MSI Reproductive Choices Afghanistan (MSIA) is a branch of MSI, a global, non-profit, and non-governmental organization headquartered in London, UK, and was established in August 2002 after registration with the Government of Afghanistan. MSIA follows the local mission statement of MSI: Improve Afghan women’s health and well-being so that they can, in turn, build strong, healthy families. Our vision is to be the organization that Afghan women seek out for high-quality, client-centered health care provided by women, for women.

We focus on reducing maternal mortality by providing quality and sustainable maternal-child health (MCH) and reproductive health (RH) services and information in 17 provinces of Afghanistan, namely Kabul, Balkh, Herat, Jawzjan Faryab, Nangarhar, Helmand, Kandahar, Baghlan, Kunduz, Badakhshan, Takhar, Samangan, Kapisa, Khost, Paktia, and Daikundi, in coordination with the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) of Afghanistan. 

MSIA strives to enhance women's health outcomes in the aforementioned provinces by delivering vital reproductive and maternal-child health services through multiple channels such as centers, outreaches, the private sector, and MS Ladies (Family Health Houses).

The Executive Coordinator to the Country Director provides executive support and administrative assistance to the Country Director of the MSIA.

As the first point of contact for many people outside the organization and as a focal point for the Country Director's daily agenda and phone calls, the Executive Coordinator is required to maintain the highest standard of efficiency, personal communication, discretion, and independent judgment.  In working closely with senior MSIA staff and representatives of MSI constituencies, the Executive Coordinator must deal with a heavy volume of requests that are time sensitive and a wide range of highly confidential matters.

Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Country Director, the Executive Coordinator ensures the effective and efficient functioning of the Country Director’s office, full confidentiality in all aspects of the assignment, maintenance of protocol procedures, management of information flow, and follow-up on deadlines and commitments made.

The primary responsibility of this role is to further MSI’s Goal: To ensure the individual’s right to improve Afghan women’s health and well-being so that they can in turn build strong, healthy families.

Summary of key functions:

• Effective and efficient functioning of the Country Director’s office
• Effective communication and administrative support to the office
• Facilitation of knowledge building and management

1. Ensures effective and efficient functioning of the Country Director’s office focusing on the achievement of the following results:

• Management of the Country Director’s office, always ensuring an environment of professionalism and teamwork and setting exemplary standards of conduct for the Country Office (CO) team.
• Efficient and discreet management of the Country Director’s schedules
• Organization of regular and ad-hoc meetings; preparation of minutes and summaries of actions to be taken; tracking of progress on planned issues; follow-up with focal points.
• Screening of all incoming communications, filtering outgoing correspondence for supervisor’s signature, clearance, and further action by other staff; wherever possible.
• Adherence to appropriate protocol and correspondence guidelines by CO team when communicating with Government and other external partners.

 2. Ensures provision of effective communications and administrative support to the office focusing on the achievement of the following results:

• Maintenance of the filing system ensuring the safekeeping of confidential materials.
• Coordination of the information flow in the office and dissemination of corporate and interoffice communication to staff as required.
• Facilitation of information sharing with Management Support and SMT and Operations Teams.
• Follow up on deadlines, commitments made, actions taken and coordination of collection and submission of the reports to the Country Director.
• Draft routine correspondence, interoffice circulars, general briefing notes, documents,

reports, and minutes of meetings when requested, and translations when required.

