Program Assistant (Consultant) at Vital Strategies

Program Assistant (consultant)

Vital Strategies
Vital Strategies, headquartered in New York City, is an international public health organization. Our programs strengthen public health systems and address the world’s leading causes of illness, injury and death. We currently work in 73 countries, supporting data-driven decision making in government, advancing evidence-based public health policies, and mounting strategic communication campaigns.

Vital Strategies’ priorities are driven by the greatest potential to improve and save lives. They include non-communicable disease prevention, cardiovascular health promotion, tobacco control, road safety, obesity prevention, epidemic prevention, environmental health, vital statistics systems building and Multi-drug resistant tuberculosis treatment research. Our programs are concentrated in low- and middle-income countries and cities in Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Pacific. Please visit our website at www.vitalstrategies.org  to find out more about our work.

The Position 

Vital Strategies is seeking qualified candidates for a Program Assistant consultancy. The Program Assistant will provide approximately 25 hours/week of administrative and organizational support related to activities related to the AFRO and EMRO regions of the Partnership for Healthy Cities. He/she will report to the Senior Manager – Africa. The position is based in Kigali, Rwanda.

Specific Duties

• Organize in-country or regional meetings by assisting with planning (e.g. budgets, agendas, confirming participant attendance), preparing meeting materials, communicating with relevant stakeholders, and coordinating logistics for participants, including air travel, per diem, and accommodation in coordination with other program staff.
• Manage logistics for the provision of technical assistance by external experts.
• Provide other program and implementation support, including but not limited to, scheduling internal and external meetings, maintaining calendars, taking and distributing meeting notes, processing consultant expense reimbursements, and participating in country/city implementation calls.
• Liaise between internal Vital Strategies’ departments including Procurement, Travel Agency, Legal Counsel, IT, Grants and program teams based in the NY office and provide administrative support as needed.
• Draft, assemble, and monitor program contracts and agreements for service providers and venues, in accordance with Vital Strategies policy and ensuring compliance with grant requirements, budgets, and cost to ensure accuracy, completeness and compliance for internal approvals.
• Submit participant travel and per diem reimbursement requests to the Grants team.
• Devise and maintain organizational systems for the program, including accurate filing systems.
• Perform data entry using word processing, spreadsheet or database commands and formats material as required.
• Prepare presentations and assist with creating and distributing documents, including assisting the editing and formatting of project reports and related materials.
• Draft written responses or replies by phone or e-mail, and respond to regularly-occurring requests for information.
• Perform any other duties as assigned by the Senior Manager – Africa.
• Backstop other Program Assistants and Administrative Officer as needed
• Travel in the region as needed

Requirements:

• Bachelors degree business administration, commerce or related field from a recognized university
• At least three (3) years of working experience in a similar capacity
• Excellent organizational skills; proven ability to manage multiple ongoing tasks
• Excellent computer skills: proficient user of Microsoft Office suite (MS Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint); knowledge of MS Project or NetSuite will be an advantage
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills; ability to work with remote teams
• Flexible and adaptable to fast-paced and rapidly changing environments
• Strong project management skills, high attention to detail
• Self-starter, ability to prioritize tasks efficiently and work with minimal supervision.
• English and French language fluency (written and spoken)
• Rwandan Citizen

How to Apply: 

Please send CV and a cover letter, including salary expectations, to phc@vitalstrategies.org  with “Program Assistant – PHC AFRO” in the subject line. 

Closing date for applications: May 16, 2021.  

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.