Executive Assistant to the Vice President, Africa

Role Overview

The Executive Assistant will play a key role in the GEAPP Africa team and will work directly day-to-day with the Vice-President for Africa. The Executive Assistant will support and contribute to the execution of the Alliance’s work. This position requires reliability, organization, the ability to anticipate the needs of the Vice President (VP), and the Africa team, and above all, a desire to learn and grow. This position will play a critical role in an expanding team and will support the Africa VP in the day-to-day responsibilities and executing the initiative strategy. To be effective in this role, the candidate must be able to advance work independently, maintain confidentiality, and work across a complex organization with high-profile internal and external partners.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

• Manages the calendar for VP, including identifying key deadlines/ milestones in team plans and flag as necessary follow-up. Must be comfortable with heavy scheduling and calendar management including coordination of complex meetings with multiple participants and locations globally with a high level of efficiency and accuracy.
• Track grants, contracts, program-related investments, and works with the project leads to ensure timely processing of deliverables, invoices, contract amendments, and other activities on behalf of the VP.
• Maintains active updates of all live activities on the Salesforce platform, tracking and reviewing deliverables and deadlines, with regular reports to the VP on each country and early identification and flagging of potential issues.
• Supports the administrative processing of new grants, contracts, and program-related investments, including setting timelines for program development and approval; following up on legal approvals, financial approvals, and contract signatures; ensuring Salesforce is regularly updated; and engaging proactively with grants management, legal, finance, and other operations teams on behalf of the VP.
• Act as a “Process Champion”, encouraging and tracking the appropriate use of Salesforce and other tools or processes, including the proper use of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) for tracking opportunities and partners.
• Organize monthly check-in touchpoints between country Teams and Global grants & contracts team while keeping the VP updated.
• Track and verify Africa’s program pipelines in liaison with Africa Country teams and report back to the Global Investments Team
• Supports social media asset development and organization to facilitate storytelling and brand development. Proficiency in managing an executive’s LinkedIn page is an added advantage.
• Coordinates both domestic and international travel arrangements ensuring tight schedules and well-articulated itineraries. Creates and modifies travel itineraries quickly and accurately. Informs and plans based on the itinerary with appropriate parties. Should also be conversant with visa application processes and applying on behalf of the VP.
• Ensures that the VP’s office has the required technological tools or equipment to successfully perform his/her work.
• Serves as an inter-departmental liaison and actively builds relationships across the Alliance with other key leaders and their senior level administrators.
• Attends meetings on behalf of the VP, takes meeting minutes, and provides feedback as directed.
• Assists in creating high-level presentations and any other documentation as required on an ongoing basis. This includes but is not limited to: Board Presentations, budgets and forecasts, white papers, complex schedules and events, and travel and expense documents.
• Organizes meetings/events including meeting logistics, agenda and materials preparation, conference room and AV equipment set up, displaying presentations, etc.
• Organizes and maintains an internal contact details database for the Alliance’s partners and grantees. Also maintains a proper filing system – physical and electronic e.g., on Box and Salesforce.
• Prepares monthly expense reconciliation and on-demand expense reports of the VP’s expenditure. Works closely with the Finance department
• Proactively anticipates organizational needs to ensure smooth team operations.
• Serves as an active ambassador of the team inside and outside of the Alliance, contributing to creating a positive values-driven culture that engages managers and staff across the Alliance and ensures that the organization’s people are aligned with the Alliance’s vision, direction, and strategy.

Education, Experience, and Skills

• A bachelor's degree in business administration, communications, management, or a related field is preferred.
• Generally expected to have 3-5 years of executive level administrative experience in supporting an Executive Leader.
• Must have previous work experience in a complex, fast-paced and highly professional role and global organization with multiple offices and with a strong mission and focus on people or a related role in a not-for-profit organization focused on a highly dynamic, evolving organization and work environment.
• A highly positive-minded individual with a great attitude, and willingness to learn is required. Anticipates needs and is highly responsive to direct and anticipated requests; providing fast, accurate, and thoughtful replies to requests and follow up on action items on behalf of the VP.
• Direct experience in managing sensitive and confidential matters with a high level of professionalism and grace under pressure.
• Strong execution and organization skills and demonstrated experience in prioritizing and executing multiple priorities seamlessly with excellent attention to detail.
• Demonstrated proactive problem-solving skills with strong decision-making capability. Works effectively both independently, as well as, in a team-oriented, collaborative, and collegial environment.
• Has the ability to identify, prioritize and manage agendas, employee communications, high level presentations and documents and is comfortable multi-tasking in a fast-paced environment.
• Has excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills and is effective in developing positive and productive relationships with all levels of staff and management across the organization.
• Proven experience working effectively as part of a team and autonomously.
• Proven excellent project management and organizational skills with a demonstrated ability to deliver high quality, accurate work on time.
• Has experience within a highly collaborative, dynamic organization and in an entrepreneurial environment where building policies, programs and processes are necessary.
• Demonstrated technical proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and Power Point. Proficiency in Salesforce and CRM tools is an added advantage.
• Must have experience booking and managing international travel. International work experience is a plus, with proven intercultural competence.

Qualifications and Competencies

• Communication: Excellent interpersonal abilities; outstanding listening skills, writing and verbal skills; Awareness of reputation, positioning and brand management.
• Partnership and Relationship Building: Sensitive to organizational culture, strong professional representation of the Alliance. Strategic partnership building, adaptable and flexible. Commitment to GEAPP's mission and core values.
• Strategy: Highly strategic mindset with ability to identify and prioritize what’s important in any project, demonstrates innovative approaches to work, ability to organize chaos into coherent plan.
• Project Management: High operational and project management ability; proactive. Sound, mature judgment, integrity, and respect for others.
• Decision-Making: Analytical and strong problem-solving abilities, takes initiative, drives for results, ability to prioritize work, communicates problems and proposes solutions, as appropriate.
• Execution: Strong project management skills; meets deadlines; ability to multi-task and work under pressure; detail oriented. Sense of urgency and responsibility, flexible work style; a self-driven person who can work independently as well as across teams.
• Passion, great attitude and Optimism: Deep enthusiasm for the mission and people of the Alliance; entrepreneurial energy around connecting an engaged staff with the overall impact of the Alliance’s work.

Benefits

The annual salary for this role starts from USD 25,000 negotiable based on level of experience

Alongside a competitive salary, we offer a generous benefits package that includes but is not limited to the following.

• Annual leave - 28 days per annum
• Training allowance
• Hybrid Allowance
• Life insurance
• Medical insurance

Please submit your application on or before Friday, 27th February. The Alliance reserves the right to close the job advert early if we receive a high number of suitable applications.