Senegal: Special Assistant to the CEO

Language Requirements: Full proficiency in French and English

Duration: Minimum 2-year commitment

Location: Thies, Senegal

About this Role

The Special Assistant to the CEO is a newly created position designed to provide direct day-to-day support to the CEO, acting as her right hand and taking on specific and varied projects as needed. The goal of the Special Assistant to the CEO is to make the CEO a better, faster, stronger and more effective leader by creating capacity for her to focus on the most important things. The Special Assistant will be exposed to a wide range of responsibilities, including driving special projects, conducting research, leading new initiatives, managing people issues and HR processes, supporting donor relations, and managing schedule and travel.

The ideal candidate will be committed to supporting and building the behind-the-scenes infrastructure by engaging in detail-oriented work to support program implementation, internal and external communication systems, and data analysis. This position requires excellent written and verbal communication skills and an adaptable “roll up your sleeves” attitude.

Responsibilities

• Lead discrete projects on various topics of importance to the CEO, working closely with the myAgro senior team under tight deadlines. Example projects include:

  • Develop talent profiles of successful myAgro field agents to help improve our recruitment and selection process.
  • Assist with fund-raising and development activities, including drafting grant applications and proposals and assisting with fund-raising or meeting event planning.
  • Research best practices in behavioral economics and write an internal white paper on what methods or projects might be applicable to our context.
  • Work with an HR consultant to customize an HR payroll system to manage our growing team in West Africa.
  • Analyze M&E data and create a KPI dashboard to share across teams and with the myAgro board.

• Support the CEO and other members of the Executive Team

  • Research, synthesize, analyze and summarize information and issues for the CEO.
  • Assemble informative and attractive printed materials and powerpoint slides in advance of both internal and external meetings.
  • Schedule calls, meetings, appointments, interviews and speaking arrangements. Assist in setting up and managing domestic and international calls, and track and manage the CEO's travel schedule.
  • Courteously and professionally represent myAgro through e-mail and telephone correspondence with internal and external stakeholders.
  • Other administrative tasks as required.

Required Experience

• Bachelor's degree
• Full proficiency in both French and English
• A minimum of 2 years of professional work experience
• Previously worked or lived in the developing world

Additionally, you should possess the following

• Passion for myAgro and our mission: You approach your work with the needs and realities of the farmers we serve in the front of your mind.
• Exceptional and creative problem solving skills: You can work effectively in challenging and resource-constrained environments, and you're comfortable making decisions in the face of ambiguity.
• Ability to take ownership of a number of special projects with short deadlines: You can easily adapt and adjust throughout the day to efficiently move between varied tasks.
• Willingness to carry out administrative tasks with enthusiasm: You take pride in your work and apply the same detail-oriented approach to all assignments.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills: You're a confident communicator and are comfortable interfacing with senior stakeholders
• Comfort with a fast-paced, startup environment in a developing country: Flexibility, a sense of humor, an open mind, and a diligent work ethic are necessary for success.

Benefits

• Compensation is modest, but will be competitive with other social enterprises
• Initial flight to West Africa, additional flight in year 2
• Excellent global insurance coverage including health, vision, dental, and emergency.
• Four weeks of annual vacation, plus national holidays.
• Stipend for local language lessons
• Tons of karmic good – you'll be directly helping families move beyond subsistence farming!

This is an unaccompanied position. There are no additional benefits for spouses and very limited support for dependents. However, those applying are welcome to have their spouse independently apply if s/he is qualified for an open position.

Members of the West African diaspora; returned Peace Corp Volunteers; and alumni of fellowships such as Kiva, Acumen and Global Health Corps are especially encouraged to apply!

For consideration, please submit your cover letter and resume here.
Other positions with myAgro can be viewed at https://myagro.recruiterbox.com/