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
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
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