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African Futures Institute is seeking a senior executive assistant to join its team remotely.

Reporting directly to the director of the African Futures Institute, the senior executive assistant provides high-level executive support in a one-on-one working relationship.

The senior executive assistant serves as the primary point of contact on all matters pertaining to the director. He/she also serves as the primary liaison to the finance and comms team.

He/she must be creative and enjoy working within a small, entrepreneurial environment that is mission-driven, results-driven and community oriented. The ideal individual will have the ability to exercise good judgment in a variety of situations, with strong written and verbal communication, administrative and organisational skills, and the ability to maintain a realistic balance among multiple priorities. He/she will have the ability to work independently on projects, from conception to completion, and must be able to work under pressure at times to handle a wide variety of activities and confidential matters with discretion.

Roles and responsibilities  

The role involves completing a broad variety of highly skilled administrative tasks for the director, including:

• managing an extremely active calendar of appointments, which is often subject to last-minute changes
• arranging complex and detailed travel plans, itineraries and agendas
• compiling documents for travel-related meetings
• compiling and completing expense reports, including keeping track of the director’s business expenses
• composing and preparing correspondence that is sometimes confidential
• 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
• protects the director’s time by being the first point-of-contact for requests, invitations and press demands
• communicates directly, and on behalf of the director, with AFI board members, donors, staff and others, on matters related to director’s programmatic initiatives
• researches, prioritises and follows up on incoming issues and concerns addressed to the director, including those of a sensitive or confidential nature, and determines appropriate course of action – referral or response
• provides a bridge for smooth communication between the director’s office and internal departments, demonstrating leadership to maintain credibility, trust and support with staff
• works closely and effectively with the director to keep her well informed of upcoming commitments and responsibilities, following up appropriately, ensuring requests do not fall between the cracks or off the director’s radar
• acts as a ‘barometer’, having a sense for the issues taking place in the environment and keeping the director updated
• provides leadership to build relationships crucial to the success of the organisation and manages a variety of special projects for the director, some of which may have organisational impact
• 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 company
• prioritises conflicting needs; handles all matters expeditiously, proactively, and follows through on projects to successful completion, often with deadline pressures

Strategic initiatives:

• follows up on contacts made by the director and supports the cultivation of ongoing relationships
• edits all and creates acknowledgement letters from the director to donors

Qualifications:

• strong organisational skills that reflect ability to perform and prioritise multiple tasks seamlessly with excellent attention to detail
• very strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build relationships with stakeholders, including staff, board members, external partners and donors
• expert-level written and verbal communication skills
• demonstrated proactive approaches to problem-solving with strong decision-making capability
• emotional maturity
• highly resourceful team player, with the ability to also be extremely effective independently
• proven ability to handle confidential information with discretion, be adaptable to various competing demands and demonstrate the highest level of customer/client service and response
• demonstrated ability to achieve high-performance goals and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• forward-looking thinker, who actively seeks opportunities and proposes solutions

Education and experience requirements:

• degree required, preferably in arts or humanities (though not essential)
• experience in educational institutions an advantage
• strong work tenure: five to ten years of experience
• proficient in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint), Adobe Acrobat; knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite an advantage

This position offers a two-year contract with an option to renew.
A laptop and a desktop computer will be provided.

Closing date for applications: 8 January 2024
Start date: 1 February 2024

Please send an up-to-date CV and contact details for two references (email) via the apply for job button below.

www.africanfuturesinstitute.com

• Applications have closed.