Regional Executive Support Officer

About

UNOPS seeks a Regional Executive Support Officer to provide administrative and operational support to the Regional Director and management team in Nairobi. The role supports executive functions, travel, protocol, communications, premises, security, budget and regional operations. It requires the stated education, relevant executive-support experience, and fluent English. Contract level: LICA 8 Terms of service: ICA - LICA - Specialist - Regular Duty station: Nairobi Reference: 5067

How to apply

Apply online through the official UNOPS careers advert page.

Responsibilities

• Manage the official calendars for the Regional Director, arranging high-level meetings, visits, and consultations with internal and external stakeholders.
• Manage travel arrangements and mission planning for executive leadership, including drafting comprehensive agendas in collaboration with the Public Relations Specialist and country offices, securing flights, visas, hotel accommodations, security clearances, and diplomatic protocol matters.
• Prepare and maintain a forward-looking calendar of proposed regional and international conferences, summits, and executive meetings to be attended by leadership, as well as planning events and receptions with partners.
• Organize meeting logistics, prepare management meeting agendas, take comprehensive meeting notes/summaries of action, maintain a register of decisions, and conduct close progress monitoring.
• Communicate effectively and liaise directly with internal and external stakeholders (including diplomatic mission representatives, government officials) on behalf of the Regional Office, strictly adhering to diplomatic and UN protocol practices.
• Manage Jira tickets on behalf of the Regional Office, adhering to and enforcing appropriate institutional approval processes for documents, legal instruments, and policies requiring executive signature.
• Draft routine correspondence on behalf of the Regional Director.
• Respond to and/or direct inquiries to appropriate internal units for timely action and follow-up.
• Develop, maintain, simplify, and streamline standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the Regional Office, integrating digital tools and technological developments to boost operational efficiency.
• Build and regularly maintain accurate lists of key contacts, diplomatic directories, and the UNOPS Regional Staff List (including dependency records).
• Assess training needs and organize training sessions for regional office personnel on various operational and other areas of professional development, synthesize lessons learned, and contribute to knowledge networks.
• Contribute to the operational management of the Regional Office premises, including supporting lease renewals and related negotiations, in close consultation with the Regional Director and the Multi-Country Office management teams.
• Support asset and facilities management, and serve as the focal point with UNON and ESAMCO on protocol and administrative support.
• Ensure proper maintenance, servicing and repair of all office vehicles to guarantee top performance and safe operating conditions in line with UNOPS vehicle management policies and procedures.
• Support the implementation of green office policies and promote energy-saving practices across the premises, with the goal of making the office free of single-use plastics.

Qualifications

• Secondary school diploma (High School diploma) in Business Administration, Public Administration, International Relations, Operations Management, or other relevant field is required.
• A Bachelor’s degree or Master’s degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, International Relations, Operations Management, or other relevant field is desirable and may substitute for some or all of the required years of experience.
• A minimum of four (4) years of relevant experience with a Secondary School diploma; or two (2) years of relevant experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or zero (0) years of relevant experience with a Master’s degree in providing executive-level support, administrative coordination, operational managem
• Experience in public relations, diplomatic protocol, and direct communication with senior officials, government representatives, and international organizations is required.
• Proven experience in executive calendar management, high-level travel/mission coordination, and minute-taking for executive bodies is required.
• Advanced proficiency in digital office software (Google Workspace / Microsoft Office) and digital process tools is required.
• Experience within the UN system or UNOPS operational context is highly desirable.
• English: Fluent — Required.
• French: Basic — Desirable.