Job Opportunity for Executive Assistant – Policy & Training at Poverty Action Lab

Executive Assistance:

J-PAL’s Executive Directors and Associate Directors are involved in numerous research projects, advisory partnerships, and academic commitments to advance the agenda of improving development policy through scientific evidence. To manage these many commitments, they require capable, efficient, and motivated assistance with coordinating travel, organizing events (e.g. Brown Bags, Govt Meeting and Donor Development seminar), liaising with academic and policy organizations, and managing finances. In addition, J-PAL arranges numerous events from small meetings, to video conferences, to large conferences and meetings with hundreds of people. This position will provide support to those events on an as-needed basis while providing high level administrative support to the J-PAL’s Directors.

Admin related: 

• Schedule calendars for Director PTC and the three ADs of the Policy and Training vertical including internal and external meetings – blocking teleconference/ Zoom / Hangout lines and working iteratively with staff and external contacts to set up meetings and adjust calendars at short notice
• Submit monthly reimbursements for travel and other expenses for Director PTC and the three ADs of the Policy and Training vertical
• Support in event logistics, coordination and communication with participants and Admin team for any meetings or events being led by the PTC vertical, as needed.
• Receive any guest visiting the office to meet Director, PTC and the three ADs of the vertical and ensures that the guest is treated well and all requests are taken care of
• Coordinate onboarding calendars for new PTC recruits and schedule necessary meetings with concerned team members

Meetings support:

• Schedule monthly Policy, Training and PTC calls, quarterly OKR review meetings, and email the respective teams with agenda items. Taking notes during these meetings, documenting key decisions.
• Coordinate and schedule logistics (venue, food, travel) for annual PTC strategy meetings
• Be proactive in setting up and sharing call timings for meetings, following up with Director PTC and ADs of the vertical to attend calls, take notes and send briefing notes after the call
• Conserve Director PTC and vertical ADs’ time by reading, researching, and routing correspondence, drafting letters, meeting notes and documents; collecting and analysing information; initiating telecommunications as required
• External: create background summaries for partner meetings, take meeting notes, coordinate and follow up with partners and Director PTC / Vertical ADs as needed from the meeting 

PTC Information and Knowledge Management

• Support in managing PTC Google Drive folder – ensure the team keeps this updated, and send any reminders, as needed.
• OKR updates: Coordinate with policy, communications, and training team members to regularly update the OKR dashboard and send necessary reminders for the same.
• Maintain and update the Policy sector dashboard and send reminders to sector teams to keep the information updated
• Support in salesforce directory updates, based on contacts/ visiting cards shared by Director PTC and ADs of the vertical
• Providing backend research support to the Director/ Vertical ADs in day-to-day matters that will include creating and proofing documents, and related preparatory materials for meetings or conferences, coordinating with PTC staff, as needed
• Support any new PTC initiatives, as required by the Director, PTC or ADs of the vertical.

Qualifications:

• Education and Experience: This position requires at least 3-5 years in an administrative position; a bachelor’s degree is preferred. Specific Human Resources experience would be a plus, but is not as important as strong administrative experience, including work with travel arrangements and logistics, assisting senior staff, and working as part of a team.
• Communication: Both verbal and written. Experience communicating with senior staff to keep them informed of activities and to get their assistance as needed. The ability to grasp information in a concise manner and turn it into a well-written document is an essential skill set. Some experience with handling external relationships (setting up meetings in particular, preferably with Government officials) can be a plus.
• Time Management: Strong ability to anticipate, plan, prioritize, and meet deadlines; ability to efficiently multitask, organize, and manage a high volume of work. Attention to detail and ability to manage numerous requests from a variety of parties.
• Responsibility and Trust: This position requires a highly motivated individual who is capable of dealing with confidential information and high-profile organizations with diplomacy and integrity.
• Knowledge of MS Office is strongly preferred. 

How to Apply

Complete the J-PAL/IPA common application. After completing a brief registration, choose the Finance and Operation job category, then select “Executive Assistant – J-PAL South Asia” and include a resume, cover letter, transcripts, and two recommendation letters. Note that applications with incomplete submissions will not be considered.

You are able to submit your application before your references complete their recommendation letters; however, you must include their contact information before submitting your application. Given the volume of applications received, only short-listed candidates will be contacted for an interview.