Executive Assistant

ESSENTIALS OF THE JOB

Priorities

• Assist the Director with administrative coordination and monitoring of all divisional projects, initiatives, audits, and assignments.
• Maintain an effective follow-up system for all divisional functional and administrative tasks, ensuring progress is monitored and outstanding matters are brought to the Director’s attention.
• Maintain divisional action trackers and bring overdue items, risks, and unresolved matters to the Director’s attention.
• Monitor divisional functional and administrative assignments and proactively follow up with responsible officers to ensure timely completion.
• Coordinate the collection, consolidation, and submission of divisional reports, updates, and information requests.
• Escalate overdue assignments, unresolved matters, and emerging issues to the Director in a timely manner.
• Ensure divisional schedules, work plans, and administrative activities remain current and aligned with established timelines.
• Support the Director in monitoring implementation of decisions, directives, recommendations, and agreed actions arising from meetings.
• Take initiative in Director’s absence
• Keep projects on schedule
• Maintain procedures manual to ensure consistent performance of routines
• Screen to control and direct visitors
• Provide back-up data as needed
• Arrange amenities as needed
• Schedule visits away from Director’s area to protect priority/private tasks

Communication

• Compose correspondence/reports for own or Director’s signature
• Arrange essential mail in priority action order for Director
• Check deadlines on incoming requests and put preliminary work in play
• Process replies on own initiative or from Director’s dictation or notes
• Research, draft or abstract reports

Phone

• Handle all inquiries within Assistant capacity
• Arrange “call-back” to protect Director’s time
• Provide back-up materials for call-backs
• Route calls elsewhere as needed
• Conduct phone surveys/inquires as needed

Appointments/Meetings

• Maintain and update the Director’s calendar, schedules, appointments, deadlines, and commitments to ensure effective time management and coordination of divisional activities.
• Assist in maintaining calendar and scheduling of appointments and meetings
• Assist in fixing commitments to maximize Director’s time efficiency; Allow decision/desk time
• When Director chair meetings:
  • Prepare agenda in advance
  • Arrange meeting facilities
  • Act as recording secretary; prepare action minutes

Data Management

• Establish and maintain an efficient physical and electronic filing system for all divisional records and correspondence.
• Maintain databases, trackers, registers, and records relating to divisional projects, audits, assets, correspondence, and administrative activities.
• Maintain a centralized tracking system for divisional action items, recommendations, requests, projects, and outstanding matters.
• Improve and maintain storage / retrieval systems
• Update and manage index

Routine

• Ensure the Director’s office and divisional administrative work areas are maintained in an orderly, professional, secure, and presentable condition.
• Prepare, monitor, and submit divisional administrative reports, returns, and information requests within established timelines.
• Maintain an accurate inventory and asset register for all assets assigned to the Division and coordinate periodic verification exercises.
• Maintain an effective follow-up system for all divisional functional and administrative tasks and regularly advise the Director on outstanding matters requiring attention.
• Update secretarial/clerical desk manual
• Prepare and/or process documents; review for accuracy and completeness;
• Receive calls and/or greet visitors, take and relay messages, respond to requests for information; provide information or direct caller/visitor to appropriate individual
• Set up “tickler” system
• Set up “exception reporting” system to handle routines without supervision
• Routinely re-order Director’s office stationary and other supplies
• Update mail/phone directories
• Train subordinate staff

Perform any other related duties that maybe assigned to you within the scope of your employment by an Authorized Officer.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES:

• Interpersonal/human relations skills.
• High level of Organizational/Managing Skills
• Ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite
• Knowledge of office practices and procedures
• Knowledge of GPL Web-Based Software Programs

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Diploma in Business Management, Public Management, or Communication Studies from the University of Guyana with a minimum of two (2) years relevant experience

OR

• Diploma in Administrative Professional Secretaries Diploma from IDCE/GTI with a minimum of five (5) years relevant experience.
• Alternatively: Six (6) subjects CSEC (inclusive of Mathematics & English Grades (I-III)) with Seven (7) years of experience in the relevant field.
• Candidate must have working knowledge of Microsoft Suite.