Office Manager

Job Description

SUMMARY

The Young African Leadership Initiative Legacy and Localization (YALI L&L) project, led by Arizona State University, seeks qualified candidates to serve as the Communications Director on a USAID project supporting the next-generation expression of the Regional Leadership Centers (RLC) component of the Young African Leadership Initiative (YALI), the United States’ premier investment in young African leaders. As the on-continent component of the YALI program, in 2015 USAID launched four YALI RLCs at higher education institutions in Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, and South Africa. The RLCs have provided access to leadership and functional training to 22,000 young leaders aged 18–35 from 49 sub-Saharan countries in three tracks: business and entrepreneurship, public management, and civic leadership. YALI 2030 will build on the RLC foundation to create an expanded pan-African youth development model that will harmonize training curriculum, serve underrepresented/underserved youth, build alumni network capacity and professional development opportunities, and develop new program-related partnerships with the private sector and other stakeholders and donors. ASU has hosted YALI Mandela Washington Fellows annually since 2014, led public management cohorts at the East Africa Regional Leadership Center, collaborates with the Mastercard Foundation on an eLearning Initiative with African universities, implemented higher education projects for USAID with multiple universities on the continent, and maintains an African hub and a network of alumni through ASU-Thunderbird School of Global Management.

Position location: This is a full-time national position and will be based in Nairobi, Kenya.

Main Purpose of Job

We are seeking to recruit a results-oriented Office Manager.

The holder of this position will report to the Finance and Administration Senior Director and will be responsible for the efficient coordination of administrative operations in the Nairobi ASU Office.

Key Responsibilities

• Coordinate the day-to-day administration of the office operations and procedures in Nairobi ASU offices for the YALI LL program for efficient implementation of all activities undertaken ensuring validity of all office expenses and availability of all the necessary basic documents.
• Assist in the development and implementation of office policies and procedures and ensure efficient working environment and layout of office systems.
• Provide operational support for logistics, program implementation, YALI LL activity start up and close-out procedures and coordination of staff across the African region.
• In co-ordination with the operations team maintain office cleanliness and safety ensure all assets are in good working condition and oversee asset tracking process.
• Assist HR Perform personnel administrative tasks including coordinating and participating in the hiring process of short- and long-term staff, coordinating training of new employees and supervising employee time and attendance records.
• Coordinate and track travel logistics for staff and consultants including visas and other supporting travel documents required.
• General office management to include making of timely requisitions, office repairs, supervising office cleaning, sitting arrangement and management of office supplies and utility bills
• Oversee all operations and administrative logistics related to YALI LL meetings, training events, workshops,venues and other activities including, coordinating schedules and meeting invites, preparing agendas, arranging for travel and hotel bookings to training sites as appropriate and taking meeting minutes as necessary.
• Staff supervision for project drivers.
• Other duties as needed.

Key competencies

• Demonstrated leadership and management skills.
• Expertise delivering performance excellence
• Analytical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent strategic planning skills, Strong judgement and decision-making skills.
• Excellent verbal communication skills and excellent report writing skills.
• Experience with the use of the internet, including social media for fundraising purposes.
• Ability to work in a team and be a self-starter.

Required Qualifications:

• Degree in Business Administration, Development studies or another relevant field
• Professional training in business management is an added advantage.
• Advance training in business applications, computer studies, graphic design
• A prior progressively responsible experience with minimum of 10 years in the area of administrative support
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, ability to work with donor and senior government officials.
• Good command of both written and spoken English and Swahili. French is an added advantage.
• Experience working in corporate or International Not for Profit Organizations.
• Demonstrable planning and organizational skills and ability to meet tight deadlines.
• Flexibility and initiative, as well as the ability to work independently, combined with the skills for thriving in a team environment to achieve institutional goals.
• High professional and ethical standards for handling confidential information.
• Willingness to be flexible in working hours and adapt to changing priorities and deadlines.
• Experience of working within a busy finance department. Good communication and listening skills.
• Ability to work under pressure and meet targets and deadlines.
• Problem solving ability

How to Apply

Interested qualified candidates are invited to submit their application and Curriculum Vitae indicating full contact details of three professional referees to YALI@asu.edu by 24th October, 2023.

Applicants must include the POSITION TITLE in the subject line of their email. Please do not attach copies of certificates.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for interview.

YALI LL is an equal opportunity employer.

About the Organization

Our mission at Arizona State University is no less than revolutionizing the model for public higher education. We call it the New American University, and we began our transformation in 2002, led by President Michael Crow. Six years later, Newsweek hailed ASU as “one of the most radical redesigns in higher learning since the modern research university took shape.” U.S. News and World Report named ASU the most innovative university, ahead of Stanford at #2 and MIT at #3. The ASU model has relevance for developing countries seeking to meet escalated expressions of challenges that we face in the United States. In 2015, ASU established ASU International Development to support cross-university pursuit of development projects. ASU ID provides a single point of contact for donors and partners seeking to access the university’s myriad resources. Since 2015, ASU has successfully implemented projects for USAID, the State Department, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, the Inter-American Development Bank, and private sector donors including foundations such as MasterCard and Gates. Countries of work include Brazil, Barbados, Haiti, India, Pakistan, West Bank, El Salvador, Vietnam, Indonesia, Peru, Mexico, Kenya, Nepal, Jamaica, Aruba and the Pacific Islands. ASU provides strong back-office support to its partners as one of the few university research enterprises to be ISO 9001-compliant.

ASU is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status.