Executive Assistant at Alight

PURPOSE

• The role of the Executive Assistant is to facilitate the day-to-day work of the Executive Director (ED) and as appropriate, the Senior Management Team (SMT). The Executive Assistant's scope of work is very broad and can range from welcoming visitors to drafting minutes of high-level meetings. H/she works very closely with the Executive Director, managing his agenda, preparing his travels, and filtering the requests of internal and external interlocutors. His/her ability to anticipate the needs of the ED, his/her organizational skills and his/her ability to manage several files at the same time make an indispensable person for the Executive Director and management team. His/her ability to show initiative and to manage priorities is led by the continuous will to have an efficient internal functioning executive office and by the professional image he/she gives to external partners and people we serve.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES
Administration:

• Ensure proper organization and day-to-day administrative oversight of Executive Director office to ensure smooth, efficient, and effective office management of the office and the ED’s schedule.
• Support ED with diary management, co-coordinating and booking meetings, and take minutes of meetings as needed by the ED.
• Establish organization and file-management system for Country Office (enterprise) key documents, in coordination with operations, finance, and program units.
• Serve as key administrative staff for Senior Management Team meetings, ensuring monthly meetings occur with proper planning and follow-up, including agendas, minutes, and next steps under the direction of the ED and Deputy Executive Director (DED).

Organization:

• Coordinate all day-to-day activities for the ED.
• Manage and triage all incoming communications and requests for meetings, appearances, and document approvals to ensure timely and accurate response.
• Manage efficient and discreet control of ED’s schedule, protecting his time with confidentiality and professionalism.
• Coordinate all travel arrangements and detailed travel itineraries for the Executive Director and high-level visitors from global office, donors, etc.
• Act as the point of contact between senior leadership team and or internal/external colleagues for the Executive Director.
• Track and follow-up on commitments made by the Executive Director to ensure deadlines are met and follow-through achieved.

Communication:

• Coordinate high-level internal/external meetings and communicating on behalf of the ED to government officials, UN and donor agencies, and partners.
• Collaborate with the program unit to develop presentations, documents and briefing packets to support external relations and donor engagement.
• Draft correspondence for ED, including internal office memorandum, meeting notes, and English/Arabic translations.
• Competently coordinate correspondence, calls, conference calls, and manage both internal and external communication on behalf of ED.

Nairobi Focal Point for Sudan Program:

• Facilitate administrative processes carried out remotely from Nairobi (flight bookings, accommodation, visa applications).
• Work closely with the Nairobi-based regional team to facilitate collaboration between the two offices.
• Welcome and support expatriate staff awaiting visas to travel to Sudan.
• At the request of the ED, participate in donor or coordination meetings organized in Nairobi on the Sudan crisis.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

Professional experience

• 5 years of experience supporting a CEO, COO, or Executive Director of a large, complex international organization.
• Experience in providing administrative support, including diary management for senior level management and experience in minute taking.

Educational background and specific skills required

• Bachelor’s degree in international relations/social science, or relevant fields
• Excellent computer skills, including Microsoft office, outlook
• Applied knowledge of administration
• In line with Alight code of conduct, able to demonstrate professional ethics and experience of working with a high degree of confidentiality.
• Able to work with minimum supervision, be self-motivated and be able to use own initiative.
• Highly organized and have a methodical approach to work, must be able to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines. Execution excellence, efficiency, accuracy, flexibility and silent running are key success measures of this role.
• Good sense of humor, collaborative approach, and ability to build relationships and management conflict and conflicting priorities effectively
• Available for possible travels to Sudan

Languages

• Excellent verbal and written communication in English. Arabic is an asset.

Key Behavior & Abilities

• A highly motivated self-starter who takes direction well, but also works independently and shows initiative and creativity.
• Deadline-driven with an ability to produce high-quality communications.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a fast-paced environment with competing deadlines, effectively managing multiple priorities.
• Extremely flexible with the ability to cope with stressful, fluid, and ambiguous situations.
• Ability to adapt well in competitive, dynamic, multicultural and security sensitive contexts with basic living conditions.
• Exceptional relationship management skills and an ability to seamlessly work with all levels of the organization, government actors, and donor community.