Program Assistant at International Finance Corporation (IFC)

The IFC Lagos, Nigeria Country Office is seeking to recruit a highly motivated Program Assistant to provide effective and efficient administrative support to the assigned departmental team and operational staff. This role will contribute to the effective operation and administrative coordination of the team in the assigned department and should be ready to step up to undertake new responsibilities and challenges with enthusiasm.

Duties And Accountabilities

He/she will provide a wide range of administrative support and the accountabilities will include, but not limited to, the following areas:

• Provide primary assistance in the implementation of the unit’s work program, including some specialized support in specific areas e.g. task management, procurement, database management, information technology, editorial assistance, etc.
• Assist team or work unit(s) by editing/drafting a variety of routine documents, applying effective proofreading and grammar;
• Identify and resolve diverse issues/problems as they arise, which often requires interpretation of existing procedures and processes and independently determining the appropriate application;
• Use word processing or desktop publishing skills to produce complex text, reports, figures, graphs, etc., according to standard Bank formats and distribution; prepare standard system-generated and customized reports, memoranda, and other communications; process documents for signature, ensuring documents adhere to the World Bank’s standards and guidelines;
• Coordinate team schedules, meetings, and appointments, undertake standard logistical preparations for various events, e.g. meetings, conferences, workshops, negotiations, etc.;
• Organize mission activities which include preparation/updating of mission itineraries and briefing materials, coordination of meeting schedule, travel, and security arrangements, etc.;
• Maintain current distribution lists, phone/address lists of project/product contacts, and distributes documents for the team;
• Suggest ways to enhance work organization and effectiveness; exercise quality enhancement function for project and other documents by ensuring adherence to departmental, Vice-Presidential Unit (VPU) and institutional guidelines;
• Attend meetings, draft minutes and ensures timely clearance and distribution; participate in mission field work as and when required;
• Additional ad-hoc responsibilities as assigned by the Country Manager.

Selection Criteria

• Minimum of Bachelors’ degree and/ college diploma with a minimum of 5 years relevant work experience in similar role, preferably in a large international organization;
• Excellent organizational, administrative and effective time management skills;
• Demonstrated ability to organize, prioritize, schedule, plan and coordinate work and other activities internally and externally;
• Strong attention to detail and to maintaining high quality standards;
• Ability to produce high quality work under pressure;
• Proven ability to create and work in a team-oriented, multi-cultural environment, to perform effectively in a constantly changing environment with competing activities and demands, and to effectively serve as a team member in various groups;
• Demonstrated ability to organize and implement projects and tasks, set priorities, coordinate and monitor assignments to maximize efficiency and quality;
• Outstanding interpersonal skills to interact effectively with a range of contacts internally and externally and deal effectively with diverse situations which require good judgment, tact and diplomacy;
• Effective analytical, research and problem-solving skills and ability to work independently and make judgments and decisions with minimal supervision;
• Strong communication skills in English (verbal and written), including ability to draft, proofread and edit correspondences and ensure quality of written outputs;
• Demonstrated ability to respond and deal effectively with diverse situations which require good judgment, tact, diplomacy and confidentiality;
• Good computer skills; proficiency with various software technologies such as MS Office, Outlook, One Drive and other standard office productivity software. Ability to learn quickly new software applications.
• High degree of motivation, initiative, flexibility, and reliability.
• Work will involve frequent interaction with the following:
• Internal contacts: other VP units, World Bank as well as staff in all locations, locally and internationally.
• External contacts: Government Officials, Consultants, External Organizations, and other Service providers