Chief Administrative Officer – East Africa, Office of the President

Chief Administrative Officer – East Africa

Aga Khan University

Location

Nairobi -East Africa

Introduction

The Aga Khan University (AKU) is a pioneering institution of higher education whose mission is to improve the quality of life in the developing world and beyond, through world-class teaching, research and healthcare delivery. AKU educates students for local and global leadership from campuses and teaching hospitals in six countries, primarily in Asia and Africa. It generates new knowledge to solve problems that affect millions of people, especially the most vulnerable. The University is a private, not-for-profit institution and part of the Aga Khan Development Network.

Position Summary

The Chief Administrative Officer, East Africa will provide leadership for AKU’s administrative operations for all AKU campuses in East Africa. The role includes providing leadership and direction to Project Management, Facilities Management, Security, Purchasing & Supply Chain Management and Administration, in line with the University’s vision and mission.

Reporting to the President, the incumbent will be based in Kenya, and will be responsible for developing strategic plans for AKU Facilities and Administrative Services in East Africa; whilst collaborating and building long-term relationships with key internal and external stakeholders. He/she will prioritize and advocate initiatives and lead the implementation of systems and processes that support the development of university divisions in alignment with AKU objectives.

The ideal candidate will bring experience of leading administrative services at a national and regional level. He/she will be highly strategic, entrepreneurial and creative, with exemplary knowledge of relevant best practices in managing strategic projects, people and procurement. They should demonstrate a flair for engaging with and managing individuals with diverse expertise to build a high performing team culture.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Providing administrative leadership and direction across East Africa sites whilst ensuring that operational, professional, and technical activities are performed consistently in line with the AKU’s vision, division’s mission, its goals, and objectives

• Planning and defining execution strategies for strategic projects; including budgets, schedules, quality standards and contracts

• Providing leadership and guidance in portfolio functions for prioritizing, advocating initiatives, implementing systems and processes that support the division’s philosophy

Risk Management

• Evaluating risks and business trade-offs to make changes to ensure optimal business solutions and results while taking decisions in compliance with the quality standards, policies, and goals

Supply Chain Management

• Develop and implement a supply chain strategy aligned with organizational priorities, budgets and business needs.

Arusha Campus

• Provide strategic leadership and governance to ensure Arusha site operates within approved policies, frameworks and budget.
• Oversee financial, property and land management, including tenants, security leases, assets and development.
• Ensure long-term site strategy, sustainability and asset value in alignment with regional priorities.

Stakeholder management

• Building strategic relationships with key stakeholders regionally and locally and partnering with AKDN leadership to ensure effective cross-functional partnership and collaboration

Security

• Support the Office of the President to oversee regional leadership and oversight of security, ensuring appropriate strategies, standards, risk controls and resources are in place to safeguard people, assets and operations across East Africa.

Environmental Health and Safety

• Oversight of guidelines and procedures for campus environmental health and safety programmes in line with global best practices and local laws

Performance Management

• Developing performance measurement tools and metrics for the evaluation of employees, for the purpose of establishing specified expectations, professional development plans and communication protocols that foster a coordinated, detail-oriented, highly visible and strong team.

Requirements

• A degree in Commerce or Engineering or related field from a recognized University. A Master's in Business Administration (MBA) from a reputable institution will be an added advantage

• 15+ years of professional experience, with 5-10 years specifically leading a strategic operational function including procurement, facilities management or administrative services division in a large, multicultural organization preferably in the not-for-profit sector.

• Strong entrepreneurial background and a business leader with a proven track record of achieving results, by developing and managing highly trained technical staff

• Demonstrated effectiveness in strategic planning on both micro and macro level projects

• A proven track record of evaluating organizational structures, workflows and systems to optimize performance

• Demonstrated success in leading transformational cost rationalization and energy cost reduction

• Knowledge and experience of developing outsourcing strategies; deploying integrated vendor management

• Experience in transforming, consolidating, and streamlining complex organizations and processes

• A commitment to diversity and serving the needs of a diverse community

• The ability to work with cross disciplinary and multi-cultural teams

• Financially astute and quantitatively capable

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills

• Drive to advocate and commit to on-going training and development to foster a learning culture within the department

• A passion and professional affinity with an organization committed to an enterprise-wide sustainability ethic.

Primary Location

Kenya-Nairobi

Organisation

Aga Khan University Hospital Kenya

Employee Status

Regular

Job Type

Standard

Job Posting

11/09/2026, 1:04:43 PM

Closing Date

21/09/2026, 6:59:00 PM