Project Assistant – Administrative, Financial and Operations Management

Apply

See URL link attached for Spanish version and application / Consulte el enlace URL adjunto para ver la versión en español y postular.

Mission

Under the operational supervision of the Team Lead, the successful candidate will be responsible for providing administrative, financial and logistical support to the project. They will work on a daily basis with members of the project team based in Lima, Peru, as well as with the Project Support Unit (USP) attached to the Andes Regional Directorate, based in Bogotá, Colombia.

Main tasks include:

Administrative management

• Support the implementation of public procurement procedures;
• Follow Expertise France’s internal compliance procedures (e.g. due diligence);
• Collect, classify and file administrative documents (main contract, subcontracts, implementation contracts, etc.) in both hard copy and electronic formats;
• Provide the documents required during audits;
• Manage activity schedules, send the necessary reminders and ensure appropriate logistical coordination for the project team;
• Compile and distribute the information required to enable the Team Lead to monitor all activities on a regular basis;
• Draft the minutes of strategic meetings.

Financial management

• Compile, verify the accuracy of, and file supporting and accounting documents;
• Prepare payment orders (PO) and invoicing orders (IO);
• Update dashboards for monitoring the project budget;
• Track expenditure and supplier invoices (monitoring, reminders, administrative recording);
• In coordination with the Project Support Unit (USP Colombia), contribute to the preparation of financial reports; prepare annual accounts and other regular budgetary statements; prepare annual and final project audits.

Logistics and Operations

• Support the logistical organisation of activities and events organised within the framework of the project (e.g. workshops, conferences, steering committees, etc.);
• Coordinate travel arrangements for team members and project partners; as required, prepare mission orders, requests for daily allowance advances, visa applications, and bookings for transport, hotels and airport transfers, etc.;
• Monitor advances and be responsible for collecting, verifying and filing supporting documents;
• Carry out regular stock-takes (office supplies and hygiene products) and prepare purchase orders and issue notes for supplies.
• Ensure the smooth running of office equipment.

The role is directly related to Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) as it provides the administrative, financial, logistical and operational support required for the effective implementation of a project specifically designed to strengthen Peru’s disaster risk governance and reduce vulnerability to natural hazards.

By ensuring rigorous budget monitoring, procurement and contracting procedures, compliance, documentation, audits and logistical coordination, the position enables the timely delivery of activities across the project’s three components: i) integrating DRR and climate adaptation into public planning and investment; ii) strengthening inclusive and gender-responsive disaster preparedness and response capacities; and iii) developing the Piura early warning system and local DRR capacities.

Although the position is not a technical DRR function, its contribution is essential to ensuring that the financial resources, expert missions, capacity-building activities, workshops, institutional coordination and technical outputs underpinning the project’s DRR objectives are properly planned, managed and delivered.

Profile desired

The candidate must already be based in Lima, whether a Peruvian national or a foreign national already living in Peru.

Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in accountancy, project management, administration or an equivalent or relevant field.

Experience

• 3 years’ professional experience in administrative and financial management and/or in project management support. Any experience related to international cooperation or in supporting Expertise France or AFD projects will be particularly valued;
• Experience in monitoring tender procedures, contracts and/or regulatory compliance procedures will be an advantage;
• Experience in the logistical organisation of professional activities and events, as well as in travel management, is an advantage.

Skills

• Proven skills in accounting and management;
• Good knowledge of administrative and financial procedures, particularly regarding budget monitoring, checking supporting documents and preparing for audits;
• Ability to rigorously monitor deadlines, expenditure, invoices and administrative and accounting documents;
• Ability to collect, organise, summarise and communicate information effectively to various stakeholders;
• Excellent organisational skills, attention to detail and the ability to prioritise, with the capacity to multitask;
• Proficiency in office software (Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook, Zoom, etc.);
• A constructive and proactive attitude to work, particularly in a multicultural context.

Languages

• Spanish: excellent command (written and spoken) ; 
  French: optional

About Expertise France

Expertise France (EF) is the French agency for international technical cooperation. Established on 1 January 2015 following the merger of the six main French public bodies, its mission is to strengthen the capacity to mobilise technical expertise in order to respond more effectively to the growing needs of emerging and developing countries.

Project overview

Funded by the French Development Agency (AFD), the project aims to sustainably reduce Peru’s vulnerability to natural hazards by strengthening inclusive disaster risk management and climate adaptation within national and local public policies. The Presidency of the Council of Ministers (PCM), in its capacity as the governing body of the National Disaster Risk Management System (SINAGERD), is the project’s central point of contact within the Peruvian State, in particular through its Secretariat for Disaster Risk Management, part of the Vice-Ministry of Territorial Governance.

The project is structured around three components:

• Strengthening national capacities for an integrated approach to disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate adaptation (CA) in public planning and investment
• Strengthening national institutional capacities for disaster preparedness and response in a coordinated, inclusive and gender-sensitive manner
• Development of the early warning system in Piura and strengthening of local disaster risk management (DRM) capacity