Administrative Assistant - Brussels

 Under its 2018-2022 Strategy, International IDEA will support the integrity of processes and institutions of political participation and representation through strengthening the capacity of formal institutions of political participation and representation, such as parliaments and political parties. In this regard, International IDEA and the European Union (EU) have entered into an Agreement to implement the INTER PARES | Parliaments in Partnership, EU Global Project to Strengthen the Capacity of Parliaments. The Global Project aims to strengthen representative and inclusive democracy through support for the effective functioning of parliaments in partner countries, by enhancing their legislative, oversight, representative, budgetary and administrative functions. The Global Project focuses both on elected Members of Parliament (MPs), particularly in their capacity as members of parliamentary committees and on the staff of parliaments' secretariats.

The Project will be implemented through the following three main components: i) Peer-to-peer parliamentary strengthening operations between selected parliaments from partner countries and parliaments from European Union Member States (EU MS). ii) Promotion of sustainable inter-parliamentary cooperation and parliamentary support approaches, with a focus on selected thematic issues; and iii) Production of comparative research and knowledge and of practical and innovative tools on parliamentary matters and support approaches. The Head of INTER PARES | Parliaments in Partnership will be responsible for providing strategic leadership and management of the overall planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting, communication and visibility of the Global Project.

 Duties and Responsibilities

• Provides administrative and logistical support, co-ordinate events, assists with the preparation of documents and maintains records and files for the Inter Pares project.
• Processes invoices, project advance requests, project expenditure reports etc. in an efficient and timely manner;
• Assists with expenditure control, advising team members on possible cost saving measures;
• Prepares and supports the administration and performance management of Contracts and Agreements for service providers and/or partner organizations;
• Organizes and coordinates logistical arrangements for meetings, conferences and workshops (obtaining quotes and booking venues, liaising with attendees, organizing travel, etc…). Assists with the preparation of meeting materials and minute-taking;
• Organizes staff travel including cost control, travel advances, travel claims and other associated issues; when applicable, assists external consultants;
• Assists with the registration of internal/external communications and institutional documents,
• Registers all personnel leave requests, in liaison with Human Resources;
• Assists with the update and maintenance of the Institute’s internal website.

General Profile

• Extensive administration knowledge and skills acquired through formal training and work experience;
• Collaborates/ liaises with other entities at International IDEA, the European Commission as well as external project partners and stakeholders as required;
• Follows procedures and agreements to ensure high standards of performance and compliance with Institutional guidelines;
• Integrates a rights-based approach as well as a gender and diversity perspective in all activities.

Reporting Line

• Head of Programme

Functional Knowledge

• Has established skills to perform a wide range of day-to-day activities with professionality and high standards of quality.

Operational Knowledge, skills and experience

• Integrates the results-based approach into his/her activities;
• Understands how the assigned duties relate to others in the team and how the team integrates with others throughout the organization;
• Is detail oriented, focused and with good organizational and time-management skills.
• Illustrates integrity, a collaborative spirit, a sense of achievement, and an understanding of risk management.

Leadership

• No direct people management responsibility.

Problem Solving

• Recognizes and solves typical problems that can occur in own work area; evaluates and selects solutions from established options.

Impact

• Has an impact on the programme development and delivery through the quality of the services or information provided.

Communication and Interpersonal Skills

• Liaises in a constructive and positive and diplomatic manner with all internal and external stakeholders involved in his/her projects;
• Acts in all assignments with personal energy and engagement;
• Contributes to a positive work-environment;
• Thrives working in a multicultural environment;
• Fluency in English required; Knowledge of French, German or other EU language would be an asset.

 Education and Experience

• A minimum of 2-3 years´ experience in an equivalent role;
• High school diploma and preferably business and/or secretarial education; university background is considered an advantage;
• Experience working with the EU policies and procedures considered advantageous;
• Experience of working in an international context, e.g. in an intergovernmental organization, considered an advantage.

Terms of Contract

• Local Post - Open to those legally authorized to live and work in Belgium;
• Two (2) year fixed-term appointment;
• Salary €3 068 gross per month plus benefits.

Applying for this position

• Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis with the deadline to apply 23.59 on 16 July 2019. 
• Please note that all applications must be made in English.
• Please apply directly by pressing the Send Application button.

Please note as this is a local post, International IDEA will bear no costs relating to relocation of the selected candidate to the duty station. This position is open to those legally authorized to live and work in Belgium.

International IDEA is an equal opportunity employer which seeks to further diversify its staff in terms of gender, culture and nationality.