Position Summary:
The Office of Programs and Operations, led by the COO, houses Creative’s business development, project implementation, and operations support functions. In addition to providing leadership and management support to these groups, the office advances internal initiatives geared towards learning from our work, enhancing and improving the way we work, and expanding our portfolio’s depth and breadth. By supporting the Chief Operating Officer (COO), with a focus on liaising with Programs, the Liaison Specialist contributes significantly to the Office of Programs and Operations’ (OPO) success in advancing Creative’s mission through the effective support of the Programs Divisions and Operations Divisions.
Expected Outcomes:
- The day-to-day activities of the OPO are effectively and efficiently executed through administrative support of the COO and his office;
- The Office of Programs and Operations is seen as a resource and partner to the rest of the organization, and in particular for this position, to the Programs Divisions and Groups;
- Effective working relationships are established at all levels of the organization to advance the mission and goals of the OPO.
Reporting & Supervision:
The Liaison Specialist reports to the Liaison Manager and works closely with the COO. As the liaison between the COO and Programs, s/he may be asked to provide administrative support to the Directors of the four Programs Divisions/Groups: Communities in Transition, Education for Development, Economic Growth and the Creative Development Lab.
Primary Responsibilities:
The Liaison Specialist will:
- Provide daily administrative support to the COO, including:
- Entertaining requests requiring COO approval and consideration;
- Managing calendar and schedule meetings;
- Reconciling corporate credit card statements and expense reports;
- Maintaining OPO files and records;
- Coordinating travel arrangements;
- Processing vendor payments;
- Actively support the onboarding and mainstreaming of staff and consultants reporting to the COO by serving as an initial point of contact;
- Maintain a working and current knowledge of Programs Divisions and technical areas, observing general and business development meetings and attending relevant internal events;
- Act as a knowledge resource and champion for companywide processes, template, and tools;
- Act as a company-wide champion for the Knowledge Management (KM) initiative and support the development and integration of KM activities into the Programs Divisions;
- Support the preparation of budgets and related financial reports that monitor revenues, expenditures and billability;
- Prepare and coordinate agendas, information, minutes and other pertinent items for business meetings;
- Lead and/or support the planning and execution of company-wide internal and external events hosted by the OPO;
- Establish and maintain well-organized and current hardcopy files for the COO and the OPO;
- Support the goals and vision of the COO in the implementation of the annual corporate business plan with specific attention to the aims and modalities of the Programs Divisions, Programs Groups and Practice Areas;
- Support the collection of the quarterly Measures of Success reports for the Programs Divisions, and support the development of such reports for the OPO;
- Support the COO and Liaison Manager on select business process improvement initiatives;
- Provide support for other initiatives or tasks as deemed necessary by the Liaison Manager and COO.
Required Skills & Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in business, international development or an applicable field of study;
- A minimum of 1 year of professional experience, preferably in an international context;
- Strong organizational and administrative skills, attention to detail and flexible work style;
- Excellent analytical and problem solving skills;
- Excellent Excel/spreadsheet skills;
- Superior verbal and written communications skills;
- Strong interpersonal skills with a service-oriented approach;
- Ability to handle multiple tasks with detail and precision to meet defined deadlines;
- Flexibility to transition rapidly and seamlessly between projects;
- Ability to work independently and organize time effectively;
- Experience and maturity in handling confidential and/or sensitive materials and records with a high degree of integrity and discretion.
Desired Skills & Qualifications:
- Experience in the international development field;
- Demonstrated budgeting and financial monitoring skills;
- Experience working with USAID;
- Fluency in a second language.
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