ABOUT PLAN INTERNATIONAL BENIN
We are Plan International, working with children and girls in over 80 countries to help create a world where we are all equal. Our structure includes the global hub in the UK, over 50 country offices and their programme units, 4 regional hubs and 4 liaison offices. We have 20 national member organisations, which are separate legal entities and have the same purpose and global strategy.
Over the next five years, all Plan International entities will follow this refreshed global strategy, which will enable us to achieve three core goals: greater impact, greater legitimacy and improved sustainability. At its core, this strategy is our commitment to girls and young people and our determination to focus even more on young people. To achieve this, we will build on the strengths gained throughout our rich history and our current strategy, 100 million reasons. We want and need to build on our core strengths: our independence, ensured by a diversified funding model and ethical standards on who we partner with, and how we combine our influencing and programming work at local, national and international levels.
We bring local evidence and voices to global issues; our understanding of change at the local level, addressing root causes with communities and local partners through our long-term presence; our focus on girls’ rights through an intersectional and gender-transformative approach that is based on our understanding of girls’ lived realities and how to work with boys and men to achieve equality for girls; Our bold campaigns, from Because I am a Girl to our current Girls Get Equal campaign, have been designed in collaboration with girls and young people and tell their stories, and our global identity is built on partnership networks, relationships with global institutions, cross-cultural experiences, global programming and locally-rooted influence.
Plan International’s mission is to strive for a just world that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. Our vision is an organisation where all people, in all their diversity, including racial and ethnic identity, sexual orientation, feel safe, respected, included and valued.
We strongly encourage applications from women and marginalised people in all our recruitment processes.
ROLE PURPOSE
[A concise statement, capturing the primary reasons that this role exists and a clear articulation of the context of the role. How will this role contribute to creating lasting change for children?]
The Executive Assistant (EA) coordinates communications flow to and from the Country Leadership Team (CLT) and provides a wide range of administrative and executive support to the management team. The post holder coordinates the management meetings and other events and facilitates the work of the Executive Team comprised of the Country Director (CD) and CLT members. The EA will support the smooth running of the CLT’s work and stands as administrative interface between the Country Director and the other departments.
Dimensions of the Role
[This section provides a summary of the size and authority of the post. It covers the size of the budget held, the numbers of direct reports, other key stakeholders who may depend on it, the type of communication required, the external representation involved and the reach of the role.]
The key role of the Executive Assistant (EA) is to manage all protocol and meetings of the Country Director, support with all external engagement agenda of CD and other CLT members, effectively coordinate management meetings and ensure timely, coherent and consistent distribution of information, including making sound recommendations and suggestions, to the Country Director and the management team in order to inform decision making process.
The EA should be very pragmatic, proactive and communicate strategically with external visitors to give an appropriate image of the organisation, she/he will be responsible for managing trips of all external visitors and staff travelling externally, as well as the CD’s internal trips to the field, and ensure all mission orders are properly monitored and tracked. She/he will ensure effective accountability to the supervisor through regular follow up of tasks and tasks of other CLT members requested by the CD. She manages all situations in compliances with procedures/rules in force but request advice from the supervisor for all situations where clear solutions are not set.
The EA does not manage directly a team but he/she is expected to build and maintain strong working relationships with staff in other departments and Plan offices.
She holds no autonomy for expenses.
Accountabilities
[This section is critical for clarifying expectations of the role, providing the framework for its relationship with colleagues and providing areas of accountability against which performance can be managed.
This should include a series of brief statements that define the end results required. E.g. drive, contribute, identify, manage, responsible for, advise/coach, build, develop, provide, conduct, oversee, establish, participate etc.
Statements should ideally be worded so that they will lead to thoughts of measurement. For example, it is better to state something like “achieve maintenance standards” than “undertake maintenance”. The former leads to a measure against the maintenance standards.]
Typical responsibilities
Indications for success
1. General administrative support
1.1-Monitors and track all correspondences for the CD’S offices.
1.2-Follow-up CD’s comments and annotations on correspondences and remind colleagues of due actions as relevant.
1.3-Ensure a unique referencing system to OUT mail and correspondences.
