Job Summary

Position: Personal Assistant to Chief Executive Director (1 post)
Reports To: Chief Executive Director
Work Station: Dar es Salaam
Apply By: February 16, 2023

Institute Overview
Ifakara Health Institute (IHI) is a leading research organization in Africa with a strong track record in developing, testing and validating innovations for health. Driven by a core strategic mandate for research, training and services, the Institute’s work now spans a wide spectrum, covering biomedical and ecological sciences, intervention studies, health-systems research and policy translation.

Position Summary
Ifakara Health Institute seeks a qualified and experienced Personal Assistant (PA) to the Chief Executive Director (CED). The PA will be responsible for providing high-quality support to the CED, while providing administrative support to the Chief Operations Officer, and the Director of Science, responsible for supporting preparations of all Board meetings, Committees of the Board and the Management Committee.

Duties and Responsibilities

Manage diaries and exercise judgment in arranging meetings on behalf of the CED to ensure that urgent and important matters are prioritized by checking diaries against each other.
Check meeting minutes on receipt to identify dates of future meetings, maintain awareness of dates of relevant conferences, and organize appropriate cover for meetings in the case of absence.
Understand the CED’s commitments and prioritize scheduled events or meetings.
Provide support to the CED during meetings, ensure timely availability of the meeting minutes, and matters arising and report on the status of follow-up actions.
Deal with highly confidential issues, recognizing such matters’ sensitivity and possible reputational implications and ensuring appropriate liaison with managers and other internal and external colleagues. This will include human resources-related issues concerning staff.
Maintain management meeting minutes and files confidentially.
Ensure the CED is fully prepared and briefed for meetings and travel, reviewing background information and producing drafts of documents and/or briefing papers.
Make travel arrangements for the CED, including all logistical and substantive aspects, sourcing tickets, and hotel booking.
Maintain Board meeting minutes and sub-committee minutes.
Manage internal and external contacts for the CED including making, receiving and screening telephone calls, processing incoming mail and e-mails, highlighting urgent and important items, and drafting replies or replying directly when required.
Manage the filing system of correspondence and other papers, review existing files, and organize long-term storage as required.

At all times when communicating, be responsive, polite, friendly, and efficient; the image of the Office of the CED represents the image of the IHI.
Organize financial arrangements including payment and reimbursement of funds on behalf of the CED, liaising with the finance office and external organizations as necessary.
Perform any other tasks as may be assigned by a supervisor.

Qualification and Experience

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Secretarial Studies; Business Administration; or Management.
Proven and extensive experience (not less than 6 years) in supporting a senior executive, including experience in organizing and streamlining the workload and timetable of a busy professional.
Skills and Competencies
Excellent written English and good presentation skills, with a proven ability to draft and proofread documentation, including correspondence and briefing documents.
Efficient record keeping and records management.
Good oral communication skills, including confident presentation during meetings and the ability to communicate clearly with visitors from all parts of the world.
Excellent organizational abilities, ability to work under pressure, and ability to assess priorities, organize own workload without supervision, meet deadlines and initiate action, where appropriate
Ability to maintain complete confidentiality.
Experience in servicing committees and/or meetings, including taking minutes.
Adhere to Ifakara’s core values (Transparency, Responsibility, Integrity, Respect and Initiative).
Remuneration
An attractive and competitive remuneration package will be offered to successful candidates as per IHI salary scales.

Equal Opportunity
IHI is an equal opportunity employer. We prohibit intentional biases or discrimination and harassment of any kind at the work place and during recruitment. All employment decisions are based solely on job requirements and individual qualifications, and our recruitment process is governed by the labour laws of Tanzania.