Program and Events Assistant

Location: Kenya (Remote). Occasional travel within Kenya will be required to support major organizational events and other in-person activities. Duration: six-month contract with the possibility of extension. Full-time. Preferred start date: as soon as possible.

Organizational Context

Founded by two Black women in the aftermath of the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, the African Futures Lab (AfaLab) works to advance demands for racial justice for Africans and Afro-descended people globally. We pursue the recognition and repair of global racial injustices through rigorous, empirically grounded knowledge exchange across Africa and Europe. Our work includes research, "Mobilization Labs" with partner organizations, and advocacy. Current projects focus on the intersections of racial justice with gender rights, climate justice, and socio-economic inequalities.

About the Role

The Program & Events Assistant will support the successful delivery of the Lab's programs, events, and organizational priorities by providing cross-functional coordination, operational, research, and administrative support. This role is ideal for someone who is highly organized, proactive, and eager to gain hands-on experience within a Pan-African policy and advocacy organization working to advance racial justice, reparatory justice, climate justice, and gender justice.

Responsibilities

• Program support
  • Support the implementation of programs, fellowships, campaigns, and other organizational initiatives.
  • Maintain program trackers, participant databases, and documentation.
  • Support stakeholder relationship management within collectives, dialogue spaces, working groups, and networks.
  • Coordinate program meetings, participant communications, schedules, and logistical arrangements.
  • Assist in preparing program materials, presentations, briefing notes, meeting summaries, and other program documentation.
  • Track action items and follow up with colleagues and partners to support timely delivery of program activities.
• Events & convenings
  • Support the logistical planning and delivery of conferences, podcasts, workshops, exhibitions, webinars, meetings, and other events convened in-person or online.
  • Coordinate participant registration, invitations, and attendance tracking.
  • Support participant engagement, including registrations, communications, and resource sharing.
  • Assist with venue sourcing, travel, accommodation, catering, and other logistical arrangements.
  • Support speaker, facilitator, and participant coordination, including scheduling, communications, travel arrangements, briefing materials, and other logistical requirements.
  • Prepare event materials, participant packs, agendas, presentations, and logistical documentation.
  • Provide on-site coordination before, during, and after events.
  • Assist with post-event reporting, evaluations, and lessons learned.
• Research & partnership support
  • Conduct desk research, mapping, and information gathering to support program activities, advocacy initiatives, and organizational learning.
  • Support the preparation of grant applications, research outputs, reports, and other organizational documents.
  • Assist with stakeholder mapping and partner engagement.
  • Support coordination with partners, consultants, and external service providers.
• Administrative & operational support
  • Maintain organizational trackers, databases, filing systems, and shared resources, ensuring information is accurate and up to date.
  • Support recruitment and onboarding processes, including interview coordination and document management.
  • Assist with procurement processes and coordination with suppliers and service providers.
  • Support organizational administration and operational processes as required.

Requirements

• Master’s degree (completed or in progress) in International Relations, Development Studies, Public Policy, Law, Project Management, Social Sciences, or another relevant field.
• Relevant working experience gained through internships, volunteering, academic projects, or employment in program support, event coordination, administration, research, or operations.
• Experience in organizing international events is a plus.
• Excellent command of written and spoken English; French and/or Swahili is an advantage.
• Demonstrated interest in racial justice, reparations, climate justice, gender justice, or related social justice issues, particularly within African contexts.

Skills

• Excellent organizational and time management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent attention to detail and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced, multicultural environment.
• Strong coordination, planning, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Google Workspace, and collaboration tools.