Special Assistant to the Executive Chairperson at Kwara State Government

Job Description

• The Special Assistant is the Executive Chairperson's principal adviser on general management and administration of the IRS, he or she is a facilitator, organizer and communicator.
• The SA will work with all internal personnel of the KS-IRS as well as parties that are external to the organization on matters of overall policy, operations, management, and stakeholder engagement of the IRS.
• The SA plans, performs and coordinates significant assignments spanning all program and functional areas including other government organizations; and represents the Executive Chairperson in contacts with high-level officials across all the organizational types the KS-IRS has business with.
• This role demands precision with advice and guidance on a complex combination of policy and technical issues of interest to the Executive Chairperson, and indeed the entire KS-IRS.

Specific Tasks
Specific tasks are divided into the following categories and include:

• Coordinate the public consultations on the priority projects to ensure that the views of Stakeholders are adequately integrated in the development and designs of the priority projects;
• Conduct in-depth review of reports submitted by the recruited Consultants, preparation of comments and participation in report-review meetings.
• Lead high level negotiations to achieve agreed commercial and contractual positions with both internal and external stakeholders.
• Maintain collaborative relationships with donor/client organizations, relevant government agencies, bilateral and other NGOs and consistently maintained and viewed as a knowledgeable resource in their technical area
• Lead the provision of strategic, expert advice and counsel key senior stakeholders regarding commercial, operational and contractual matters of significant importance to the Bureau/KWSG, and influence stakeholders holding competing priorities or views.
• Support development of training programs for stakeholders from the public and private sectors
• Work with the Director of to develop and maintain well-functioning Steering and Community Advisory Committees
• Serve as a critical link between strategic directions articulated by the advisory committees and the Operations Committee.
• Handle special projects on behalf of the Executive Chairperson.

Education

• MA/MSc/MBA
• Certifications in tax and accounting fields
• Membership in relevant professional bodies is an added advantage.

Professional Experience:

• Minimum of 7 years of which 4 years must be in a senior management position in private and public sectors.
• Experience in retrospective review and forecasting of economic cost benefit analyses of key policy decisions.
• Experience in public sector management
• Experience in multi-party complex contractual negotiations highly desirable
• Proven experience on communicating at the Ministerial or Board or very senior levels.

Required Skills:

• Clear understanding of both motivations and requirements of key players that will impact KS-IRS
• Fluency in written and spoken English required, Excellent written and verbal communication skills;
• Excellent interpersonal and intercultural skills
• High level of digital literacy and familiarity with database management systems
• Proven ability to work under pressure, ensure coherence and consistency, independently, and meet deadlines consistently;
• Sound knowledge of Government policy and practice impact on financial and contractual arrangements
• Stakeholder and cross-functional team management

Personal Attributes:

• Knowledge of the political environment and decision making factors, but courage to maintain objectivity and stay on track by managing up.
• Personal credibility and integrity.
• Self-confidence and respect for others, regardless of position, and willingness to work as a team member/leader.
• Ability to articulate positions concisely and quickly, in a manner that is useful and easily understood by all stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to be an effective leader in a multi-disciplinary environment.
• Executive leadership and ability to see and handle all the sides of an issue or project.
• Strong and pragmatic business acumen with the ability to recognize the business consequences of legal advice and vice versa.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with ability to communicate and interact effectively at all levels of the organization.

Remuneration
Successful candidate will enjoy attractive compensation packages commensurate with the role. This role also attracts performance based bonuses.