The Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH (German Agency for International Cooperation) is an international enterprise owned by the German Federal government, operating in many fields across more than 130 countries.

In Nigeria, GIZ’s portfolio includes among others, a programme to support the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in its regional integration goals. The programme aims to strengthen sector-specific capacities in the areas of Peace and Security, Customs and Trade as weir as Strategic Management and Organizational Development in the ECOWAS Commission.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Bilingual Office Manager

Vacancy No.: 065
Location: Abuja
Organization: GIZ Nigeria, RPPP

Background
GIZ. Solutions that work:

• As a service provider in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development and international education work, we are dedicated to shaping a future worth living around the world. GIZ has over 50 years of experience in a wide variety of areas, including economic development and employment promotion, energy and the environment, and peace and security.
• The diverse expertise of our federal enterprise is in demand around the globe – from the German Government, European Union institutions, the United Nations, the private sector, and governments of other countries. We work with businesses, civil society actors and research institutions, fostering successful interaction between development policy and other policy fields and areas of activity. Our main commissioning party is the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
• The registered offices of GIZ are in Bonn and Eschborn. In 2019, we generated a business volume of around EUR 3.1 billion. Our 22,199 employees, almost 70 per cent of whom are national staff, work in around 120 countries. As a recognised development service provider, we currently have 556 development workers in action in partner countries. Furthermore, in 2019, the Centre for International Migration and Development (CIM), which is run jointly by GIZ and the German Federal Employment Agency, placed 262 integrated experts and 515 returning experts with local employers in our partner countries, or provided them with financial support, advice or other services. Personnel and business figures as at 31 December 2019.

The Project
Regional Project Support to Pandemic Prevention in the ECOWAS Region (RPPP):

• In December 2013, an Ebola epidemic of unprecedented proportions broke out in some countries in West Africa, primarily Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. The efforts to stem the Ebola epidemic revealed fundamental deficits in the health policies and strategies of the afflicted countries, but also of regional and international organisations.
• Multiple outbreaks of emerging and re-emerging diseases occurred in the region: Lassa fever, Meningococcal disease, Polio, Yellow fever, Monkeypox and Cholera broke out in Nigeria between 2016 and 2018; Dengue and Lassa fever and Meningococcal disease broke out in various West African countries, highlighting the need for improved epidemic control in the region.
• The Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the West African Health Organisation (WAHO) are mandated to assist Member States in controlling epidemics. WAHO’s mandate is to advise Member States on the implementation of the International Health Regulations (IHR). This is with a view to ensure free movement of people and goods and economic integration. WAHO, located in Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, and its mandate is to promote regional integration by harmonizing of policies of Member States, pooling of resources, and cooperation with one another and with others partners for a collective and strategic response to health problems of the ECOWAS region.
• The Regional Centre for Surveillance and Disease Control (RCSDC) located in Abuja, Nigeria, was formally established in 2015 and operationalised in February 2018. It operates under the supervision of WAHO and has as mandate:
  • To support ECOWAS Member States to build capacities to effectively conduct disease surveillance, prepare, respond and communicate risks for public health events;
  • To address complex health challenges in a coordinated manner, to empower the Member States achieve the ECOWAS set objective of keeping the people of West Africa healthy; and
  • To act only in cooperation with the relevant competent authority and upon request from Member States to carry out its mission, working under the close supervision of WAHO.
• In support of the newly established RCSDC, National Coordinating Institutions (NCIs) are currently being or have been established in all 15 ECOWAS Member States supporting the facilitation and coordination of disease surveillance, early warning and rapid response interventions and overseeing laboratories. Besides the RCSDC, the Regional Centre for Animal Health (RCAH) is the second specialized agency of WAHO related to the One Health approach.
• The objective of the project is to improve advice provided by the ECOWAS Commission and its specialized institutions and agencies to ECOWAS Member States on setting up selected disease control mechanisms in keeping with the International Health Regulations (IHR).

