Program Assistant

When you join the Pure Earth team, you will have the opportunity to make a profound impact on global health. We offer a collaborative work environment, opportunities for professional growth, and the chance to lead innovative research initiatives that protect the most vulnerable populations.

Pure Earth’s core strength is its team of nearly 100 passionate, skilled professionals working through nine offices across the globe. This team includes a diversity of professional expertise that spans the fields of medicine, engineering, toxicology, public health, behavioral and social sciences, communications, administration, and a host of other relevant disciplines.
**Brazil: Program Assistant

**JOB DESCRIPTION**

**Position: Program Assistant**

**LOCATION: Brasilia, Brazil**

**About Pure Earth**

Pure Earth is a non-profit environmental health organization dedicated to protecting people and the environment from the harms of toxic pollution. Pure Earth advances its goals by collaborating with public, private, and civil society organizations to implement sustainable, cost-effective interventions with measurable impacts. Pure Earth’s current priority is reducing lead and mercury poisoning in low-income and middle-income countries.

Pure Earth applies a practical, solution-driven approach. We combine advocacy, social and behavioral change strategies, and technical assistance with effective implementation. Our approach is interdisciplinary, bringing together environmental science and engineering, public health, social and medical sciences, and other methodologies to fulfill our objectives.

**Position Overview**:
We are seeking a qualified and motivated Program Assistant to support our program implementation in Brazil, the programs will be located throughout the country, but this position will be based in Brasilia.

**Position Responsibilities**:

- The Program Assistant will report to the Program Director and work closely with field-based staff, providing administrative and logistic support to large multi-year projects across several countries. Key responsibilities include:

- Assist with the management of a grant-funded activities including toxic pollution assessment, exposure mitigation, and community education projects including training and overseeing staff and monitoring project progress against contracts
- Financial management including tracking budgets; compiling and reviewing expense reports; and ensuring internal and external reporting deadlines are met
- Communications including drafting and editing formal reports for donors; publicizing projects, results, and local activities through blog posts, press releases and other media; and acting as a liaison with overseas staff or partners
- Develop and maintain contacts within relevant national governments, UN agencies, universities, scientific organizations and partners in project countries
- Assist in identifying funding opportunities and preparing grant proposals, including designing program activities, budgets, and reporting metrics in coordination with international staff, governments, and potential partners
- Assist the research team in drafting peer-reviewed papers reporting on and analyzing environmental health data collected through Pure Earth’s work

**REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE**
- Fluency in English and Portuguese (written and spoken).
- Bachelor’s degree in public health, public administration, environmental science, environmental engineering, international development or related field. Master’s degree preferred.
- Minimum three years of relevant work experience. Experience in international programs preferred.
- Excellent report writing and editing skills. Ability to write effectively for diverse audiences, including donors, and project partners. Ability to adapt technical language into appropriate, effective narratives.
- Experience with or willingness to learn specialized software (e.g. GIS, statistics, and/or program management)
- Ability to operate comfortably and effectively in diverse cultural environments and coordinate an international team
- Ability to develop and deliver on goals; identify priority activities and assignments; foresee risks; show flexibility and problem-solving skills in adjusting plans and activities as necessary
- Ability and willingness to travel alone internationally for 2 weeks at a time
- Self-starter and motivated with proven ability to use time efficiently and accomplish tasks with mínimal oversight
- Team player with a willingness to learn and adapt quickly to change. Supervisory experience a plus.

**TRAVEL**

Solo travel to contaminated project sites is highly likely, and experience in international travel to project sites with local or international organizations is a plus. Travel is frequently to rural areas in low-income countries where accommodations and amenities are very basic. Applicants must be willing to adjust to diverse cultural environments that may have different attitudes related to religion, foo