Job Opportunity

Women for Change (WfC) a Gender-focused Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) seeks applications from suitably qualified candidates for the position of Administrative Assistant (1) for the Women Empowerment Project (WEP) in Chongwe and Rufunsa Districts of Lusaka Province in Zambia. The Administrative Assistant will be expected to work under the supervision of the Field Office Coordinator in implementing the WEP which is supported by Fundación Progresar and funded by The Foundation “Stiftelsen Support for Development”.

Location: Based in Chongwe field office

General objective:

The Administrative Assistant is responsible for providing organizational, administrative and accounting support to the Women’s Empowerment groups in Chongwe and Rufunsa Districts. The Administrative Assistant provides effective and efficient support to the field office to ensure smooth Project delivery. This includes administrative, logistical, and information management assistance to the Field Office Coordinador and other team members as well as planning and coordinating of team activities (meetings, trainings, travel) as requested by the Field Office Coordinator and include:

• Arranging meetings
• Handling information requests
• Managing the reception
• Preparing reports and correspondence; and
• Liaising with the head office.

General Administrative and Clerical Tasks

• Provide general administrative and clerical tasks such as answering phones, mailing (both electronic and manual). Filing and document production (photocopying and scanning) arrange logistics for visitors, coordinate meetings.

Support to Field Office Coordinator

• Work closely with the Field Office Coordinator to assist in all aspects of programming, including events, meetings, training materials.
• Monitor office supplies and make procurement requests as necessary.
• Collect and sends monthly plans and project reports prepared by the Field office coordinator to the head office. The work plans are based on the quarterly and annual plan of the project.
• Assist Project staff with various activities and other duties assigned by the Field Office Coordinator.

Procurement

• Estimate and establish cost paremeters and budgets for purchases.
• Maintain records of purchases, and other important data.
• Ensure that products and suppliers are of high quality.
• Work with procurement team members at head office and observe separation of roles in procurement.

Support to Finance Department

• Administer and liquidate Petty cash for the Field office.
• Filing of Project finance documents as guided by the Field Office Coordinator
• Monitors fuel consumption for all motor cycles and prepares a monthly Schedule.
• Monitors usage of motor cycles log books.
• Undertakes purchases approved for coffees, cleaning services and other items that should be purchased locally, approved by the Field Office Coordinator
• Makes payments of basic services: i.e. garbage, water, electricity, telephone.
• Delivers funds every Friday for potluck lunches and other costs approved by the Field office coordinator.
• Pays promoters’ payroll and prepare a report on each payment.
• Follows-up on agreed budgets.
• Maintains fixed assets, office equipment and training materials that are not assigned to specific staff and keeps the key to the store room.
• Keeps updated the responsibility cards of equipment and training materials.
• Conducts a monthly inventory control of assets, furniture, equipment, office supplies, first aid kit and other items in the store room and assures it is orderly kept.
• Provides staff with approved fixed equipment, office supplies, training materials and first aid kit.
• Develops requisitions for office supplies, training material etc. to the field office coordinator and sends, monitors and receives approved project requisitions to head office.

Manages the administration of the women’s groups, including:

• Keeping an updated electronic file with key data of each women group.
• Present weekly the updated file report of each village bank to the Field office coordinator
• Verifying deposit vouchers of savings and payments of credits of 100% of women groups, taking copies and delivering to the person in charge of the group and head office.
• Keeping track of the credit portfolios: i.e. disbursements to the women and credit payments of 100% of all groups.
• Maintaining each group’s binder in the office when not used by the field officer. Keeps the register of the group’s binder.
• Preparing a physical and digital file of delivery of disbursements of credits to the women’s groups, including preparation of credit summary, attendance forms, control, fines, capital control and assurance that all papers are in order.
• Any other task assigned by Field Office Coordinator

Minimum Education Qualifications:

• Diploma with specialisation in accounting, business management or secretarial work.

Experience

• At least two years of work experience as Administrative Assistant, accounting Assistant or secretary managing petty cash account.
• Experience of managing cash accounts, writing reports and plans.
• Knowledge of micro finance or saving projects for rural areas is considered an advantage.
• Experience of working with community development projects is an advantage

Other Attributes

• Positive attitude, collaborative, willingness and desire to improve the living situation of poor women, willingness to learn and adapt.
• Fluency in the language of communities in the project area and in English.
• Excellent computer skills: Word, Excel and Power Point.
• Holder of clean motor cycle licence.