The expected outputs of the project are as follows:

• Improved communication in the ECOWAS region on health risks due to infectious diseases, which takes into account gender and One Health aspects.
• Improved communication and coordination between ECOWAS specialised institutions, agencies and National Coordinating Institutions according to defined regulations;
• Strengthened human resources in epidemic control of the ECOWAS Commission, WAHO, RCSDC and NCIs;
• Strengthened digitalized surveillance and outbreak management system in Nigeria and Ghana.

For this purpose, the RPPP operates at regional level: the West African Health Organization (WAHO) based in Burkina Faso and the Regional Centre for Surveillance and Disease Control (RCSDC) of the ECOWAS based in Nigeria will be strengthened in regard to their mandate to support the Member States with the implementation of selected core capacities of the IHR, such as risk communication, inter institutional coordination, human resources and digitalized surveillance. The project is limited to the countries of the ECOWAS region with focus on Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Togo. The project has its offices in Abuja/ Nigeria and in Bobo Dioulasso/ Burkina Faso.

Responsibilities and Tasks
The Bilingual Office Manager is responsible for:

• Ensuring the smoothly functioning of the programme secretariat
• Supporting the administrative correspondence and reporting in French and English Language
• Drafting Meeting minutes
• Ensuring administrative functions well in accordance with GIZ standard procedures
• Assisting on demand the Head of Finance and Administration and the Head of Programme with specific requests.

Tasks: The Bilingual Office Manager performs the following Tasks:
Administrative tasks and assistance to the Head of Programme:

• Organizes and coordinates the Head of Programme’s schedule and travel arrangements.
• Supports the Head of Programme and the Head of Finance and Administration in drafting and amending of contracts in French and English
• Prepares and organizes information materials for the Head of Programme and/or meetings
• Manages incoming and outgoing correspondence (post, email); prioritizes and organizes it.
• Drafts letters and administrative correspondences, in English and in French language, responsible for adhering to current corporate design according to GIZ rules and EU regulations of visibility.
• Participates in internal and external (team) meetings and workshops and assists with documenting these e.g. by taking minutes.
• Maintains the filing system and management of the RPPP files in DMS, shared drive and One Point.
• Supports Security prevention measures for project staff as Security Focal Point of the RPPP report on all relevant movement monitoring and liaises with the RMO/Update of the HRE Plan;
• Maintains the annual Leave Plan of the Programme team and updates the leave schedule monthly
• Maintains the mailing list and contacts for RPPP Staff and colleagues from Partner Institutions
• Logistical support (including flight reservation/bookings and follow up on boarding passes submission) of all in-country workshops and regional workshops with focus on participants from French speaking countries.
• Initiates office management related procurement activities.
• Treats information confidentially.

Office Management:

• Organizes events
• Supports foreign delegations and VIP visits
• Coordinates and organizes rooms for meetings
• Liaises with ECOWAS Cluster and other Projects/Programmes/CO for request for the use of vehicles and other equipment required for meetings

Other Duties / Additional Tasks:

• Performs other duties and tasks at the request of management.

Required Qualifications, Competences and Experience
Qualification:

• University Degree in Linguistics, Humanities or Social sciences background.

Professional Experience:

• At least 5 years’ professional experience in a comparable position, ideally in an international environment.

Other Knowledge, Additional Competences:

• Very good knowledge of English and French Language (Oral and written capacities)
• Knowledge of German language would be an advantage
• Strong intercultural management skills.
• Very good working knowledge of ICT technologies (related software, phone, fax, email, the internet) and computer applications (e.g. MS Office).
• Willingness to upskill as required by the task to be performed – corresponding measures are agreed with management.
• Good organizational skills
• A good team player who is willing to take on responsibility
• Innovative and possessing a positive attitude to change.
• Able to treat information confidentially.

Salary
According to GIZ salary scale for Band 4.

Application Closing Date
13th July, 2022.