Senior Executive Assistant

The World Bank, the leading multi-lateral institution in global economic development, is seeking to hire a seasoned and highly energized professional to work as Senior Executive Assistant in the Office of the Country Director for Kenya, Rwanda and Eritrea (AFCE2) based in Nairobi, Kenya. The Senior Executive Assistant reports directly to the Country Director (CD), and is an essential member of the fast-paced and busy Country Office. The incumbent is responsible for providing the full range of support to the Country Director and the Country Management Unit (CMU), with the highest level of professionalism, diplomacy, tact and discretion. The Country Director is based in Nairobi, Kenya, and is supported by the Country Program Coordinator based in Washington, a Senior Operations Officer in Nairobi, the Country Manager based in Rwanda and four Sector Leaders based in Kenya representing the following four networks: Poverty Reduction and Economic Management (PREM), Human Development (HD), Sustainable Development (SD) and Finance and Private Sector Development (FPD). The country office is also strengthened by the presence of procurement and financial management group as well as several other Bank units.

Note: If the selected candidate is a current Bank Group staff member with a Regular or Open-Ended appointment, s/he will retain his/her Regular or Open-Ended appointment. All others will be offered a 5 year term appointment.

Duties and Accountabilities:


Specifically, the Senior Executive Assistant will be responsible for the following: 

1) Managing the Country Director’s Office 
•Manages the Country Director‘s schedule; organizes and coordinates relevant briefing or background material for meetings. Screens and prioritizes incoming correspondence and messages to the CD, independently responding to extensive and diverse inquiries, liaising with others in the CMU, including Washington and making independent decisions when multiple courses of actions are required. Monitors and follows up on issues related to the Country Director’s function and ensures that relevant staff members are informed. Handles sensitive and confidential information. Ensures timely submission and review of briefing materials and appropriate follow-up actions, making sure materials are presented to the Country Director for review prior to meetings. 
•Initiates and coordinates all aspects of the CD’s travel schedule (i.e., SAP, ticket and hotel reservations, visa requests, etc.) including coordinating the travel and protocol needs of the country department Country Director while on mission. 
•Drafts correspondence and prepares and ensures adherence to administrative guidelines and overall quality of outputs requiring the Country Director’s signature. 
•Provides general research support and utilizes all relevant computer software to retrieve, maintain and manipulate data and independently respond to diverse inquiries and make decisions when multiple courses of action are possible. 
•Establishes and maintains relevant files and databases for the CMU. 
•Ensures the quality and timeliness of information emanating from the front office; independently decides and follows through on appropriate dissemination of information to staff by sharing reports, status updates and other information as necessary. 
•Serves as the first point of contact and liaison with an extensive network of contacts at the most senior levels, both internally and externally. Provide follow-up on required actions and monitors compliance. Responds to diverse inquiries and makes decisions when multiple courses of action are possible. Establishes and maintains an effective network of contacts with Government officials at the most highest level. 

2) Representation and Liaison 
•Provide guidance, leadership and direction within the CMU to facilitate a changing work environment and a strong communication flow among virtual teams. Coordinate with the Rwanda based Executive Assistant and Washington based staff (Anchor Unit and Sector Office Managers and Office Administrators (OMs/OAs) on a regular basis, assuring smooth functioning of the Country Office (CO). 
•Interact with an extensive network of contacts at the most senior level (both internal and external) and exercise judgment, tact and discretion in answering and/or redirecting inquiries to appropriate sources and in dealing with sensitive or highly confidential matters. Maintain an effective network with the Client to ensure effective cooperation in support of CO and Bank program needs. 
•Independently organize high level events such as client and donor meetings and workshops and high level visits. 

3) Leadership of the Administrative Client Support (ACS) staff 
•Assume responsibility for the overall quality of delivery, organization and coordination of office administrative support work. Responsible for maintaining overview of the ACS work program and workload by collaborating and coordinating with task team members on staffing, scheduling and resolving work priorities. Works closely with the Senior Human Resources Business Partner (S-HRBP) based in Kenya to interview, select, coach and mentor CO ACS and participates in decisions related to staffing and performance of the ACS mapped to AFCE2. 
•Act as a role model, promoting collaboration, quality work and development of team members. Works with the ACS and CO staff to anticipate and resolve a variety of conflict situations. Plays a significant leadership role with respect to all issues related to ACS staff in the CMU and in the region, including participating in cross-regional and institutional activities. 
•Ensures the smooth operation of the office support work and related systems by assuming primary responsibility for organizing and coordinating workflow and for overall administration and supervision of the ACS team. This includes coordination and monitoring of multiple and diverse work processes and activities to ensure that management decisions and directives are properly carried forward. Plays a significant role in identifying and addressing issues pertaining to ACS and their work within the country office. S/he is expected to provide guidance, leadership, and direction to facilitate a forward-thinking work environment, to be proactive in resolving challenges in a productive way, and to promote knowledge-sharing among the ACS. 
•Assess and evaluate the training needs for ACS staff in the CO, through the information and Learning Plans, and coordinates with the Learning Committee, the ACS Regional Leadership Team (RLT) Learning Committee as appropriate. 
•Provide overall guidance and feedback to ACS staff by providing primary input to their Overall Performance Evaluation (OPEs). Plays a significant leadership role with respect to all issues related to ACS. As part of the ACS RLT, participate in the AFR ACS cross-regional initiatives as well as in institutional/corporate activities outside the CMU. 

