Assistant  

Purpose of Job

The Assistant is responsible for providing administrative and secretarial support to allocated managers.  The role is responsible for the smooth running of the managers’ business activities including travel planning and expenses, diary and Ops Com/Board submissions.

The Assistant provides secretarial and administrative support to team managers and works with other support staff in the team as and when required. The role also encompasses the responsibility of supporting & guiding other secretaries when new to their role and covering secretarial absence. This role will entail dealing with colleagues in the Resident Offices as well as in the Headquarters which in turn also includes various departments.

Accountabilities and Responsibilities

• Making hotel/travel arrangements, itineraries and arranging visas, renewing passports as required to ensure travel arrangements run smoothly.
• Processing consultancy contracts/ legal documentation and liaising with consultants, and outside lawyers as directed by manager.
• Provide cover during other Assistants’ absences and provide handover notes to ensure a smooth transition.
• Handling Managers’ expense claims relating to travel, hospitality, following up on reimbursement and monitoring corporate card bills to ensure all costs are recovered in a timely manner.
• OpsCom and Board submission for the Operation Leaders. Ensuring quality management and control; proof-reading and checking documents as and when required.
• Screening Managers’ and colleagues’ telephone calls; responding to and dealing with external queries; passing on calls to other members of the department as appropriate to ensure appropriate action are taken for any calls.
• Maintain comprehensive filing in various hard copy and electronic systems and archiving for Managers’/team to ensure instant retrieval of documents.
• Managing diaries, arranging internal and external meetings and conference calls, receiving visitors ensuring that each meeting is seamlessly executed.
• Correspondence, obtaining the appropriate sign off on documents and coordinating PSD, Mandate Letter when required ensuring that they are signed or coordinated in a timely manner.
• Events, organising signing events on behalf of Operations Leader at the Headquarters ensuring that any event is well organised and that any issues arising are resolved in a timely way.
• Depending on the individual team they may be responsible for dealing with reports, logging, ensuring all entries are correct and that all personal items are paid by the individual
• Depending on the individual team, coordinating moves and changes with HR, IT and Facilities or/and own department coordinator to ensure a smooth on boarding for new starters.
• Conduct ad-hoc or specific tasks assigned by Line Manager which may be related amongst others to pipeline or reporting.

Knowledge, Skills, Eperience & Qualifications

Academic Qualifications

• Secondary/High School Education
• Fluent English, with excellent written and oral communication skills
• Knowledge of another language (e.g. Russian, German, French, or Arabic) both written and spoken would be useful

Experience/Knowledge

• Secretarial and administrative experience essential
• Good organisational skills, proactive and flexible attitude to work essential.
• Ability to prioritise own work and to work on own initiative.
• Good communications skills, including pleasant and efficient telephone manner
• Attention to detail and eye for accuracy
• Ability to cope well under pressure
• Ability to build effective working relationships with clients and colleagues in a multicultural environment
• Conscientious, reliable and flexible with a professional and helpful attitude.
• Strong team player, with the ability to work highly efficiently and cheerfully and to handle simultaneous assignments involving a wide range of bank-wide contacts.
• Willing to work overtime as and when required, sometimes at short notice.
• Ability to multi-task while remaining calm and professional and a capacity for hard work.
• Excellent interpersonal manner, including tact and diplomacy.
• Ability to exercise judgment on and deal discretely with confidential/sensitive information and data.
• Ability to take on responsibility.
• Knowledge of SAP is an advantage
• Excellent time-keeper.

Technical Skills

• Computer literate: Windows XP: Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint
• Knowledge of SAP desirable but not essential
• At least 55 wpm typing

What is it like to work at the EBRD?

Our agile and innovative approach is what makes life at the EBRD a unique experience! You will be part of a pioneering and diverse international organisation, and use your talents to make a real difference to people’s lives and help shape the future of the regions we invest in. 

The EBRD environment provides you with:

• Varied, stimulating and engaging work that gives you an opportunity to interact with a wide range of experts in the financial, political, public and private sectors across the regions we invest in;
• A working culture that embraces inclusion and celebrates diversity;
• An environment that places sustainability, equality and digital  transformation at the heart of what we do.

Diversity is one of the Bank’s core values which are at the heart of everything it does.  A diverse workforce with the right knowledge and skills enables connection with our clients, brings pioneering ideas, energy and innovation. The EBRD staff is characterised by its rich diversity of nationalities, cultures and opinions and we aim to sustain and build on this strength. As such, the EBRD seeks to ensure that everyone is treated with respect and given equal opportunities and works in an inclusive environment. The EBRD encourages all qualified candidates who are nationals of the EBRD member countries to apply regardless of their racial, ethnic, religious and cultural background, gender, sexual orientation or disabilities.  As an inclusive employer, we promote flexible working and expecting our employee to attend the office 50% of their working time.

Right to Work in the UK: Swiss nationals (and all other non-UK employees) can work in the UK without a Visa – working at the EBRD gives all employees “exempt status”. The Bank however encourages all non-UK employees to obtain an Exempt Vignette (EV) prior to relocating to the UK, as without an EV you may face more questions at Border Control and when required to show evidence of their exempt status when renting accommodation under the Right to Rent legislation. The application process may take 3 – 4 weeks approx. outside of the UK. 

This is how cinfo can support you in the application process for this specific position:

• Application preparation: Before you apply for this position: Improve your application documents by registering for a Job Application Support. Our coaches are here to help tailor your application to the requirements of the job (service provided at your own cost).
• Interview preparation: When invited to the interview: Prepare for the interview by registering for a Job Application Support.
• Additional services for  Swiss nationals who get invited to the selection process (written test, interview, assessment centre, etc.):
  • Let us know by writing to [email protected]. We flag matching applications to HR partners and SDC/SECO for visibility.
  • Benefit from free interview/assessment preparation by registering here : Interview and Assessment Centre Preparation for Jobs in Multilateral Organisations. Our coaches stand ready to help prepare for upcoming interview/assessment centre.