Key Accountabilities
Responsibilities
Provide high-level support services to the Cluster Manager; including coordinating and maintaining calendars, correspondence, meetings, conferences, mail, email and phone messages.
Support the Cluster Manager in their projects, proposals, meeting preparations, etc. through research, consultation, and coordination.
Draft presentations, articles, briefings, and proposals as requested by the Cluster Manager
Manage the Cluster Manager’s schedule, including making travel arrangements. Schedule appointments and read/respond to correspondence as agreed to by management. Provide information to managers, co-workers, customers, partners, vendors and prospects in a professional and disciplined manner.
Help manage the Cluster Manager’s charge/cash expenses, including generating expense reports and compiling all receipts in a timely fashion in accordance with approved T&E policies and procedures.
Assist in relationship building and team closely with all staff to help facilitate communication in a timely, productive, and well organized manner.
Written and verbal communication on behalf of the Cluster Manager (writing letters, answering phone calls, and serving as a representative when/where required).
Handle sensitive and confidential information with tact and diplomacy, using good judgment, discretion, and professionalism.
Offer suggestions for better organizational effectiveness and process efficiencies.
Support Ipsos events and strategic customer/prospect/partner/vendor/ meetings, as requested and approved by Ipsos Executive management.
Support other Regional Senior Executives as required
Assist with all other administrative and personal duties as assigned
Expertise
Facilitate business by understanding internal processes; demonstrate resourcefulness in solving problems and gathering requested information.
Execute in a reliable, responsive, courteous, professional and proactive manner. Apply a customer service approach to all tasks.
Demonstrate consistent excellence in the areas of attention to detail, thoroughness and accuracy.
Exhibit excellent time management skills including the ability to prioritize and manage the flow of information.
Display and exercise professional judgment, discretion and decision-making skills.
Clear understanding of confidentiality
Embrace best practice sharing, build virtual relationships and develop internal network and connectivity.
Display excellent interpersonal skills across diverse groups of people, with ability to interact effectively and professionally with individuals at all levels, including staff and Executive Committee members, and other stakeholders.
Be a team player with a positive, can-do attitude who demonstrates patience and flexibility.
Possesses ability to manage multiple tasks with shifting priorities and meet deadlines.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Excellent report writing and organisational
Manage a great deal of information, tasks, and relationships without getting overwhelmed.
Independent worker and thinker who also possess the ability to ask questions to better define projects.
Maturity and grace at managing complex relationships and interactions with diverse groups of people.
Contribution to Ipsos
Demonstrate an increasing understanding of the team and company strategy, business objectives and plans, and their individual contribution to them
Support/ participate in team specific initiatives.
Required Skills and Behaviours
Working Together
Leadership, teamwork, and collaboration
Builds effective relationships within the team, with colleagues, internal clients and with line manager, through honest and open relationships
Speaks positively about work, colleagues and the future
Consideration
Listens to and understands others’ points of view
Takes into account the impact of one’s actions and decisions on others
Respects confidentiality of situations and information
Communication
Clear and appropriate communication
Understands the need for and uses different communication styles and methods according to the ‘audience’ or the message
Communicates clearly and objectively – written and spoken
Communicates good as well as bad news in a timely manner
Listening
Listens effectively, picks out the appropriate information
Chooses the right actions following communication
Asks relevant questions and seeks clarification/ additional detail where necessary
Flexibility
Adaptability
Demonstrates an ability to multitask and is flexible when requirements change
Recognizes when to say no and helps to find an alternative solution
Creativity
Offers ideas and suggestions for improvement
Offers solutions rather than problems
Supporting change
Shows a willingness to embrace change for business improvement and client focus
Entrepreneurial
Is intellectually curious, constructively challenges existing thinking, systems and processes
Self-management
Initiative
Displays a positive, ‘can do’ attitude
Demonstrates proactivity in supporting colleagues and the team, e.g. offering one’s help during very busy times, putting oneself forward
Looks for ways of making clients ‘lives easier
Organisation
Demonstrates the ability to prioritise, prepare and plan well
Demonstrates the ability to manage others’ expectations effectively
Responsibility
Demonstrates self-awareness: understands own strengths and limitations
Takes ownership of tasks – delivers as promised, when promised to colleagues/ clients
Demonstrates the ability to check work thoroughly showing good attention to detail
Takes pride in producing the best outputs possible
Acknowledges and learns from mistakes, listening to and learning from constructive criticism/ feedback
Complies with companies operating practices and quality processes, e.g. costing procedures, fieldwork monitoring, timesheets, etc.
People
Develop skills to give and receive constructive feedback within the team
Is respectful, treats colleagues fairly and appropriately
Required Experience and Qualifications
Experience and Qualifications Minimum of 5 years’ relevant experience with proven progression in positions held. Prior experience working directly with Senior Level Executives preferred.
Proficiency with MS Office Applications: Outlook, Word, spreadsheets, PPT
Multinational environment work experience an added advantage
Personal Assistant professional qualifications required, Bachelors Degree or equivalent is preferred
