Sharon Chahonyo
Nairobi
Summary
Driven and resourceful administrative professional with 10+ years experience assisting with work of high-achieving executives. Skilled in streamlining workflows, managing projects and designing and implementing impactful learning programs. Proven ability to foster collaboration, optimize efficiency and achieve results across diverse sectors with a track record supporting professional needs with well-organized precision. Successfully manages high-volume workloads in rapidly changing environments.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
Work History
Curriculum and Policy Coordinator
Laleo Co-Learning Group
10.2023 - Current
- Collaborate with educators and stakeholders to design, develop and implement curriculum aligned with educational standards and institutional goals
- Entered data, generated reports and produced tracking documents.
- Evaluate curriculum initiatives and recommend adjustments for improvement
- Conduct professional development workshops for educators on curriculum implementation and best practices
- Develop and implement policies and procedures related to curriculum development, instruction and assessment
- Developed internal requirements and standards to minimize regulatory risks and liability across programs.
- Resolved issues through active listening and open-ended questioning, escalating major problems to manager.
- Maintain accurate records and documentation related to curriculum and policy development
- Communicate curriculum and policy changes effectively to educators, administrators, parents and other stakeholders
- Oversee the development and implementation of assessments aligned with the curriculum
- Collaborate with instructional technology specialists to integrate technology into the curriculum
- Participate in the accreditation process by ensuring curriculum compliance with standards.
- Gathered and organized materials to support operations.
Executive Administrative Assistant
Panenka Nature School
09.2019 - 03.2023
- Manage executive’s complex calendar, calls and travel ensuring smooth operations
- Manage and maintain the school calendar ensuring deadlines and events are accurately reflected
- Coordinate project timelines, tasks and deliverables for various initiatives
- Compose and proofread correspondence, reports, presentations and other documents as needed for internal and external stakeholders
- Coordinate with other departments and staff to ensure efficient support for the director
- Oversee the day-to-day operations of the director’s office ensuring smooth workflow and efficient use of resources
- Supervise the support staff
- Provide guidance to the curriculum team ensuring alignment with the director's vision and goals.
- Used software to coordinate meetings, appointments and tasks senior executives.
- Screened calls and emails and initiated actions to respond or direct messages for managers.
- Documented and distributed meeting notes to identify, analyze and improve workflows.
- Wrote and enforced administrative procedure plans to reduce errors and prevent process delays.
- Seamlessly interacted with colleagues to plan and complete special projects.
- Handled confidential and sensitive information with discretion and tact.
Program Manager
Hands of Grace
09.2016 - 08.2019
- Lead the development and implementation of new programs aligned with the organisation's mission and strategic goals
- Design program curricula, activities and monitoring & evaluation plans
- Manage program budgets and ensure efficient resource allocation
- Conduct regular program evaluations and report on program impact to stakeholders
- Recruit, train and supervise program staff and volunteers
- Build the capacity of program beneficiaries through training and capacity-building initiatives
- Advocate for the program's beneficiaries and the organisation's mission to external audiences
- Met with project stakeholders on regular basis to assess progress and make adjustments.
- Leveraged project management processes and tools to define and execute projects.
- Worked with subject matter experts to develop and implement mentoring programs to promote better learner experiences.
- Oversee program logistics including travel arrangements and accommodation for staff and volunteers.
Project Manager
Mobile Decisioning Holdings Limited (MODE)
06.2012 - 09.2016
- Managed and delivered complex projects for the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Operations Officer (COO) on schedule and within budget
- Proactively identified and addressed potential roadblocks and challenges throughout project lifecycles
- Developed contingency plans and clear escalation procedures to ensure smooth project execution and minimize disruptions
- Facilitated seamless collaboration between internal and external stakeholders including diverse teams across regions and time zones
- Maintained clear communication to keep stakeholders informed and aligned.
- Provided detailed project status updates to stakeholders and executive management.
- Scheduled and facilitated meetings between project stakeholders to discuss deliverables, schedules and conflicts.
- Maintained open communication by presenting regular updates on project status to customers.
- Created and maintained comprehensive project documentation using relevant software and platforms for easy access and reference.
- Managed projects from procurement to commission.
Executive Administrative Assistant
The Purpose Centre Church
01.2011 - 05.2012
- Provided strategic administrative support to the Senior Pastor, optimising their time for maximum impact
- Managed complex calendars for the senior leadership, ensuring seamless scheduling of meetings, appointments and travel with internal and external stakeholders
- Streamlined communication for the senior leadership, prioritising emails, phone calls and other correspondence to maximise their efficiency
- Coordinated project timelines, tasks and deliverables for the senior leadership, facilitating communication and collaboration among team members
- Prepared agendas, materials and presentations for high-level meetings attended by the board
- Maintained confidential electronic and physical files, documents and databases critical to the Senior Pastors work, ensuring timely access to information.
- Offered assistance, collaboration and clerical support to auditors throughout entire review process.
- Coordinated complex annual meeting involving multiple presenters, high number of global attendees and robust budget encompassing livestream production, remote location arrangements and senior executive accommodations.
- Supported business and hospitality needs of corporate partners and staff during meetings and company events.
- Facilitated training and onboarding for incoming office staff.
- Handled confidential and sensitive information with discretion and tact.
- Documented and distributed meeting notes to identify, analyze, and improve workflows.
- Organized and updated schedules for executives.
- Screened calls and emails and initiated actions to respond or direct messages for managers.
Financial Aid Processor
Kaplan Higher Education
06.2008 - 01.2010
- Awarded federal grants and loans to students attending accredited institutions using enterprise resource planning (ERP) software
- Administered federal aid according to regulations, ensured data accuracy in ERP software and transmitted electronic grant/loan information to the Department of Education
- Identified and resolved inefficiencies, implemented Six Sigma methodologies to propose long-term improvements, and maintained service level agreements for processing requests and inquiries.
- Reviewed initial financial aid applications for accuracy and compliance with reporting standards.
- Reviewed financial aid appeals, issuing secondary and final judgments on award packages.
- Designed financial aid reward packages, aligning contents with individuals' monetary and logistical needs.
- Verified credit histories, personal references and employment backgrounds for each applicant.
- Affirmed loan document accuracy to protect lenders from potential fraud.
- Stayed up to date on loan regulation changes, processing loan applications in compliance with current laws.
Education
Executive Support Certificate - Executive Assistant And Executive Secretary
University of Cape Town
South Africa09.2023
Programme Management: A Monitoring and Evaluation Approach Certificate - Project Management
University of Cape Town
South Africa08.2023
Higher Education Teaching Certificate - Education
Harvard University
Massachusetts, USA08.2023
Certificate IV University Foundation Studies (IT) - Information Technology
Edith Cowan University
Joondalup, Australia10.2001
High School Diploma -
Rusinga School
Nairobi, Kenya06.1997
Skills
- Master Calender Management
- Operations Management
- Document Preparation and Reporting
- Procedure Manual Writing
- Curriculum Development and Management
- Business Correspondence
- Information Confidentiality
- Schedule Management
- Event Coordination
- Office Management
- Project Management
- Presentations
Accomplishments
- Increased executive's productivity by implementing a color-coded calendar system for appointments, meetings and deadlines. This system allowed for quick identification of priority tasks and minimized scheduling conflicts.
- Reduced training time for new administrative staff by creating a comprehensive operations manual with step-by-step guides for common organisational administrative tasks.
- Enhanced departmental efficiency by implementing an electronic filing system with a logical folder structure and keyword search capabilities. This streamlined document retrieval and improved overall workflow.
- Supervised team of 13 staff members.
References
- Julian Kyula, Founder & CEO, Mobile Decisioning (MODE), +254 734 783 782, jkyula@beulahcity.com
- Archie Collins, Director, Hands of Grace, +1 678 207 7976, acollins@wcchouston.org
- Patricia Jura, Founder, Panenka Nature School, +254 703 453 550, oolep@yahoo.com
- Thaddeus Kyale, Resident Pastor, The Purpose Centre Church, +254 721 567 740, princepraise@icloud.com
- Azubike Chigbu, West African Regional Director, Mobile Decisioning (MODE) Nigeria, +234 908 169 0975, zubbychigbu@gmail.com
Timeline
Curriculum and Policy Coordinator
Laleo Co-Learning Group
10.2023 - Current
Executive Administrative Assistant
Panenka Nature School
09.2019 - 03.2023
Program Manager
Hands of Grace
09.2016 - 08.2019
Project Manager
Mobile Decisioning Holdings Limited (MODE)
06.2012 - 09.2016
Executive Administrative Assistant
The Purpose Centre Church
01.2011 - 05.2012
Financial Aid Processor
Kaplan Higher Education
06.2008 - 01.2010
Executive Support Certificate - Executive Assistant And Executive Secretary
University of Cape Town
Programme Management: A Monitoring and Evaluation Approach Certificate - Project Management
University of Cape Town
Higher Education Teaching Certificate - Education
Harvard University
Certificate IV University Foundation Studies (IT) - Information Technology
Edith Cowan University
High School Diploma -
Rusinga School
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