Program Assistants

CIFOR-ICRAF is currently seeking to fill several positions in The Asia Continental Program (ACP) for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for Trees Outside Forest in India (TOFI) program. The TOFI Program is for five years – November 1, 2021, to October 31, 2026) in Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Haryana, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh. Initial appointment will be for a period of one year with a probation period of 6 months for Local Positions. Contracts will be renewed every year during the 5 years’ duration of TOFI, based on performance, timely delivery, and continued relevance for the position. All these positions will be under CIFOR-ICRAF umbrella, and while contributing to TOFI’s implementation; hired staff will also be actively engaged in overall CIFOR-ICRAF program in India. The positions may continue beyond TOFI subjected to availability of placement and funding.

• Job Category: Locally Recruited Position

• Duty station: Any of the TOFI target States (Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Haryana, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh). Based on the performance/ competencies and needs, hired staff may be relocated to other project locations in India.

Applicants should clearly mention for which state they are applying

The successful applicant will be based at state/district office of TOFI, and will report to State Coordinator, TOFI project, CIFOR-ICRAF. S/he will be responsible to provide administrative, logistical, and accounting support to the state office and custodian of the financial and administrative documents. S/he will also be responsible for ensuring timely acquisition, supply/delivery storage and disposal of goods and services, and logistics operations at optimum cost-effective levels in the state office.

• Scrutiny of invoices/bills and preparation vouchers for payment to vendors and entry in the system.
• Assist Finance & Compliance Officer for keeping proper accounting of advances to staff vendors as per CIFOR-ICRAF policies.
• Maintenance of Petty cash book, its disbursement, preparation of bank and petty cash reconciliations.
• Assist Finance & Compliance Officer in internal and external audit, preparation of audit schedules, handling of the audit queries, getting the external audit of accounts and co-ordination of the program external audit.
• Monitoring allocated state budgets and ensuring no variances, and any variances are immediately communicated and corrected.
• Preparation and filing of correspondence and other documentation; maintaining filing systems; acquiring office supplies and arranging office equipment maintenance.
• Support procurement actions of office/ project and ensure an adequate supply of required materials and services: Liaise with clients on purchases, Identity and recommend potential new suppliers to be included into the supplier’s database, Source for quotations from Local and International suppliers for specialized items, Coordinate the tendering process, communicating to users on suppliers and providing advice, Processing Local Purchase Orders, Address all procurement queries.
• Ensure that procurement practices are in compliance with the project’s Policy and Procedures Manual.
• Carry out disposal of assets: documentation; and convene disposal committees.
• Ensure asset inventory control and management, facilities management, and coordinate transportation. Arrange transportation for the staff/visitors as requested.
• Assist State Coordinator in making training and meetings arrangements.
• Maintain incoming and outgoing courier service register and ensure timely delivery of the incoming and outgoing courier/mails. Receive and process shipping documents with clearing agents.
• Maintain communication systems (telephone, data cards, internet connectivity) in running condition
• Verify goods and services are as per order.
• Liaise with clients on purchases.
• Conduct market intelligence to determine cost effectiveness of materials sources.
• Attend to any other work assigned by CIFOR-ICRAF.

• Bachelor’s in commerce or business administration is preferable/Graduation in any discipline.

• Accounting qualification is desirable

• Member of Institute for Supply Management, India or any other recognized professional body would be an added advantage

• Up to three (3) years relevant experience

• Fluency and residency in the language (reading, writing, and spoken) in preferred state is essential.

• Experience in an accounting financial system and record keeping in USAID or other donor funded programs preferred

• Experience in an NGO or international organization environment will be an added advantage

• Sound knowledge of shipping processes, documents, and metrics

• Must be able to work as a team member in accomplishment of duties

• Possess excellent interpersonal and communication skills and good judgment

• Demonstrate high level of integrity

• Strong attention to detail and maintaining a timely and efficient workflow

• A strong customer service orientation

• This is a Locally Recruited Staff (LRS) position.

• Duration of the contract: One-year renewable contingent upon availability of funds, continued relevance of position and performance of the incumbent.

• CIFOR-ICRAF offers competitive remuneration in local currency commensurate with skills and experience.

• CIFOR-ICRAF reserves the right to modify the number of positions, locations, timeline or cancel the hiring as necessary.
To apply, please visit career site at: Program Assistants TOFI
To learn more about CIFOR-ICRAF, please visit our websites at: https://www.cifor.org, www.worldagroforestry.org, https://www.cifor-icraf.org
CIFOR-ICRAF promotes Gender Diversity – Applications from women professionals are encouraged.
CIFOR-ICRAF is an equal opportunity employer. It fosters a multicultural work environment that values gender equality, teamwork, and respect for diversity.