Administrative officer

Title: Administrative Officer

Duty Station: Baghdad

Program: Supporting decentralization and local development in Iraq (DEC)

Deadline for application: 11th August 2018

A. Project background

The project “Supporting Decentralization and Local Development in Iraq” is commissioned by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Positive developments can be observed about to the security situation that now allows to recruit national employees in the governorates. Given this wider room of implementation, the project’s design and its implementation plan have been reviewed and adjusted. The project will support decentralization in Iraq by reducing the financial dependence of the governorates on the national budget and by investing its own local resources. This will reduce the financial burden on the national budget, on the long term, can contribute in changing the prevailing administrative culture, which is based on receiving orders and budgets from capital and spread the culture of finding local solution depending on local sources to implement local development plans.

The decentralization project will support local development in the governorates by activating the local resources maximization units. It will support selected districts by identifying (income generating) projects that can benefit its citizens and cover part of operational costs. It will increase civil society participation in two districts by including their needs and priorities in development planning and their auditing role as well on the district activities. It intends to develop the Iraqi partners’ technical capacities through trainings to overcome technical obstacles and to suggest improvements of the administrative cycle and the legal environment. It follows a participatory approach during its planning and implementation together with the Iraqi partners. Upon the partners’ requests and suggestions, the previous project design has been modified entirely to ensure both the cooperation with the Iraqi authorities as well as the implementation of the activities alongside the Iraqi expertise in addition to the previous bringing international experiences and example that can be useful for the Iraqi case. It will work at different administrative levels starting from the Higher Commission for Coordination among the Provinces (HCCP) the Ministry of Planning (MoP), and Federal Board of Supreme Audit (FOSP) at the national level, via the governorates and districts ending at the local communities’ level.

This multi-level approach not only allows project activities to be linked, but moreover paves the way for an integrated development cycle that starts with citizens’ needs and reflect them in the national development plan. The previous will be the prerequisite for wide spread and advanced steps of decentralization and local development measures in the national development plan that will be implemented by national institutions.

B. Tasks

The position holder is responsible for: The administrative management of the projects activities in Baghdad. This includes the coordination of logistical support to the project’s activities, procurement activities, security arrangements with contractors, processing of contracts, communication with GIZ administration offices in Iraq and abroad, training of staff members on GIZ procedures. In this context, the position holder fulfils the following tasks:

1. Logistical Support to Project Activities

The position holder arranges trainings, events, meetings, delegation tours and travels logistically. This includes e.g. booking of venues, transportation tickets, translators and equipment, invitation of participants etc. The position holder ensures the timely availability of all items and their quality according to GIZ standards.

2. Contracting

The position holder prepares contract requests and ensures the availability of all necessary documents according to GIZ quality procedures. Contracting also includes the processing, follow-up, tracking, and registration of contracts in GIZ online systems. This task entails training to staff members and sincere quality control.

3. Project Administration

The position holder procures items for the project according to GIZ rules and regulations, keeps track of inventory, supports the GIZ HR department on behalf of the projects, informs about new and existing administration rules, creates and upholds internal project administration procedures, arranges travels and appointments in cooperation with the office manager, handles administrative demands from the respective Iraqi administration offices, and supports the projects in all other administrative matters.

4. Other duties/additional tasks

The position holder will support the project with translation duties and any additional tasks of non-technical nature if deemed necessary.

C. Required qualifications, competencies and experience Qualifications

Professional experience

• Education: University degree.

• Experience: Minimum of 3 years of relevant occupational experience. Work for an international company or development organization is an advantage.

• Responsibility: Independent execution of tasks according to existing planning and consultation with supervisor and colleagues.

• Tasks require constructive creative thinking, sometimes also conceptual initiative.

• Being acquainted with administrative procedures in government and administrative offices is an advantage.

• Above average academic Arabic and fluent English language proficiencies are mandatory (written and spoken).

Other knowledge, additional competencies

• Office Software literacy

• German language skills are an advantage

• Team player, proactive and responsible personality, innovative and flexible.

• Ability to travel in Iraq and abroad for limited periods