Office Manager

Story Workshop Educational Trust (SWET) is a leading local, independent, non-profit and non-partisan development media NGO that has been operational in Malawi since 1997.

SWET uses radio, video/TV and theatre for development (TFD) and theatre for policy advocacy (TPA) to promote education, health, food security, good governance, human rights and environmental management in order to contribute towards a well-informed, healthy, self-reliant and food-secure rural population that practices democratic values.

In order to effectively realise its objectives and achieve strategic growth, SWET would like to hire highly qualified, experienced, self-motivated, team-oriented and mature individuals, who are willing to work in a busy NGO environment, to fill three vacancies as outlined below:

Office Manager (One position)

Job Title: Officer Manager (OM)
Job Grade : SWET 3
Department: Finance and Administration
Reporting to: Head of Finance and Administration (HOFA) & ED
Positions reporting to this job: Outsourced service providers

Overall Responsibility

The position shall provide logistical, administrative financial, secretarial, front office, personnel services and ED’s office support in SWET.

Key Job Responsibilities

• Oversee the management to the front office i.e. switchboard, phone control, visitors, hospitality issues, visitors’ book and staff sign out book.
• Provide support to procurement processes in liaison with the IPC
• Prepare SWET press features in liaison with the ED.
• Provide logistical technical assistance to SWET internal and external meetings, workshops, get-togethers and conferences.
• Take minutes during Management meetings, circulating minutes among relevant officers and compiling weekly status sheets from all SWET departments.
• Oversee staff-welfare in liaison with the Head of Finance and Administration.
• Ensure that rules regarding use of vehicles, office equipment, phones, particularly computers, photocopiers, internet, binding machine, scanners, printers, etc, are strictly followed.
• Oversee the storage, distribution and rational use of office supplies e.g. stationery, refreshments and compiling periodic request lists on behalf of the procurement committee for the same.
• Carrying out bank and mail errands
• Ensuring a systematic centralized filing system that assures safety, confidentiality and easy access to documents by management and staff.
• Coordinate the filling of staff weekly time sheets and job cards in consultation with line managers.
• Updating and managing employee records regularly (employment contracts, job description, performance agreements, performance appraisal) and alerting
• Management of any issues arising in a timely manner.
• Compile staff leave days and reporting sick leave to management.
• Compile roster for review meetings (clinics) and coordinating the implementation of same.
• Supervise all outsourced service providers.
• Manage office correspondence
• Manage the sign in/out book and compiling monthly reports.
• Orient new staff, creating office space and ensuring that all paper work, such as contracts, are done before a new staff member assumes his/her position.
• Ensure that visitors, ex-staff members, staff that are on leave officially note their presence and are properly assisted by an appropriate officer.
• Ensure that offices are kept to high standards.
• Access and check staff attendance and ensure that staff sign out/in when going out/coming in and making sure that they are punctual in reporting for duties and reporting staff not reporting for work.
• Maintain a comprehensive SWET asset management system and prepare regular reports thereof for use by Management.
• Coordinating job appraisals in the organization in a timely manner and compile reports.
• Ensuring that all staff have access to internet at any given time and ensuring that bills are paid and faults are attended to in a timely manner.
• Ensuring that meetings of all institutional committees are taking place and records are properly filed.
• Managing the Executive Director’s itinerary
• Ensuring that staff are following institutional communication etiquette when using e-mails, phones, letters, etc. to safeguard the organizational image and reputation.
• Performs other duties related to the job as assigned from time to time.

Knowledge, Experience, Skills and Standards

Prerequisite skills:

• Interpersonal communication
• Public Relations.
• Secretarial
• English and vernacular
• Logistical
• Planning and Organizing
• Information and Communication Technology
• Cross cultural communication
• Financial analysis
• Human resource management
• Vehicle fleet management
• Office equipment operation

Experience:
At least 5 years’ extensive experience in an administrative/operations position

Academic Qualifications:

• Diploma in Secretarial Management or Business Management/Administration with extensive experience in office management in a busy organizational set up.

Performance Standards:

• High sense of integrity and maturity
• Ability to work independently
• Self-starter and self-motivated
• Ability to meet deadlines
• Ability to work in a team setting
• Ability to communicate cross-culturally
• Attention to detail
• Ability to handle financial transactions in a transparent and accountable manner
• Ability to multi-task
• High sense of confidentiality

All the 3 posts are tenable at our head office in Blantyre. If you think you meet the job specifications and you are interested to
work in an exciting and challenging environment, submit your application letter, photocopies of your original certificates,
and an up-to-date Curriculum Vitae (CV) with at least three traceable references to:

Executive Director,
Story Workshop Educational Trust (SWET),
P/Bag 266,
BLANTYRE.
E-mail: storyworkshopeducationaltrust@gmail.com

Physical  address: Smythe Road, Sunnyside, Blantyre, Malawi. Your application should reach SWET not later than 14th June, 2024.

Only short-listed applications will be acknowledged.

SWET is an equal opportunities employer. Qualified female  candidates are encouraged to apply!