New Vacancies At Creative Associates

Creative Associates International is a dynamic, fast-growing global development firm that specializes in education, economic growth, democratic institutions and stabilization. Based in Washington, D.C., Creative has a field presence in more than 25 countries with a strong client portfolio that includes the U.S. Agency for International Development and the State Department, among others. Since its founding in 1977, Creative has earned a solid reputation among its clients and is well-regarded by competitors and partners alike.

Job Description

Job Title: Human Resources and Administrative Officer

Program Description:

Creative Associates International (Creative Associates) is preparing for the implementation of USAID/West Africa’s program Partnerships for Peace (P4P).  The five-year program will partner and consult with stakeholders at the regional, national, and sub-national level across several West African countries, to develop a shared foundational understanding of counter violent extremism (CVE) in the region. The findings will improve institutional capacity of organizations and governments to implement more effective and coordinated CVE approaches.

To lead and support the implementation of Partnerships for Peace, Creative Associates seeks to engage a highly qualified and motivated team.  All positions are full time and require a willingness to travel. Creative Associates is especially interested in receiving submissions from women applicants.  Only qualified candidates who follow the application instructions will be contacted.

Position Summary:

The Human Resources & Admin Officer (HR & Admin) will support the DCOP to manage the Accra office.  S/he will provide support to various administrative and human resources functions and performs a broad range of clerical and secretarial duties. The Human Resources & Admin Officer will be responsible for administrative functions such as collection of monthly timesheets, ensuring that office supplies such as stationary, kitchen and cleaning supplies are stocked, and assisting in the compilation of administrative paperwork.  In addition to these tasks, the Human Resources & Admin Officer will serve as the Accra office receptionist and the primary point of contact for vendors and other visitors to the office.  The Human Resources & Admin Officer will support the office through photocopying, scanning and other administrative tasks.  In addition to the administrative tasks, the Human Resources & Admin Officer will help the Human Resources & Admin Manager with staff recruitment and staff file management.  These tasks may include, recruitment, wage and salary verification and administration, training, employee relations, and management of employee benefits. S/he will support the Chief of Party to develop staffing plans and strategies to meet Creative’s requirements and ensure the program policies and procedures comply with local laws and regulations. The HR & Admin Officer serves as the Accra office receptionist.  This position will be based in the Accra office.  Limited travel may be required.

Reporting & Supervision:

The position will report to the Deputy Chief of Party.

Primary Responsibilities:

Primary responsibilities include but not limited to the following:

Administration

• Assist with the general maintenance of the office.
• Keep the inventory of office supplies up to date, maintain the minimum level needed, and orders more from the vendors when needed.
• Identify furniture and equipment needs to be requested for procurement.
• Assist with the updating of the program and operations inventories.
• Process and handover notes of equipment provided to the staff.
• When needed, obtain quotes for purchases of recurring office supplies needed for the functioning of the office and coordinate any purchases with the Procurement & Logistics Officer.
• Assist with the general maintenance of the office.
• Provide administrative support to senior management and other staff as required.
• Maintain files of the recurrent services including utilities, phone, internet, etc.
• Maintain office and other operational files as requested by the Chief of Party.
• Provide assistance and administrative support as needed to other Accra-based staff.
• Handle general inquiries and requests for information and materials via email, mail and/or phone.
• Collect departmental updates for monthly operations report.
• Retrieve, log, and sort correspondence and resumes.
• Assist in organizing training sessions and/or workshops.
• Manage and provide staff orientation; plan exit interviews.
• Ensure timely communication on employment changes i.e. resignations, terminations, leave applications, time sheets and other personal related information.
• Maintain employee telephone lists and office floor map.
• Provide assistance with travel expense reports, photocopying, ordering reading and learning materials, as needed.
• Assist staff with sending documents via courier, bus, etc.
• Serve as Accra office receptionist and point of contact for greeting and directing visitors.
• Provide oversight to the work performed by the cleaner and ensure their duties are carried out in a timely and efficient manner.
• Organize and set up office for meetings.
• Book appointments and schedule meetings.
• Book accommodation for trips to the field by Creative and partner staff and beneficiaries.
• Liaise with drivers regarding vehicles and support the Procurement & Logistics Officer to assign vehicles to support all movements of staff to the field based on the weekly schedule.
• Assist with vehicle fleet coordination.

Human Resources

• Maintain office, personnel, and other operational files as requested by the Chief of Party.
• In concert with the program team, prepare job announcements/job descriptions, file documents in personnel files, conduct interviews, recruit staff, and facilitate new employee orientations and trainings.
• Coordinate policies regarding human resources activities, such as recruitment, compensation, benefits, training, employee relations, and performance management.
• Monitor time and attendance of staff and other personnel functions.
• Process leave request forms and track leave accrued and taken for Accra-based staff.
• Process agreements for casual labor and support staff and track their start and end dates.
• Induct and train new staff and short-term technical assistance consultants on Creative policies and procedures.
• Process, verify, and maintain documentation related to personnel activities such as staffing, recruitment, training, grievances, performance evaluations and classifications.
• Interpret and provide guidance and instruction to the Accra team on HR processes, policies, workflow, and work unit priorities.
• Provide employees with information about policies, job duties, working conditions, wages and opportunities for promotion and employee benefits.
• Plan and conduct new employee orientation to foster positive attitude toward organizational objectives.
• Analyze training needs to design employee development, language training, and health and safety programs
• Serve as a link between management and employees by handling questions, interpreting and administering contracts, and helping to resolve work related problems
• Support the Chief of Party to conduct exit interviews to identify reasons for employee termination.
• As required, contract with vendors to provide employee services, such as background verification, health and life insurance, and transportation.
• Support the Chief of Party to mediate conflict and grievances among staff.
• In consultation with the Chief of Party, make decisions on HR issues.
• Assist the office team with understanding and using the Performance Evaluation System.
• Any other duties and tasks as needed and assigned.  

Required Skills & Qualifications:

• Two (2) year University degree required, degree in human resources, business administration, or related field is required.  Four-year university degree preferred.
• Must have 4+ years of general work experience or history.
• Must have 2+ years of directly related specific experience in Human Resources or administration role.
• Previous HR experience working under USAID or other donor funded regulations and policies.
• Experience in sourcing, recruiting and interviewing professional and management candidates is required.
• Experience in developing and implementing programs across complex organizations with software and systems related to sourcing and management of candidates is required.
• Strong ability to use and develop management and tracking systems.
• Strong communication skills.
• Problem solving, stress management and time management skills are required.
• Proficient at using Microsoft office software: MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, etc.  Prior experience using MS Access and web-based database applications preferred.
• Excellent record keeping and documentation skills are required.
• Experience of working in a conflict environment is a plus.
• Written and spoken fluency in English required. Proficiency in French highly desired.
• Fluency in one or more of the local languages used in West Africa preferred.
• Ability to work under pressure and efficiently handle multiple tasks.
• Ability to work both independently and as a part of a team.