Job Title: Executive Assistant (Strategy & Operations)
Reporting to: CEO & Founder
Location: Hybrid / Flexible
Time Commitment: Part-time (approximately 25 hours per week). However, the role requires reliable availability during core business hours for coordination, follow-ups, and time-sensitive matters.

About Cedar Africa Group
Cedar Africa Group is a Nairobi-based boutique advisory firm specialising in change management and leadership development across East Africa. We partner with senior leaders, boards, and institutions to deliver people-centred transformation, drawing on globally recognised methodologies and strong local context.

As Cedar continues to strengthen its internal systems and governance, we are formalising the Executive Assistant (Strategy & Operations) to enable disciplined execution, high-quality delivery, clear oversight, and sustainable growth.

Role Purpose
The Executive Assistant (Strategy and Operations) exists to strengthen the effectiveness of the CEO and ensure disciplined follow-through across strategic, commercial, and governance commitments.
This is not a traditional clerical Executive Assistant role. It is a structured, performance-enabling position suited to someone who understands how executive offices function and can bring calm, clarity, and order to a dynamic founder-led environment.
The role exists to:

• Protect the CEO’s time and strategic focus
• Support execution discipline across commitments
• Strengthen coordination and operational hygiene
• Ensure no critical action, risk or commercial opportunity falls through the cracks.

Key Responsibilities
1. Executive Office & CEO Support

• Maintain visibility across key commitments with clients, board, finance and the team
• Track CEO priorities and ensure timely follow up on commitments
• Schedule and coordinate external meetings (virtual and in-person)
• Schedule and coordinate internal team meetings (weekly check-ins, delivery reviews, leadership meetings, etc.)
• Prepare meeting agendas, draft meeting minutes and briefing notes and follow up actions as required
• Assist with personal and professional logistics e.g. flight bookings, accommodation bookings, visa appointments as needed.
• Coordinate across consultants, interns, and external partners to ensure follow-through
• Act as a trusted gatekeeper to protect focus, time, and priorities

Commercial & Delivery Coordination

• Maintain proposal and pipeline tracker
• Support the development and coordination of proposals and client presentations (collating inputs, formatting, timelines, submission tracking)
• Ensure follow up on submitted proposals within defined timelines
• Proactively research and identify relevant RFPs, partnership opportunities, and strategic bids aligned to Cedar’s focus areas
• Track consultant utilization and key delivery milestones
• Monitor invoice issuance and follow up timelines with delivery teams and finance lead

Board & Governance Support

• Coordinate preparation and distribution of board packs
• Maintain board calendar and meeting logistics
• Track board action items and governance deadlines
• Maintain a simple executive dashboard for CEO oversight

People management and Administration Coordination

• Support onboarding and offboarding logistics (documentation, access, coordination)
• Coordinate staff welfare activities e.g. wellness webinars, teambuildings, etc
• Support the planning and coordination of internal learning and development activities (e.g., training sessions, learning weeks, capability-building initiatives)
• Coordinate Cedar-hosted events (e.g., Community of Practice sessions, alumni gatherings, leadership forums, webinars), including logistics, scheduling, invitations, and follow-up tracking

Key Skills & Experience

• Proven experience in executive support, operations, or project coordination, preferably within a professional services/consulting environment
• Demonstrated experience working in a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) where initiative, adaptability, and ownership are required
• Prior experience supporting a Founder or CEO in a growing or entrepreneurial organization
• Strong systems thinker with the ability to bring structure, clarity, and discipline to dynamic environments
• Excellent organisational and time-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities effectively
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including drafting professional correspondence and executive documentation
• High attention to detail with consistent follow-through and accountability
• Proficient in Microsoft Office

Personal Attributes

• Highly trustworthy and discreet
• Calm, grounded, and solutions-oriented
• Proactive and anticipates needs
• Flexible and adaptable, comfortable adjusting priorities in a dynamic, founder-led environment and working with minimal supervision
• Mature, grounded, and emotionally intelligent, with the ability to exercise sound judgment
• Reliable and Professional

Performance Expectations
Performance will be assessed based on:

• Execution Discipline: Clear tracking and timely follow-through across CEO, commercial, and board commitments
• Visibility & Systems Hygiene: Accurate and up-to-date tracking tools (pipeline, dashboards, priority logs) maintained consistently
• Meeting & Governance Readiness: Agendas, board packs, and documentation prepared and distributed on time
• Coordination Effectiveness: Smooth scheduling and follow-through across internal team, consultants, and external partners and Cedar led events
• Professional Judgement & Discretion: Consistent reliability, confidentiality, and sound decision-making

Confidentiality & Professional Conduct
The role requires handling sensitive personal, financial, and organisational information. The successful candidate will be required to demonstrate high ethical standards, discretion, and confidentiality at all times and may be required to sign a confidentiality agreement.
Growth Opportunity
As Cedar grows and formalises its internal systems, this role has the potential to expand in scope and hours, evolving into a broader Executive Office or Operations leadership role based on performance and organisational needs.

How to Apply
Interested candidates should submit:

1. A current CV
2. A one-page written statement (maximum two pages).  In your written statement, please address:

Why this role appeals to you at this stage of your career
Please reflect on:

• What specifically attracts you to the role
• Why a part-time, high-trust, executive-facing role is aligned to your current professional priorities
• What kind of impact you are seeking to have in your next chapter
• Why you believe this role fits your skills, maturity, and career trajectory at this time

Please share your CV and one-page written statement