The Administrative Assistant will play a strategic role in the administration functions for the office of the Director. He/she will work closely with the Director to support and enable the various research activities as well as manage the various administrative activities of the office. The Administrative Officer will oversee the effective functioning of the office of the Director. He/she will act as the first point of contact with people internal and external to the University. This is a senior position within an exciting new venture.
He/she must be a dynamic, flexible and self-motivated person who will provide inter alia the following services:
Responsibilities:
The responsibilities and duties of the successful incumbent include the following:
Office Management
- Devising and maintaining office systems, including data management and filing.
- Provide administrative support to research projects.
- Arranging travel, visas and accommodation, and take notes or dictation at meetings.
- Provide general assistance during presentations.
- Screening phone calls, enquiries and requests, and handling them when appropriate.
- Meeting and greeting visitors at all levels of seniority.
- Organising and maintaining diaries and making appointments.
- Dealing with incoming email, faxes and post, often corresponding on behalf of the Director.
- Organising and attending meetings and ensuring that the Director is prepared for meetings.
- Ensuring that key processes and procedures are followed.
- General administration, including maintenance of literature and infrastructure databases, filing systems.
- Maintaining a twice-daily updated schedule of the Director.
Arranging events
- Assist in organising seminars, public dialogues, and other meetings.
- Make travel, transport and accommodation arrangements for the Director, staff, and visitors to the centre.
- Plan, arrange and coordinate relevant meetings, training, workshops, functions and conferences as directed by the Director.
- Provide secretarial services to meetings. This may include scheduling times, arranging attendees, venues and catering as well as, when requested, taking minutes.
Stakeholder Management
- Developing and maintaining a database of stakeholders.
- Ensuring continuous liaison with appropriate organisations and people.
- Ensuring research partner interaction, including interaction with university, industrial and government personnel.
- Providing assistance with the compilation of research grant applications and reporting, including electronic submissions.
Communication Coordination
- Ensuring effective information processing by sourcing, receiving, disseminating information from and to appropriate people and organisations.
- Sourcing and collating information by establishing tools and procedures for managing information.
- Ensuring that matters (both internally and externally) pertaining to the Director are communicated timeously to all relevant stakeholders.
- Doing research in preparation for all key engagements and meetings.
- Preparing communication packages.
- Preparing relevant reports, presentations, and external communication.
Project Administration
- Creating, managing and maintaining the project database according to the project planning model, collation of information and information accessibility.
- Maintaining relationships with programme and project partners.
- Dealing with all issues of correspondence pertaining to associated programmes and projects.
General and Financial Administration
- Act as first point of call on all general queries.
- Resolve day-to-day queries and escalate where necessary.
- Open, sort and group incoming mail, answer correspondence and prepare outgoing mail within the function.
- Prioritise matters and information in terms of urgency and importance.
- Manage and order stationery supply, as well as kitchen supplies.
- Perform secretarial and administrative tasks efficiently and on time.
- Manage procurement of operational items to enable efficient operation and timely payment of invoices.
- Implement effective budget monitoring mechanisms.
- Facilitate the maintenance of infrastructure in line with University processes.
- Deal with correspondence and risk management in own focus and adhere to Service Level Agreements (SLA).
- Establish and maintain an effective electronic repository and keep records up-to-date.
- Record research outputs for submission to DHET
- Help coordinate Pan-African courses being taught by Institute staff.
- Perform ad hoc duties as and when required by the Director.
- Relevant Diploma (NQF6).
- A minimum of 5 years’ working experience in a similar role, preferably with project management and public relations experience.
- Familiarity with basic internet search engines.
- Proven capacity to arrange events (such as conferences and workshops)
- Proven experience of extensive diary management and online scheduling.
- Proven experience in minute taking and drafting of memoranda.
- Proven computer literacy skills, must be fully conversant in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access and Outlook.
Competencies and Behavioural Attributes:
- Excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Excellent inter-personal and customer service skills.
- Excellent time-management skills.
- Ability to use own initiative and work independently, but not to take decisions without consulting the Director on all matters.
- Strong analytical, synthesis and problem-solving skills, including the ability to anticipate problems and take appropriate action.
- Good planning and organising skills.
- High attention to detail.
- Ability to deal with a diverse range of stakeholders.
- Commitment to working at a senior level within a team, developing effective working relationships.
- Confidence in dealing with a wide range of people.
- Strategic/lateral thinker with the ability to anticipate potential problems and develop solutions.
- Forward planning, high attention to detail, able to work autonomously.
- Commitment to the principles of diversity and equal education opportunities.
- A demonstrated ability to work in teams with collaborative interpersonal style.
- Innovative and the ability to work under pressure.
Recommendations:
- Knowledge of University systems, structures, policies and procedures
- Project Management experience.
- Previous experience as an academic Administrative Officer, Departmental Secretary or Executive Secretary.
- Working knowledge of iProc.
- Research experience.
ENQUIRIES:
Enquiries regarding job content: Prof A Adebajo (011) 559-4555
Enquiries regarding remuneration and benefits: Antoinette Kanfer (011) 559-2548 (HR Business Partner)
LOGIN AND APPLY ONLINE AT http://jobs.uj.ac.za
Your application, comprising of a detailed Curriculum Vitae as well as the names and full contact details (including telephone numbers and e-mail addresses) of at least three traceable and credible referees must be uploaded before or on the closing date of the advertised post. Please also attach the following: a copy of your highest academic qualification, proof of registration with professional bodies you might belong to and if applying for an academic position, a list of accredited research output and/ or a portfolio of your creative output.
Enquiries (UJ e-recruitment Portal)
If you have general enquiries regarding the advertised post, please send an e-mail with the subject line being the reference number of the post to [email protected]
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Candidates may be subjected to appropriate psychometric testing and other selection instruments.
In conjunction to merit on the basis of qualifications, experience and proven achievements the University of Johannesburg is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for persons with disabilities and those individuals from the historically disadvantaged groups. As necessitated by operational requirements the University reserves the right not to make an appointment to positions advertised. If you have not received a response from the University within 8 weeks of the closing date, you should assume that your application has been unsuccessful.