Senior Program Assistant – Africa Team

Job Description

Job Opportunity: Senior Program Assistant – Africa Team
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Employment Type: Full-time
Application Deadline: 13 February 2026

About the Organization

We are a global nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing poverty, fighting disease, and addressing inequality worldwide. Our work is guided by the belief that everyone—regardless of background or circumstance—deserves the opportunity to live a healthy and fulfilling life. We foster an inclusive, diverse workplace and offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support employees and their families, while enabling both personal and professional growth.

The Africa Team

The Africa team plays a central role in advancing impactful, evidence-based solutions across Sub-Saharan Africa. The team works closely with country partners to implement effective interventions and scale proven delivery models across multiple regions, strengthening systems and improving lives.

The Role

We are seeking a Senior Program Assistant (SPA) to provide high-level administrative, coordination, and operational support to the Africa Director and the Director’s Office. This role is critical to ensuring smooth day-to-day operations, effective leadership support, and successful execution of strategic priorities.

The position reports to the PA Manager – Continental, with a dotted reporting line to the Africa Director and the Deputy Director, Leadership Advising.

Key Responsibilities

Executive & Leadership Support

• Manage complex calendars, travel, and scheduling across multiple time zones.
• Ensure leadership is fully prepared for meetings through agendas, briefings, and pre-read materials.
• Support preparation and follow-up of leadership decisions and actions.

Project & Program Coordination

• Provide administrative and project management support across team initiatives.
• Track timelines, deliverables, and risks for key projects.
• Support execution of priority regional initiatives.

Meetings & Events

• Organize high-level meetings, conferences, retreats, and events.
• Manage logistics, documentation, action tracking, and communications.
• Coordinate internal and external engagements involving senior stakeholders.

Communication & Briefings

• Liaise with partners, grantees, and internal teams.
• Develop concise briefing notes and background materials for leadership engagements.

Operations & Planning

• Maintain organized records, workflows, and knowledge management systems.
• Support basic financial processes including expenses, invoices, and budget tracking.
• Ensure smooth coordination of team calendars and workstreams.

Stakeholder Engagement & Problem-Solving

• Support cross-team collaboration and issue resolution.
• Contribute to planning, strategy reviews, and continuous improvement efforts.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree is an added advantage.
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience supporting senior leaders in a fast-paced, complex environment.
• Strong organizational, communication, and project management skills.
• Ability to exercise discretion, sound judgment, and diplomacy.
• Results-driven, adaptable, and comfortable working across teams.
• Familiarity with the African business or development landscape is an asset.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and collaboration tools; ability to learn new systems quickly.Additional Requirements
• Legal authorization to work in Kenya without visa sponsorship.
• Fluency in written and spoken English.
• Successful completion of a background check as part of the hiring process.

Inclusion & Accessibility

We are committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion and believe that all lives hold equal value. We provide equal opportunity to all qualified applicants and welcome individuals from all backgrounds. Reasonable accommodations are available for candidates with disabilities throughout the recruitment process.

If you are highly organized, proactive, and motivated to support impactful work across Africa, we encourage you to apply. Use Apply Now button above