Administrative Officer

Position: Administrative Officer, Tanzania

Location: Tanzania

Reports to: Administrative Officer

Contract duration: 12 months (with possible extension)

Job purpose:
The Administrative Officer will be responsible for the office and programs purchasing of goods and services. These include equipment, materials, general supplies and any maintenance required for the office and projects.

Main Duties
General Office Administration:

• Ensure the office is a clean and tidy working environment at all times.
• Support in the management of all paper-based correspondence coming in and out of the office
• Ensuring effective use of office resources in particular office vehicles, generator, furniture, IT equipment, software.
• Lead on equipment and building maintenance for office
• Support the Office Manager in managing key relationships with service providers for internet, telephone, electricity, water, security, IT management.
• Manage the store of office resources and maintain an up-to-date registry of fixed assets
• Ensure that the office remain well supplied with consumables, including generator fuel, drinking water, office stationary, bathroom items and kitchen supplies.

General Procurement:

• Support the day to day procurement of office supplies and collect quotes and tenders for larger office procurement.
• Maintain initial point of contact with service providers i.e. health and IT, when information/queries are required by staff. Makes this information available as necessary.
• Take notes in Bid Committee review meeting.
• Ensure timely provision of goods and services for BBC Media Action programs by following procurement process, evaluating costs effectiveness and providing support in negotiating agreements based on BBC Media Action donor’s guidelines.
• Follow up regularly with the TRA on VAT exemption documentation.
• Support Office Manager to enforce Media Action procurement policy with all staff.
• Arrange for periodic fumigation of office, compound and other facilities as required.
• Ensure that fire-extinguishers are regularly serviced, and first aid items periodically replenished.
• Receive all the goods and disseminate them accordingly by following office procedures.
• Prepare request for payments for all goods and services required for the office.
• Ensures that payments are actioned to suppliers on a regular basis.
• Ensures that telephone, electricity and water bills are settled by 15th of every month.
• Supporting effective use of office resources in particular office vehicles, generator, furniture, IT equipment, software.
• Ensure the office is a clean and tidy working environment at all times.

Logistics:

• Lead on vehicle bookings for all office/ project staff and visitors.
• Work closely with the programme manager on the arrangement of such logistics.
• Plan, organize and manage the work of driving staff to ensure that the work is accomplished in a manner consistent with organisation requirements.
• Read and interpret maps and driving directions to plan the most efficient route service for staff and visitors.
• Supervise and control the drivers, town errands and upcountry travel.
• Coordinate the schedule for major or periodic vehicle maintenance with management and staff to minimize service interruptions.
• Perform safety and maintenance checks.
• Monitor and control the pick-up and delivery of staff and visitors as per the set route and schedule
• Monitor fuel spending to ensure that expenses are consistent with approved budgets.
• Coordinate with finance department, fuel station and garage for the issue refuelling and maintenance of vehicles under supervision.
• Maintain up-to-date log-books for fuel usage of vehicles and generator.

Inventory Management:

• Maintain and update fixed asset list, and support in ensuring proper use, maintenance and security of all assets.
• Work closely with the Office Manager to correctly account for all BBC Media Action assets and updates the inventory list in line with set procedures.
• Tracking and labelling all office assets.
• Send inventory Report to the office Manager every month that shows new assets and obsolete assets.

Required knowledge, skills and experience

• A Bachelor’s degree in business administration, or equivalent education and experience.
• Progressive Administrative Officer experience, including experience working in a multi-office environment. Experience in working with non-profits and/or membership organisation’s preferred
• Demonstrated ability to work with the senior management team of an organization, and to manage multiple concurrent projects.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong project management, organizational and time management skills.
• Strong people management skills.
• Excellent problem-solving, analytical and evaluative skills.

Key competencies

• The following competencies (behaviors and characteristics) have been identified as key to success in the job. Successful candidates are expected to demonstrate these competencies.
• Analytical Thinking – Able to simplify complex problems, processes or projects into component parts, explore and evaluate them systematically. Able to identify causal relationships, and construct frameworks, for problem-solving and/or development.
• Decision Making – Is ready and able to take the initiative, originate action and be responsible for the consequences of the decision made.
• Planning and Organisation – Is able to think ahead in order to establish an efficient and appropriate course of action for self and others. Prioritises and plans activities taking into account all the relevant issues and factors such as deadlines, staffing and resources requirements.
• Resilience – Can maintain personal effectiveness by managing own emotions in the face of pressure, setbacks or when dealing with provocative situations. Can demonstrate an approach to work that is characterised by commitment, motivation and energy.
• Influencing and Persuading – Ability to present sound and well-reasoned arguments to convince others. Can draw from a range of strategies to persuade people in a way that results in agreement or behaviour change.
• Communication – The ability to get one’s message understood clearly by adopting a range of styles, tools and techniques appropriate to the audience and the nature of the information.
• Managing relationships – Able to build and maintain effective working relationships with a range of people.
• Self-Development – Is able to identify and apply opportunities for learning and development.

Application instructions: 
Candidates should send their CV and a covering letter (PDF or Microsoft Word format) which outlines their experience and suitability for the role in English to tzrecruitment@tz.bbcmediaaction.org, with the name of the position applied for in the subject line by end of Friday 20 December, 2013.

Please do not send certificates or other attachments. Applicants with no separate covering letter will not be considered. Please only apply if you meet the basic criteria under the person specification.

This is a local post applicable to people who have the legal right to live and work in Tanzania.
Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

Application deadline: Friday 20 December 2013