Full Job Description: Executive Administrative Assistant
Job Purpose:
The Executive Administrative Assistant plays a pivotal and central role in ensuring the seamless and efficient operation of the Manager and their designated Department. This position is critical for providing a comprehensive and highly accurate administrative service, acting as the organizational backbone and first point of contact for a diverse range of internal and external stakeholders. The successful candidate will be a proactive, detail-oriented, and highly organized professional capable of managing multiple priorities in a dynamic and fast-paced environment. They will be instrumental in fostering effective communication, streamlining processes, and directly contributing to the productivity and strategic objectives of the Department.
Core Responsibilities & Administrative Support:
The Executive Administrative Assistant will be responsible for a wide array of essential administrative duties, encompassing:
- Telephony & Communication Hub: Serving as the primary telephonist, expertly managing incoming and outgoing calls, directing inquiries to the appropriate personnel, and taking detailed messages. This includes screening calls for the Manager, ensuring only relevant and urgent communications reach them, thereby optimizing their focus and time.
- Document Production & Management: Skillfully typing, formatting, and proofreading a variety of critical documents, including but not limited to formal reports, official letters, internal memoranda, meeting minutes, organizational charts (organograms), and all forms of electronic correspondence. This requires a high degree of accuracy, attention to detail, and adherence to established company style guides.
- Information Distribution & Filing: Efficiently distributing all generated documents and communications to the intended recipients, both physically and electronically, ensuring timely dissemination of vital information. Establishing and maintaining a robust, logical, and easily retrievable filing system (both physical and digital) for all departmental records, ensuring compliance with data retention policies and ease of access for the Manager and authorized personnel.
- Correspondence Management: Proactively managing and distributing all incoming and outgoing correspondence to the relevant personnel within the Department and across the organization. This includes prioritizing urgent communications and ensuring all correspondence is actioned appropriately and in a timely manner.
Principal Accountabilities (Detailed Operational Responsibilities):
The incumbent will assume significant accountability for a range of operational and financial support functions, including:
- Component Repair Cost Approval Coordination: Taking ownership of the entire process for coordinating and obtaining necessary cost approvals for component repairs. This involves liaising with various departments, gathering quotes, completing required documentation, tracking progress, and ensuring all approvals are secured within established timelines to prevent operational delays.
- Departmental Signing Sheet Management: Diligently compiling and managing all departmental signing sheets. This critical task includes accurately recording and processing various HR-related entries such as leave requests (annual, personal), sick leave notifications, acting role assignments, overtime claims, and the completion of ‘Admin 6’ forms. Once compiled and verified, these sheets are to be promptly dispatched to the Human Resources department for processing, ensuring accurate payroll and HR record-keeping.
- Annual Budget Information Management: Actively retrieving, meticulously capturing, and organizing all annual budget information. This includes collating supporting motivations and justifications for budget allocations, ensuring all data is accurately represented and accessible for review by the Manager and finance team.
- Labour Reporting Management: Taking responsibility for accurately loading, continuously updating, and meticulously verifying all labor reporting data. This involves interacting with various systems to ensure employee hours, project allocations, and related data are precise, contributing to accurate project costing and resource management.
- Management Book Documentation Generation: Proactively extracting and generating all necessary documentation required for the management book. This involves compiling reports, presentations, and data summaries, and ensuring they are revised and updated as required, reflecting the most current information for strategic decision-making.
- Personnel File Control & Maintenance: Exercising strict control over the updating and maintenance of all personnel files for every staff member within the Department. This includes ensuring all relevant documents (e.g., contracts, performance reviews, training certificates, disciplinary records) are securely filed, up-to-date, and compliant with HR policies and confidentiality protocols.
- Financial Reporting & Cost Allocation: Skillfully retrieving pertinent information and generating accurate financial reports for all relevant cost centers within the Department. This involves a proactive approach to investigating any discrepancies, liaising directly with the Manager and the Financial Department to thoroughly resolve issues, and ensuring precise and correct cost allocation across all departmental expenditures.
- Visitor Reception & Hospitality: Acting as the primary point of contact for all visitors, both internal (from other departments) and external (clients, vendors, job applicants). This includes warmly greeting visitors, directing them appropriately, and providing refreshments as per the Manager’s instructions or at the incumbent’s discretion, ensuring a professional and welcoming environment.
- Stationery Management: Systematically requesting, controlling, and ensuring the timely collection of all departmental stationery supplies. This involves monitoring stock levels, placing orders, liaising with suppliers, and managing inventory to prevent shortages and ensure the smooth operation of the Department.
- Printing Services Coordination: Taking charge of requesting, controlling, and collecting printing jobs from external printing suppliers. This includes preparing print specifications, obtaining quotes, coordinating delivery, and ensuring the quality and timely completion of all external printing requirements.
- Training Schedule Coordination: Compiling and meticulously coordinating all departmental training schedules. This involves creating comprehensive training listings, tracking participant attendance, and generating relevant reports on training completion and effectiveness to support staff development initiatives.
- Office Equipment Maintenance Coordination: Coordinating all maintenance activities for departmental fax machines, printers, and photocopiers. This includes scheduling preventative maintenance, arranging for repairs when necessary, managing consumables (toner, paper), and ensuring all equipment is in optimal working condition to support daily operations.
