Reports to: Rangeland Ecology and Management Specialist/Country Coordinator - Tunisia
Location: Tunis, Tunisia
Purpose of the position
Provide strategic administrative, operational, and coordination support to the Tunisia Country Office, ensuring smooth office operations, financial compliance, procurement efficiency, and effective engagement with internal and external stakeholders. Serve as a key liaison with government authorities, suppliers, and ICARDA teams to uphold organizational standards and operational excellence.
The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) is a treaty-based international non-profit research organization supported by CGIAR.
ICARDA’s mission is to reduce poverty, enhance food, water, and nutritional security, as well as environmental health in the face of global challenges including climate change. We do this through innovative science, strategic partnerships, linking research to development and capacity development that take into account gender equality and the role of youth in transforming the dry areas. ICARDA works in partnership with governments, universities, civil society, national agricultural research organization, other CGIAR Research Centers, and the private sector. With its temporary Headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon, ICARDA operates in regional and country offices across Africa, Asia and the Middle East. For more information: www.icarda.org.
Office Management & Administrative Support
· Manage daily office operations and enforce ICARDA policies.
· Coordinate schedules, meetings, and travel arrangements for senior management and staff.
· Supervise administrative staff, delegate tasks, and support onboarding of new team members.
· Maintain office supplies, equipment, and organized filing systems (digital & physical).
· Plan and execute internal meetings, workshops, and events.
· Prepare official administrative letters related to all projects implementation matters.
Procurement & Financial Administration
· Support local procurement, vendor management, and compliance with ICARDA policies.
· Manage end-to-end procurement processes: bids, contracts, documentation, and renewals.
· Serve as Category B co-signatory for financial transactions, monitor budgets, and assist in monthly financial closure.
· Maintain accurate documentation for audits and donor reporting.
Government Relations & Compliance
· Liaise with Tunisian authorities for residency permits, customs, and vehicle registration.
· Maintain official records of ICARDA agreements with government entities.
· Act as Safety and Security Focal Point, ensuring adherence to security protocols.
External Relations & Representation
· Coordinate logistics for official visits, field missions, and workshops, ensuring compliance with protocols.
· Support the Country Manager in interactions with embassies, donors, and partners.
· Maintain strong relationships with service providers and vendors to ensure quality, cost-effective support.
Communication & Internal Coordination
· Facilitate timely and professional internal communication.
· Coordinate staff travel, calendars, and office administrative workflows.
· Respond promptly to inquiries and support operational continuity.
Requirements
· BSc in business management, or equivalent, with a minimum of three years' experience in secretarial work and office/administrative support.
• Demonstrated experience in working on confidential matters, ensuring that discretion is exercised when dealing with sensitive information and inquiries, and ensuring that appropriate confidentiality is maintained at all times.
• Demonstrated ability to work harmoniously with diverse colleagues and functions.
• Ability to plan and anticipate problems and to problem solve.
• Strong organizational, communication, and leadership skills.
• Financial literacy and procurement expertise.
• Stakeholder management (internal, external, governmental).
• Attention to detail, discretion, and confidentiality.
• Excellent English and Arabic communications skills is required
Benefits
This is a nationally recruited position for which ICARDA offers an attractive compensation package including a competitive salary, medical insurance, 30 days of annual leave, five months’ maternity leave, 15 days’ paternity leave. The successful candidate will be offered an initial contract of 3 years, renewable subject to satisfactory performance, continuous need of the position and availability of fund. The probation period will comply with the applicable labor law of the respective country.
Please be advised that ICARDA accepts applications only in English, as per the organization's standard communication language. Applications in other languages will not be considered.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Getting agricultural research innovations into use in the dry areas is critically important, especially since these regions cover 40 per cent of the earth’s surface and are home to 2.5 billion people – a significant percentage of the world’s population.
This is the core work of the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Area (ICARDA), which works with partners worldwide, developing innovations to improve food security and the livelihoods of the rural poor. ICARDA’s work targets non-tropical dry areas in developing countries, and also produces international public goods with potential for global application.
Research covers crops (wheat, barley, faba bean, lentil, chickpea and forage legumes), the management of natural resources (water, land, biodiversity), small ruminant production (sheep and goats), farming systems (intensification, diversification, integration between farming system components), and socio-economics and policy research – on how policies can be more relevant to the situation of low income countries.
The estimated benefits of ICARDA’s crop improvement research and production of new varieties over the past 3 decades has been estimated at US$850 million per year. Over 900 improved varieties of wheat, developed from ICARDA material, have been released for cultivation worldwide. The new varieties offer higher yields; better tolerance to drought, heat, cold and salinity; and improved resistance to diseases, weeds and insect pests.
Watch our short video - ‘ICARDA - What We Do’
