Personal Assistant to the GMD

JOB PURPOSE

The Personal Assistant to the Group Managing Director provides high-level executive, administrative and coordination support to ensure the effective and efficient running of the GMD’s office. The role is responsible for managing the GMD’s schedule and correspondence, coordinating executive engagements, preparing briefing materials, and tracking key instructions, decisions and deliverables. It requires sound judgment, exceptional organisation, discretion and the ability to anticipate needs, manage competing priorities and maintain effective working relationships across the Group and with external stakeholders.

The role serves as a central coordination link between the GMD, members of the executive and management teams, business units and external stakeholders, helping to ensure that matters requiring the GMD’s attention are properly prioritised, communicated and followed through to completion.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Executive and Administrative Support

Provide comprehensive day-to-day executive and administrative support to the GMD, exercising initiative and sound judgement in managing requests and priorities.

Manage the GMD’s diary, calendar, appointments and commitments, proactively identifying scheduling conflicts and proposing practical adjustments.

Screen, prioritise and direct incoming calls, emails, correspondence and meeting requests, ensuring urgent and important matters receive appropriate attention.

Prepare, proofread and format correspondence, reports, memoranda, presentations, briefing notes and other documents on behalf of the GMD.

Ensure the GMD is adequately briefed and prepared for meetings, engagements, conferences and business trips, including the collation of relevant background documents.

Anticipate administrative requirements and proactively address issues that may affect the GMD’s schedule or the smooth operation of the executive office.

Meeting Coordination and Action Tracking

Plan and coordinate internal and external meetings, including scheduling, invitations, venue or virtual meeting arrangements, agendas and required documentation.

Attend meetings when required, take accurate minutes or notes, and circulate records and action points to relevant participants.

Maintain an action tracker for the GMD’s directives, meeting resolutions, decisions and outstanding assignments, clearly documenting responsible persons and agreed timelines.

Follow up with departmental heads, business unit leads and other relevant stakeholders on outstanding actions, reports and deliverables, escalating delays or critical issues as appropriate.

Monitor progress on agreed actions and provide periodic updates to the GMD to support timely decisions and execution.

Strategic, Project and Management Support

Support the GMD in monitoring strategic initiatives, priority projects and key deliverables across the Group.

Liaise with relevant departments to obtain progress reports, management updates and information required by the GMD.

Conduct basic research, information gathering and preliminary analysis to support executive discussions and decision-making.

Prepare concise executive summaries, project updates, briefing notes and presentation materials for management engagements and board-related meetings, as assigned.

Assist in coordinating special assignments, corporate initiatives, events and cross-functional projects delegated by the GMD.

Communication and Stakeholder Liaison

Act as a key point of coordination between the GMD and internal and external stakeholders, ensuring communication is handled promptly and professionally.

Draft, review and coordinate correspondence with clients, investors, consultants, regulatory bodies, government agencies and other business contacts, as authorised.

Maintain effective working relationships with executive management, departmental heads, project managers, employees and external partners.

Communicate instructions and requests accurately, confirm receipt where necessary, and follow up to ensure appropriate responses and actions.

Uphold the professional image and reputation of the GMD’s office and the Company in all interactions.

Travel, Logistics and Executive Office Management

Coordinate local and international travel arrangements, including itineraries, transportation, accommodation, appointments and supporting documentation.

Organise logistics for meetings, conferences, official functions and other business engagements.

Manage the day-to-day administration of the GMD’s office, ensuring that records, supplies and work processes are organised and efficient.

Maintain accurate and accessible electronic and physical filing systems for correspondence, reports, meeting records and other official documents, with appropriate access controls.

Coordinate the collation and processing of expense claims, reimbursements and relevant expenditure records relating to the GMD’s office, in line with Company procedures.

Handle personal engagements or commitments for the GMD where required, while maintaining clear boundaries and prioritising business needs.

Confidentiality, Discretion and Special Assignments

Handle confidential, commercially sensitive and personal information with the highest level of integrity, discretion and care.

Exercise tact and sound judgment when managing sensitive communications, executive requests and interactions with senior stakeholders.

Undertake confidential assignments and other duties reasonably related to the role as may be delegated by the GMD or the reporting manager.

KEY REQUIREMENTS

Qualifications and Experience

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Management, Secretarial Studies, Communications or a related discipline. A degree in Engineering or another relevant field may also be considered.

Minimum of 4–6 years’ relevant experience as a Personal Assistant, Executive Assistant or in a comparable executive support role, preferably supporting a senior executive or C-suite leader.

Experience coordinating executive schedules, meetings, business travel, correspondence and confidential assignments.

Demonstrable experience in following up on action points, coordinating across departments and preparing reports or executive documents.

Experience in infrastructure, telecommunications, engineering, construction, energy, real estate or other project-based environments is an added advantage.

Evidence of sound professional judgment and the ability to handle sensitive information with discretion.

Key Skills and Competencies

Excellent organisation, planning and time-management skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and meet tight deadlines.

Strong written and verbal communication skills, including professional business writing, proofreading and presentation preparation.

High level of integrity, discretion, confidentiality and emotional intelligence.

Strong interpersonal, relationship-management and stakeholder-coordination skills.

Proactive problem-solving ability, initiative and the confidence to anticipate needs and recommend solutions.

Strong attention to detail, accuracy and follow-through.

Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint, and familiarity with digital collaboration and document-management tools.

Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with teams across different functions and levels of the organisation.

Ability to remain composed, adaptable and effective in a fast-paced environment, including when priorities change at short notice.

Good understanding of professional office practices and executive-level coordination; familiarity with corporate governance processes is an advantage.

Personal Attributes

Highly organised, resourceful and dependable.

Confident and professionally presentable.

Tactful, emotionally intelligent and approachable.

Self-motivated, proactive and solutions-oriented.

Trustworthy and committed to maintaining confidentiality.

Flexible and willing to work beyond standard hours when business requirements reasonably demand it.

Minimum qualifications

BA/BSc/HND

How to apply

Interested and qualified candidates should forward their CV to: careers@mpiafrica.com using the position as subject of email.

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