Executive Secretary

About the organization

Established in 1947, the Young Men’s Christian Association of Ethiopia (YMCA Ethiopia) is one of the oldest youth development organizations in Ethiopia. It is affiliated with the World Alliance of YMCAs and the African Alliance of YMCAs. The core objective of the organization is to ensure the well-being of the community and children in general, and the youth population in particular, through body, mind, and spiritual development. YMCA Ethiopia is working in collaboration with governmental and non-governmental stakeholders in Addis Ababa and five (5) regions of the country: Amhara, Oromia, SNNPR, Tigray, and Sidama.

Job Title: Executive Secretary

Reporting To: Executive Director

Employment Type: Full Time

Gender: Female

Duty Station: National Office

Salary: Based on the organization scale

Location: Meskel Flower, Around St. Yared Church, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Job Summary

The Executive Secretary serves as a central point of contact, ensuring smooth operations and effective communication by providing high-level administrative support to the Executive Director. This includes managing schedules, correspondence, and other essential tasks to support executive efficiency.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Manage and maintain the Executive Director’s schedule, including appointments, meetings, and travel arrangements.
• Coordinate meetings, conferences, and events, ensuring all logistical arrangements are in place.
• Oversee email correspondence, prioritizing and flagging important messages as needed.
• Handle all incoming and outgoing correspondence, including emails, letters, and memos.
• Draft and proofread letters, reports, and other documents as required.
• Maintain organized files and records, ensuring ease of access and retrieval.
• Handle confidential information with discretion and integrity.
• Arrange travel logistics, including booking flights, accommodations, and transportation.
• Prepare and reconcile travel and other expense reports for the Executive Director.
• Provide general office support, including ordering supplies, managing office equipment, and greeting visitors.
• Maintain and update contact lists and other relevant databases.
• Assist other departments with drafting letters, report compilation, documentation, and related tasks as required.
• Perform other related duties as assigned by the Executive Director.

Qualifications and Experience

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Secretarial Science, Office Management, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Experience: 2–3 years of progressively responsible experience in an executive secretarial or similar administrative role.

Knowledge and Skills:

• Familiarity with standard business processes, administrative systems, and office procedures.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to proactively identify and recommend improvements to service delivery and work processes.
• Proven experience in coordinating both personal and team workloads.
• High level of integrity and ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Experience in a multicultural environment is an advantage.
• Knowledge of NGO operations is an added advantage.

Language Skills:

• Fluency in both Amharic and English (written and spoken).