Training Assistant at Peace Corps Timor Leste

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT 

(for Recruitment, PSC Duties, and Performance Reviews)

PSC Position Title:	Training Assistant
Hours (40 or 48):	40 hours a week
Reports To:	Training Manager
Coordinates with:	Director of Programming and Training; Programming & Training (P&T) Team; other Peace Corps departments (Admin, Safety & Security, and Medical
Supervises Others:	N/A

 

Minimum Requirements:

At a minimum, the successful candidate’s CV should demonstrate the following:

• Education/Certification:  Vocational Certificate or equivalent training certificate beyond high school.
•  Years of Experience:  Two years’ experience working in administration and logistics.
• Proficiency in oral and written English:   High proficiency in written and spoken English, and fluency in Tetun. 
• Experience working in a cross-cultural environment.
• Knowledge of MS Office computer applications (Word, Excel, Outlook).

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree
• Fluency in English
• Three or more years’ relevant to work experience
• 1 year experience working in or with international organizations
• Experience in budgeting and/or procurement.
• Work experience is related to training support and comfort handling and tracking cash expenditures and personally responsible for safeguarding funds

Background

The mission of Peace Corps worldwide is to promote peace and friendship by:

 

1. To help the people of other countries in meeting their needs for trained men and women;
2. To promote a better understanding of the American people on the part of the peoples served, and;
3. To promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of the American people.

 

The Peace Corps program in Timor-Leste operates at the request of the Government of Timor-Leste and works to support the priorities of the national and local governments as well as those of Timorese community members.  Over the 10 years that Peace Corps has served in Timor-Leste, over 200 volunteers have served all over the country. 

 

Your work with Peace Corps will contribute to the collaborative development efforts of Peace Corps and Timor-Leste, and will serve to promote better understanding between the people of Timor-Leste and the people of the United States. The work of a Peace Corps Personal Services Contractor does not limit itself to the role. Active support of the Peace Corps mission is paramount to the job because contractors are representatives of Peace Corps in Timor-Leste.

 

Objective of the Position

Under the direct supervision of the Training Manager, the Training Assistant  (TA) supports activities related to the administrative and logistical components of training events within the directions, policies and procedures of Peace Corps Timor-Leste. The TA also assists with the recruitment, selection, training, and management of temporary training staff. The work of the TA is primarily administrative and logistical.

The TA may be required to live outside Dili for the duration of PST (up to 14 weeks), and will be required to travel as needed to support training events or other PC needs.  The TA may also be required to work outside of, or in addition to, normally scheduled hours to support training events and other Post needs.  Training events are often six-day work weeks.   

Peace Corps Timor-Leste has two programs, English Language Education and Community Economic Development. Volunteers serve for two years. An intake of 40 Trainees is expected for October 2022.

The TA must consistently use a range of support and communication skills including active listening and timely and consistent follow through on requests for support and/or assistance and/or program adaptations.  The TA should foster and develop personal and professional growth, celebrate accomplishments, promote best practices and consistently champion the efforts of Trainees, Volunteers, and staff.

 

Tasks & Deliverables

A.      Administrative & Logistical

• Assists Training Manager (TM) with all preparations for training events. Help to research and make arrangements for venues, meals, lodging, transportation, guest speakers, and other logistical coordination.
• Assists Training Manager with all communications for the Training Unit; draft correspondences, texts, letters, documents and handle telephone calls.
• Act as primary backup support for TM. In particular, provide support for the TM and all PST staff; acting as liaison between PST staff and Dili office staff, communicating needs and organizing the transportation of information and supplies to the PST sites.
• Works closely with key staff in the General Services Unit and Admin/Finance unit in the development and implementation of policies and procedures regarding the use of and access to all Peace Corps and/or training site equipment and services.
• Collects training evaluation data and submits to Training Manager for analysis.
• Ensure technical and computer needs are set up at the training event. 
• Assists in identification or development of materials and resources for training or representational events including photocopying and submissions for bids to vendors.

     

B.     Budget Implementation

• Assists the TM and Financial and Administrative Assistant (FAA) with fiscal coding, cost and budgeting.
• Reviews and reconciles bills with the training venue or with the supplier.
• Draft budget for venue, meals, accommodations, per diems, and transport costs for training participants.

   

C.      Human Resource Management

• Support temporary staff to submit timekeeping and ensure all contact information is complete.
• Provides assistance to Trainees/Volunteers regarding work issues and personal needs if requested. Offer information and guidance on cross-cultural matters.

 

D.     Travel and Inventory Management

• Assists in scheduling all PC vehicles used for each training events for transportation of staff, Trainees/Volunteers and guests in coordination with the General Services Unit.
• Provides general support as needed to Programming and Training Unit, requiring familiarity with Volunteers, projects, sites, and functions of the unit.
• Update all inventory, records, and files for the Training Unit.
• Work with General Services unit for appropriate storage of training supplies and materials and update inventory systems.

 

Other Duties

• Performs other duties or assignments, when deemed necessary by the Country Director and/or DMO for the successful management of Peace Corps operations in Timor-Leste.

 

Standard Roles and Responsibilities

1. Occasional Money Handler may be required to courier cash and /or purchase orders to various vendors who furnish supplies and/or services to PST/IST training site, or other locations as directed by the Contracting Officer. The PSC may also be required to courier cash to PC trainees or volunteers. The PSC will not be functioning as a procurement or disbursing official but will only be acting as an intermediary between the Contracting or Disbursing Officer and the recipient. In the case of dealing with vendors, the PSC will not exercise any procurement discretion concerning the supplies or services to be purchased or the cost limits of these purchases; these will be determined by the Contracting Officer.

