Executive Associate, Managing Directors Office, Ultra Poor Graduation Initiative

Career with BRAC International

BRAC is an award-winning international non-governmental development organisation, with the vision of a world free from all forms of exploitation and discrimination, where everyone has the opportunity to realise their potential. BRAC is a leader in developing and implementing cost-effective, evidence-based programmes to assist poor and disadvantaged communities in low-income countries, including in conflict-prone and post-disaster settings. It is an organisation of and for the people of the Global South, pioneering new development and social enterprise approaches to equip communities to achieve prosperity. As well as being the world’s biggest NGO by number of staff and people directly reached, BRAC has regularly been ranked the number one NGO in the world by the Geneva-based NGO Advisor, an independent organisation committed to highlighting innovation, impact and governance in the non-profit sector. BRAC retained the top spot in 2020 among the top 500 NGOs for the fifth consecutive year.

BRAC was founded in Bangladesh in 1972 by Sir Fazle Hasan Abed. It started its first programme outside of Bangladesh in Afghanistan in 2002, and has since reached millions of people in 11 countries in Asia and Africa. BRAC has a holistic approach to development that uses a wide array of programmes and social enterprises, including in microfinance, education, health, agriculture, gender and human rights. BRAC believes that every person has inherent potential, and when an enabling environment is created and that potential is unleashed, even the poorest can become agents of positive change in their own lives, for their families and their communities.

BRAC International is seeking application from competent, dynamic and self-motivated individuals to fill the following position:

Executive Associate, Managing Directors Office, Ultra Poor Graduation Initiative

About the Position

The BRAC Ultra-Poor Graduation Initiative is the flagship program of BRAC International at the global level that seeks to advance the use of proven Graduation approaches to address extreme poverty. UPGI’s primary goal is to ensure Graduation approaches scale through governments and works with a range of global and national partners in pursuit of this mission.

UPGI has a Managing Director and an Executive Office that serves as the overall steering body for an executive leadership team and the overall UPGI direction. The Managing Director aims to hire an Executive Associate who will support the Managing Director’s Executive Office and the Executive Leadership Team. Working inside the Managing Director’s office, s/he will support with administrative and general support functions.

While the position may be based in many possible locations, it would be advantageous if this were near a BRAC International office facility in New York, Washington DC, Amsterdam or Nairobi. Irrespective of location, work hours would need to closely align to the 7am – 3pm US East Coast time zone in order to support the MD and Executive Office.

Primary Responsibilities:

The Executive Associate, will be responsible for supporting many day to day functions of the Managing Director and Executive offices, including but not limited to the following:

● Calendar and diary management, assisting in scheduling of calls and meetings for senior leadership team, as well as administration for team-wide meetings;

● Help to develop and manage agendas, take minutes and ensure action items of calls and meetings – ensuring they are appropriately shared and executed;

● Assist with organisation of internal events including annual retreats, learning workshops and strategy meetings;

● Track contacts and relationships in cultivation and update databases, including via BRAC’s internal CRM systems/Salesforce.

● Internal data management and organization including management of Google Drive

● Support cross-team knowledge management and assist the senior leadership team in donor reporting and relations.

● Support Executive leadership project management and planning through use of project management tools

● Curate itineraries and briefing documents for senior management ahead of key events, meetings, and conferences.

● Other duties as assigned.

Safeguarding

● Ensure the safety of team members from any harm, abuse, neglect, harassment and exploitation to achieve the programme’s goals on safeguarding implementation. Act as a key source of support, guidance and expertise on safeguarding for establishing a safe working environment.

● Practice, promote and endorse the issues of safeguarding policy among team members and ensure the implementation of safeguarding standards in every course of action.

● Follow the safeguarding reporting procedure in case any reportable incident takes place, encourage others to do so.

People Specifications:

The candidate for Executive Associate, Ultra-Poor Graduation Initiative should have a deep commitment toward international development and the eradication of extreme poverty.

Experience Requirements:

● Bachelor’s degree, with a preference given to candidates with degrees in international development, or policy and communications or other relevant field; or equivalent experience such as 2+ years experience in administrative role reporting directly to senior management

● Some experience with administrative support functions preferred.

Knowledge and Skills:

● Strong organisational skills and ability to work in a fast-paced environment;

● Highly self-motivated and strong ability to work independently;

● Proactive collaborator, with ability to effectively manage competing work streams and deadlines;

● Diplomatic, with strong interpersonal skills, and a high degree of cultural sensitivity;

● Excellent writing skills in English required.

Employment Type: Full-time

Salary: Negotiable

Job Location: This role will be based in Nairobi, the Hague, London, New York or Washington DC. The role will require extensive international travel.