- Telecommunications Account Distribution: Obtaining detailed reports for all departmental telephone and cell phone accounts. This involves reviewing usage, identifying potential anomalies, and accurately distributing these accounts to the respective staff members for review and approval, contributing to cost control and accountability.
- Medical Examination Coordination: Efficiently coordinating all required medical examinations for staff members within the Department. This includes scheduling appointments, providing necessary information to employees, tracking completion, and ensuring compliance with occupational health and safety regulations.
Here’s an elaborated and expanded version of the original passage, designed to provide more detail and context:
Core Responsibilities & Administrative Excellence:
The incumbent in this pivotal role will be instrumental in the smooth and efficient operation of the OHAS (Occupational Health and Safety) department. A core function involves meticulous organization and management of all departmental dairies, ensuring that critical information, appointments, and deadlines are systematically recorded and accessible. Furthermore, they will exert comprehensive control over the Boardroom, managing its scheduling, ensuring readiness for meetings, and facilitating any necessary technical setups.
A key administrative responsibility involves the meticulous liaison and administration of time sheets for our valued contract workers. This includes collecting, verifying, and processing these crucial documents to ensure accurate and timely remuneration, adhering to all contractual obligations and internal policies.
Beyond contract staff, the role extends to encompassing all administrative functions related to staff permits across the entire organization. This involves diligent tracking of permit applications, renewals, and compliance, ensuring that all personnel operate within the necessary regulatory frameworks and organizational guidelines.
The preparation and submission of electronic travel itineraries will also fall under this purview. This requires a keen eye for detail, the ability to research and book optimal travel arrangements, and ensuring that all itineraries are clear, comprehensive, and submitted promptly through designated electronic systems.
Finally, a vital ongoing task will be the continuous compilation and diligent updating of the Work Instruction Manual (WIM). This involves collaborating with various stakeholders to gather, document, and refine operational procedures, ensuring that the WIM remains an accurate, up-to-date, and invaluable resource for all staff.
Qualifications & Experience – Foundation for Success:
To excel in this multifaceted role, candidates must possess a solid educational foundation, evidenced by a Grade 12 or equivalent qualification. This ensures a foundational level of literacy, numeracy, and general knowledge necessary for administrative tasks.
Practical experience is equally paramount. We seek individuals with a minimum of one year of dedicated Administrative experience, demonstrating a proven ability to manage office processes, handle documentation, and interact professionally within a corporate environment. Alternatively, candidates holding a Secretarial Diploma or an equivalent professional certification are also encouraged to apply, as these qualifications equip individuals with specialized skills directly transferable to the demands of this position.
In today’s digitally driven world, PC literacy is non-negotiable. Proficiency in the MS Office package (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint) is essential for drafting documents, managing spreadsheets, communicating effectively, and creating presentations. Familiarity with other relevant office software will be considered an advantage.
Finally, given the potential for off-site duties or errands, a valid, unendorsed driver’s license (Code B) is a mandatory requirement. This ensures the ability to travel independently and safely as required by the role.
Knowledge and Skills – Essential Competencies:
Beyond formal qualifications, specific skills are critical for success. Strong typing skills are fundamental for efficient data entry, document creation, and general correspondence, ensuring speed and accuracy in all written communications.
A foundational understanding of SAAT as an organization is highly beneficial. This includes familiarity with its mission, values, operational structure, and key stakeholders, enabling the incumbent to align their work effectively with broader organizational objectives.
Basic financial skills are also required, particularly for tasks related to time sheets and potentially assisting with budget tracking or expense reporting. This includes an understanding of basic arithmetic, record-keeping, and the ability to process financial information accurately.
Exceptional telephone etiquette is crucial for maintaining a professional and positive image of the department. This involves clear communication, active listening, courteous interactions, and the ability to handle inquiries and direct calls efficiently and professionally.
Attributes – Driving Performance and Collaboration:
The ideal candidate will embody a range of personal attributes that contribute to both individual success and team cohesion:
- Conceptual Thinking: The ability to grasp complex situations, analyze information, and identify underlying patterns to develop effective solutions.
- Information Seeking: A proactive and curious approach to gathering relevant information from various sources to inform decision-making and problem-solving.
- Achievement and Deadline Orientation: A strong drive to meet and exceed targets, coupled with a disciplined approach to managing time and prioritizing tasks to consistently meet deadlines.
- Initiative: The capacity to act independently, identify opportunities for improvement, and take proactive steps to address issues without constant supervision.
- Organisational Awareness: A keen understanding of the organizational structure, culture, power dynamics, and informal networks, enabling effective navigation and collaboration.
- Teamwork and Cooperation: A willingness to collaborate effectively with colleagues, share knowledge, and contribute positively to a supportive team environment.
- Customer Service Orientation: A commitment to understanding and meeting the needs of internal and external stakeholders, providing polite, efficient, and helpful service.
- Decision Making: The ability to evaluate options, assess risks, and make sound, timely decisions based on available information, even under pressure.
- Able to Work Under Pressure: The resilience and adaptability to maintain performance, focus, and professionalism in demanding situations and fast-paced environments.

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