1.4-Manage the official email address of Plan Int Benin and refer mails to recipients accordingly.
Correspondences and other documents of the CD are prepared as relevant and requested.
Correspondences are monitored as per CD’s instructions.
Letters are in the required reference format for easy tracking.
Mails are regularly checked and routed as needed.
2. Management of CD’s office
2.1-Handle phone calls meant to CD and manage correspondences to and from CD’s office.
2.2-Draft CD’s monthly schedule and update her/his weekly agenda.
2.3-Maintain the CD’s appointment schedule and ensure due follow up.
2.4-Manage and maintain the CD’s travel planning and ensure logistic support as appropriate.
Phone calls and correspondences to CD are managed as appropriate.
CD’s monthly and weekly planning are draft and distributed as relevant.
All appointments are arranged and managed, insuring no conflicting schedules.
CD’s travel schedule is monitored and due diligence done to ensure travel in good conditions.
3. Executive team administration and external engagements
3.1-Prepare and monitor budgets for CD’s running costs in office and house.
Ensure that services requested in CD’S office/house are provided.
3.2 -Follow up on deliverable from CLT members or other colleagues as may request the Country Director.
3.3-Plan and update annual schedule for CLT meeting.
3.4-Coordinate and attend management team meetings and events namely CLT and ECLT meetings.
3.5-Take notes, prepare minutes and update decision follow up table, ensuring that relevant team members produce regular updates.
3.6- Support the CD with planning of all external engagement meetings, from planning of document, protocol through regular communications and monitoring.
The project outlines for the CD’s office and house are prepared, monitored and updated on a quarterly basis or when necessary.
All services requested in CD’s office/house are provided diligently in compliance with standards and procedures.
Automatic reminder of the tasks and deadlines is made to the management teams.
Annual plans are prepared and updated on a quarterly basis and communicated to team members
Management teams’ meetings are organized in accordance with agreed charters.
Notes, minutes and actions plans of meetings are taken, updated and distributed to relevant people and audience within the agreed timeframe.
All external visits of CD in and out of office are properly monitored and arranged.
4. Management of international visits/meetings/events coordination and follow up
4.1- Plan and coordinate all in country visits to guests, ensure appropriate logistic and notifications to officials/administrative for appointments as convenient
4.2-Manage and coordinate regional or international meetings/events to be held in Benin, in collaboration with the CO-administration and the meeting event’s focal point.
4.3-Collect, compile and share staff travel data with all the staff.
Compile and share with the administration coordinator information on visits of no/sponsors/media crew and travel of staff out of the region.
All visits of guests authorised by CLT or recommended by RO/NO/IH to Benin are properly arranged/coordinated and follow up.
All logistic, administrative and security requirements are in place to support regional or international meetings/events welcome by Plan Benin.
Staff travel data are available and shared with the staff within agreed deadline.
Travels out of region and visits of guests in country are compiled and shared with the staff.
5-Support internal communication, learning process and good practices sharing
5.1- Give support to others Department in regards communication on their achievements.
Support is given to colleagues regardless of their department
- Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Child Protection (CPP) and Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI) are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy including relevant Implementation Standards and Guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring staff and associates are aware of and understand their responsibilities under these policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), their relevance to their area of work, and that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures.
DEALING WITH PROBLEMS
- Arrange and coordinate different management and program meeting s. The core management team and the extended management team deal with a broad range of issues. Ensuring that management decisions/recommendations are accurately captured require familiarity and interest in the variety of issues of management concern, besides the ability to review and consolidate large amount of information into succinct briefing papers and notes, to identify problems and recommend solutions to management.
- Manage conflicting priorities. The Executive Assistant will be a shared resource for the executive team (core CLT) and the management teams (E-CLT) and should be able to manage the demands of these teams. He/she should be willing to be stretched beyond his or her comfort zone to assume new responsibilities.
- Create and maintain complex relationships. One of the challenges of the Executive Assistant will be his/her ability to earn and deserve trust of senior managers/teams and build strong professional relationships with technical advisors and the country program team as a whole.
COMMUNICATION AND WORKING RELATIONSHIPS:
[This section refers to people inside and/or outside of the organisation that the post-holder needs to have contact with, and why. This should include virtual presence.]