4) Country Office Management 
•Ensure effective operation of the CD's Front Office, correspondence flow and specifically IRIS/WBdocs/Records management. Works closely with, and supports the CMU Senior Operations Officer as needed. 
•As a member of the Country Office Management team, work with Shared Services team based in Kenya to ensure that efficiency and cost effectiveness are achieved in the office. 

5) Support to Operations/Research 
•Update tables on ongoing and pipeline operations 
•Provide assistance to compiling of quarterly portfolio reports 
•Provide assistance to compiling of Country Assistance Strategy (CAS) status report 
•Research for Country Director’s presentations and meetings with Government and other partners.

6) Outreach work 
•S/he will be the focal point person for regional and institutional activities involving level GA to GD staff in the country office. 
•S/he will be the liaison person with Washington CMU and the country department.

•Technology and systems knowledge - Has advanced proficiency of latest technology relevant to assigned responsibilities. Demonstrates initiative in learning and/or supporting implementation of emerging technology and systems relevant to effective work of the unit. 
•Project and task management - Able to organize, coordinate, monitor and implement tasks and projects. Demonstrates ownership and accountability for results. Demonstrates innovation and creativity in promoting effectives. 
•Institutional policies, processes, and procedures - Demonstrates in-depth and up-to-date knowledge of administrative and policy guidelines, practices, products and services in area of assigned functional responsibility; can guide others in complex situations. 
•Versatility and adaptability - Able to anticipate, facilitate and catalyse change in the business environment and accurately assess the need for new skills and knowledge. Demonstrates continued learning attitude, supporting others in their learning and change management efforts. 
•Team Leadership (ACS) - Provides direction to the team, making changes to processes as needed to support progress. Encourages others to grow by providing guidance, stretch assignments, & learning opportunities. Plays an active role in the unit-wide leadership teams. 
•Client Orientation - Able to establish partnership based working relationships with internal/external clients. Demonstrates independence, initiative, and autonomy in addressing clients' needs. 
•Drive for Results - Takes personal ownership and accountability to meet deadlines and achieve agreed-upon results, and has the personal organization to do so. 
•Teamwork (Collaboration) and Inclusion - Collaborates with other team members and contributes productively to the team's work and output, demonstrating respect for different points of view. 
•Knowledge, Learning and Communication - Able to research and draft quality written materials or review adherence of written materials prepared by others to administrative requirements. Able to mentor and guide, and organize learning activities within area of assigned responsibilities. 
•Business Judgment and Analytical Decision Making - Able to use analytical, problem-solving skills and resourcefulness to make informed and practical decisions to carry out own work. Able to advice on information usage and storage, and policies in the area of assigned responsibilities. 

Selection Criteria 
Minimum Education: High School diploma. Candidates with Bachelors degree in business administration or social sciences will have an advantage. 
• Minimum of seven years of direct relevant experience. 
• Extensive and diverse experience, and in-depth knowledge of the full range of Bank Group processes, policies and procedures 
• Experience in dealing with senior officials both within and outside the Bank, previous experience or exposure as an Executive Assistant is an advantage. 
• Strong oral and written communication skills including ability to draft and edit a variety of correspondence and ensure quality of written outputs for clarity of message. Ability to draft correspondence on a range of topics and ensure quality of documents requiring approval and/or signature 
• Excellent interpersonal and intercultural communications skills; maturity and ability to interact responsively and tactfully with staff at all levels, with demonstrated good judgment and discretion. 
• Strong organizational skills and demonstrated ability to multitask and judge priorities under extremely tight deadlines. 
• Demonstrated ability to ensure total discretion, confidentiality and strong personal ethics. 
• Demonstrated ability to be proactive, exercise sound judgment, and use problem-solving skills in dealing with unexpected situations, often under pressure. 
• In addition to a proven track record in areas such as judgment, reliability, resourcefulness and flexibility, it is important that the candidate have a positive attitude, be a self-starter and maintain composure under stressful situations. 
• Ability to coach and mentor junior ACS staff. 
• Ability to create a positive and cohesive team environment within the Country Office and in dealing with the other units in the country department. 
• Expert use of all relevant computer software using advanced functions on Bank standard computer applications, in particular: MS Word, Excel & PowerPoint, Lotus Notes, SAP, Internet Explorer. 
• Effective analytical, research, innovative and problem-solving skills. 
• High degree of independence, motivation, initiative and reliability. 
• Flexibility and willingness to adjust scope of responsibilities. 
• Flexibility with working hours and willingness to work overtime.


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