Job Trainee Business Operations Finance

Swiss Forum for International Agricultural Research; Roma; On-site; EUR 6,700 - 8,900; Part time

Job summary

The Alliance of Bioversity International & CIAT, based in Rome, invites applications for a part-time Job Trainee in Business Operations & Finance. The role supports the Operations team with general services, procurement, and administrative tasks in a collaborative environment.

The position runs 50% time for 11 months, with a monthly salary of €608.50. Applicants should have MS Office proficiency, English and Italian language skills, and strong organizational and communication abilities.

Qualifications

• Secondary school education completed.
• Proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Strong written and spoken English.
• Basic Italian language skills (written and spoken).
• Good interpersonal, communication and teamwork skills.
• Ability to establish and maintain relationships across cultures.
• Strong time management and attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Provide operational, logistical, and administrative support to the Operations team.
• Assist with reception, mailbox, calls, courier services and deliveries.
• Support procurement, invoicing, and archiving activities.
• Assist with updating databases and Power BI updates in OCS.
• Generate basic statistical reports and support office closures when needed.
• Perform other tasks as required.

Skills

MS Office

English

Italian

Time management

Communication

Organizational skills

Teamwork

Customer orientation

Education

Secondary school education

Tools

Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Internal Call Only - (RFP500615) Job Trainee, Business Operations & Finance (Part-Time 50%, Temporary assignment, 11 months - Rome, Italy)

Job Trainee, Business Operations & Finance

(Part-Time 50%, Temporaryassignment, 11 months)

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 crisis 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, theAlliance generates evidence and mainstreams innovations to transform foodsystems and landscapes so that they sustain the planet, drive prosperity, andnourish people in a climate crisis.

The Alliance is part of CGIAR,a global research partnership for a food-secure future.

Based in Rome, Italy and under the direct supervision of the Regional Operations andFinance Manager, the Job Trainee will provide operational, logistical, andadministrative support to the Operations team.

Responsibilities

More specifically,the Job Trainee will:

• Assist the team with general support services:
  • Assist with reception-related duties [welcoming visitors and switchboard function and updating pigeonhole (mail)].
  • Assist with standard office activities such as general mailbox, incoming and outgoing mail and calls, courier services and deliveries.
  • Assist with staff attendance registration.
  • Support maintenance of office supplies and assist purchases with local vendors for office needs.
  • Assist with generating access badges for staff members and visitors.
  • Assist with updating internal communication materials.
• Assist the team with procurement and administration tasks:
  • Assist in raising requisitions through the internal management system (Agresso); Support with monitoring of the status of the existing ones and coordination with Accounts Payable for invoice bookings.
  • Assist with administrative process (RRS, PO, GRN, Payment Booking- invoices - BC).
  • Assist with preparation and archiving all documentation related to the facility's activities and services.
  • Support with updating physical and electronic archives and databases (e.g. expiry dates of contracts, insurance policies).
  • Support with updating of Power-Bi tool in OCS, by reviewing desk allocations at HQ.
  • Support with accounting tasks, including internal invoices and rebilling related to meetings.
  • Provide support with basic statistical reports on all facilities activities (e.g. statistics, metrics, etc.).
  • Support office closures when necessary.
• Perform other tasks as required.

Requirements

• Secondary school education.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite packages (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Proficiency of the English language, both written and spoken.
• Basic knowledge of the Italian language, both written and spoken.
• Good interpersonal, communication and teamwork skills, courtesy and tact, and the ability to
• establish and maintain effective working relationships with people of different cultural and national backgrounds.
• Good skills in personal organization and priority setting.
• Good client orientation and service approach.
• Good time management skills and attention to details.

Terms of employment

This is a part-time (50%) job traineeship based in Rome, Italy, open to internal candidates, namely: regular staff members, complementary staff members, and individuals who are currently employed or have completed a contract with Bioversity in the last 12 months. The monthly salary is Euro 608,50. The contract is initially for a period of eleven (11) months. The contract may be extendable based on performance and availability of funds.

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).

Applications

Applicants are invited to visit https://alliancebioversityciat.org/careers for full details of the position and to submit their applications. Applications must include the reference number RFP500615. Cover letter and CV should be saved as one document using the candidate's last name and first name for ease of sorting. The Alliance collects and processes personal data in accordance with applicable data protection laws.

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Closing date for applications: 19 October 2026

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