Administration Officer

Established in 2004, the Financial Sector Deepening Tanzania (FSDT) is a donor-funded financial sector market facilitator that aims to achieve poverty reduction through a transformative financial sector that offers inclusive and sustainable financial solutions to improve the livelihood, wellbeing, and empowerment of underserved Tanzanians. FSDT’s work is guided by the Market Systems Development (MSD) approach, which aims to develop market systems that benefit the underserved, offering them capacities and opportunities to improve their lives.

Currently, our main target markets are women and youth, who have been identified as the most financially excluded market segments in the country. FSDT is dedicated to supporting the financial sector in delivering inclusive, quality, and sustainable financial solutions that meet the financial needs of women and youth. Through FSDT facilitation, we hope to achieve the following changes in the market:

• Improved policies, legal and regulatory frameworks that promote gender equality as well as economic and financial opportunities for women and youth;
• Improved availability of relevant financial sector infrastructures that will equip the financial sector players and other stakeholders with the ability to meet the needs and aspirations of women and youth;
• Financial service providers developing and scaling innovative and responsive financial solutions/tools for women and youth to promote equality, empowerment, and wellbeing;
• Improved confidence and capability of women and youth to demand and use financial solutions.

The Opportunity

FSDT is seeking applications for the position of Administration Officer:

JOB TITLE: Administration Officer
DEPARTMENT: Finance & Operations
REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS: Reports directly to HR & Corporate Services Manager
Direct reports: Driver/Administration Assistant

About the Job

The Administration Officer is responsible for managing the front desk, office supplies, preparing reports on expenses and budgets, maintaining company databases, organizing filing systems, and assisting with employee and client queries in the most efficient and timely manner, and to the standards and expectations of FSDT staff and visitors. The role holder acts as the first point of contact and resource to all incoming guests and staff. S/he also provides collaborative day-to-day general office management, clerical, logistical, and administration support to executive functions of FSDT in a professional manner.

Key Responsibilities

1. Reception Services

   • Manage an efficient and well-informed front desk; represent the organisation's brand by ensuring that visitors and all incoming and outgoing communications are handled with maximum efficiency and professionalism.
   • Ensure that the reception desk is staffed at all times (creating a duty roster and taking responsibility for handling any problems with the scheduling).
   • Ensuring that the visitor reception area, front desk, and compound are clean, tidy, and attractively arranged at all times.
   • Monitor front office equipment (telephones, computer, seating) and ensure it is in good working order at all times (includes scheduling regular maintenance).
   • Receive visitors and incoming communications cheerfully and efficiently; deal with any client, staff, visitor, and consultant requests, immediately if possible, referring to relevant personnel when necessary.
   • Ensure efficient processing of courier deliveries, mail, receipt of clients, documents, and correspondence; follow procurement procedures when receiving goods that are delivered by suppliers.
   • Initiate Admin related purchase requisitions and upload received invoices for payments processing.

2. Facilities Management & Maintenance

   • Manage FSDT's office facility ensuring an appropriate standard of health & safety, security, and environment is maintained at all times.
   • Ensure that the office is kept secure at all times, liaising with the security company to manage and schedule the guards, ensuring that appropriate security measures are in place and functioning, and overseeing arrangements for managing keys and locking up.
   • Ensure that all routine maintenance is carried out to keep facilities in a safe and attractive condition, liaising with service providers to ensure that quality work is done.
   • Develop and implement a system for recording and responding swiftly to maintenance requests (giving priority to matters of safety), ensuring that the assets staff are using are safe and fully functional; participate in health and safety audits.
   • Liaise with the HR & Corporate Services Manager to ensure the provision of goods and services for the office.
   • Ensure that appropriate contracts/LPOs are drawn up with vendors of office supplies or services (including travel agents and hotels).
   • Maintain good relationships with the vendors of office services; ensuring that FSDT's expectations are clearly communicated & met, and that timely payments are made in return.
   • Oversee the office supplies; ensuring that the correct levels of required supplies are kept in stock, re-ordering when necessary, and ensuring that supplies are kept secure and in good condition.