• Administration of travel, meetings, appointments, and briefings of the Country Director. Including drafting of background notes.
• Maintenance of Teams’ status reports, best practices, lessons learned, publishing on section intranet and compiling of information for resource mobilization.
• Support to organization of advocacy events if required

3. Ensures facilitation of knowledge building and management focusing on achievement.

Other detailed responsibilities

• Screens and distributes all incoming correspondence addressed to the Country Director, determining priority and allocation to the various units, and sets up/maintain tracking system.
• Reviews all correspondence for proper clearance prior to the Country Director’s signature; distributes outgoing correspondence cleared or signed by the CD; responds directly to inquiries or redirects them to the substantive focal points within MSIA.
• Follows up on routine actions and deadlines of activities involving the Country Director and the MSIA (i.e., participation in meetings, deadlines for submission of documents/information to the CD.
• Manages the appointment schedule for the Country Director with external and internal parties including visitors from external organizations, other agencies, Governments, and Permanent Missions to the MSI, as well as internal and external meetings, determining priority requirements.
• Manages all travel arrangements for the Country Director and ensures coordination with other travel partners from the internal or external environment.
• Researches obtain and ensure the Country Director's requirements for background materials for briefings, meetings, official missions, and appointments.
• Draft memoranda/e-mail messages for the signature of the Country Director to the MSIA staff informing them of forthcoming Executive meetings or sessions, highlighting items of relevance to the MSIA, and attaching agenda, work plan, and/or decisions of the SMT.
• Maintains an up-to-date filing system of all CD documents for use by all MSIA staff and prepares files for the Country Director participation in meetings.
• Maintains MSIA staff informed of any Security Council meetings of concern to the MSIA and keeps updated files on the necessary documents for use by MSIA staff.
• During the absence of the Country Director on an official mission, scans his correspondence, e-mail to channel replies for the appropriate focal point, when necessary, or coordinate meeting representation where necessary.
• Serves as Secretary to meetings as requested by the Country Director, including announcing the meetings, preparing the agenda distributing background material, drafting minutes of the meeting, and any follow-up as requested by the Country Director.
• Ensures availability of coverage and backstopping for the Country Director during peak times.

Core Competencies:

• Demonstrating/safeguarding ethics and integrity  
• Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment
• Self-development, initiative-taking
• Acting as a team player and facilitating teamwork
• Facilitating and encouraging open communication in the team, communicating effectively
• Creating synergies through self-control
•  Managing conflict
• Learning and sharing knowledge and encouraging the learning of others. 
• Promoting learning and knowledge management/sharing is the responsibility of each staff member.
• Informed and transparent decision making

It is a role requirement that the job holder must fully comply with, promote, and live MSI CORE VALUES:

• Mission-driven  
• Client-Centered
• Accountable
• Courageous 
• Resilient
• Inclusive

Qualifications/Knowledge/Expertise

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration with specialized secretarial training or office management
• 1-3 years of progressively responsible secretarial, administrative, and program experience is required at the national or international level. Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc), experience in handling web-based management systems.
• Fluency in the English and national language
• Experience in the NGO Sector preferred
• High competency in MS word, excel, and PowerPoint

Skills and Abilities

• Collaboration skills: with the ability to motivate teams to exceed expectations (this is not a management role but strong communication with other teams in the organization is critical)
• Strong analytical skills – proficiency in data analysis, the ability to accurately interpret data and generate reports based on evidence for effective decision making
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to influence and communicate with stakeholders, both internal and external
• Exceptional computer and organizational skills.
• Fluent in English & national languages both written and spoken – with the ability to draft good-quality reports
• Excellent communication skills – with the ability to prepare and give effective presentations

Attitude/ Motivation

• Client-focused
• Results-driven
• Strong commitment to the goal and vision of MSI Afghanistan
• Desire to understand people’s motivations, desires, hopes, fears, and dreams
• Pro-Choice
• Goes beyond the obvious to look for creative solutions from multiple perspectives
• Team Player

Interested and qualified candidates are requested to fill out the MSI-A application form by clicking the link below and send a copy of their updated CV (no educational or job certifications) by the closing date.

Please note that MSI-A does not charge applicants any recruitment fees. MSI-A is an equal-opportunity employer with a strong commitment to diversity at all levels. MSI-A has a strict non-discriminatory policy in its hiring and selection processes. All applicants will receive equal consideration, and applicants from all ethnic, racial, and economic backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Please be aware that only those candidates who have been shortlisted will be contacted.