Executive Assistant (Intern) at British Council

Role Context

The British Council in Nigeria works in three strategic business areas; Arts and Culture; English; Education. We are looking to recruit an intern to join our Business Support Services (“BSS”) Unit. The intern will be based in Lagos and will provide operational & administrative support primarily to the General Counsel & Company Secretary (who is a member of the Nigeria Senior Leadership Team). The intern will also be required to support with Support Leadership Team projects and initiatives, working under the supervision of the General Counsel & Company Secretary.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the overall guidance of the General Counsel & Company Secretary (who is a member of the Senior Leadership Team), the intern duties will include:

• Providing support to the General Counsel & Company Secretary to facilitate the effective discharge of the office’s responsibilities including transcribing and proofreading legal documents.
• Assisting the General Counsel & Company Secretary with maintaining and updating the SharePoint site for the legal unit and the Senior Leadership Team (the SharePoint site is an e-platform for the storage, organisation, sharing of information)
• Assisting with Senior Leadership Team project and programme implementation and providing updates to SLT as required for effective monitoring purposes. For example, organising internal meetings and workshops including logistics planning as delegated by the General Counsel & Company Secretary.
• Scheduling meetings as will be directed by the General Counsel & Company Secretary.
• Attending to selected high level visitors to the country directorate, providing advice and support to teams on processes and priorities.
• Responding to emails and letters on requests for British Council engagement, sponsorship, partnerships, attendance at events and meetings. Managing correspondence in this regard.

Learning and development opportunities for the intern

• General understanding of the work and mission of the British Council (and international, not-for-profit organisation) and how it contributes to the development of the Nigeria’s prosperity and stability.
• Insight and hands-on experience in legal, operational, and administrative functions, programme management and stakeholder management in a formal setting.
• Becoming familiar with working in an International Organisation and in a multicultural environment

Profile of Intern:

Essential: The ideal candidate should:

• Be a recent graduate (graduated within the last 3 years) with excellent organisational skills and the ability to multitask.
• Have strong written and oral communication skills in English.
• Be computer literate with proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office Suite
• Have good organisation, time management and scheduling skills.
• Be confident in communicating with senior stakeholders.

Desirable:

• Proven work experience as a Legal Assistant, a Personal Assistant, an Office Administrator, or an Executive Assistant.
• A legal background (for example, a degree in Law) or an interest in legal work even if you do not have a legal degree. Note – this is not a requirement and applicants without a legal background will be considered.
• An interest in international relations.
• Project management skills

Management and Support for the role:

The intern will report to the General Counsel & Company Secretary based in Lagos. S/he will also be expected to support projects and initiatives on behalf of the Nigeria Country Leadership Team (SLT) under the supervision of the General Counsel & Company Secretary.

Qualifications

• Maximum of 3 years post-NYSC in any field of study.