ABOUT THE AFRICA PUBLIC HEALTH FOUNDATION
The Africa Public Health Foundation (APHF), an independent charitable grant-making Foundation, was established in September 2019 to serve as the partnerships platform for the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). APHF facilitates resource mobilization and public-private cooperation to fast-track delivery of Africa CDC’s strategic goals and strengthen health security across the continent. The forming of APHF was crucial even before COVID-19 hit as Africa CDC worked to implement a strategy For building long-term public health system resilience across Africa. The pandemic made it even more time-sensitive and critical.
APHF and Africa CDC work side by side to ensure funds are managed with transparency and accountability. The establishment of APHF marked a step-change in the way that partners can collaborate for Africa CDC and leverage their support. Working together on collective funding opportunities while also ensuring that funds are re-invested in resource mobilisation and advocacy means that partners have a dedicated platform from which to launch ambitious initiatives in support of Africa CDC.
Candidates from African Union Member States are strongly encouraged to apply. ROLE SUMMARY
The Executive Assistant provides comprehensive executive support under the direction of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The Executive Assistant serves as the primary point of contact for internal and external constituencies on all matters related to the duties and responsibilities of the CEO.
This dynamic position requires the ability to anticipate needs, think critically, and offer solutions to problems with a high level of professionalism and confidentiality. The ideal individual will have the ability to exercise good judgment in a variety of situations, with strong written and verbal communication, administrative, and organizational skills, and the ability to maintain a realistic balance among multiple priorities. The Executive Assistant must be able to work under pressure at times to handle a wide variety of activities and confidential matters with discretion.
As a new organization, we endeavor to empower staff, institute best practices, and develop traditions that will define their experiences and those of their colleagues in the years to come. Innovation and entrepreneurship are valued and will be essential to the Foundation’s success. In addition to training, management-level advice, and mentoring, the employees are encouraged to learn by positioning themselves as core members of program teams to drive public health initiatives.
Reporting Line
The Executive Assistant shall report to the Chief Executive Officer
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Executive Support
- Provide professional calendar management for the CEO. Prioritize inquiries and requests while troubleshooting conflicts; make judgments and recommendations to ensure smooth day-to-day engagements
- Serve as the primary point of contact for internal and external constituencies on all matters addressed to the CEO, including those of a highly confidential or critical nature
- Completes a broad variety of administrative tasks that facilitate the CEO’s ability to effectively lead the
organization, collecting and preparing information for meetings with staff and external parties; composing and
preparing correspondence; maintaining contact lists; making travel arrangements and preparing detailed travel plans, and agendas; and compiling documents for travel-related meetings
- Communicates directly, and on behalf of the CEO with Council members, donors, Foundation staff, and others, on matters related to the CEO’s programmatic initiatives under the instruction of the CEO or other designated member of the executive team
- Works closely and effectively with the CEO to keep him/her well informed of upcoming commitments and engagements and follow up appropriately. Anticipate the CEO’s needs in advance of meetings, etc. conferences, and plan adequately in advance.
- Completes critical aspects of deliverables with a hands-on approach, including drafting acknowledgment letters, personal correspondence, and other tasks that facilitate the CEO’s ability to effectively lead the Foundation
- Prioritizes conflicting needs; handles matters expeditiously, and proactively, and follows through on assignments to successful completion, often with deadline pressures
- Provide event management support as requested
- Provide hospitality to all guests and help to create a welcoming environment
Council Support and Liaison
- In partnership with the executive leadership team, act as a liaison and provide support to the Council members. Arrange and handle all logistics for Council meetings and events: schedule meetings; draft agendas; effectively supports the CEO in ensuring that the presentation materials are developed and compiled timely; and record meeting minutes working in collaboration with AXIS, the current Council Secretary
- Maintains discretion and confidentiality in relationships with all Council Members
- Adhere to compliance with applicable rules and regulations, set in bylaws, regarding Council and Council committees matters, including advance distribution of materials before meetings in electronic/paper format
Senior Management Liaison
- Ensures scheduling of meetings
- Assists in coordinating the agenda of senior management team meetings and all staff meetings
- Support the senior management team with travel arrangements.
Strategic Initiatives
- Works with the Senior management team in coordinating the CEO outreach activities
- Follows up on contacts made by the CEO and supports the cultivation of ongoing relationships
- Edits all, and creates acknowledgment letters from the CEO to external constituencies
DO YOU MEET THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS?
Required Qualifications, Skills, and Competencies
- Bachelor’s degree required in any relevant field of study.
- A professional qualification or specific training like Chartered Personal Executive Assistant (CPEA), Advanced Certificate for the Executive Assistant (ACEA), Certified Professional Secretary or any other relevant executive assistant training will be an added advantage
- Strong work tenure: Five (5) to ten (10) years of experience preferably in a non-profit organization
- Significant executive support experience of over five (5) years, supporting C-level
- Executives, council/board in Not-for-profit, and working with regional organizations will be an advantage
- Strong organizational skills that reflect the ability to perform and prioritize multiple tasks seamlessly with excellent attention to detail
- Strong ability to execute work with a diversity, equity, and inclusion lens
- Expert proficiency with Microsoft Office applications such as Outlook, Word, and Excel with the ability to design and edit PowerPoint presentations and materials
- Ability to present information in an insightful and structured manner, both written and oral
- Exceptional organizational skills and impeccable attention to detail
- A high degree of professionalism, very strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to handle and build relationships with diverse groups of people, including Council/Board members, senior executives, staff, government officials, donors, and funded partners
- Make appropriate, informed decisions regarding priorities and available time
- Ability to react with appropriate levels of urgency to situations and events that require quick response or turnaround
- Able to maintain a high level of integrity and discretion in handling confidential information
- Demonstrated proactive approaches to problem-solving with strong decision-making capability
- Highly resourceful team player, with the ability to also be extremely effective independently
- 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
- Demonstrated fluency in English speaking and writing skills, with proficiency in other AU official languages considered a plus
- Cultural sensitivity and capacity to work in multicultural diverse contexts
REMUNERATION
APHF offers a competitive salary and benefits package, in line with similar organisations working on the continent.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
This will be a full-time position based in Nairobi, Kenya, contracted on a two-year basis with the possibility of renewal. We will consider sponsoring applications for work authorization for exceptional candidates.
As part of our dedication to equal employment opportunity and the diversity of our staff, APHF does not discriminate based on race, colour, national origin, ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, or any other basis. We especially encourage applications from women.
HOW TO APPLY
Interested and qualified candidates should send their CV and a cover letter, in English and by email only, to [email protected] by 28 April 2023. Please make sure to include “FIRST NAME LAST NAME-EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT” as the subject line; applications that do not include this will be automatically disqualified.
Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to complete a written assessment. Candidates proceeding to the next round will be invited to interview.
Duly note that APHF does not require applicants to pay any money at whatever stage of the recruitment and selection process and has not retained any agent in connection with recruitment.
