UNPAID VOLUNTEER - Deputy / Assistant Chief of Staff

Digital Technology Institute for Development (DTID)

5d • Remote

About The Position

DTID is seeking an experienced, highly organised and strategically minded Deputy Chief of Staff to support the Director-General’s Office in coordinating institutional priorities, strengthening cross-divisional collaboration and ensuring effective implementation of senior management decisions. Working closely with the Chief of Staff and Director-General, the role translates strategic priorities into clear actions, monitors implementation across DTID, coordinates complex institutional initiatives and provides senior leadership with timely analysis, briefings and recommendations. It sits at the intersection of strategy, operations, executive coordination and organisational implementation.

The Deputy Chief of Staff works with Directors, Heads of Division and other senior colleagues to keep major projects and priorities on track, identify risks and delays early, and ensure agreed actions are followed through. The role may also lead selected organisational initiatives, support senior-level engagements and deputise for the Chief of Staff on specific matters when authorised. It is an unpaid, home-based/remote volunteer position in the Director-General’s Office.

Requirements

• Excellent written and spoken English; professional proficiency in English is required.
• Strong strategic and analytical thinking, executive judgement, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent organisational and prioritisation capability, including the ability to manage competing priorities and tight deadlines.
• Ability to understand complex organisational issues quickly and identify practical solutions.
• Excellent written briefing, report-writing and presentation skills.
• Ability to communicate confidently with senior executives and professional stakeholders.
• Strong interpersonal, influencing and relationship-management skills.
• Ability to coordinate multiple teams and workstreams and work independently with ownership of significant responsibilities.
• Strong attention to detail while maintaining a wider strategic perspective.
• Ability to identify organisational risks and determine when escalation is required.
• High standards of discretion, confidentiality and professional integrity.
• Ability to operate effectively in an internationally distributed and fully remote organisation.
• A proactive, adaptable and solutions-focused approach.
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Substantial professional experience in strategy, operations, programme management, management consulting, organisational development, executive management support or a related field is ideal.
• Experience working directly with senior executives or leadership teams.
• Experience coordinating complex projects involving multiple teams or organisational functions.
• Experience translating strategic priorities into clear implementation plans.
• Experience preparing executive reports, briefings and recommendations.
• Experience monitoring implementation of organisational priorities and management decisions.
• Experience identifying operational or organisational challenges and developing practical solutions.
• Experience coordinating stakeholders across different levels of an organisation.
• Experience leading projects or workstreams with limited supervision.
• Experience handling sensitive or confidential organisational information and exercising sound professional judgement.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree preferably in Business Administration, Public Administration, Strategic Management, International Relations, Public Policy, Economics, International Development, Management, Project Management or another relevant discipline; equivalent substantial professional experience and demonstrated strategic capability may be considered.

Nice To Haves

• Knowledge or experience in strategic planning and implementation, executive management and senior leadership support, organisational operations, programme and project management, organisational development, performance monitoring and reporting, governance and institutional management, business process improvement, risk identification and management, executive reporting and briefing, cross-functional coordination, stakeholder management, or international development or nonprofit management.
• Knowledge of artificial intelligence, emerging digital technologies, climate change, sustainability, international development or public policy.
• Experience using project-management, workflow, dashboard or data-analysis platforms.
• A postgraduate qualification, particularly an MBA, MPA, Master’s in Strategic Management, Public Policy or International Relations.
• Professional qualifications or training in project or programme management, strategy, business analysis, organisational development, change management, or monitoring and evaluation.
• Knowledge of an additional international language.
• Experience within an international organisation, nonprofit organisation, consulting firm, public-sector institution, research organisation, think tank or technology organisation.
• Experience working in a Chief of Staff Office, Executive Office, Strategy Office or similar senior coordination function.

Responsibilities

• Support the Chief of Staff and Director-General in implementing DTID’s strategic and institutional priorities.
• Lead and coordinate selected cross-divisional projects and organisation-wide initiatives.
• Translate senior management decisions into clear actions, responsibilities, timelines and follow-up arrangements.
• Monitor implementation of agreed priorities and identify delays, risks, dependencies and matters requiring escalation.
• Prepare executive briefings, decision papers, reports, presentations and recommendations for senior leadership.
• Coordinate information and updates from Divisions for the Director-General’s Office.
• Support preparation, coordination and follow-up of Executive Committee and senior leadership meetings.
• Work with Directors and Heads of Division to resolve implementation challenges and strengthen organisational coordination.
• Support institutional planning, performance monitoring and organisational review processes.
• Lead selected organisational improvement, transformation or special projects.
• Conduct research and analysis to support executive decision-making.
• Support senior-level internal and external engagements where required.
• Maintain oversight of assigned action trackers, strategic priorities and institutional commitments.
• Support effective communication between the Director-General’s Office and DTID Divisions.
• Deputise for the Chief of Staff on selected responsibilities and meetings where authorised.
• Handle sensitive organisational and executive information with appropriate discretion and confidentiality.

Benefits

• Work closely with the Chief of Staff, Director-General and senior leadership.
• Gain direct exposure to organisation-wide strategy and executive decision-making.
• Lead and coordinate strategic cross-divisional initiatives.
• Strengthen executive management, strategic planning and organisational leadership skills.
• Develop experience in institutional performance monitoring and senior-level reporting.
• Gain exposure to multiple areas of DTID’s work rather than one specialist function.
• Build experience managing complex organisational priorities in an international environment.
• Work at the intersection of emerging technology, sustainability, international development and policy.
• Build international professional networks and senior-level working relationships.
• Contribute directly to DTID’s organisational growth and institutional effectiveness.

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Senior