*Executive Assistant (F/M) at WildLife Conservation Society*

Executive Assistant (F/M)

From the WCS Bouba Ndjidda Landscape – Benue (BNB)

Context

WCS’s mission is to conserve wildlife and wild places around the world through science, conservation action, education and encouraging people to respect nature.

Wildlife Conservation Society works to conserve wildlife and natural habitats through rigorous scientific research, an international environmental education program, and the management of the world’s largest network of urban wildlife parks. These activities help change people’s attitudes toward nature and aim to promote viable and sustainable interactions between people and wildlife at local and global scales. WCS is committed to this work because we believe it is essential for the integrity of life on earth. WCS has been present in Cameroon since 1988 and since then, has worked with the Government of Cameroon to create several protected areas, train many conservationists, and this in an integrated landscape approach, which involves key stakeholders to protect biodiversity sustainably . Currently, the WCS Cameroon program works on three main landscapes, namely the Takamanda-Mone, Mbam & Djerem, and Bouba Ndjidda – Bénoué (BNB) landscapes. The latter includes the Operational Technical Unit (UTO) of the Benue National Park (PNB) and the UTO of the Bouba Ndjidda National Park (PNBN). The UTOs include national parks and Hunting Interest Zones (ZICs). The PBN-B is also interconnected to the Sena Oura National Park (PNSO) in Chad, via the binational project, BSB Yamoussa, supervised by COMIFAC, thanks to funding from German cooperation (KfW).

In the WCS Bouba Ndjidda – Bénoué (BNB) Landscape, WCS implements activities that support the Cameroonian government through the Ministry of Forests and Wildlife (MINFOF) for the conservation, stability and sustainable development in and around the BNB landscape. The vision of the BNB landscape program is to “Safeguard the integrity of the Sudano-Sahelian savannah ecosystem of the Bouba Ndjidda – Bénoué landscape, as well as its ecological connections, its emblematic wildlife species and maintain a sustainable balance for the well-being of the communities”. 

In this context, WCS is committed to structuring the internal organizational functioning of the BNB landscape to ensure the development and implementation of current and future programs/projects.  The executive assistant will intervene on all administrative matters related to the work of the directorate. In general, his/her missions will consist of organizing and managing the current administrative affairs and the agenda of the directorate. The success of the objectives of this position is defined by a strong mastery of administrative tools and by organizational, editorial and relational quality. WCS is looking for an Executive Assistant (M/F) for the intervention zone of the BNB landscape whose main office is in Garoua, with occasional trips to the protected areas concerned by the BNB landscape. The success of the objectives of this position is defined by a strong mastery of administrative tools and by organizational, editorial and relational quality. An increased and shared understanding, a strong adherence to the values ​​of the mission and the objectives of the BNB landscape, a good knowledge of its target audiences including the general public, direct and final beneficiaries of the projects, donors and other partners present at the territorial and national level, will also be markers of success.

Responsibilities :

Organization of the Management Agenda :

• Manage the management’s daily schedule and agenda (making appointments, letters, emails, leave)
• Receive and filter telephone calls
• Physically host appointments
• Prepare and organize the logistics of various professional events (meetings, travel, oral presentations, seminars, committees, workshops, etc.)
• Prepare and control the files necessary for the management’s mission (documentation, reports, communication materials, various notes for meetings, etc.)
• Ensure the preparation and monitoring of files in advance

Management and monitoring and archiving of management reports and documentation :

• Receive and sort mail to present only essential information to management
• Attend meetings and write minutes
• Organize the sorting and archiving of important documents (collect, process, classify and update information)
• Manage and update professional and regulatory documentation
• Report through regular updates on the progress of work, scheduled appointments and letters to be sent
• Collect and format monitoring elements (dashboards, indicators, reporting, etc.)

Communication and other management activities :

• Write communication materials (notes, correspondence, reporting, reports, minutes, etc.)
• Structure and ensure the transmission of information internally and externally (documents from the various WCS departments or from outside the departments concerned based on management instructions)
• Participate in the organization of recruitment and training logistics
• Carry out administrative monitoring of personnel with the Human Resources department
• Ensure complete monitoring of certain files (negotiations with suppliers, preparation of a budget, follow-up with service providers, etc.)
• Carry out any other task given by the hierarchy

Qualifications and Skills :

• Bac +2/3 level training: BTS, DUT or degree in management assistance, administrative and commercial management, SME-SMI management
• Bac +5 level training:

–        Master (economics, management, literature, languages ​​or law)

–        IEP (Institute of Political Studies) Diploma

–        Business school diploma

• A minimum of three years’ experience in management or sales assistance
• Proficiency in office automation: Office pack (Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel, Word)
• Proficiency in the use of collaborative and communication tools (Internet, messaging, shared planning, web conferencing, corporate social network, etc.)
• Knowledge of administrative management
• Knowledge of editorial standards
• Knowledge of note-taking techniques (possibly shorthand)
• Mastery of classification and archiving methods and digitization techniques
• Knowledge of information and regulatory monitoring techniques and tools
• Mastery of event organization
• Knowledge of labor law and social legislation
• Knowledge of administrative personnel management and budgetary management
• Proficiency in building reporting tools and dashboards
• Good level of English, as well as other languages ​​(Fulfulde and other relevant languages)

Admissibility of applications 

Any interested person is invited to send their request to WCS Cameroon preferably electronically to the address:  wcscameroon@wcs.org  and imperatively put a copy to the address edjomo@wcs.org no later than August 15, 2024 including:

– A reasoned request addressed to the Country Director of WCS Cameroon: (LM_Candidate name)

– A Curriculum Vitae: (CV_ Candidate name);

– Subject: Assistant manager_ WCS Paysage Bouba Ndjidda Benoue.