3. Travel Arrangements

   • Make travel arrangements for departmental staff and key external stakeholders on FSDT business; giving attention to safety, security, and wellbeing of the travellers whilst complying with FSDT's policies and any statutory requirements.
   • Ensure full understanding of the needs of the travellers; research and discuss options, and ensure that the travel itinerary and bookings will meet requirements.
   • Ensure that a comprehensive plan and itinerary is drawn up and communicated to all concerned; providing visitors with all necessary information (equipment needs, immigration requirements, permits, medical precautions etc.).
   • Liaise with Procurement team to ensure that all bookings, travel, and any other logistical arrangements are made.
   • Manage the finances associated with travel: advance requests, travel expense claims, and travel expense accounting; maintain all financial records relating to the pillar travel and transport; co-operate with Financial auditors on travel-related expense audit queries.
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   • For arriving visitors, ensure that they are welcomed and provided with all necessary briefings/orientation; during their visit, check to ensure that all is going smoothly and provide support if necessary.

4. Meetings & Events Management

   • Support key meetings and events (including board meetings); ensuring that all necessary logistical support is provided so that participants can focus on achieving the purpose of the event.
   • Ensure full understanding of the schedule of meetings and events that must be organised and the list of attendees for each one; liaise with participants to schedule suitable times and venues and confirm attendance.
   • Organize the logistics associated with meetings and events (e.g., booking venues, organising equipment, stationery, refreshments, setting up and hosting remote meetings, transport).
   • Provide support with the preparation, collation, and circulation of agendas, documents, and other meeting resources; especially liaising with staff to ensure timely production and submission of Board packs.
   • Support with taking minutes, keeping records, and maintaining proper files; especially ensuring that documentation associated with Board meetings is compliant with statutory requirements.
   • If requested, organise the production of documents or resolutions and coordinate signing, submission to statutory bodies, and storage in the correct FSDT filing system.
   • Manage all office events including scheduling the time.

5. Leadership & Empowerment of the Team

   • Lead the Administration team (Driver, and suppliers of office goods and services) to deliver excellent support services and maximises value for money on investment from FSDT's resources.
   • Liaise with the HR & Corporate Services Manager to ensure sufficient staff to deliver a good level of service; through a combination of management of staff services and procurement of outsourced service providers.
   • Lead and manage the team towards high standards of performance through clear roles and responsibilities and provision of appropriate support; proactively address performance issues through timely constructive feedback, coaching and appropriate corrective action.
   • Develop and encourage talent through on-going staff development, succession planning, career management, and utilisation of a leadership style that will drive employee engagement.
   • Ensure development of an inclusive environment; lead the development and implementation of policies and ways-of-working that provide for diversity and equal opportunities.
   • Ensure that staff are managed in accordance with good HR management practice and provided with a safe and conducive working environment; includes ensuring that all legal and statutory obligations are fulfilled.

Role Requirements

Qualifications and Education

• Minimum of bachelor’s degree in a relevant field from a recognised University.

Essential Experience, Knowledge and Skills

• At least 4 years’ post-graduation experience working in an Administration Officer role; preferably in the development context.
• Conversant with Microsoft Office suite, especially Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.
• Good communication skills; including good written and spoken English and (ideally) Swahili.

Personal Characteristics

Commitment & Drive for Results: You have values and personal ambitions that are aligned with FSDT’s goals to support the financial sector to offer inclusive and sustainable financial solutions.

Initiative & Decisiveness You have a strong sense of ownership: taking personal responsibility for whatever work you have been allocated, the impact we are seeking, and the achievement of critical higher-level goals. You have a reputation for being action-orientated and dynamic without needing to be pushed or reminded, and you can make appropriate decisions within the scope of your role, even when the way ahead is unclear.

Learning & Innovation You continually improve your skills and knowledge and role-model a personal commitment to professional development. You are quick to recognise opportunities or new ideas and make use of them in your own work; and you respond to a new situation, or tough feedback, by learning, adapting, and improving.

Relationship Building You initiate and maintain positive relationships with others - discerning and appreciating the values, concerns, or feelings of others – and you can draw others in to build an effective team. You have sophisticated interpersonal skills and an ability to observe and listen to others at a deep level, perhaps by reading body language or thinking deeply about the implications of what someone else has said.

Communication & Influencing You deliberately adjust your behaviour in order to address the feelings, needs, or concerns of others, communicating clearly, confidently and appropriately to influence others. You can demonstrate understanding of the ways in which success is dependent upon influencing others, and you have a track record of networking strategically and building relationships of influence.

Resilience & Resourcefulness
You possess the personal resourcefulness to deal with difficult situations effectively and to navigate a path
through whatever challenges the team is facing, demonstrating courage to do what must be done. You can
manage your emotions well; remaining effective, open, and engaged, despite experiencing an internal
emotional reaction. 

Application Deadline: 20th August 2024

How to Apply:

Please submit your application via email to vacancy@fsdt.or.tz
Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

FSDT provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment.