Context

The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) is an intergovernmental organization that advances democracy worldwide, as a universal human aspiration and an enabler of sustainable development, through support to the building, strengthening and safeguarding of democratic political institutions and processes at all levels. It is based in Stockholm, Sweden, and has offices in Africa, Asia, Latin America, North America, and Europe.

The Executive Assistant in the Africa and West Asia Regional Office handles the day-to-day routine of efficiently running the office and calendar of the Director, Africa and West Asia (AWA) Region whilst also contributing to the overall administration of the Regional Office. The high-profile nature of the Regional Office and the confidential nature of some of the work require the incumbent to possess a high level of judgment, discretion, and diplomacy. It also requires excellent organizational and protocol skills. A high standard of written and oral communication skills is also essential. The Executive Assistant will manage an active calendar of appointments; complete expense reports; compose and prepare correspondence; arrange complex and detailed travel plans, itineraries and agendas and compile documents for meetings.

Duties and Responsibilities

  1. Coordinates, plans and ensures effective administrative support to the Regional Director's Office (and other teams as required) by collaborating closely with heads of programmes, finance, other senior staff, and the Secretary-Generals Office;

  2. Assists in all aspects of the day-to-day work at the Regional Office, contributing effectively to the achievement of set goals and objectives;

  3. Assists with internal and external communication and correspondence of the Regional Director;

  4. Drafts routine reports, letters, and other relevant correspondence and ensures appropriate filing and record keeping;

  5. Manages the Regional Director’s calendar and serves as a point of contact for external visitors to the Director’s office; ensures visitors receive relevant information and supports logistical preparations for visits;

  6. Tracks key follow-up activities and priority tasks of the Regional Director’s office;

  7. Support the coordination of meetings, seminars, conferences, workshops, and events hosted by the Regional Office including programme reviews, annual roundtables and member state briefings;

  8. Maintains an up-to-date directory of key contacts for the Regional Office;

  9. Supports the Regional Director in organizing regular internal staff meetings at the Regional Office and assists with preparing draft minutes and reports of such meetings;

  10. Assist with administrative organization of annual team retreats and planning sessions;

  11. In accordance with the Travel Policy, assists with arranging complex travel plans, itineraries and agendas, including cost control, travel requests, visas, claims and associated tasks for the Regional Director, and other staff as appropriate;

  12. Supports administrative and financial processes by assisting with invoice processing,, project advance requests, project expenditure reports and budget preparations in close collaboration with finance colleagues, and maintains records in the financial management system in accordance with International IDEA’s policies;

  13. Supports day-to-day office administration and ensure continuity of operations, including maintaining filling systems, shared calendars, and administrative records that support programme and office functions;

  14. Provide general administrative and coordination support to the Regional Director and the Regional Office, including support to programme coordination activities, as required.

General Profile

  • Has specialized skills or is multiple skilled, developed through job-related training and considerable on-the-job experience;

  • Experience of running an executive office in a multi-cultural/international setting;

  • Adds considerable value to team-based activities in their team; act as an informal resource for colleagues; collaborates with other entities of the Institute as required;

  • Skilled at nurturing collaboration with other programmes of the Institute as required;

  • Follows internal procedures to ensure high standards of performance and compliance with Institutional guidelines;

  • Acts in accordance with International IDEA’s core values; Respect, Integrity and Professionalism; and

  • Integrates a gender and diversity perspective in all activities.

Reporting line

 Director, Africa and West Asia Region

Education and Experience

  • Bachelor’s degree in business administration and management, sociology, project planning and administration or any related field;

  • Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in providing executive level administrative support and coordination with senior officials in public, nongovernmental or multilateral institutions including development partners;

  • Experience working with Inter-Governmental Bodies, think-tanks and development institutions;

  • Experience and knowledge working with ERP systems, and Microsoft Office package (including MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint) is required;

  • Experience working in an international and multilateral contexts, e.g., in an intergovernmental organization, is considered an advantage;

  • Fluency in written and spoken English is required. Knowledge of French or other African Union languages considered an advantage.

Terms of Contract:

  • Local Post.

  • Fixed term appointment for two (2) years.

  • Remuneration - ZAR 49,254 (base salary per month)

Please note as this is a local post, International IDEA will bear no costs relating to the relocation of the selected candidate to the duty station. This position is open to those legally authorized to live and work in South Africa for the duration of the contract. International IDEA is not able to support work permit applications. 

Applying for this position:

  • Applications should be submitted online no later than 23:59 (CET) 02 March 2026. 

  • Due to the anticipated volume of applications, International IDEA will review applications on a rolling basis, and the vacancy may close earlier than the advertised deadline. Applicants are therefore encouraged to apply early

  • Please note that all applications must be made in English.

Selection Process:

  • Evaluation of qualified candidates will include a written test assessment and up to two (2) interviews.

  • Candidates selected to proceed to the next stage of the process will be contacted once all applications have been carefully reviewed.

  • All candidates will be notified of the status of their application via email once the process has been finalized.

International IDEA is an equal-opportunity employer which seeks to further diversify its staff in terms of gender, culture and nationality.

At Impactpool we do our best to provide you the most accurate info, but closing dates may be wrong on our site. Please check on the recruiting organization's page for the exact info. Candidates are responsible for complying with deadlines and are encouraged to submit applications well ahead.
Before applying, please make sure that you have read the requirements for the position and that you qualify. Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.