Program Assistant

Background/IRC Summary:

• The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war and disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.
• IRC has been working in Pakistan for nearly 40 years, managing and delivering large, complex programs in most difficult and hard to reach geographies of the country, to provide needs-based support including health, education, protection, environmental health, climate change, governance, and livelihood for displaced, poor, and disaster-affected communities. With continuous support from the federal and provincial governments, and generous donors including FCDO, ECHO, GFFO, UNHCR, SIDA, Irish Aid and Australian Aid Agencies the IRC is currently implementing projects to serve refugees, internally displaced people, marginalized and flood affected communities across the country. Working in partnership local civil society and in close coordination with communities, district and provincial governments in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Punjab and Sindh provinces ensures IRC’s success in serving people in need.

Job Overview/Summary:

• Program Assistant is responsible for providing project and administrative support to CO PSU unit and coordination with other departments for seamless implementation of activities within the ECHO project.

Major Responsibilities:

Under the supervision of the PSU manager, and close coordination with other project staff, Program Assistant will accomplish the following responsibilities:

• Assist Program department in coordinating with field teams in collection of preliminary and secondary data & information for different reports, external communication, and presentations.
• Assist in maintaining project documentation and timely sharing with stakeholders.
• Assist in drafting communication products like monthly or quarterly reporting, meeting minutes and other project related documents.
• Coordinate with participants and make arrangements for program review, opening, quarterly and other project relevant meetings.
• Be a proactive part of training, seminars and workshops either arranged by the organization or its partner(s).
• Support in drafting spending plans and be part of budget realignments in close coordination with program and finance team.
• Support Country office day to day tasks under the PSU and coordinate with departments for smooth execution as per workplan.
• Coordinate with field teams on maintaining weekly workplans and action tracker for project progress, through weekly or Bi-weekly meetings.
• Support team in drafting/designing power point presentations and other organizational charts for different internal and external project related meetings.
• Support Program Unit in performing a range of administrative tasks, ensuring smooth project operations.
• Assist project team in coordinating field visits, drafting Tavel Request Forms (TRF), secure timely approvals and recording Means of Verification (MOVs).
• Assist Program team and coordinate with finance and supply chain department in managing the project procurements efficiently through the Integra system.
• Any other task assigned by the supervisor or colleagues in the Program team.

Key Working Relationships:

• Reporting Line: PSU Manager – ECHO

Job Requirements:

A. Education

• Graduate with bachelor’s holding 2 year experience or master’s degree in social sciences, project management or any other related field.

B. Work experience

• Minimum 2 years’ experience in the relevant field, preferably in an NGO environment.

C. Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

• Strong Coordination Skills.
• Strong skills in MS office
• Highly effective written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong financial management skills
• Understanding of project cycle, Planning and Coordination skills and interpersonal, and communication skills

Language Skills:

• Must be fluent in Urdu & English languages.

The IRC Core Values and Commitments.

• The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity Anti-Retaliation and Combating Trafficking in Persons.
• IRC is committed to ensuring that IRC staff is suitable to work with children and have the knowledge she/he needs to uphold and abide by the IRC’s Child Safeguarding Policy.
• Level of interaction with children: Less contact with children
• IRC ensures that its staff must actively practice the roles and responsibilities related to client responsiveness, accountability to people in affected communities and must have competencies to solicits and listens to feedback and other’s perspectives, responds to feedback with maturity and sensitivity and takes appropriate decisions and makes changes to behavior or actions in response to feedback.
• IRC recognizes that gender equality is fundamental to the achievement of our organizational mission. As such, IRC is committed to the promotion of gender equality in all aspects of our operations and programs. Our organizational policies, procedures and actions demonstrate this commitment.