ILRI vacancy: executive assistant to director general (closing until position is filled)

Vacancy Number: EA/DG/09/11
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Duration: 2-year contract renewable

The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) works at the crossroads of livestock and poverty, bringing high-quality livestock science, communications and capacity building to bear on poverty reduction and sustainable development. ILRI is one of 15 centres supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). ILRI has campuses in Kenya (headquarters) and Ethiopia (principal site), with other offices located in other regions of Africa (Mali, Mozambique, and Nigeria) as well as in South Asia (India, Sri Lanka), Southeast Asia (Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam) and East Asia (China).

ILRI seeks to recruit an Executive Assistant to the Director General. The purpose of this job is to provide professional support and assistance to the Director General by coordinating the day to day management of the Office of the Director General (DG) and proactively support the DG in management of his work plan and time.

The ideal candidate will be experienced in handling a wide range of administrative and executive support related tasks and will be able to work independently with little or no supervision.

Responsibilities

Coordinate the DG’s annual work plan: assist with monitoring and updating;
Manage the DG’s diary: allocate times for meetings and specific tasks.
Handle the DG’s email inbox and other correspondence: draft and prepare responses, provide feedback and forward requests to relevant people;
Oversee the DG’s travel schedule: plan and coordinate logistics for local, regional and international visits and meetings;
Organize internal meetings, take minutes and track progress on action points;
Assist the DG in meeting preparation: review agendas and minutes, highlight areas for attention and search for background information;
Support the DG in following up on priority issues and actions;
Maintain up-to-date database of the Director General’s contacts (institutional and personal);
Develop and maintain systems and processes to ensure proper and efficient information flows to and from appropriate parties;
Monitor and follow-up on assigned activities, ensuring quality and timely completion of tasks;
Maintain efficient filling and archiving systems for DG’s office documentation;
Train, develop and supervise administrative assistant and office assistant;
Interact with staff and visitors to the Office of the DG.

Requirements

First degree in Business Administration or related field.
At least 5 years experience in a comparable executive assistant/senior administrative position;
Demonstrated ability to handle high level administrative duties, excellent calendar management skills, including the coordination of a heavy meeting/travel schedule.
Must be proficient in MS-Office applications including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook;
Self-driven, with excellent skills in, planning, prioritizing, organizing and problem solving.
Excellent communication skills; written and verbal.
Ability to work under high pressure and meet tight and competing deadlines.
High level of initiative, problem solving, judgment and attention to detail.
Ability to exercise discretion with highest respect for confidentiality.

Terms of appointment: This is a Nationally Recruited Staff (NRS) position based at ILRI’s Nairobi campus and is open to Kenyan nationals only. The position is on a 2-year contract renewable subject to satisfactory performance. ILRI will offer a competitive salary and benefits package to the successful candidate.

Applications addressed to the Human Resources Director, a cover letter, including current and expected salary, curriculum vitae and the names and addresses (including telephone and email) of three referees who are knowledgeable about the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience should be emailed to: [email protected]. Screening of applications will commence immediately and continue until the position is filled.

The position title and reference number “EA/DG/09/11” should be clearly marked on the subject line of the email applications. Only short listed candidates will be contacted.

To find more about ILRI, visit our Website at www.ilri.org

ILRI is an equal opportunity employer

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