International Development Jobs

Role Overview
We are seeking a dynamic, organised, and energised individual to join our team as the Executive Assistant to the Executive Director. This role will involve providing comprehensive support to the Executive Director. The successful candidate will play a crucial role in ensuring efficient management of time, priorities, correspondence, meetings, and communications.

About You
The ideal candidate will have:

· Previous experience in a similar role, ideally within the charity sector.

· High-level administrative, executive, organisational, and project management experience.

· Ability to operate independently in a fast-paced and complex environment

· Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.

· Reliability and excellent organisational abilities.

· Flexibility with a practical "can-do" attitude.

Key Responsibilities

· Manage the  Executive Director’s diary, including scheduling meetings, coordinating with
colleagues to align diaries, and prioritising tasks in line with strategic priorities.

· Represent the Executive  Director and OIN by greeting visitors, handling phone calls, and
managing communications with internal and external stakeholders.

· Manage key reporting processes, including receiving, approving, distributing reports, and
filing them accurately.

· Attend and minute meetings, both internal and external.

· Support the Executive  Director in producing high-quality materials such as presentations,
 documents, and reports, liaising with external agencies when necessary.

· Coordinate travel arrangements and accommodations for the Executive Director.

· Manage expenses and financial records for the Executive Director.

· Assist in the preparation of proposals, applications, and reports, providing administrative
support as needed.

· Support the Executive Director in maintaining relationships with donors, partners, and
stakeholders..

· Conduct research and gather information on relevant topics as requested.

· Facilitate internal communications within the organisation, including disseminating
information, coordinating team meetings, and maintaining communication channels.

· Handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion and professionalism,
maintaining confidentiality at all times.

· Undertake any other duties as assigned by the Executive Director or senior management
team.

Raising Futures Kenya is an award-winning small UK charity, working closely alongside a wonderful partner NGO in Kenya to deliver a hugely successful vocational training and business skills programme called Seed of Hope.

Since 2002 Seed of Hope has supported over 4,000 disadvantaged young people aged 14-25 in Kenya with the opportunity to learn a skilled trade, computer skills and business skills. Many of these young people are unable to finish their formal education as they are experiencing poverty, so our courses are completely free, to ensure no-one is excluded from the opportunity to learn.

Our free training courses also address any of the barriers which may stop a young person from being able to learn. We offer the Seed of Hope students in Kenya;

• free lunches everyday, you can’t learn when you’re hungry.

• menstrual hygiene packs to ensure girls don’t miss lessons because they can’t afford sanitary pads.

• childcare vouchers to ensure young mothers can learn.

• Life skills lessons addressing sexual and reproductive health, gender based violence, knowing and asserting your rights, advocating for gender equality etc.

• and perhaps most importantly, counselling and mental health support. Many young students are coping with the most unimaginable trauma and mental health conditions.

We’re here to support young people with whatever they need in order for them to achieve their best in their training course and to go on to secure a job, or start a small business.

We are looking for a talented storyteller and writer to join our small team in the UK and create exceptional content. You’ll support with crafting engaging funding applications, which stand out from the crowd and capture the funders hearts. You’ll create bright and positive social media and blog posts to share the uplifting stories of students and graduates from Seed of Hope and grow our online supporter base, in turn increasing our donors.

We don’t mind if you don’t have charity experience, we’re willing to train you and show you what we do. We are looking for someone who can write excellent content and showcase what we do.

Hours: 14 hours per week, to be worked as either full 7 hour days, or spreading the hours across the week. Regular days and hours to be agreed in advance.

Salary: £28,000 (pro-rata for 14 hours a week)

Pension: 3% employer contribution, 5% employee contribution (opt-out available).

Contract: 1 year fixed term contract. With a view to making it permanent if resources allow.

Base: The role will be home-based and require your own computer. Occasional travel may be required for meetings, expenses will be paid in accordance with our Expenses Policy. Our other 2 part-time staff are based in Sussex, but you can be anywhere in the UK. You must have the right to work in the UK.

To apply

Please take a look at the role description and person specification and if this seems like a perfect fit for you, please send us your CV, or download of your LinkedIn profile, along with a cover letter (max 2 pages) telling us why you’d be the best person for the job to Kirsty Erridge, CEO by Wednesday 17th April 9am.

We believe in a fair recruitment process

We won’t bring the closing date forward, so you can plan when you have time to apply. We’ll notify everyone who applies of the result of their application. We’ll share interview questions in advance, so you can prepare. We share the exact pay we can afford, not a scale, so you don’t have to start your role with a negotiation.

The Commonwealth Foundation is recruiting for its Graduate Internship Programme. We are seeking four Interns for six-month placements across different areas of our organisation.

