The International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) is a non-profit organisation and is the world’s only intergovernmental body for cotton and cotton textiles that is recognised by the United Nations. We are seeking a dynamic, part-time executive assistant to work 25 hours per week.
You will work closely with a small executive team and the ICAC’s accountants. You will report directly to the Executive Director. Dealing with governments and diplomats requires attention to detail and exceptional problem solving and writing skills, so we want an exceptional candidate who is going to grow with us. We offer a generous salary package including paid holidays.
Specific responsibilities include:
- Collect, scan and send invoices and mail to accountants?and remote staff
- Develop and maintain an efficient filing system?
- Manage the ICACmain email address
ICAC Member governments, Panels and Groups
- Maintain accurate lists and contact information of ICAC delegates, Coordinating Agenciesand other ICAC panels and groups
- Maintain other communication databases: Monday.com; Mailchimp, etc.
- Point of contact for communications/meetings with ICAC delegates and Coordinating Agencies
- Assessment/membership administration
Travel
- Fill out visa applications for ICAC for international trips
- Drop off the visa applications and handle follow up with the relevant Consulate/Embassy
- Look for best airfare and hotel prices for ICAC staff
- Book air tickets and hotels for ICAC staff and for small groups of participants to various ICAC events
- Scout the best and most affordable hotel for groups of participants to various ICAC events
Managing and running of ICAC’s Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) along with other staff members of the ICAC:
- Organising PSAC meetings every 3 months?
- Helping with the agendas of the meetings — designing them and uploading them onto our website
- Sending calendar invites, meeting links, reminders to the four committees of the PSAC and the Executive Committee, at least once every three months
- Starting and recording the meetings and writing meeting notes
- Uploading all the necessary documents related to these meetings and post the meeting documents onto our website
- PSAC invites – ongoing?
- Working with other ICAC staff members to invite new members and observers at the PSAC, keeping a record of all the invites, answering emails regarding the same and sending reminders
- Helping to organise the PSAC session at annual ICAC Plenary Meetings, which includes inviting presenters, organising links, recording sessions and sending reminder emails
- Helping with email distribution of information to the E-Phyto group once per month?
- Organising any other meetings of the PSAC or its Committees
Website
- Help upload content on the ICAC and WCRC websites — papers, publications, information, agenda and minutes of meetings
- Regularly check the websites to ensure the documents and links are updated
Other tasks:
- Help with surveys
- Support the administrative assistant
- Notes/minutes taking
- You may be required to translate and edit documents/correspondences as well as interpret during some meetings in the ICAC official language you are mastering (French, Spanish, Russian or Arabic).
- Support all ICAC staff with their projects/documents — data collection; data entering; research; format documents in PowerPoint, Word, Excel, InDesign
- Attend weekly ICAC staff meetings
Technology knowledge
- Proficient with MS Office (essential)
Essential Requirements:?
- Bachelor’s degree
- Fluent in English and at least one of the ICAC official languages (French, Spanish, Russian or Arabic)
- Minimum 3 years of experience working in an administrative position?
- Exceptional communications skills both spoken and writing?
- Knowledge of office management practices?
Desired Requirements?
- Prior experience working in a governmental/diplomatic environment?
Experience:?
- administrative: 3 years (Required)?
Education:?
- Bachelor’s (Required)?
If you’d like to apply for this position, please send a cover letter and resume to caroline@icac.org.
Dr Mansurbek Muminov is a senior scientist at the Scientific Research Institute of Fiber Crops in Uzbekistan. His efforts have focused on basic cotton ginning and spinning, and he has authored more than 10 comprehensive research papers in those areas.
Dr. Keshav R. Kranthi, Ph.D is the Chief Scientist at the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC), Washington, DC. Before joining the ICAC, he served as the Director of the Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR) in Nagpur, India, from 2008 to 2017. Dr. Kranthi has thirty-five years of experience as a cotton scientist. He received a gold medal in his Ph.D. in 1991 and has been honored with more than a dozen awards, including the Best CPP Program Award for Research Leadership by the Renewable Natural Resources Research International, UK; the ICAC Researcher of the Year Award in 2009; the Vasantrao Naik Smruti Pratisthan Award in 2004; the ICAR National Award for Leader of Best Team Research in 2006; Fellow of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences in 2009; the ISCI Recognition Award in 2010; Krishi Gaurav Award in 2010; Bhumi Nirman Award in 2011; ISCI Fellow in 2017; the Plant Protection Recognition Award in 2016 by the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Suresh Kotak Global Cotton Award in 2023 and the CRDA life time achievement Award in 2024. Dr. Kranthi has four patents granted in South Africa, Mexico, China, and Uzbekistan, and six patent applications in India. He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed research papers, 20 books/handbooks/manuals, 17 book chapters, and more than 50 popular articles. Dr. Kranthi has presented invited talks and conducted training sessions in more than 40 countries. His research citations are in excess of 6,500. As the chief principal investigator, he coordinated and led more than 35 externally funded international collaboration research projects.
