Centre for Environmental Rights – Advancing Environmental Rights in South Africa

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) is looking for an Office and Programme Administrator to join our team. This dual role will primarily provide administrative and logistical support to the Corporate Accountability & Transparency (CA&T) Programme, as well as operational support to the CER office in Johannesburg. This position is for a meticulous organiser and planner with at least 3 years’ hands-on experience in an administrative and logistics support role, who can work independently, is a team player, an excellent communicator and tech-savvy collaborator, and has a passion for advancing environmental and social justice.

Location

Johannesburg

Qualifications, skills and experience

Qualifications, skills and experience:

• Relevant degree or qualification in office administration, paralegal background advantageous but not required
• Experience in a non-profit, public benefit organisation or law clinic, as well as previous experience in working with civil society organisations and community partners would be advantageous
• Excellent organisational and time management skills, able to prioritise and multi-task in a fast-paced work environment
• Positive outlook, and can-do attitude, willingness to learn, attention to detail and commitment to high level of accuracy, and careful handling of sensitive information are important aspects of this role
• Experience in providing support for programme implementation, understanding of strategic and programmatic outcomes, superb coordination skills (internal and external) and stakeholder engagement, and an excellent networker
• Efficient office administration skills, meticulous in document handling/filing
• Excellent written and verbal communication
• Experience in handling programme budgets and finance-related tasks
• Tech-savvy, highly competent in using Microsoft Suite, Sharepoint, Adobe Acrobat, and virtual apps like Zoom, Teams, Dropbox, Google forms, social media, cloud storage, WordPress, setting up webinars and surveys, etc.
• Knowledge in basic IT troubleshooting skills is highly advantageous
• Fluency in isiXhosa and/or isiZulu is highly advantageous
• A sensitivity to social issues and the needs of marginalised communities and a passion for social and environmental justice
• Commitment to the values of diversity, inclusion, and transformation
• Able and willing to travel occasionally for meetings, events or projects

Key responsibilities

General office support:

• Reception duties: Warmly welcome staff and guests. Monitor the CER and CA&T calendars and prioritise assistance accordingly. Answer and respond to phone calls, communicate messages and information to concerned staff. Receives/dispatch mail or courier. Consult and liaise with the operations department in Cape Town about various operational tasks such as dealing with suppliers and service providers, procurement of supplies and in ensuring that office facilities such as access to premises, internet, VOIP, printers are always in good working order. Oversee the general upkeep and tidiness of the office and the office assistant.
• Administrative duties: Efficient and accurate handling of documents, files and records. Assist with printing/copying, scanning, collating documents. Take and circulate minute of meetings. Draft documents or reports. Submit required reports or tasks timeously. Ensuring implementation of and compliance with CER policies and procedures. Maintain a record of office stock and assets inventory.
• Finance-related duties: Handle various finance-related responsibilities according to finance policies and procedures, e.g. reconciling expenses and submitting monthly reports; submitting payment requests and expense claims; dealing with suppliers and service providers; handling the full procurement process; handling proof of payments; monitoring budgets; assisting with preparing reports for funders; etc.

Logistics duties: Plan, organise and manage events as required. Coordinate the booking of travel arrangements, especially for the CA&T team (flights, accommodation, transport, etc.). Organise refreshments or caterers for various meetings or events as required including for the weekly Equalitea staff meetings.

Administrative and logistics support for Corporate Accountability & Transparency Programme (CA&T): 

• Be the general contact point for the CA&T programme and coordinate work or queries accordingly.
• Maintain the CA&T programme calendar; consult and exercise discretion on setting up meetings and appointments; scheduling the regular programme check-in meetings.
• Efficiently handle the process of planning, coordination and execution of community engagement strategies to support the CA&T programme’s strategic plan.
• Lead in organising various events for the CA&T programme and the CER in general such as workshops, webinars, surveys, trainings and conferences both in person and virtual, including booking for venues, catering, inviting speakers, interpreters, dissemination of materials, etc.
• Take minutes of meetings, disseminate information, follow up on actionable items, and treat sensitive information with confidence.
• Assist with printing, scanning, copying, collating or filing of documents for CA&T litigation and other matters.
• Handle finance-related requests and tasks for the programme with the approval of the CA&T programme head or designated person.
• Assist with intra and inter-programme coordination, collaboration and communication.
• Participate in achieving the programme deliverables as set out in terms of the different funding agreements, flag deadlines or concerns, help put together the corresponding funder reports.
• Assist with enquiries and requests received from communities and community partners.
• Assist with planning and fundraising for programme events and projects.
• Assist with the upkeep of CA&T’s programme page on the CER’s website, as well as in maintaining the CA&T programme’s Sharepoint and Teams channels and other designated portals.
• Draft PowerPoint presentations, announcements, and various reports.
• Assist in co-ordinating CA&T programme deliverables on its communications strategy and outcomes.
• Provide any other routine administrative support duties to the CA&T programme.

Salary

The salary range for this position is between R227 993 to R308 380 (total cost to company) which includes the compulsory membership to the Centre’s group medical aid. The salary offered will be dependent on factors that include the qualifications, level of expertise, and experience of the successful candidate.

The Centre for Environmental Rights strives to reflect South Africa’s racial, cultural, sex and gender diversity within its staff complement. All suitably-qualified candidates are encouraged to apply.

Working for the CER

The Centre for Environmental Rights is a non-profit organisation and law clinic of environmental justice lawyers that helps communities defend their right to a healthy environment. We do this by advocating and litigating for transparency, accountability, and compliance with environmental laws. As South Africa’s largest public interest environmental law organisation, we leverage our expertise and commitment to fight for environmental justice for all. We take on the big environmental fights – high-stakes cases where we can empower local communities to defend their rights to a healthy environment and clean air, to mitigate the impacts of climate change, and to set powerful precedents for other cases and help improve legislation, policy and practice across the country.

Winning the legal case is only part of the battle. CER’s litigation work is strengthened by local empowerment, dedicated policy and advocacy work as well as strategic communications. We work closely with partners in affected communities and with other civil society and public interest law organisations particularly in the environmental and social justice sectors.

We work across the following core themes: Biodiversity, Mining, Water, Pollution and Climate Change, Corporate Accountability & Transparency, and Activist Support and Training. Our main office is in Observatory, Cape Town.

At CER, we value our staff and regard their wellbeing as a priority. We are committed to a work environment that is inclusive and empathetic, and in which diversity is celebrated and supported.