Operations and Administrative Support Officer

Based in the coastal town of Fort Dauphin in the southeast of Madagascar, this post will support a range of operational and administrative tasks required to run an International NGO. The successful candidate will work within a combined national and international team to provide a wide range of support to SEED’s team including supporting the development of organisational policy and procedures, preparing internal and external reports, lead on onboarding for incoming staff and supporting short term volunteers. The role is predominantly office-based in the small coastal town of Fort Dauphin. The diversity of activities undertaken will provide a wide-ranging experience for an early career development professional who can effectively and efficiently deal with a comprehensive range of tasks related to the complex world of overseas development.

Title: Operational Support Intern – change of title and responsibilities to Operational Support Officer subject to passing 3-month probationary review.

Location: Fort Dauphin, Anosy Region, Madagascar

Commitment: 12 months extendable

Salary: Voluntary for 12 months, with stipend of 800,000 MGA per month towards accommodation and a contribution of £650 towards insurance

Duties and Responsibilities:

International Staff Logistics

1. Provide pre-departure logistical oversight, support and advice with visas, hotels, flights, accommodation, medication etc to new international staff
2. Lead on supporting international staff during their initial time with SEED including arrival, orientation, social inclusion, cultural understanding, housing and integration into the SEED team
3. Provide pastoral care and leadership, working with line managers to ensure that new and existing international staff members’ wellbeing is supported
4. Support on the recruitment of international staff, including the advertisement of vacancies

Operations

1. Assist in the preparation of reports for internal and external audiences including Annual Reports and Malagasy Ministry reports
2. Work with the Director of Operations and Programmes, and the International Operations Manager in developing, updating and implementing organisational databases, systems, policies and procedures across the NGO
3. Support on creating, editing and writing website content to ensure organisational and project information is up-to-date
4. Work with national staff to increase their skills and capacity, providing mentoring or training where appropriate
5. Work alongside the IT Officer to provide basic IT and equipment management support
6. Support the health and safety culture across the organisation, providing guidance and review where necessary
7. Support with the writing of minutes and taking notes across the organisation
8. Support project teams where required to develop systems to manage donor compliance, or support with financial or administrative reporting requirements

Supporting conservation volunteers

1. Support the Volunteer Operations and Administration Officer with the on-boarding and logistics of the short-term conservation volunteers
2. Support the SCRP team in Sainte Luce when required on orientations and pastoral care of volunteers
3. Support the Communications team with advertising the volunteer programme and helping volunteers to increase their fundraising efforts
4. Provide day to day oversight of on-boarding and problem solving in the absence of the Volunteer Officer

General

1. Ensure all of SEED’s policies and procedures are evident throughout the work of the department, including those for safeguarding, whistleblowing and anti-corruption, and undertake continual training to ensure these are always promoted
2. Assist with administration tasks and any other tasks required by the International Operations Manager or Director of Programmes and Operations in line with the tasks of the post

Required Skills & Experience/Person Specification

• Hold an undergraduate degree in or relating to Development or Conservation or be able to demonstrate a passion for these areas
• Be able to work independently and be proactively
• Have good all round computing skills and experience in Microsoft Office
• Have previous experience working to deadlines and have ability to successfully manage their time
• Communicate clearly and engagingly in written English across a range of media forms
• Be able to communicate verbally to encompass the range of cultures you will be working with
• To have a good level of written English and be able to proofread documents to a high standard
• To have a curious mind and a patient, problem solving attitude
• Ideally have previous experience living, working or travelling in a developing country, though is not essential
• Be fluent in English. A working knowledge of French is desirable but not essential
• Be capable and comfortable adapting to life in a least developed country with sometimes basic living conditions
• Be able to work and socialise within a small group of people and to be respectful and take personal responsibility for maintaining a good reputation for the NGO in the community
• Be able to adjust to life in another culture and a foreign language and be able to work at all times with cultural sensitivity
• Demonstrate the ability, social skills and confidence to give clear guidance and support to other members of the team in respect of the philosophy and procedures of SEED in order to protect both their safety and the reputation of the NGO.

How to apply

Interested applicants should send a CV and covering letter in English outlining why they wish to take up this position and how their skills and experience match the requirements in the job description criteria to SEED Madagascar Director of Programmes and Operations, Lisa Bass by email on [email protected].

Please note: AI generated cover letters and recruitment exercises will not be processed.

Application Deadline: Monday 19th August 2024 at 23:59 GMT. Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis throughout this period.

Candidates will complete an exercise, long-listed applicants will have an initial informal interview with Madagascar based staff and short-listed applicants will then be offered an interview with the London team.

SEED Madagascar actively encourages equality, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace and aims to create a working environment free of bullying, harassment, victimisation, and unlawful discrimination, where individual differences and the contributions of all staff are recognised and valued.