Administrative Specialist

About TechnoServe: At TechnoServe, we believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to build a better life. For over 50 years, we have given smallholder farmers and entrepreneurs the skills, connections, and confidence to lift themselves out of poverty. We leverage the power of markets and the private sector to create sustainable economic growth to benefit people and the planet.

Our unique mix of business solutions, deep knowledge of local contexts, and data-driven insights is helping to fight poverty across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. TechnoServe staff are local–95% are from the countries in which they work. We put a high premium on collaboration and entrepreneurship. We hold ourselves and each other to the highest standards of integrity and transparency. And we focus on delivering lasting impact for our mission.

Program Overview: Ube-GOLD (Ube–Growth, Opportunity, Livelihoods, and Development) is a five-year project in the Philippines funded by the USDA Food for Progress Program and implemented by TechnoServe that responds to the widening gap between ube demand and supply. The project takes a demand-driven, commercial approach, using buyer and processor requirements to guide which varieties are propagated, which agricultural practices farmers adopt, how supply is collected and graded, and where capital flows.

Job Summary: TechnoServe seeks a highly organized, detail-oriented professional to assist TechnoServe’s Ube-GOLD project office with administrative functions which includes, operations and procurement support, asset management, local finance and compliance, and field logistics support. The position, under the supervision of the Senior Operations and Finance Manager , is a critical function of coordinating operations activities across the office, to make sure that project administration and logistics is as efficient and seamless as possible for project staff.

Primary Functions & Responsibilities:

Office Setup & Administration

• Run daily office administration, including digital and physical filing, couriers, supplies, and meeting logistics.
• Help secure, lease and set up the Metro Manila office (for example Makati, BGC or Alabang), as the main contact for landlords and property managers.
• Source and manage local service providers (internet, IT support, utilities, insurance, security).
• Maintain the asset register and inventory, covering HQ-shipped equipment, project hardware and supplies, with regular physical counts to meet donor and insurance requirements.
• Track renewal of project vehicle documents and insurance.

Procurement Support

• Carry out office and project procurement as assigned, following TechnoServe policy. This includes vendor selection and the vendor database, requests for quotes, negotiation, and purchase orders and agreements.
• Monitor supplier performance, inspect delivered items, and resolve issues.

Finance & Compliance

• Process supplier payments, local bank operations and petty cash, under program oversight.
• Coordinate with the external accounting firm on BIR tax and corporate filings.
• Coordinate with global HR and payroll vendors to pay local consultants in line with the Philippine Labor Code.
• Handle initial registrations and permits with the SEC, local government units and the barangay.
• Liaise with the DA, BPI and DENR on import permits and project clearances.

Safety, Travel, & Logistics

• Support the Senior Operations and Finance Manager and the country safety and security focal points.
• Arrange international and domestic travel, and report on vehicle routes and speed compliance.

Supervision & Correspondence

• Supervise the drivers, cleaner and operations assistant, and guide the project administrator on meetings, agendas and briefing notes.
• Draft operations correspondence, reports and procedures, and improve office administrative procedures.

Basic Qualifications:

• Education Requirements:
  • Bachelor’s or Master's degree in Business Administration, or related field.
  • High School Diploma, or the equivalent, plus applicable experience in lieu of a degree may be considered.
• Years of Professional Experience Requirements:
  • Minimum of three years with a Bachelor's Degree
  • Minimum of one year with a Master's Degree.
• Professional Work Experience Requirements: Office administration, logistics and procurement, organizing travels and other operational support responsibilities - preferably with an international NGO.
• Understanding of international development ecosystems

Supervisory Responsibilities: Direct Supervision to daily office operations team (Drivers, Cleaner, Intern)

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• High professional work ethic and integrity.
• Ability to reason objectively, clear strong and strategic communication skills
• Good interpersonal and public relations skills
• Strong operational, analytical and supervision skills
• Ability to meet demands of competing priorities with minimal supervision
• Ability to work both as a team lead and a team member
• Effective oral and written communication skills
• Ability to work independently on multiple tasks simultaneously
• Strong interpersonal, organizational, and communication skills
• Experience with relevant software packages, including Google Workspace

Required Languages: Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal skills, including fluency in Filipino/Tagalog and English languages.

Travel: Ability to travel on occasion

We encourage all qualified individuals who share TechnoServe's vision of improving the lives of others through proven business solutions to apply.

With our commitment to diversity, we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and affirmative action employer and do not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, HIV/AIDS status, protected veteran status, disability and all other protected classes.

We are also proud of our commitment to protecting staff, partners, and beneficiaries from abuse and exploitation and thoroughly vet all final candidates through rigorous background and reference checks.

If you have a disability that affects your ability to use our online system to apply for a position at TechnoServe please contact the Human Resources at recruitment@tns.org or call +1 202 785 4515.

Job Details: Candidates must possess valid, unrestricted work authorization for the Philippines. TechnoServe does not offer visa sponsorship for this role. The successful candidate will receive a local employment contract with compensation paid in Philippine pesos. Salary is competitive, aligned with local market rates, and commensurate with qualifications and internal equity.