Administrative Assistant (Athi River International)

Nova Pioneer is looking for a superstar Administrative Assistant for our Athi River International campus, willing and ready to start in January 2026. You will provide high-level administrative support to the School Principal. This is an opportunity to help create a transformative school model with the future of Africa’s youth at stake.

Disclaimer: Nova Pioneer does not charge any fee to process your application.

ABOUT NOVA PIONEER

Imagine a world in which every young person across Africa attends a school that truly sets them up for success in the 21st century. A school that cares about individual students and allows them to explore the world around them. A school that focuses more on developing skills than on memorizing content. At Nova Pioneer, we have done more than just imagine this future, we are bringing it to life. Nova Pioneer is a pan-African, independent network of schools offering high-quality, accessible education from pre-primary through secondary school. Nova Pioneer uses a unique, enquiry-based learning approach that encourages students to ask “why” instead of telling them the “what”. It allows them to form their own thinking through exploration, investigation and collaboration. Nova Pioneer currently has 16 schools in South Africa and Kenya with a vision to launch 100 schools and reach tens of thousands of students across the African continent in the next decade. To learn more visit www.novapioneer.com.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Key responsibilities for the role include: 

Front Office & Stakeholder Experience

• Serve as the first point of contact for students, parents, guests, and external partners—projecting the culture of Joy of Learning, Servant Leadership, and Always Growing in every interaction.
• Maintain a warm, professional, and efficient front-office environment, ensuring all visitors are welcomed, supported, and directed appropriately.
• Lead the public relations functions of the front office, ensuring positive stakeholder experiences and seamless communication.
• Prepare documents for internal display on pin-boards or notice boards (brochures, posters, etc.)
• Support with Open Days. 

 Documentation, Records & Data Management

• Maintain Ed Admin and Reporting with High Expectations 
• Maintain accurate custody of student attendance registers, sensitive documents, and confidential records in line with data protection standards.
• Update and maintain the termly Cambridge student roster and ensure alignment with EdAdmin and school-level data systems.
• Create, organize, and manage both electronic and physical filing systems, supporting easy retrieval, clarity, and operational excellence.
• Support in the gating process. 

Communication Coordination

• Serve as a communication bridge between the school and families—sending notices, updates, meeting reminders, and announcements as required.
• Communicate with internal and external stakeholders via telephone, in person and in writing through the drafting of letters, memorandums, reports, and emails
• Responsible for creating and publishing the weekly or bimonthly newsletter publication.
• Support PTA communication and coordination, including scheduling, logistics, distribution of minutes, and preparation of documentation.
• Handle incoming and outgoing communication (calls, emails, letters) with professionalism, accuracy, and timeliness.

 Event & Meeting Logistics

• Coordinate logistical arrangements for weekly, monthly, and quarterly leadership and staff meetings (venue preparation, materials, technology setup, and attendance tracking).
• Support the execution of Cambridge campus events—including parent engagements, student programs, community events, and staff functions.
• Prepare displays, notices, posters, and other information materials for internal student and parent communication boards.

General School Operations Support

• Support day-to-day operational functions of the Cambridge campus in partnership with the Operations and Leadership teams.
• Facilitate logistical arrangements for weekly, monthly and quarterly meetings
• Ensure smooth coordination of student movement logs, attendance follow-up, and communication with teachers where needed.
• Execute additional tasks aligned to the school’s strategic priorities as assigned by the Executive School Leader.
• Provide administrative services and take minutes for various meetings when required
   

Administrative & Executive Support

• Provide high-quality administrative support to the Executive School Leader, including scheduling, calendar management, document preparation, and follow-up communication.
• Prepare materials for internal and external meetings (printing, binding, organizing files, drafting agendas, compiling briefing notes, etc.).
• Support the Executive Principal in coordinating key school rituals, leadership team structures, and communication rhythms.
• Draft letters, reports, memorandums, internal announcements, and professional communication on behalf of the Executive School Leader.

In addition to these typical duties, may perform other duties as assigned and required by the manager. 

ABOUT YOU

• Bachelor’s degree/ Diploma in Office Administration/Management 
• You have 2-4+ years as an Administrative Assistant, preferably of an established startup, large company or a school
• You are experienced or open to learning the Google software suite (Google Calendar, Docs, Sheets, G Mail, etc.) as well as Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint)
• You are experienced and proficient in MS Suite with strong writing skills (for office communication) and are skilled in making posters and certificates
• You have excellent organizational, planning and time management skills - you are able to handle many moving parts while maintaining high standards of excellence
• You demonstrate capacity to analyze complex situations and solve problems
• You are a great communicator. You are able to provide a clear and effective written and verbal communication to the leaders and school team
• You have an exceptional ability to think strategically and yet you sweat the small stuff—people see you as unusually detail-oriented and conscientious
• You have the ability to exercise discretion in handling sensitive matters
• You have a flexible and adaptable approach to work
• You are proactive and have an enthusiastic approach to work
• You are excited about our organizational culture—and in particular, you are fired up to challenge yourself by embracing mutual vulnerability and a firehose of feedback 

HOW TO APPLY

To apply, please complete the form on the right-hand side of this page. We DO NOT process applications that are emailed to us.

Please note: Where a copy of your resume is required, please attach your resume in PDF format to protect formatting.

There are a series of stages in the Nova Pioneer interview process and candidates will be moved forward in the process depending on their success in the previous stage. The process is as follows:

Phone interview: a short conversation to understand your skills and experience a little better.

Practical demonstration of what you can do: you will complete a written task or a demonstration related to the role you are applying for. Teachers participate in a half-day selection day at one of our campuses as well as deliver a lesson to a class.

In-person interviews: at this point, you will visit one of our schools to meet the team and participate in a series of in-person interviews.

Final interview: you’ll have a final conversation with the hiring manager before decisions are made.

WORKING AT NOVA PIONEER

Nova Pioneer is a place where our people experience tremendous growth, fast! We invest heavily in the growth of our people because it leads to greater mastery in both us and our students. “Novaneers” work harder and work longer hours than most schools but as a result, the growth they experience is extraordinary. We offer consistent and ongoing personal development and provide clear career pathways that ensure that our people are always achieving their personal and professional best. Nova Pioneer has a highly energetic, entrepreneurial environment where our people get to bring their creative and innovative ideas to life. We look for people who are flexible and who are able to adapt and respond quickly to adversity with a positive, can-do attitude (there are no problems, only solutions!). We welcome challenges and roll with the punches because it makes us, and our students, better. There is no problem too big for us! We bring infectious energy and enthusiasm to everything we do because joy fuels our work and learning. Read more about our culture principles here.

Nova Pioneer will never request an application fee from candidates. If you are contacted with a request to pay a fee from someone claiming to be a Nova Pioneer Talent or Recruitment representative, please do not pay them and report it to us immediately on talent.ke@novapioneer.com or talent.sa@novapioneer.com.