To be considered, all applicants must have an existing right to work in the United Kingdom and must be able to provide evidence of that right in their application.

Who we are

The Commonwealth Foundation is an intergovernmental organisation established by Member States in support of the belief that the Commonwealth is as much an association of peoples as it is of governments. We are the Commonwealth agency for civil society; an organisation dedicated to strengthening people’s participation in all aspects of public dialogue, so they can act together and learn from each other to build democratic societies.

Our vision is of a Commonwealth of equal, just and inclusive societies. Our mission is to contribute to that vision by:

• Supporting the active and constructive participation of Commonwealth citizens in all aspects of their governance
• Nurturing the growth of vibrant and free civil societies in all Commonwealth countries
• Advancing the principles and ideals of the Commonwealth

We work in accordance with our values to advance the principles and ideals of the Commonwealth as enshrined in the Commonwealth Charter.

The role

Our Graduate Internship Programme provides opportunities for recent graduates to participate in all aspects of the Commonwealth Foundation and gain experience, strengthen their knowledge and develop their skills.

We maintain a team of interns who are recruited together for a six-month period, which may be extended to a maximum of 12 months depending on performance and the needs of the Foundation. Our interns are fully integrated into the Foundation’s staff structure, and we pay close attention to their professional development.

The successful candidates will be allocated to one of the following areas of our work:

• Commonwealth Civil Society (home of our major grants work)
• Creative (within the Advocacy & Creative Programme, home of our cultural initiatives including adda and the Commonwealth Short Story Prize)
• Advocacy (within the Advocacy & Creative Programme, also home of outreach, advocacy and the Critical Conversations events series)
• Communications (working across the Foundation as part of the Knowledge, Learning & Communications team)

Responsibilities are tailored to the needs of each team and the intern’s own areas of skill and interest. For more information on our programmes and our work, see our current Strategic Plan. 

Although interns will be based in one of the above programmes, they will be given the opportunity to experience other areas of the Foundation’s work and will also collaborate with their fellow interns on specific projects.

Our responsibility to Interns

We prioritise the professional development of interns, encouraging participation in both internal and external learning opportunities and experience across programme areas to broaden knowledge and skills.

We include our interns in all our activities including strategic and work planning and staff events, and endeavour to ensure that everyone feels nurtured and valued.

Who we look for

The Foundation strives to be a welcoming and inclusive place to work. We aim to ensure that the Graduate Internship programme is as accessible as possible to people from a range of socio-economic backgrounds.

You will have excellent research and administrative skills and ideally have a good knowledge of, or interest in, at least one area of our work: freedom of expression, climate justice or health justice. Experience using technology is important, and knowledge of Microsoft Office and online platforms is required.

We are looking for people who are curious and willing to learn and who will actively promote the values and principles of the Commonwealth and the Foundation.

You must possess and declare at the time of application the right to work in the UK for the full duration of the internship. The Foundation cannot assist in altering the visa status of any applicant.

What we offer

We offer interns a salary of £2,000 per month (equivalent to £24,000 per annum) for a six-month fixed term internship contract. Annual leave is calculated at 30 days per year (pro-rata) inclusive of public holidays and the Foundation’s own designated leave days.

We are currently operating a flexible working policy which requires all staff to work from our central London office at least five days per fortnight including every Wednesday. Applicants must be able to affirm their capacity and willingness to work within our policy.

Our aim is to help our interns to their next position. To that end, we provide guidance on future opportunities as well as assistance with refining CVs and undertaking interviews. There is no expectation of a role with the Foundation at the end of the internship.

Our commitment

The Foundation celebrates diversity, and we are proud of our diverse and welcoming team. All qualified applicants already eligible to work in the UK will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability, race, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital status or pregnancy.

If you need us to make any special accommodation in the recruitment and selection process because of a protected characteristic, please let us know.

The process

Applications should be submitted online via the Foundation website. The application requires you to download and complete an application form, setting out your experience and interests and what you can bring to the role as described, and in the role description provided to download. Your completed application form will then need to be submitted online via the link on the Foundation website. 

The application also requires you to provide evidence of your existing right to work in the UK.

Important note on closing date:

The nominated closing date for applications is Monday 22 April 2024, 1pm BST.

However, we will monitor the number of applications received, and reserve the right to close the application window early any time after Tuesday 2 April, 1pm BST. This is to keep application numbers manageable and to be able to give due consideration to all applications received. We therefore recommend submitting your application as early as possible and before Tuesday 2 April 1pm BST.

Interviews: week of 13 May 2024

Start date: Monday 24 June 2024

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: 22 April 2024 12pm BST