
Administration Officer at Kenya Animal Genetic Resources Centre (KAGRC) – 1 Post
Kenya Animal Genetic Resources Centre · Nairobi · Onsite
Job Description
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LIKELY QUESTIONS - Can you walk us through your experience in administration and how it prepares you to support office operations at KAGRC? - How have you previously developed, implemented, or improved administrative policies, procedures, or office systems? - Describe your experience managing facilities, office accommodation, supplies, and service providers to ensure smooth operations. - What approach would you use to coordinate transport services, including vehicle maintenance, insurance, inspections, and usage scheduling? - How have you supported workplace safety, security coordination, and a healthy working environment in a previous role? - If deployed as a Personal Assistant to the Managing Director, how would you manage a busy calendar, competing priorities, and urgent communications? - Tell us about a time you handled confidential or sensitive information. How did you ensure discretion and accuracy? - KAGRC requires strong report writing and digital skills. Which tools have you used, and how have they helped you improve coordination, reporting, or project tracking? BEHAVIOURAL QUESTIONS - Tell us about a time you had to coordinate several administrative activities at once under tight deadlines. Model approach: Situation - Office had overlapping needs such as meeting logistics, transport arrangements, and urgent procurement requests. Task - Ensure all activities were delivered on time without disrupting service. Action - Prioritized tasks by urgency and impact, used a tracker, delegated where appropriate, confirmed suppliers and transport early, and gave progress updates to stakeholders. Result - Deadlines were met, operations ran smoothly, and management recognized improved coordination. - Describe a situation where you identified an inefficiency in office administration and improved it. Model approach: Situation - Manual processes were causing delays in requests, approvals, or record retrieval. Task - Improve efficiency and reduce errors. Action - Reviewed the workflow, identified bottlenecks, proposed a standardized filing/tracking system, introduced templates or digital logs, and trained users. Result - Faster turnaround times, better accountability, and easier reporting. - Give an example of a time you handled a difficult internal or external stakeholder professionally. Model approach: Situation - A staff member, supplier, or visitor was frustrated about delays, access, scheduling, or support services. Task - Resolve the issue while protecting working relationships and policy compliance. Action - Listened actively, clarified the facts, explained constraints calmly, offered practical options, followed up promptly, and documented the outcome. Result - Issue was resolved, tension reduced, and trust in the administration function improved. - Tell us about a time you managed confidential information or supported a senior executive. Model approach: Situation - You were entrusted with sensitive correspondence, schedules, reports, or personnel-related information. Task - Protect confidentiality while ensuring timely action. Action - Restricted access, organized documents securely, verified details before sharing, prioritized urgent matters, and communicated only on a need-to-know basis. Result - Information remained secure, deadlines were met, and the executive relied on you as a dependable support person. SMART QUESTIONS TO ASK - What are the top priorities for the person in this role during the first six months, especially across administration, facilities, and executive support? - How is success measured for the Administration Officer at KAGRC, and what key performance indicators are most important? - What administrative systems, reporting lines, and approval processes are currently in place, and where do you see the biggest opportunities for improvement? - If the officer is deployed to support the Managing Director, what level of autonomy and decision-making is expected in managing schedules, correspondence, and urgent issues? - How does KAGRC support staff development in areas such as public sector administration, project coordination, digital tools, and compliance? RED FLAGS TO WATCH FOR - Unclear scope between general administration duties and high-demand Personal Assistant responsibilities, with no clarity on priorities or support resources. - Vague answers about systems, processes, or reporting structures, which may signal disorganization and reactive management. - Signs that confidentiality, after-hours availability, or workload expectations are excessive but not formally acknowledged or compensated.
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Adjacent Career Paths
Roles you'd also qualify for based on this posting's requirements:
- Executive Assistant — The role already includes calendar management, travel coordination, meeting support, and confidential executive communications.
- Office Administrator — The candidate has strong office operations experience across facilities, supplies, communications, and general administrative coordination.
- Facilities and Transport Coordinator — The job requires managing buildings, grounds, vehicle maintenance, insurance, inspections, and related service providers.
- Operations Coordinator — The position involves cross-functional coordination, policy support, project tracking, workplace safety, and service delivery oversight.