Personal Assistant Job in Nairobi

CABI (www.cabi.org) is a not-for-profit development-led organization supported by a solid scientific research base and a world class publishing service.
Our mission is to improve people’s lives worldwide by providing information and applying scientific expertise to solve problems in agriculture and the environment. Our work increases food security and protects biodiversity.
Job title: Personal Assistant to Regional Director, CABI in Africa
Salary range: Negotiable, but commensurate with skills abilities and experience
Grade: 3 year contract, with possible extension
Reporting to: Regional Director
Direct reports: None
Key peer group: Finance and Administration Team and Project Managers
Location: Nairobi
Purpose of the role: The incumbent will offer administrative support to the Regional Director as well as carry out a wide variety of projects administrative tasks in supporting CABI in Africa
Candidate profile
·         Strong diplomacy, initiative and organisation skills
·         Flexibility, reliability, tact and discretion
·         Meticulous and good attention  to detail
·         Ability to adapt quickly to new and different environments
·         Proven analytical and drafting skills
·         Science background
·         Excellent English & French (desirable), spoken and written skills
·         Team player
·         Self-starter, capable of working with minimal supervision
Key Accountabilities / Summary Job Description (JD)
·         To be Responsible for the Management of the Regional Director’s Diary & Calendar
·         To make follow-ups and provide the Regional Director with updates as required
·         To Support the Preparation, Profiling and Documentation of Key Institutional Documents and Records
·         To Support Monitoring and Documentation of Projects in Africa;
o    Support the preparation of project documentation and managing their custody
o    Monitor Projects Deliverables, ensuring Quality & Timeliness
o    Follow up and ensure that the Projects Database is updated and Projects Documents are uploaded on SharePoint
o    Monitor Adherence to PRINCE 2 Reporting and Documentation
·         To facilitate maintenance of CABI Africa’s Regional and International main contacts database
·         To facilitate the planning and organising of meetings, conferences and workshops
·         To report on activities carried out by CABI in Africa
·         To ensure professional image of CABI in the Region
Knowledge & Skills
Required
·         Excellent interpersonal skills with ability to develop and maintain constructive and cooperative working relationships with others and maintain positive attitude
·         Strong communication skills
·         Reasonable science background
·         Excellent planning, organizational and time management skills
·         Strong skills in ICT systems and software
Desirable
·         Strong management and administration skills
Education & Qualifications
Required
·         Undergraduate degree in Administrative Studies or related discipline
·         Advanced Computing skills
·         Excellent English and French (Desirable)- both written and spoken
Desirable
·         Masters Degree in Administration
Personality Characteristics
Required
·         Unquestionable integrity
·         High initiative and self-driven requiring little or  no supervision
·         Team player
·         Creative and innovative
·         Fast Learner and pro-active person
Desirable
·         Professional maturity
Experience
Required
·         Relevant practical experience minimum of 5 years in a similar administrative role
·         Proven experience writing and editing technical and official documents
·         Good working knowledge of standard internet applications and ability to learn and keep up to date with advancing information technologies
Desirable
·         Experience gained in an international and Inter-governmental organisation
Note: This job description is not intended to be exhaustive. It is expected that the post holder and CABI will adopt a flexible attitude and accept that the duties may have to be varied according to circumstances, in particular changing corporate requirements and individual development needs.
Equal Opportunities: CABI is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from candidates irrespective of age, gender, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, disability, religion, sexual orientation or marital status.  No applicant will be disadvantaged by conditions which cannot be shown to be justified and selection will be based on merit.
By taking the CABI Equal Opportunities Survey you will be helping us to follow best practice recommendations that employers should monitor selection decisions to assess whether equality of opportunity is being achieved.  Please CLICK HERE to take the survey.
The information in the survey will be treated as confidential and used for statistical purposes only, forming no part of the selection process.  This information will be received separately from your application.
How to Apply
To apply please send the following to recruitment@cabi.org quoting Job reference 10-2017 and stating where you saw this advertisement:-
1). a covering letter describing in full how you meet the candidate profile, and to include details of your current remuneration;
2). a full curriculum vitae;
3). the name and contact details of three referees, one of which must be your current or most recent employer – referees will not be contacted without your prior permission.
Please note that the closing date for the receipt of applications is midnight 21st April, 2017.
CABI Background: CABI (www.cabi.org) is a not-for-profit development-led organization supported by a solid scientific research base and a world class publishing service. Our mission is to improve people’s lives worldwide by providing information and applying scientific expertise to solve problems in agriculture and the environment. Our work increases food security and protects biodiversity.
We have over 350 staff based in 16 countries. We have offices in Brazil, China, Ghana, India, Kenya, Malaysia, Pakistan, Switzerland, Trinidad & Tobago, the UK, USA and Zambia.
CABI is an intergovernmental organization that can trace its origins back to 1910. Our mission and direction are influenced by government representatives from our 46 member countries who help guide the activities we undertake. These include scientific publishing, development projects and research, and microbial services. We are also leading a major new initiative, Plantwise, which aims to improve food security and the lives of the rural poor by reducing crop losses.
Publishing: We produce key scientific publications, including CAB Abstracts – the world-leading database covering agriculture and environment and Global Health – the definitive bibliographic database for public health information. We also publish multimedia compendia, books, ebooks and full text electronic resources aiming to further science and its application to real life. Behind each of our products is a team of subject specialists committed to delivering the most relevant and authoritative information to researchers worldwide.
Development projects and research: Our staff research and find solutions to agricultural and environmental problems. We use science, information and communication tools to help solve issues of global concern. Our work is arranged around four core themes:
·         Commodities – we work to enable smallholder commodity farmers to compete in global markets. We diagnose and control plant pests and diseases, and help farmers get a better price for their crops. We work on crops such as coffee, cocoa, wheat, rice and cotton.
·         Invasive species – we are helping to reduce the spread and impact of invasive weeds such as Japanese Knotweed, water hyacinth and insects such as coffee berry borer and cocoa pod borer. We also advise countries at a policy level about agriculture, trade and the environment.
·         Knowledge for development – we work with farmers, extension workers, researchers and governments to deliver agricultural knowledge and develop communication strategies and systems.
·         Knowledge management – we use information and communication technologies to provide farmers, researchers and policy makers with the information they need to make informed decisions and to lift people out of poverty.
Microbial services: We manage one of the world’s largest genetic resource collections, the UK’s National Collection of Fungus Cultures. We conduct microbiological identifications; provide cultures for sale, and offer preservation and consultancy services. We are also screening our collection, looking for natural products such as antibiotics, vitamins and enzymes.

Plantwise: Plantwise aims to increase food security by providing knowledge. It helps poor farmers in developing countries improve their livelihoods by losing less of what they grow to plant health problems. This will be achieved through expansion of the plant clinic network which CABI has already begun to establish, supported by the creation of a global knowledge bank of information on plant health, pests and diseases. Plantwise will be a global programme, comprising an integrated set of projects and activities. www.plantwise.org