Junior Coordinator

Job Purpose

The Junior Coordinator is responsible for providing day-to-day operational and administrative assistance to the Kuehne Climate Center (KCC) programme team, which focuses on freight electrification and climate logistics initiatives across East Africa. This role ensures effective coordination, structure, and continuity within various workstreams, supporting senior staff to concentrate on technical and strategic tasks. The core value lies in operational dependability by keeping ongoing tasks on schedule, maintaining updated documentation, coordinating partners, and managing logistical activities accurately.

This position emphasizes coordination and execution in a dynamic, fast-paced environment rather than technical, research, or policy roles.

Working Environment

KCC functions in a fast-moving regional and international context, managing multiple simultaneous workstreams and shifting priorities. Collaboration across East African countries and engagement with international partners including governments, NGOs, and private sector entities are common. The role entails frequent task switching, intense periods during workshops and reporting, regular partner interactions, occasional regional travel, and requires strong individual responsibility within a lean team. Although remote work is possible, in-person coordination remains essential.

Key Responsibilities

• Maintain detailed workplans, task trackers, and milestone schedules for ongoing projects.
• Actively track meeting and partner engagement action items, ensuring timely follow-ups and resolving routine issues independently.
• Identify risks, delays, and scheduling conflicts early and recommend practical solutions or escalate complex concerns.
• Prepare progress updates, status reports, and summaries for board-level meetings.
• Handle communication management, including shared inboxes, drafting routine correspondence, and managing partner contact databases.
• Keep distribution lists current and ensure program documents are circulated promptly.
• Organize and maintain filing systems for programme documents, contracts, and correspondence.
• Create and format documents, presentations, and briefings to KCC standards.
• Document meetings with accurate minutes and circulate notes and action logs within 24 hours.
• Support compilation and light editing of reporting inputs and templates.
• Assist with procurement procedures by sourcing vendors, collecting quotes, and preparing purchase orders adhering to organizational policies.
• Submit expense and reimbursement reports, maintain precise expenditure records, and coordinate timely payment processes with the finance team.
• Coordinate logistics for workshops, site visits, learning meetups, study tours, including travel bookings, visa arrangements, accommodation, and reimbursement management.
• Prepare event materials such as agendas, briefing packs, sign-in sheets, and post-event summaries, and liaise with venues, suppliers, and facilitators for logistical arrangements.

Candidate Profile

• Strong organizational skills with the ability to adapt under pressure and manage competing priorities.
• High degree of ownership and accountability for tasks and projects.
• Interest and motivation toward logistics, coordination, and execution roles.
• Proactive in communication, escalation, and problem-solving.
• Comfortable and effective in a fast-paced, hands-on working environment.

Qualifications and Experience

• Three to four years’ experience in coordination, operations, or project support roles.
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field.
• Experience working in fast-paced, multi-stakeholder settings.
• Eligibility to work in Kenya and readiness to travel within East Africa.

Skills and Competences

• Excellent organization and time management capabilities.
• Ability to manage multiple concurrent workstreams.
• Proficient written and spoken English communication skills.
• Competence in MS Office applications.
• Familiarity with project management and tracking tools.
• Attention to detail and accuracy in documentation and reporting.
• Experience in event and logistics coordination.
• Exposure to procurement and financial administrative processes.

Reporting Lines and Collaborations

The Junior Coordinator reports directly to the Senior Manager, Climate and Logistics Africa, with secondary reporting to the Finance and Administration Officer. Operational support and escalation also involve the Senior Officer HELP logistics overseeing finance and administrative functions, ensuring clear decision-making and operational alignment. This role holds full day-to-day operational responsibility backed by a structured oversight framework.

Decision-Making and Operational Expectations

This role is entrusted with managing coordination, communication, and documentation independently. Although procurement and financial tasks are supported by this position, final decisions on vendor selection, contracts, payments, and supplier commitments rest with the Finance and Administrative teams.

• Respond to coordination requests within the same day.
• Ensure dependable follow-up on tasks without need for reminders.
• Maintain high standards of accuracy in all documentation and correspondence.
• Identify and communicate risks and delays proactively.
• Uphold strong ownership and accountability for assigned duties.
• Practice disciplined tracking, organisation, and filing protocols.
• Handle multiple tasks concurrently with professionalism.

Additional Information

The Kuehne Climate Center is a subdivision of the Kühne Foundation, a prominent Swiss foundation established in 1976 by the Kühne family. It operates internationally, focusing on logistics, medicine, culture, and climate action initiatives. The Foundation is independent and operational with a robust presence in the German-speaking world. Its climate efforts emphasize innovative approaches for sustainable transport and logistics development.