Personal Assistant and HR Manager , Frankfurt Zoological Society

Frankfurt Zoological Society

Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) conserves wildlife and ecosystems in protected areas and outstanding wild places. FZS maintains long-term conservation programmes in Africa, South America, Asia and Europe. The Africa Programme is the Society’s largest and oldest and works with partners in five focal countries: Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The Africa Regional Office is situated in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. For more information on the Society and our projects, please visit our website at www.fzs.org.

Position in the organisation: Reports directly to the Africa Programme Director, in support of the Africa Regional Office (ARO)

Purpose of the job: Provide daily administrative assistance to the Africa Programme Director to include leading on support for human resource development.

Location: FZS office Seronera, Tanzania.

Administrative responsibilities

·       Draft/prepare or answer correspondence on behalf of the Africa Director.

·       Process incoming and outgoing mail, answer straightforward enquiries or judge when to forward to other individuals/departments; chase for information as required.

·       Act as first point of contact for all enquiries/queries (telephone, e-mail, voicemail, correspondence, visitors) to the Africa Director’s office; answer, provide or exchange information, take messages, etc.

·       Co-ordinate and organise travel arrangements for the Africa Director to include hotel reservations, travel tickets, itineraries

·       Make necessary preparations for informal and formal meetings:  book meeting rooms, provide associated documentation, background material, chase for information as required

·       Draft agendas, attend meetings and take minutes/notes, produce minutes for agreement, circulate and take all follow-up action, as directed by the Africa Director.

·       Meet and make welcome all visitors to ARO. Offer and provide refreshments, show visitors around, as required.

·       Process Africa Director ’s expenses and invoices accurately and on a regular basis – in accordance with Finance Department’s procedures and deadlines.

·       Maintain/establish appropriate office systems: paper and IT files, archiving, message books, bring-forward systems, diaries, office records, financial records, stationery supplies etc.

·       Maintain Director’s contacts list

Human resources and staff development

·       Support the Africa Director to provide line management and supervision and ensure that staff training needs are met.

·       Ensure the regular audit of personnel files, develop and manage effective systems for keeping records of salaries, leave, staff expenses, supervision, training etc.

·       Ensure development and publication of job adverts, organise interview process and ensure appropriate follow up.

·       Ensure all staffing contracts are renewed in a timely manner, and that all staff have the appropriate insurance. 

·       Support the Africa Director to strengthen the FZS organizational culture in the following fields

o   Contribution of staff to FZS development

o   Personal responsibility

o   Motivation

o   Communication

o   Transparency and good governance

o   Identification with FZS

o   Innovation and efficiency

o   Conflict resolution

Presentation, networking and co-operation

·       Network with relevant partners and stakeholders

·       Undertake activities as directed by the Africa Director to help strengthen FZS visibility in Africa and on the global level

Requirements:

a. Qualifications and experience – essential:

·  A degree and at least 3 years experience in an administrative/HR role

·  Excellent command of English and Swahili, both written and spoken

·  Ability and willingness to live and work in a remote area away from friends and family

b. Qualifications and experience – desired:

·  Experience working in remote environments

·  Fundraising experience

·  German, French

c. Behaviour Competencies

The successful applicant will have well-honed organisational skills, excellent attention to detail, accuracy, sound judgement, strong logistical ability, and a good sense of initiative. Applicants must have first class drafting skills and be able to take and produce high quality meeting minutes, draft reports and general correspondence.

Calm and solution-orientated, the successful candidate plans ahead, is able to predict and overcomes obstacles, and maintains a flexible approach to their work.  Discreet, loyal, diplomatic, friendly and approachable, this position requires someone with excellent interpersonal skills to build and sustain strong working relationships with colleagues and external organizations, project partners and individuals.

Terms

A gross monthly salary of between 1 and 2 Million TSH will be offered depending on experience and qualifications. The position will be based in the Serengeti National Park with occasional travel to other areas within Africa as needed. 

Additional benefits include:

u  Basic accommodation

u  Medical insurance

u  6 calendar weeks paid leave

u  Transport is provided in accordance with FZS policy

A renewable contract with trial period will be offered starting as soon as possible 

Application Instructions:

Please send CV and cover letter to jobs@fzs.org with "Job Application: PA/HR Manager" in the Subject line, by 10^th August 2013.  Please state clearly in your cover letter your earliest possible start time, as well as two most important technical skills and personal attributes that you would bring to this position.