Senior Operations Associate, FEWS NET 8 - Decision Support

$55,760 - $69,700/Yr

Chemonics International

Full-time - Entry Level

Hybrid

Utilities

About the position

The Senior Operations Associate will provide comprehensive administrative, operational, human resources, finance, and logistical support to the FEWS NET 8 Decision Support project team. This role is crucial for ensuring the effective management of the US-based project office and country teams, contributing to the timely completion of project deliverables. The position requires collaboration with various teams and stakeholders to facilitate project operations and support food security initiatives globally.

Responsibilities

• Assist with procurement, travel, logistical, operational, recruitment, personnel management and administrative tasks for the FEWS NET 8 DS Team, together with the Operations Manager.
• Lead Washington, DC-based procurements when necessary, including for service providers and technology needs, and support the management of local logistics and operations in each project country together with the Project Management Unit (PMU).
• Coordinate the FEWS NET 8 DS Team's responses to ad-hoc technical requests from the client, fielding e-mail correspondence and involving appropriate team members to facilitate work-planning within 24 hours of receipt of request.
• Assist the Operations Manager and Senior Administrative Officer in identifying, recruiting, and onboarding short-term experts and full-time staff based on technical team needs throughout the life of the project.
• Provide travel support for project-related international travel (i.e., reserving tickets, drafting travel approval requests, helping obtain visas, and confirming travel logistics with regional PMUs for both project office staff and for US-based technical leadership).
• Schedule and facilitate meetings, including coordination on all AV/IT-related support, prepare agendas, update task trackers, and capture notes as appropriate.
• Working with the Data Management Advisor or his/her designee, ensure timely uploading of deliverables to the Development Experience Clearinghouse (DEC) and the Development Data Library (DDL) on an ongoing basis.
• Maintain security equipment trackers for project offices together with regional PMUs.
• Coordinate and facilitate logistics of HEAT/first aid trainings as necessary, together with regional PMUs and the Security, Instability and Conflict team.
• Serve as ad-hoc IT coordination for project office colleagues when necessary.
• Prepare/file personnel forms, purchase orders, travel authorizations, and other standard forms.
• Collaborate closely with the Project Management Unit (PMU) to ensure that technical operations are compliant with all company and client procedures for start-up, activity implementation, personnel management, and closeout.
• Save relevant files to project SharePoint files.
• Undertake other duties as needed and as directed by the Operations Manager or Senior Administrative Officer.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree is required.
• Minimum 2 years of relevant administrative or professional work experience.
• Detail-oriented and well-organized to meet multiple, sometimes overlapping, deadlines.
• Excellent communication skills with demonstrated ability to work with diverse individuals/groups.
• Solid knowledge of Microsoft Windows systems/Office suite and Google Suite, including Excel, and an interest in learning additional computer skills.
• Ability to work with diverse technical and administrative professionals across multiple geographies.
• Proactive, detail-oriented, and well-organized in delivering professional responsibilities and organizational commitments on time and of high quality.
• Capacity to address issues and changing circumstances adeptly, both independently and proactively, and assertively with the support of other team members.
• Experience living and working in a developing country context is desirable.
• Fluency in English is required; Proficiency in French, Portuguese, Spanish, or Arabic language is desirable.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience living and working in a developing country context is desirable.
• Proficiency in French, Portuguese, Spanish, or Arabic language is desirable.

Benefits

• Paid time off
• Medical/dental/vision insurance
• Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)
• 401(k) plan
• Comprehensive benefits package for eligible US-based employees.