Chief of Staff at Business Professionals Network (BPN) – Rwanda: (Deadline 16 May 2023)

Chief of Staff at Business Professionals Network (BPN) – Rwanda: (Deadline 16 May 2023)

CHIEF OF STAFF – Vacant position

Are you a proactive and detail-oriented multitasking driven person with a knack for staying organized and a lively interest in a challenging and rewarding role, working alongside and supporting a dynamic team on a mission of empowering entrepreneurs to grow? This is for you!

BPN stands for Business Professionals Network. It is a Swiss non-profit organization that strives to support the development of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), in order to create jobs and fight poverty. BPN provides Coaching, Capacity building as well as networking opportunities to SMEs so they can grow their businesses sustainably.

• I. Main Mission of a Chief of Staff:

The Chief of Staff (CoS) responsibilities include easing communications, and uniting people across organizations to keep them moving forward. The CoS assist the Country Director to oversee the internal operations and projects of BPN Rwanda. S/he is the right hand to other executives, and s/he provides high-level administrative support for the Country Director and to the BPN Management team to ensure they can efficiently accomplish key tasks and BPN initiatives.

II. Key responsibilities:

1. Planning & Coordinating (40%)

• Oversee strategic business initiatives, from development through successful execution, under the guidance of senior leadership and department heads
• Maintain the Country Director’s appointment schedule by planning and scheduling meetings, conferences, and travel.
• Conduct background research and provide pertinent materials to prepare the Country Director for upcoming meetings and conferences.
• Prepare the country directors’ presentation slides for events and meetings.
• Coordinate media and PR activities for the Country Director
• Organizing and scheduling BPN management meetings, as well as taking accurate minutes.
• Manage the Country Director’s daily calendar and arrange for transportation as required.
• Anticipate upcoming administrative support needs with a view to enhancing time management and minimizing rushed preparations.
• Coordinate the preparation of the Leadership meeting, the Status update meeting and other key meetings and follow up on actionable items (To-Dos)
• Support the Senior Management in ensuring that strategic goals are executed.
• Focus on long-term planning and projects to ensure the growth of the organization and the success of the Country Director
• Helps the Country Director prioritize projects and business impacts
• Facilitates special projects and ensures action items are executed
• Provides analysis, recommendations, and options to the Country Director. Serves as a thought partner, provides challenging ideas and offer a different perspectives
• Implements projects and initiatives on behalf of the Country Director towards his/her priorities and goals.
  2. Customer management (20%)
• Act as the primary contact person to staff, partners, and other stakeholders on behalf of the Country Director
• Screen all visitors and determine what level of support they need while offering polite, professional customer service.
• Establish appropriate communication flow through the management and staff
• Develop and build on relationships with all employees for increased efficiency and responsiveness of existing operations, and help define new operational strategies by working with CEO and other executives on special projects.
  3. Correspondence and communication (20%):
• Keep the Country Director’s communications organized so that s/he can easily access the most important information without having to sort through low-priority items
• Monitor, respond to and distribute incoming and outgoing electronic and hard copy communications on behalf of the Country Director
• Acts as the communication arm for CEO with other Executives in the organization, clients, or major stakeholders
• Manage information flow in a timely and accurate manner
• Provide administrative assistance, such as writing and editing e-mails, drafting memos, and preparing communications on the Management’s behalf.
• Manage external communication with the board, partners, and high-level public officials.
  4. Reporting, documentation, and others (20%):
• Assist BPN alumni (Business Owners Association -BOA) as needed
• Maintain comprehensive and accurate records.
• Prepare reports by collecting and analyzing information as assigned by the Country Director.
• Review weekly, monthly, termly, and annual reports from different departments.
• Complete and/or update the customer relationship management (CRM) platform as well as the mind maps and other documents on behalf of the Country Director.
• In the absence of the Country Director, support the acting person and ensure that all requests for action and information are responded to in a timely and appropriate manner.
• Organize and maintain the office filing system/SharePoint.
• Assist in a wide variety of projects as assigned; and other reasonably related duties as assigned by the supervisor.

III. Skills, Qualifications and Experience

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in management, Administration, law, or related field.

Experience

• At least 5 years’ experience as a Chief of Staff, Executive Assistant, or project management experience.
• Experience in planning and leading strategic initiatives
• Proven success in a project coordination role

Attitude

At BPN we expect every employee to proactively practice, nurture and strengthen the following key aspects of his or her working attitude:

• Have a learning attitude and be the driver of your own development process
• Are an active listener.
• Strive to perform and deliver with diligence and beyond strict job content.
• Aim for creativity and taking initiative.
• Have a collaborative mindset.
• Being empathetic and having the passion to serve others.

Key competencies:

• Strong communication & writing skills. Fluent in English and Kinyarwanda
• Exemplary planning, time management, and organizational skills
• Experience turning content into well-designed presentations.
• High interpersonal skills
• Experience exercising discretion and confidentiality with sensitive company and personnel information.
• Proactivity and self-direction
• Attention to detail, problem-solving skills, and decision-making.
• Have excellent MS Office skills with high digital-oriented skills.

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