The International Livestock Research Institute seeks to recruit an Executive Assistant to provide high-level administrative support to the Director General’s (DG) office and manage the day-to-day activities of the Directorate office. The job serves as a trusted liaison across ILRI’s global teams and stakeholders, ensuring efficiency, confidentiality, and responsiveness within the DG’s office.
ILRI works to improve food and nutritional security and reduce poverty in developing countries through research for efficient, safe and sustainable use of livestock. It is the only one of 15 CGIAR research centres dedicated entirely to animal agriculture research for the developing world. Co-hosted by Kenya and Ethiopia, it has regional or country offices and projects in East, South and Southeast Asia as well as Central, East, Southern and West Africa. www.ilri.org
Key responsibilities
Executive support & coordination
Manage the DG’s schedule in consultation with the Head of Planning, Coordination & Engagement, ensuring timely briefings, priority setting, and institutional representation Organize and support the DG’s meetings, appointments, internal and external engagements, travel and the relevant logistics Provide quality customer service including handling calls, enquiries and other communication Coordinate with protocol, security, travel agent, communications, and facilities teams for high-level events and visitor management Prepare and package briefing materials, background documents, talking points, and follow-up notes from key meetings and missions Draft, proofread, and format correspondence, presentations, and institutional reports as required As required, take part in meetings, take minutes and follow up on action points through to completion.Office management
Contribute to the preparation of the annual budget and board materials for the DG’s office Develop and/or maintain records, filing systems, calendars, and contact databases relevant to the DG's officeLiaison & institutional interface
Act as a central liaison between the DG’s office and ILRI departments, programs, partners, CGIAR, donors, and government officials Support the coordination of ILRI Board events, high-level delegations, donor visits, and ministerial engagements Maintain an up-to-date database on details of all donor visitors and VIP to the institute. Perform any other related duties as may be requiredRequirements
Bachelor’s degree in business administration/management, international relations, communications or relevant field Five years relevant experience Demonstrated ability to manage executive calendars, high-level meetings, and confidential information Strong planning and organizational skills with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English High proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and digital platforms (MS Teams, Zoom, SharePoint, etc.) Strong interpersonal and relationship management skills High level of discretion, reliability, and integrity in handling sensitive informationPost location: The position will be based in Nairobi, Kenya
Terms of Appointment
This position is at job level HG 13 and it is only open to ILRI staff, Kenyan nationals.
How to apply: Applicants should send a cover letter and CV expressing their interest in the position, and what they can bring to the job to the Head of People and Culture through our recruitment portal by clicking on \"Apply Now\" on or before 4 November 2025. The position title and reference number REF: EA-DG/10/25 should be clearly marked on the subject line of the cover letter.
ILRI does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing or training). ILRI also does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts.
To find out more about ILRI, visit our websites at http://www.ilri.org/