The Organization
The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) deliver research-based solutions that harness agricultural biodiversity and sustainably transform food systems to improve people's lives. Alliance solutions address the global crises of malnutrition, climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation.
The Alliance works with local, national, and multinational partners across Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia, and Africa, and with the public and private sectors. The Alliance is part of CGIAR, a global research partnership for a food-secure future, dedicated to reducing poverty, enhancing food and nutrition security, and improving natural resources and ecosystem services.
With novel partnerships, the Alliance generates evidence and mainstreams innovations to transform food systems and landscapes so that they sustain the planet, drive prosperity, and nourish people in a climate crisis.
The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT is committed to fair, safe, and inclusive workplaces. We believe that diversity powers our innovation, contributes to our excellence, and is critical for our mission. Recruiting and mentoring staff to create an inclusive organization that reflects our global character is a priority. We encourage applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability statuses, sexual orientations, marital status, and gender identities. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
The Alliance is part of CGIAR, a global research partnership for a food-secure future.
https://alliancebioversityciat.org/ www.cgiar.org
About the position
Based in Rome, Italy, at the Alliance Headquarters the Job Trainee, Grants & Administrative Support will provide support to the Grants Management Unit in administrative, compliance, and coordination tasks across the lifecycle of grants and sub-grants. This role provides hands-on experience in grants and contracts management, information systems, and partner engagement, in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment. The trainee is expected to ensure timely completion of assigned tasks and proactively communicate on progress, challenges, and priorities
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Responsibilities
The specific tasks of the position include the following:
Grants
- Support the initial compliance review of donor contracts and facilitate the clearance and signature process.
- Assist in the preparation and submission of grants-related documents, including donor reports, amendments, grant agreements, and agreement revisions.
- Open new and update existing grant records in the ERP system and SharePoint database.
- File and track grant-related documents and correspondence (e.g., agreements, clearances, reports, variations) in both digital and hard copy formats.
- Support the submission of reports and other grant-related requests to funders, and independently manage routine tasks.
- Assist with grant-related administrative tasks, including filing, tracking correspondence, and internal communications.
- Support the coordination of grant closures and contribute to regular database updates.
Sub-Grants
- Conduct due diligence reviews of prospective partners.
- Draft sub-agreements and related amendments in compliance with the prime funder's requirements, with minimal supervision.
- Create and maintain partner records, and open and update sub-agreement records in the database.
- Support communications with implementing partners regarding reporting requirements, contractual compliance, and general follow-ups.
- Coordinate the clearance and signature process for sub-agreements and amendments.
- Manage external communications with partners, including submission of draft agreements, collection and internal clearance of reports, and processing of amendments.
- Initiate and track partner payment requests, including filing of related documentation.
- Support the sub-agreement closure process, from post-award assessment to administrative closure in the database.
- File and track all sub-agreement-related documents.
Other cross-cutting tasks
- Assist in the development and implementation of improved tools and procedures for grants management.
- Support travel arrangements and prepare non-technical minutes of meetings.
- Contribute to the development of knowledge and communication products related to the work of the Grants Management Unit.
- Refine and circulate the sub-agreement payment report.
- Prepare and distribute monthly internal reports on grants and sub-grants.
- Extract ad hoc information from PBI and the ERP system as needed.
- Conduct periodic data curation exercises.
- Support the HQ based GMU team in admin and support tasks as required.
Requirements
Essential Requirements
- Secondary school education.
- Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite packages.
- Working knowledge of the English language, both written and spoken.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse cultural and national backgrounds, showing courtesy and tact.
- Good skills in personal organization and priority setting.
- Good client orientation and service approach.
- Excellent time management skills and attention to details.
- Basic knowledge of ERP systems and Power BI.
Desirable Requirements
- University degree in a relevant field (Law, International Relations, etc.).
- Previous internships in relevant areas.
- Work experience in an international environment.
- Knowledge of French language is highly desirable.
- Knowledge of Spanish language is a plus.
Benefits
Terms of employment