Professionals with administrative and office management experience are invited to apply for a regular African Union position offering competitive benefits and international exposure.

The African Union (AU) has announced a new employment opportunity for an Administrative Assistant – AfCFTA, offering qualified candidates the chance to support one of Africa’s most transformative economic integration initiatives. The position is based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and falls under the AU’s Coordination and Programmes Resources Management framework.

Listed under Requisition ID 3018, the vacancy seeks a highly organized and detail-oriented professional to provide administrative and operational support to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) AU Liaison Office. Applications are open until 18 July 2026, with successful candidates joining the AU on a regular contract basis.

Supporting Africa’s Landmark Trade Initiative

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is one of the flagship projects of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and represents the world’s largest free trade area by number of participating countries. The initiative aims to boost intra-African trade, enhance economic integration, and create new opportunities for businesses and citizens across the continent.

To support the implementation and coordination of AfCFTA-related activities, the African Union is recruiting an Administrative Assistant who will help ensure the efficient operation of the AfCFTA-AU Liaison Office.

Reporting directly to the Head of the AfCFTA-AU Liaison Office, the successful candidate will play a critical role in supporting daily operations, coordinating administrative processes, facilitating communication, and assisting with departmental planning and resource management.

Key Responsibilities

The Administrative Assistant will provide a wide range of administrative and logistical support services to ensure smooth departmental operations.

Major responsibilities include:

Coordinating meetings, workshops, and official engagements.
Managing invitations, travel arrangements, ticketing, and accommodation for participants.
Preparing official correspondence, reports, presentations, briefing notes, and executive summaries.
Supporting procurement, travel management, contract administration, and budget-related processes.
Maintaining confidential records and organized filing systems.
Monitoring implementation of meeting decisions and departmental action points.
Assisting with staff mission schedules, leave tracking, and workforce coordination.
Liaising with internal departments and external stakeholders on administrative matters.
Supporting communication management and ensuring timely responses to inquiries and correspondence.

The role requires strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to handle multiple priorities in a dynamic international environment.

Qualifications and Experience Requirements

The African Union is seeking candidates with academic qualifications in business and administrative disciplines.

Applicants must possess either:

A Diploma in Business Management, Business Administration, or a related field with at least three years of relevant professional experience, or
A Bachelor’s degree in Business Management, Business Administration, or a related field with a minimum of two years of relevant experience.

Relevant experience should include administrative, office management, or secretarial responsibilities.

The AU has specified that experience in office management is mandatory, while previous involvement in planning and coordinating meetings involving multiple stakeholders will be considered highly valuable.

Experience using SAP systems will be an added advantage.

Skills and Competencies

The position requires candidates who demonstrate strong administrative and communication capabilities.

Desired skills include:

Excellent communication and report-writing abilities.
Strong planning and organizational skills.
Research and analytical capabilities.
Interpersonal and negotiation skills.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.
Familiarity with African Union IT systems.
Experience using Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) or SAP SuccessFactors platforms.

Applicants must also be fluent in at least one African Union working language, including English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Arabic, or Kiswahili. Knowledge of an additional AU language will be considered an advantage.

Contract Duration and Benefits

The successful candidate will be appointed on a three-year regular contract, with the first 12 months serving as a probationary period. Subject to satisfactory performance, the contract may continue for the remaining period.

The African Union offers a competitive compensation package that includes salary and multiple benefits.

The advertised base salary for the position is:

US$15,758 per year (GSA 5 Step 1)

In addition, eligible staff may receive:

A post adjustment allowance equivalent to 48% of the base salary.
Housing allowance valued at US$16,813.44 annually.
Education support of up to US$10,000 per child per year for internationally recruited staff.
Education support of US$3,330 per child annually for locally recruited staff.
Additional employment benefits in accordance with AU staff regulations.

Equal Opportunity and Diversity Commitment

The African Union Commission has reaffirmed its commitment to equal opportunity employment and encourages qualified women to apply.

The organization is also encouraging applications from nationals of countries that are currently underrepresented within the African Union workforce. These include countries such as Algeria, Angola, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Comoros, Egypt, Eritrea, Eswatini, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Namibia, Niger, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, Somalia, Tunisia, and others identified by the AU.

Application Deadline

Interested candidates must submit their applications no later than 18 July 2026 at 23:59 GMT.

Applicants are required to complete the online application process using the mandatory African Union CV template and submit all supporting documentation, including academic qualifications and a valid African passport.

As Africa continues to deepen regional economic integration through the AfCFTA, this Administrative Assistant position offers a valuable opportunity for professionals seeking to contribute to one of the continent’s most ambitious development initiatives while building a career within a leading international organization.

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Disclaimer: Global South Opportunities (GSO) is not the organization offering this opportunity. For any inquiries, please contact the official organization directly. Please do not send your applications & CVs to GSO, as we are unable to process them. Due to the high volume of emails, we receive daily, we may not be able to respond to all inquiries. Thank you for your understanding.