(RFP500586) Associate, Administrative & Project Support (Rome, Italy)

The Organization

The Alliance of Bioversity International & CIAT delivers 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.

About the position

Based in Rome and under the direct supervision of Senior Manager, Business Development and Diversification, the position provides administrative, financial, and project support to the Accelerate for Impact Platform (A4IP), ensuring smooth daily operations, effective budget management, and timely project coordination. The role supports internal teams and external stakeholders, including donors, partners, and service providers, with responsibilities spanning operational, financial, and reporting activities within a regional and global development context.

Key duties and responsibilities

• Coordinate administrative, logistical, and operational functions, including meetings, travel, procurement, and documentation.
  
• Support budget monitoring, financial tracking, and documentation for donor-compliant reporting to ensure proper allocation and utilization of project funds.
  
• Assist in project coordination, documentation, and reporting to facilitate the delivery of project objectives and results.
  
• Collaborate with internal teams, including project staff, finance, procurement, and HR, to ensure smooth workflows.
  
• Liaise with external stakeholders such as donors, partners, vendors, and service providers for operational and contractual matters.
  
• Coordinate with the Legal team for review of MoUs, contracts, and agreements to ensure compliance with institutional policies.
  
• Maintain accurate records, financial tracking tools, and filing systems.
  
• Consolidate inputs and support the drafting of high-quality narrative and financial reports, work plans, and project documentation.
  
• Ensure timely and compliant processing of invoices, contracts, and reimbursements.
  
• Support knowledge management by documenting project results, lessons learned, and best practices.
  

Requirements

Required qualifications and experience 

• Undergraduate degree, preferably master's degree in Business Administration, Social or Political Sciences, International Relations, Law, Development Studies, or related fields from an accredited institution.
  
• Preferably 3 years (at least a minimum of 2 years) of relevant professional experience in administrative, financial, or project support roles, preferably within international organizations or development contexts.
  
• Experience in budget monitoring, financial tracking, and donor-compliant reporting.
  
• Experience in project support, documentation, and workflow support.
  

Required competencies

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and collaboration tools (Teams, SharePoint); experience with SAP Concur or similar ERP systems is a plus.
  
• Familiarity with AICS and EU project management and reporting procedures, with a sound knowledge of relevant policies, compliance requirements, and technical and financial reporting guidelines.
  
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in Italian and English; knowledge of Spanish, French, or Arabic is an advantage.
  
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with team members and external stakeholders.
  
• Meticulous and highly organized, with strong attention to detail and a commitment to delivering high-quality outputs.
  

Benefits

Terms of employment

This position is a nationally recruited staff position based in Rome, Italy.
The initial contract will be for up to one (1) year, subject to a probation period of six (6) months, and is renewable depending on performance and availability of resources.
This position is graded at BG06 level, with a minimum annual basic salary of Euro 43,306 in a scale of BG02 to BG14 (BG14 being the highest level according to the Alliance job classification framework policy). We offer a competitive salary and excellent benefits including but not limited to insurance, retirement plan, staff training and development, paid time off and flexible working arrangements.

The Alliance of Bioversity International & 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.

Please note that eligible applicants must have the legal status to live and work in Italy:

• Be Italian nationals holding a valid passport or identity card.
  
• Or be EU citizens holding a valid passport or identity card and confirmation of registration from the Registrar’s Office (Anagrafe).
  
• Or Non–EU citizens holding a valid Italian work permit (permesso di soggiorno per lavoro subordinato).
  

Applications

Applicants are invited to visit https://alliancebioversityciat.org/careers to get full details of the position and to submit their applications. Applications MUST include reference number RFP500586 – Associate, Administrative & Project Support as the position applied for. Cover letter and CV should be saved as one document using the candidate’s last name, first name for ease of sorting. The Alliance collects and process personal data in accordance with applicable data protection laws.

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Applications closing date: 6 September 2026
Please note that email applications will not be considered.
We invite you to learn more about us at: http://alliancebioversityciat.org