Executive Assistant (Bilingual) at International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)

Job Purpose

• Reporting to the Senior Executive Officer the Bilingual Executive Assistant will perform day to day administrative and programmatic support that may be necessary for the efficient running of the Africa Regional Office. The executive assistant will handle a wide range of contacts with stake holders including national societies, ICRC, Government departments and the international donor community.

Job Duties And Responsibilities
Administration

• Managing the day-to-day operational and administrative activities of the Regional Director by prioritizing incoming requests, maintaining the Director’s diary, paperwork, and following up to ensure timely responses.
• Review all outgoing correspondence prepared for the director’s edit as appropriate to ensure correct spelling, grammar, and formatting style in addition draft standard administrative correspondence.
• Schedule briefings and debriefing of secretariat, PNSs and ICRC representative with relevant regional departments and National Societies (NSs) as appropriate.
• Maintaining an in-depth knowledge of the regional operations, responding and / or re-routing general requests for information, screening correspondence, issuing acknowledgements, replying to enquiries as appropriate and drafting correspondence on behalf of the director.
• Maintaining office supplies inventory by checking stock to determine inventory level, anticipating needed supplies and placing and expediting orders.
• Following up on actions required by the director, filing documents and maintaining the relevant files.
• Take minutes of staff meetings and any other meetings as may be requested by the line manager.
• Provide secretarial support to the regional office.
• Prepare and maintain a contact list for critical groups and stakeholders of the Africa Regional Office.
• Create and maintain a yearly event matrix.
• Reconcile and allocate working advances for the Director. Follow up with finance to ensure working advance has been cleared.

Information Management

• Manage the information flow of the Director’s Office, Geneva, Regional and Country Offices, National Societies, and ICRC.
• Ensure timely and accurate transmission of information and follow-up to ensure feedback is provided, necessary action is taken, and deadlines met.
• Identify and handle confidential / sensitive material professionally while protecting the interest of the federation and the Africa Region.
• Organize and maintain efficient information storage and retrieval systems that guarantee the correctness and integrity of records as well as ease of cross referencing with well-defined levels of access.
• Consolidate relevant reports for the Regional Director in consultation with the Regional Unit Heads and Heads of Delegations in Africa.
• French and English translation of official correspondence, and simultaneous interpretation support during verbal dialogue. The role shall include procuring external service provides when extended translation support is required.

Job Duties And Responsibilities (continued)
Calendar and Events Management

• Coordinating administrative and logistical arrangements for visitors, including arranging appointments for the regional director, compiling, and providing information or relevant materials required and updating information regarding the regional director’s planned travel and meetings.
• Making necessary arrangements for regional meetings, workshops, and conferences-arranging for venues, booking rooms, drafting, and sharing agendas, compiling, and distributing background documentation.
• Demonstrating flexibility in undertaking special assignments e.g., events, and other activities as assigned. Contributing to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed.
• Organize/Coordinate events such as retreats, off site meetings and official events ensuring that the required logistics are provided for by administration and logistics unit.

Travel Management

• Working closely with the travel unit in organizing the Director’s calendar and the regional visitors’ local and international travel by providing timely information; contacting hosts and arranging hotel accommodation and airport transfers; preparing documents related to travel.
• Visa application to be done on time and ensure efficient follow-up.
• Prepare meeting pack with relevant documentation including ticket, letter of invitation, accommodation booking and security regulations.
• Share travel information with relevant people in host countries.

Duties applicable to all staff

• Actively work towards the achievement of the Federation Secretariat’s goals.
• Abide by and work in accordance with the Red Cross and Red Crescent principles.
• Perform any other work-related duties and responsibilities that may be assigned by the line manager.

Education

• University degree in relevant field. Required.

Experience

• 3-5 years of relevant experience. Required.
• Experience in workshop planning and organization. Required.
• Experience in an administrative/coordination role. Required.
• Experience in managing workflow. Required.

Knowledge, Skills and Languages

• Excellent computer skills. (e.g., Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, Adobe Acrobat). Required.
• Experience in office management principles and procedures. Required.
• Experience in problem identification and solution. Required.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Required.
• Discrete and diplomatic behaviour. Required.
• Knowledge and commitment to Red Cross Red Crescent Fundamental Principles, and ability to model those Principles in relationships with colleagues and partners and translate them to development practice. Required.
• Fluency in both written and spoken English and French. Required.
• Good command of another IFRC official language (French, Spanish or Arabic). Preferred.

Competencies, Values and Comments

• Core Competencies: Communication; Collaboration and teamwork; Judgement and decision making; National society and customer relations; Creativity and innovation; Building trust.
• Values: Respect for diversity; Integrity; Professionalism; Accountability.