Dr. Charudatta Mayee, Ph.D is a distinguished Indian agricultural scientist and administrator with over five decades of contributions to Indian agriculture. Dr. Mayee currently serves as Adjunct Professor at IARI, New Delhi, and several ICAR institutions and universities. Dr Mayee served as Vice Chancellor of MAU Parbhani, Director of the Central Institute for Cotton Research (ICAR-CICR), Nagpur, and Agriculture Commissioner for the Government of India. Dr Mayee served as Vice President of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS) India. Dr. C.D. Mayee has received numerous accolades spanning five decades, recognizing his transformative contributions to agricultural science. He is an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow and has received lifetime achievement awards from multiple institutions. His early career was marked by the Prof. M.J. Narasimhan Academic Award (1974) and V.P. Gokhale Award (1998), followed by national honors like the Vasantrao Naik Krishi Award (2002), ICAR Outstanding Team Research Award (2003), and Dr. B. Vishwanath Award (2005). He received Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Indian Society for Cotton Improvement (2008), National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (2011), and Indian Phytopathological Society (2017), among others. Four universities conferred Honorary Doctorates (D.Sc.) for his pioneering work (2009–2023). Recent distinctions include the Best Cotton Scientist Award (2022, Cotton Association of India), Krishi Maharshi for Cotton R&D (2024) and the winner of the ICAC Researcher of the Year Award 2025.
Dr. Khalid Mahmood is the Co-Founder of SAWiE, where he has been instrumental in developing digital farm advisory and farm data platforms supporting over 10,000 farmers in Pakistan, improving traceability and transparency across agricultural supply chains. He is leading the development of first-mile traceability systems and the TRUE Cotton platform, connecting farmers with sustainable global textile supply chains.
Dr Olivier Zieschank studied Management at the university of Lausanne, where he graduated in 2005. Until 2010, he worked in a Swiss-based start-up that specialized in negotiating cell tower lease agreements, where he became associate director. In 2010, he returned to university and studied applied economics in Neuchatel, Switzerland. He wrote his PhD in Economics at the University of Freiberg, Germany, where he developed a theory of organization. Mr Zieschank was appointed Economist at the ITMF in August 2017 and became director in January 2021.
Ashwin Chandran holds a Bachelors Degree in Textile Technology from UMIST, UK and a Masters degree in Business Administration from the University of Illinois, USA.
Mr. Shreyans Gupta is an officer of the Indian Revenue Service (IRS), currently serving as First Secretary at the Embassy of India in Washington D.C. In his current role, he oversees critical portfolios within the Income-tax Overseas Unit (ITOU) and the Commerce Wing, facilitating bilateral and multilateral cooperation.
Eric Trachtenberg is the Executive Director of the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC).
Pia Terasa joined the textile machinery manufacturer Saurer over 25 years ago. She is responsible for marketing and communications at the group level. Coming originally from a non-textile background, market intelligence and business development have played major roles throughout her career. Her current main “hobby” is closely monitoring development of the textile recycling industry and circular economy.
Dr. Md. Fakhre Alam Ibne Tabib is the former Executive Director of the Cotton Development Board of Bangladesh, with over 32 years of experience in cotton production, research, and development. He has demonstrated strong leadership and communication skills in engaging with national and international stakeholders in the cotton sector.
Dr. Elsie Sia Kanza is the current Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Republic of Tanzania to the United States of America and Mexico. Prior to that role, Ambassador Kanza served as Special Advisor to the President of the World Economic Forum, and, before that, Head of Africa and Member of Executive Committee for 10 years championing growth and development in Africa leveraging public private collaboration. In 2015, She was awarded a Doctorate in Business Administration (honoris causa) by the University of Strathclyde for the transformative impact achieved in Africa.
Alison Ward has over 30 years of international experience in sustainability and corporate affairs. Alison is the CEO of CottonConnect, where she leads a team of over 100 employees, impacting the lives of over 800,000 cotton farmers in India, China, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt and Bangladesh. Under Alison’s leadership the organization: drives supply chain transparency connecting sustainable fibres from farm to store; focuses on the rights and skills of women in supply chains through pioneering gender programmes; and continues to develop innovations at a farm level. She leads cotton strategies and programmes for global brands and retailers.


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