.
Use desktop processing skills to produce complex texts, reports, presentations, charts, figures, graphs, etc., according to Bank format and distribution.
Collect and input data provided by Task Team Leaders into the central database, including processing new project status reports.
Keep abreast of the Organization’s directives and ensure effective processing of all project documents.
Draft routine correspondence (standard letters, memos, faxes, etc.) conforming to the Organization’s regional standards, using proper grammar, punctuation and style and proofread materials;
Provide language support and draft translations from English into French and vice versa.
Draft minutes of meetings and provide assistance in editing large documents.
Maintain up-to-date divisional project files (both paper and electronic) and retrieve data from various sources and compile these for use by the Country Director and/or the Country Management Unit (CMU).
Incorporate agreed comments into documents, making full use of shared drives and software capabilities.
Process all STC contracts for the unit in close collaboration with the Task Team Leader and assist with end-of-year closing requirements that includes review and follow-up to ensure that consultant commitments and balances are paid and contracts are closed accordingly for unit-led tasks, particularly during the last quarter of the fiscal year.
Information Management and Client interaction:
Answer internal and external queries on the assigned portfolio or, as necessary, take accurate and comprehensive telephone messages, and route them to appropriate persons to handle.
Maintain current distribution lists, phone/address lists of project/product contacts, and distribute documents for the team.
Co-ordinate with service units, and liaise frequently with team members both in Washington and in the Country Office.
Track and report on appropriate aspects of the Team’s operational activities
Time management & Logistic planning:
Arrange working schedule and meeting with counterparts for the visiting teams.
Co-ordinate time management and schedules, taking current and future priorities into account, anticipate and monitor changes, and communicate the information;
Track assigned tasks/project steps/ timetables using modern office management technologies, coordinate with relevant staff, provide assistance and/or information on project-related matters;
Solve non-routine problems creatively and resourcefully and assist in preparation and logistical planning for various events, e.g. conferences, workshops, negotiations, board presentation and signing, field missions, etc.
Other duties:
Serve as a back-up to the Executive Assistant and other staff ACS on project and administrative tasks.
Perform other tasks as requested by the Supervisor.
Selection Criteria:
Bachelor + four-year experience in an international institution with exposure to project/programs management.
Previous experience with a multilateral/bilateral organization is an advantage.
English and French skills required (written and spoken), including ability to independently draft a variety of formal and informal correspondence; to proofread/edit materials.
Effective time management and organizational skills.
Demonstrated initiative and resourcefulness.
Proven ability to build relationship and interact positively with senior counterparts in the public and private sectors, in French and English.
Committed team player with good inter-personal skills and ability to work effectively in a multi-cultural environment.
Ability to produce high-quality work under pressure.