 

2.      Every individual with any involvement in the operations of Peace Corps Timor-Leste, whether U.S. Direct Hire, U.S. Personal Services Contractor, Foreign Service National, Foreign Service Personal Services Contractor or Volunteer / Trainee has duties and responsibilities directly and/or indirectly associated with Safety and Security.  These duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Awareness and understanding of all directives of Peace Corps regarding Safety and Security.
• Awareness and understanding of emergency procedures at both home and office.
• Awareness and understanding of duties associated with the Peace Corps Timor-Leste Emergency Action Plan.
• Availability, at both home and office, of staff and Volunteer contact phone numbers and/or email addresses in case the stated individual is directed to establish emergency contact and provide emergency information.
• Maintains current knowledge of the Peace Corps evacuation Plan, the PC Emergency Action Plan and how to use fire extinguisher in order to ensure adequate level of safety and support for Peace Corps/Timor-Leste Volunteers.
• Ensure complete confidentiality regarding all information related to Peace Corps staff, Volunteers and Peace Corps/Timor-Leste operations.
• Any Inherently Governmental Functions (IGFs) such as Supervisor or Receiving Officer

 

3.      Safety and Security Instruction 110

Ensures safety and security competencies are incorporated and actively integrated in PST and IST programs. Ensures that the global core sessions are incorporated into PST and that relevant staff participate. Evaluates and documents effectiveness of training, including PCV/T progress on safety and security competencies. Working with CD, DPT, relevant APCDs/PMs, and SSM, develops, assesses and redesigns competencies and training sessions as required. Ensures that safety and security systems for pre-service training are in place, including evaluation of homestay sites and the orientation of host families. Provides training to trainers and other staff, practicum partners, local officials, and PCTs, regarding their roles and responsibilities related to PCV/T safety and security. Identifies and immediately communicates Volunteer safety and security concerns and issues to the Safety and Security Manager (SSM) and the Country Director (CD). Participates in the design and implementation of the Emergency Action Plan (EAP). Acts as duty officer, as needed. Knowledgeable and supportive of Peace Corps safety and security policies and procedures, including the timely reporting of suspicious incidents, persons or articles.

 

The Training Assistant periodically performs Duty Officer Functions requiring 24/7 on-call availability on a rotating schedule with other staff members. Knowledgeable and supportive of Peace Corps safety and security policies and procedures, including the timely reporting of suspicious incidents, persons or articles.

 

4.      Inherently Governmental Functions 

• May be designated a sub-cashier after approval by CFO/GAP.  Responsibilities as a sub-cashier include performing limited cash disbursements as directed by the DMO, proper disbursing and collecting of funds, proper accounting for funds advanced, safeguarding funds advanced, and accepting personal responsibility and financial liability for funds after successful completion of the requisite training for performing sub-cashier duties.  (See MS 760 and OFMH 13)

Logistics & Level of Effort & Duty Station

Performs duties during a 40 or 48 hour work week. Events may require occasional work in the evenings and on weekends and holidays. May also be required to travel up country. Duty station is the main office Rua Nuu Laran, Bairro dos Grilhos, Dili.  May be required to work in another town during 10 weeks of training in October. May also be required to travel up country. Events may require occasional work in the evenings and on weekends and holidays. May carry a duty phone.

 

Temporary Duty Station:

In the course of executing the duties in this Statement of Work, Peace Corps may require attendance and/or participation in conferences and/or trainings both domestically and internationally. When participating in conferences/trainings at venues outside of Dili, the venue of the conference/training will be defined as the staff member’s temporary duty station. "Temporary duty station" means any work site away from an employee's official duty station. Typically Peace Corps provides meals and lodging at such conferences/trainings. While at the temporary duty station, Peace Corps staff members are not on travel status and do not receive per diem, nor are they eligible to earn credit hours that they would otherwise be eligible for at their official duty station.

APPLICANT INFORMATION:

 

Salary

Starting at $8,705 annually plus benefits (depends on salary history, experience, and qualifications)

 

Security Clearance

Candidate must be able to obtain a security clearance which requires a National ID Card and recent/valid Ministry of Justice Requerimento de Certificado de Registo Criminal. Candidates without these documents may apply, but they should start working on obtaining these documents immediately. Candidates will also require a valid passport and must not have any restrictions on travel to the United States from previous experience.

 

Important! Applicants must clearly describe or demonstrate how they meet each of the above qualifications in a Cover Letter written in English to be considerd. Resumes/CVs should not exceed 4 pages. P;ease do NOT send additional attachments, such as certificates, at this time. Qualified and interested candidates should send their cover letter and Resume/CV by email to easttimorpc@peacecorps.gov.  The Cover Letter and Resume/CV should be sent as attachments with the applicant’s name in the file names. Applicants should use the following subject line for the email: TA_LastName,Firstname (Ex: TA_Soares,Maria). Applications without the correct subject line may be disqualified.

 

The Peace Corps is an equal opportunity employer. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to

apply.

 

Closing date: position remains open until filled—applicants should apply before 24th September 2021 for priority consideration. No phone calls or personal visits related to this vacancy will be accepted. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.