Vacancy name: Executive Assistant
Region: UK
Reports to: Chief of Staff
Salary: Up to £35,000 per annum + benefits
Hours: 37.5 hours per week. Generous holiday entitlement. Hours are flexible to suit the individual. There may be the occasional need for early/late hours to account for time zone differences within our community.
Travel requirements: Occasional national (UK) and international (Africa, Europe, North America) trips, including visiting our work in prisons.
Application Deadline: 13th February, 2023
ABOUT JUSTICE DEFENDERS
Picture this: an overcrowded and under-resourced prison full of men, women, or even children who have not been found guilty. This is the case for three million people around the world currently affected by the excessive use of pre-trial detention.
In many countries, suspects are detained in prison almost automatically once they are arrested. Whatever the offence. Some are guilty. Many are poor and unjustly targeted. At Justice Defenders, we want to see justice served; it’s vital for all of us. What we don’t want to see is people filling our prisons simply because there was no one to equip them to fight for justice.
Justice Defenders is a registered UK charity and US nonprofit. Founded in 2007, we work across Africa, training incarcerated people and prison officers to become paralegals. Our 35 prison-based legal offices in Uganda, Kenya, and The Gambia are run by more than 300 paralegals. By equipping Justice Defenders to facilitate a just legal process, we help ensure a fair hearing at the point of greatest need. Everyone deserves the right to tell their story.
JOB CONTEXT
It is an incredibly exciting time for our organisation and this role provides a unique opportunity for an individual who is passionate about justice, servant leadership, and collaboration. We are looking for an experienced and driven Executive Assistant, who is ready to dive into our exciting remote journey as we strengthen our capacity, our systems, and our impact in the coming years. The candidate will provide high-quality executive support to the CEO’s office (the CEO, Chief of Staff, and the Board of Directors). The successful candidate will work closely with our leadership team to tackle new challenges in a fast-moving digital environment.
YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES
- Extensive calendar management for the CEO and COS (Chief of Staff); organising and scheduling internal and external meetings both in-person and online with international stakeholders across multiple time zones.
- Governance systems administration, incl. organising and maintaining the annual cycle of meetings and preparations, creating agendas, compiling materials, administering the governance electronic portal, and taking minutes for all Justice Defenders legal entities.
- Coordinate domestic and international travel for CEO and COS, including visas, flights, transfers, accommodation, vaccinations, catering, AV requirements, etc collaborating with other Executive Team administrative assistants to ensure coordination for group travel.
- Supporting the administration and logistics of events, including researching venues, negotiating supplier deals, coordinating staff and guest travel, managing budgets, conducting risk assessments, and supporting the event lead with agenda setting and preparation of materials.
- Taking notes, keeping minutes, and recording actions during in-person and online meetings, including convenings of the Executive Team both online and in person.
- Additional general administrative tasks for the CEO and COS, such as expense management, annual leave management, completing forms, digital filing etc plus occasional domestic admin support for the CEO on an ad hoc basis.
YOUR PROFILE
Experience and skills
- 3yrs+ experience in the role of executive assistant, personal assistant, project manager or similar.
- Strong understanding of and experience in international coordination and travel logistics across multiple time zones.
- Exceptional levels of accuracy and attention to detail.
- Prior experience of governance administration preferred, as a minimum must have a basic understanding of charitable governance.
- Strong IT proficiency and ability to learn new software quickly (preferred familiarity with the full Google Workspace suite, Microsoft Office, Slack, and Trello).
- Experience creating and maintaining administrative systems.
- Excellent time management and organisational skills. Must be able to manage own time and prioritise tasks autonomously.
- Proven ability to problem-solve and to take initiative.
- Must be able to work both independently and collaboratively as required.
- Fluent English speaker with the ability to speak with warmth and professionalism in communications with all stakeholders.
- Excellent written English.
- Thrives in a fast-paced environment, able to handle emerging priorities and last-minute requests.
Key characteristics
- Warm, empathetic and perceptive; a collaborative team player with a hands-on approach.
- Thrives in connecting with those of all backgrounds, including people in prison, ultra-high net worth individuals, and staff from multiple countries, cultures, and faiths.
- Energised by an agile and innovative environment; willing to join us in embracing challenges with a positive attitude.
- Confident in taking initiative, yet comfortable asking for help and learning from others in a supportive environment.
- Willing to take ownership of tasks and drive things forward.
- Commitment to accountability and integrity, and personal alignment with our core values of solidarity, humility, and bravery.
- Passionate about our work and our mission to equip the defenseless with the law.
We especially encourage applications from those who have been in prison, were the recipient of free school meals, or are from the first generation of their family to attend university and from those who consider themselves to be part of minority groups.
Like to apply?
Kindly visit this link. Applications should be received by the stipulated deadline. Please note that only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