Team/Position
Purpose
CD
To Follow-up on deliverable from CMT members or other colleagues as may request the Country Director
To Maintain the CD’s appointment schedule and ensure due follow-up
To Handle phones calls meant to CD and manage correspondences as appropriate
To manage correspondence to/from CD’s office
Core CLT
To arrange and coordinate Core CMT meetings and to ensure timely distribution of minutes, notes and follow up to actions lists
Receptionist in CO
To manage and follow up in and out correspondences.
To ensure food services during meetings of executive and management teams in CO
To manage and route phone call to CD’s secretariat
To follow up on communications between Plan International Benin and partners
Regional and International
Visitors
To coordinate logistics and administrative
support to visits
Regional and International Events
To coordinate logistics and administrative support to regional meetings/ events
Technical Advisors
To review and finalize various correspondences or documents for CD’s signing or to partners
To arrange CD’s meeting requesting their participation
To synchronize managements meetings and executive team calendar with the meeting portfolio and calendar of the Program team and make sure there is no conflicts
Administrative Assistant/HIV
To review and submit correspondences to
project
CD’s signing
To monitor a good tracking of documents or contracts from/to project implementation partners
Project Coordinators
(Large Grants)
To Follow-up on deliverable requested from project coordinators
To coordinate CD’s meeting and support to projects.
Medium
Technical expertise, skills and knowledge
[This section details the skills, knowledge and expertise the postholder will be required to demonstrate in doing the job well.
This should include clear levels of technical expertise and skills that support our work at national, international, and global level.]
Essential
- Knowledge of office management principles, methods, and procedures.
- Knowledge of sorting/filing techniques and records retention policies and schedules to maintain accurate records.
- Ability to prioritize work assignments and in-basket materials to ensure completion within established timeframes and by expected deadlines
- Ability to work under the pressure of a heavy workload and/or short timelines when completing work assignments.
- Ability to take initiatives, work independently, and complete projects without detailed instructions.
- Ability to be flexible in adapting to changes in priorities, assignments, and other interruptions which may impact pre-established timelines for completing assignments
- Ability to maintain the confidentiality of sensitive and confidential information (e.g., personnel-related issues, projects
- Ability to use discretion and diplomacy when responding in writing to the needs, problems, or concerns of others
- Ability to interpret and explain policies, procedures, rules, and/or regulations to department employees, the public, vendors, and other State agencies.
Desirable
- Writing Skills,
- Reporting Skills,
- Supply Management,
- Scheduling, Time Management and Organization,
- Microsoft Office Skills
- Verbal Communication
PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT AND DEMANDS
Executive assistants usually have their own computer workstation and at least one telephone on their desk. They rarely share these workstations with other organisation employees.
The offices executive assistants work in are usually quiet, low-stress environments. However, these workplaces may become more stressful at times, such as close to deadlines or during tax time.
The role requires to communicate in person with a variety of staff members, company clients, and other visitors to the business.
Level of contact with children &CHILDREN AND YOUTH SAFEGUARDING
[Please delete as applicable]
Mid contact: Occasional interaction with children
Plan International’s Values in Practice
We are open and accountable
- Promotes a culture of openness and transparency, including with sponsors and donors.
- Holds self and others accountable to achieve the highest standards of integrity.
- Consistent and fair in the treatment of people.
- Open about mistakes and keen to learn from them.
- Accountable for ensuring we are a safe organisation for all children, girls & young people
We strive for lasting impact
- Articulates a clear purpose for staff and sets high expectations.
- Creates a climate of continuous improvement, open to challenge and new ideas.
- Focuses resources to drive change and maximise long-term impact, responsive to changed priorities or crises.
- Evidence-based and evaluates effectiveness.
We work well together
- Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate.
- Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals.
- Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners and communities.
- Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.
We are inclusive and empowering
- Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate.
- Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals.
- Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners and communities.
- Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.
How to apply
Anyone wishing to apply must provide a detailed CV, a cover letter addressed to the Resident Representative of Plan International Benin, and copies of diplomas via the link below no later than Friday, September 6, 2024.