The Senior Program Assistant to the Director, Nigeria Country Office (NCO) is a key member of the NCO team. Provides a wide and varied range of organization and administrative support to the Director, Nigeria while assisting with project coordination and working as part of a small team of other assistants to support the overall work and ensure the smooth running of the Nigeria Country Office.
Areas of Responsibility:
- Completes a broad variety of administrative tasks for the Director, Nigeria including: managing an highly active and complex calendar of appointments; completing expense reports; composing and preparing correspondence that is sometimes confidential; arranging complex and detailed travel plans, itineraries, and agendas; and compiling documents for travel-related meetings.
- Plans, coordinates and ensures the Director’s schedule is followed and respected. Provides "gatekeeper" and "gateway" role, creating win-win situations for direct access to the Director’s time and office.
- Works closely and effectively with the Director, Nigeria to keep him/her well informed of upcoming commitments and responsibilities, following up appropriately. Acts as a "barometer," having a sense for the issues taking place in the environment and keeping the Director, Nigeria updated.
- Successfully completes critical aspects of deliverables with a hands-on approach, including drafting acknowledgement letters, personal correspondence, and other tasks that facilitate the Director’s ability to effectively lead the NCO.
- Prioritizes conflicting needs; handles matters expeditiously, proactively, and follows-through on projects to successful completion, often under deadline pressures.
- Assist with the planning for events, key stakeholder meetings, retreats, convenings, and presentations which may include coordinating arrangements for multiple participants, managing participant communication, handling logistics, preparing and disseminating materials.
- Create, update and maintain organized files and records including a system for tracking, monitoring and prioritizing tasks and projects. Compile and process expense reports and reimbursements.
- Acts as a subject matter expert resource for the Nigeria Country Office Program Assistants (PAs). Represent the PAs in management team meetings and with the Director, Nigeria.
- This role is responsible for high quality interactions and clear and consistent communications with grantees, partners, government officials and internal staff.
- Supportingcommunications to ensure timely responses to inquiries including: acting as liaison for team with internal partners, routing requests appropriately, drafting and editing correspondence and taking and distributing minutes of meetings.
- Demonstrates keen ability to anticipate needs of the Director, NCO team, and is proactive in spotting and resolving issues
Skills/Experience:
We believe that energized people, working well together, fueled by great leadership in an inclusive environment in which they thrive, will do phenomenal things.
Experience
- At least 7 years’ experience supporting an executive in a fast-paced, matrixed environment.
- Excellent organizational skills that reflect ability to perform and prioritize multiple tasks seamlessly with excellent attention to detail.
- Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to develop relationships with stakeholders, including internal staff, grantees, high level officials and other stakeholders.
- Demonstrated proactive approaches to problem-solving with excellent decision-making capability.
- Highly resourceful team-player, with the ability to also be effective independently.
- Demonstrated ability to handle confidential information with discretion, be adaptable to various requests.
- Demonstrated savvy in working across multiple time zones and across multiple cultures.
- Knowledge of Nigeria business environment and standards is required.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills in English, French skills a plus but not required.
- Experience in an environment requiring diplomacy and good judgment in managing interactions inside and outside an organization, with people at all levels, including senior executives and other high-level officials.
- Ability to effectively manage and work through ambiguity.
- Experience of providing guidance to and supervising the work of others is desirable.
- Experience establishing organizational systems to improve efficiency and functioning in a changing environment.
- Demonstrated proficiency using MS Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, MS SharePoint is required. Experience in learning and mastering new software applications.
Job Function:
Organization Info
Listing Stats
Post Date:
Apr 12 2018
Active Until:
May 12 2018
Hiring Organization:
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
industry:
Nonprofit