Executive Assistant At African Parks

POSITION : Executive Assistant

ORGANISATION : African Parks – RCA

LOCATION : Kocho central station, Chinko Conservation Area / Central African Republic

REPORTING TO : Park Manager

EXPECTED START DATE : January 2024

BACKGROUND:

African Parks (AP) is a non-profit conservation organization that takes on complete responsibility for the rehabilitation and long-term management of national parks in partnership with governments and local communities. We currently manage 22 national parks and protected areas in 12 countries covering over 20 million hectares in Angola, Benin, Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Sudan.

Chinko is situated in the far eastern region of the Central African Republic (CAR). With its mosaic of different ecosystems and the size of its intact vegetation, Chinko is incredibly rich with a unique composition of biodiversity and opportunities for ecological and evolutionary processes, it is also an important area for endangered wildlife as well as a vast freshwater river ecosystem. African Parks assumed responsibility for the management of the Chinko Conservation Area since 2014.

JOB OVERVIEW:

African Parks – RCA, engaged in the protection and rehabilitation of the Chinko Conservation Area in the Central African Republic, is looking for a dynamic Grants specialist who will be acting in the role of Executive Assistant. He/she will primarily assist the General Manager with the overall coordination across the park, including internal and external report writing, grant reporting, proposal preparation, support for various departments with technical and administrative tasks where required, and liaising with regional management and AP Head Office.

KEY FUNCTIONS:

Coordination / Park Management

• In coordination with the Funding and Reporting Manager (FRM), contribute to the preparation of key strategic documents including but not limited to the five-year business plan and annual workplan.
• Assist the General Manager/Park Manager with various tasks including reporting and communication to ensure the continuity of operations.
• Assure the preparation and coordination of visits, meetings including board meetings and events as needed.
• Act as the liaison between the General Manager/Park Manager and Heads of Departments and other key internal stakeholders, including regional management and AP Head Office on internal procedures and administration matters.
• Inform the General Manager/Park Manager of difficulties or issues within the Park that need to be addressed.
• Ensure implementation of Management decisions.
• When applicable and as requested by the General Manager/Park Manager, take over the responsibility of specific issues and report as appropriate to Management.

Internal Reporting

• Coordinate with Heads of Department in preparing internal and other required reports, including quarterly operational reviews at the park level with updated core metrics, working together with the FRM and the M&E team as required.
• Ensure timely submission of internal reports.

Donor reporting and grant proposals

• Coordinate with the FRM and assume an appropriate share of the workload associated with the renewal and management of the grant portfolio, including report and proposal writing;
• Coordinate with the Heads of Departments to ensure their timely contribution to grant reports and proposals.

Communication

• In coordination with the Communication team at the park and regional levels, contribute to the drafting of external communications including press releases, speeches, social media, and other publications.
• In coordination with the Communication team at park and regional levels, contribute to the preparation and implementation of communications events.
• Support the Communication Officer and General Manager/Park Manager in ensuring good internal communication, including in times of crisis.
• Ensure high-level quality content of any written material produced by the park.

QUALIFICATIONS AND ROLE REQUIREMENTS:

• Good qualification in project management and administration.
• At least 5 years of experience in a similar role, experience in conservation in Africa is an asset.
• Strong team player who will nurture, encourage, and develop employees’ cohesion around the park manager.
• Excellent ability to build and manage relationships with a wide variety of people and cultures.
• Fluent in French and English (written and spoken).
• Excellent writing skills in both French and English.
• Rigour and ability to assume full responsibility for the delivery of high-quality outputs.
• Ability and interest to live in a remote location (Kocho station in Chinko Conservation Area).