Office Assistant (Fixed Term Contract)

About GiveDirectly

GiveDirectly (GD) aims to reshape international giving – and millions of lives – by providing cash grants directly to the world’s poorest. The Brookings Institution estimates that $70B of cash transfers would be required to eliminate the poverty gap; the aid sector currently spends $135B each year, much of it on evidence-free interventions. GiveDirectly wants to change that, establishing cash transfers as a benchmark for foreign aid – as the index fund is a benchmark for the financial industry – and in the process accelerating the end of extreme poverty.

GD has raised over $1B since launching in 2011, delivered cash to more than 1.5 million people in 15 different countries. We’ve also supported large-scale, experimental research that indicates strong recipient impact of our programs. As a result, GD has been celebrated as one of the most innovative non-profit companies by Fast Company, while the growing cash transfer movement (and GD’s leading role within it) have been featured in the New York Times Magazine, This American Life, Foreign Affairs, and The Economist.

Our culture is candid, analytical, agile, and non-hierarchical. Our global team of ~150, and country operations teams of ~650, together come from 21 different countries speaking 69 different languages. Team members bring experiences from the private sector, NGOs and government. From software engineers to seasoned humanitarian workers, former management consultants to public servants, researchers to field operations -- it’s an incredible group of people.

Our values are central and deliberately opinionated. We genuinely center the people we serve in our decision making, and strive to build an ambitious, fast moving and high performing environment. We strongly encourage you to read through our values carefully, if they reflect how you like to work and energize you, this could be a great fit.

We work hard to create an environment in which all our team members can thrive, succeed and grow.  We support flexibility, take care of each other, have fun, and create professional growth opportunities.

Overview:

An Office Assistant provides administrative and clerical support to ensure the efficient operation of the office. This role involves a variety of tasks, including managing correspondence, maintaining files, scheduling appointments, and supporting staff with general office duties.

Key Responsibilities

Office & Administration Support

• Ensure the office is clean, well-organized, and fully functional
• In charge of office security, custodian of office keys
• Provide support in organizing company events and activities
• Provide Quality Customer Service to staff and walk-in guests
• Support with the coordination of travel logistics for staff and other guests as instructed by the Office & Procurement Manager (OPM) e.g. booking of flights, taxis, and hotels for staff accommodation
• Managing Courier Services -  sending and receiving mail and parcels
• Regular monitoring of relevant supplies to ensure no stock out
• Perform other administrative duties as assigned by management
• Ensures that all incidents are reported

Petty Cash Management

• Daily update of the petty cash tracker, receipts filed, both in soft and hard copies
• Ensuring that office expenses are within budget
• Ensure all spending is within the organization's policies
• Ensuring there is no discrepancy between the cash at hand and the records
• Weekly submission of spent petty cash
• Timely request for petty cash replenishment

Procurement

• Support local procurement in coordination with the Office & Procurement Manager (OPM)
• Support with the sourcing of potential service providers as needed
• Support the timely submission of vendor invoices and vendor payments as needed

Inventory management

• Ensure asset trackers are up to date, and all assets are tagged and accounted for
• Conduct monthly assets verification through physical stock count
• Timely reporting of loss or damage of any of GiveDirectly’s property
• Support the issuance, replacement, and clearance of field/office equipment to staff

Desired Qualifications

• Degree or Diploma in Business Management, or a related field
• Minimum 1 year of experience in office management in a fast-paced environment
• Strong problem-solving and organizational skills
• Proficient in the Microsoft Office suite
• Deep familiarity with Turkana County
• Proficiency in Turkana language is a MUST
• High integrity, empathy, and alignment with GiveDirectly’s values
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Demonstrate high standards of integrity, including a positive attitude, a strong work ethic, a strong follow-through mindset, and a team-player mentality
• Demonstrate maturity when dealing with and communicating community challenges and concerns 
• Empathy, honesty, and the highest standards of integrity, including positive attitude, strong work ethic, strong follow-through mindset, and team-player mentality

 

Working at GiveDirectly

GiveDirectly is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to the person’s race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Flagging for US applicants: We invite you to "Know Your Rights" as an applicant.

Commitment to Safeguarding

As a global organization serving some of the world’s most vulnerable communities, GiveDirectly takes the safeguarding of its recipients, staff, and partners seriously. To that end, GiveDirectly is a member of the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme, and will systematically check with previous employers about any sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment issues relating to potential new hires. We may also employ other robust pre-hire screens, including in-depth reference checks, criminal background checks, and sanctions screens.

GD is committed to observing all local, national and international laws that protect children, vulnerable adults, and basic human rights of all. GD is committed to a policy of “zero tolerance for sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment (SEAH)” and expects anyone who works for GD to uphold the protection and safeguarding of our recipients as a priority.

These efforts help us continue to build and maintain trust with the communities we serve, and prevent harm to our recipients.

 

Want to put your best foot forward on your GiveDirectly application? Take a look at our Candidate Application Prep Guide!