N-26-21 Finance and Administration Assistant

The International Potato Center (CIP) is looking for one (1) Finance and Administration Assistant to provide essential support and coordination to the CIFOR-ICRAF operations and the IKI-EUDR project in Lima, Peru.

About CIFOR-ICRAF: More than a research institute—it is a hub of the brightest minds working together to develop nature-based solutions for forested and tree-based landscapes. We collaborate with governments, academia, civil society, and the private sector to address five major global challenges: deforestation and biodiversity loss, the climate crisis, the transformation of unsustainable food systems, unsustainable value and supply chains, and extreme inequality.

About the position: This role is designed to ensure the smooth execution of daily office functions, focusing on financial processing, travel coordination, and administrative logistics. The successful candidate will support the IKI-EUDR project, ensuring compliance with donor regulations (European Union) and institutional standards, while facilitating the operational needs of our scientific and technical teams in the field.

Key responsibilities:

• Coordinate domestic and international travel arrangements, including flights, accommodation, transport, visa requests, and travel documentation for staff, consultants, and participants.
  
• Support the organization of events and workshops, including venue coordination, catering, participant logistics, and follow-up on pending activities.
  
• Prepare, organize, and follow up on supporting documentation for payments, expense claims, petty cash, consultancy processes, and online submissions in compliance with organizational procedures.
  
• Gather and submit required documentation for consultancy hires, including onboarding forms and supporting documents, through relevant organizational systems in a timely manner.
  
• Monitor advances, pending documentation, and contract expiration dates, and escalating issues to the Analyst as needed.
  
• Provide day-to-day office administrative support, including correspondence, filing, scanning, office supplies, and coordination of IT and equipment requests.
  
• Coordinate with IT for the setup of corporate email accounts, assignment of electronic devices, and related onboarding support for new staff and consultants.
  
• Maintain organized, secure, and updated physical and electronic records, databases, contact lists, and filing systems.
  
• Draft routine correspondence, invitation and participation letters, and manage incoming and outgoing communications with staff, partners, government authorities, and service providers.
  
• Liaise with internal and external stakeholders to follow up on requests and ensure timely coordination of administrative processes.
  
• Ensure compliance with applicable CIFOR-ICRAF and CIP institutional policies, procedures, and administrative requirements in all assigned activities.
  
  

Requirements

What are we looking for?

·       Education: Bachelor’s or Technical degree in Administration, Accounting, Economics, or related fields.

·   Experience: At least 2 years of professional experience in administrative support roles, preferably but not excluding within international organizations or NGOs.

·       Experience in provision of administrative and logistics support to field operations in Amazonian or rural environments (desirable).

·       Languages: Intermediate to advanced English (written and oral) and fluent Spanish.

·       Technical Skills: Advanced proficiency in MS Office (Excel is critical). Experience with ERP systems like Unit4/Agresso is a plus.

·       Core Competencies: Ability to deal effectively with differing situations and complex demands, solid communication, service-oriented, attention to detail, proactivity, and the ability to work effectively in a multicultural, virtual environment.

Benefits

What are we offering?

·       1-year fixed-term contract with the possibility of renewal based on performance and fund availability.

·       An excellent, diverse, and equal-opportunity working environment.

·       The opportunity to contribute to high-impact international research for development.

How to apply?

Please visit the following link: http://cipotato.org/open-vacancies/ to submit your cover letter and a full C.V. along with your references (preferable recent supervisors). Internal candidates are welcome and encouraged to apply. Nevertheless, we highly encourage all interested candidates to participate in this process. The deadline for the receipt of applications is June 03, 2026.

This position WILL NOT have contact with children or vulnerable adults.

We look forward to receiving applications from individuals with disabilities who are willing to contribute their talents and skills to our team. If you require specific accommodation for the selection process due to a disability, please do not hesitate to inform us.

Learn more about CIP by accessing our web site at http://www.cipotato.org

CIP is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified women and professionals from developing countries are particularly encouraged to apply.