Executive Support Specialist at Danish Refugee Council

Overall purpose of the role:

Reporting directly to the Regional Advocacy and Communications Manager, the Executive Support Specialist is part of the Regional Advocacy and Communications Unit and will provide high-level support to the Executive Director, Senior Management Team and Senior Leadership Team.

The position is based in Nairobi (Kenya) and opened to national applicants.          

The role will have the following key responsibilities :

Administrative assistance to the Executive Director

• Manage the calendar of the Executive Director, make appointments/schedule meetings with key partners (Donors, Local Partners, Board Directors, etc.);
• In collaboration with the Regional Advocacy and Communications Manager, compile documents for meetings, including background documents and talking points;
• In collaboration with the Regional Advocacy and Communications Manager, support Country Offices ahead of the Executive Director’s visits, ensuring the development of a detailed and relevant agenda with clear advocacy and engagement goals;
• Attend to and monitor urgent enquiries and issues, ensuring that they are brought to the Executive Director’s attention and, where relevant, referring matters on to appropriate staff for response;
• Maintain an effective and confidential filing system for the Executive Director including preparing replies to routine and basic correspondence on behalf of the Executive Director;
• Develop & maintain the Executive Director’s contact database for relevant donors, partners and other stakeholders;
• Screens documents that need the approval of the Executive Director, and certifies they are completed with compliance before presenting them for approval in ensuring that the process went through the right channels and financial verification are in place;
• Be an informed key contact for the Executive Director Office and handle internal and external enquiries in a professional manner liaising with key contacts across DRC (HQ, RO, CO) and other networks.

Coordination of Regional Office meetings/events/visits

• Take a lead role in organising regional meetings and events involving the Executive Director, in liaison with other departments. Take full responsibility for scheduling timings and venues, communicating arrangements to participants and coordinating with Administration and Supply Chain team to organise transport, booking facilities and hiring service providers as required. Develop the agenda and materials as needed in collaboration with the Senior Management Team and ensure action plans are tracked, followed-up on and reported back to the following meetings;
• Take clear and concise notes during senior management meetings, ensuring that key decisions and action points are captured, following up with relevant focal points when necessary. Ensure that meetings notes are circulated after and ahead of meetings;
• Maintain an efficient filing system for the Senior Management Team and Senior Leadership Team, ensuring that relevant documents, including action points, are easily available and centralised in one location;
• In consultation with the Executive Director, develop and maintain a regional annual events calendar and disseminate it to RO staff and Country teams;
• Coordinate high level field visits and accompany visitors as necessary to field visits. Prepare visitors itineraries and send required pre-arrival information, arrange logistics and assist visitors in their visit schedule as required;
• Maintaining and ensuring that key EAGL Regional office information (organogram, sitreps, maps, etc.) is accurate, in a format to share with external partners, board members and also accessible on SharePoint for DRC EAGL staff.

Other duties as may be assigned by the Executive Director.

About you

In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’s five core competencies:

• Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process.
• Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback.
• Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.
• Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly.
• Demonstrating integrity: You act in line with our vision and values.

Experience and Technical comptencies (included years of experience)

• Minimum four (4) years office, administrative and programme management experience, working closely with senior management in coordination of critical events.
• At least 3 years’ work experience in an international NGO in management of key projects.
• Fluent in spoken and written English.
• University Degree in a relevant field; International development/relations, Political science, Communications, Social science or Business Administration.
• Demonstrated ability to manage processes and maintain accurate records.
• Ability to work independently and to maintain flexibility in working hours.
• Energetic and flexible with high sense of responsibility and excellent organisational, planning and time management skills
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate tasks to meet deadlines.
• Good interpersonal skills; ability to work in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity.
• Ability to write in a clear and concise manner and to communicate effectively orally.
• High level of integrity and able to maintain strictest of confidentiality
• High competence in handling situations with tact and diplomacy
• High proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint