Executive Personal Assistant (Grade 8) to the Commissioner at The Competition Commission

Key Accountabilities

The main responsibilities of the incumbent will, inter alia, include:

Commissioner Executive Office and Governance Coordination

• Coordinate Commissioner-led executive and governance processes.
• Consolidate and quality-assure cross-divisional submissions, briefing packs and other executive information for the Commissioner.
• Coordinate and monitor decisions, action items and matters requiring follow-through across relevant divisions.
• Escalate material risks, delays or priority matters for the Commissioner’s attention.
• Coordinate and maintain appropriate governance records and action registers, ensuring that information is complete, accurate and treated with the required confidentiality.
• Support the effective flow of information between the Commissioner, Executive Committee and relevant internal and external stakeholders. 

Executive Administration and Office Operations 

• Manage the Commissioner’s office operations, diary and scheduling.
• Receive and distribute correspondence to the Commissioner and other relevant parties.
• Develop and maintain an efficient records management and retrieval system.
• Manage meeting preparation, including agendas, presentations, meeting notes and follow-up actions.
• Review and quality-check documents prior to the Commissioner’s review.
• Compile and consolidate reports.
• Maintain strict confidentiality, discretion and appropriate decorum when handling sensitive and/or confidential information and VIP engagements.
• Proactively identify operational issues and provide solutions to ensure the smooth running of the Commissioner’s Office.

Logistics Administration

• Coordinate travel and accommodation arrangements, including complex itineraries
• Schedule and coordinate meetings, conference calls and other engagements.
• Attend to meeting logistics, including catering, venues, parking and invitations.
• Communicate calendar and logistical changes to affected stakeholders timeously.
• Ensure the timeous distribution of pre- and post-meeting information and documentation.

Stakeholder Management

• Provide professional client liaison and public relations service to all stakeholders.
• Support inter-divisional communications and communications with external stakeholders
• Liaise with relevant stakeholders regarding the Commissioner’s engagements and appointments.
• Build and maintain strong and professional relationships across all levels of the institution.
• Ensure that relevant reports and information are distributed to internal and external stakeholders as required.

Management and Administrative Support 

• Provide general administrative support to the Commissioner.
• Draft, format, edit and quality-check letters, documents, templates and presentations with minimal guidance.
• Prepare memos and submissions for the Commissioner’s Office.
• Compile, consolidate and maintain reports and meeting materials.
• Facilitate inputs and prepare agendas for meetings.
• Take accurate minutes and distribute them to relevant stakeholders, when required.
• Manage and monitor expenditure within the Commissioner’s Office.
• Assist with special projects, events and initiatives as requested.
• Champion projects emanating from the Commissioner’s Office.

Requirements

We are looking for a dynamic, hardworking and committed individual who meets the following requirements:

• A completed NQF Level 6 qualification in Office Management, Public Administration, Business Administration or related. A completed NQF Level 7 qualification will be an added advantage.
• A minimum of 10 years’ senior executive personal assistant or executive-office coordination experience, including at least 4 years demonstrated experience supporting a CEO, Commissioner, Board Chair, Executive Committee or equivalent.
• Proven ability to oversee and manage the complex operations of a senior executive’s office.
• Experience in managing complex logistics, schedules and travel
• Experience in managing budgets, tracking expenses and preparing expense reports, with knowledge of billing, invoicing and reconciliation processes in collaboration with relevant departments.
• Strong attention to detail with experience in reviewing and ensuring the quality and accuracy of documents prior to executive review.
• Stakeholder coordination experience, acting as a liaison between the executive and internal and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise sound independent judgement, manage competing organisation-wide priorities, coordinate stakeholders across divisions, and handle highly confidential governance and strategic information.
• Demonstrated ability to proactively identify and resolve issues practically and deal with a variety of variables in situations where limited standardisation exists.
• Advanced proficiency in the MS Office Suite.
• Excellent planning, organising and time-management skills.
• Flexibility to work overtime and/or irregular hours.
• Ability to handle fast paced high-pressure environment.
• Familiarity with public sector protocol as well as governance, procurement and strategic planning legislation, regulations and frameworks is an added advantage.

Personality and Attributes:

Over and above well-developed technical skills in your specialisation areas, the incumbent must demonstrate, inter alia:

• Fit with the Commission’s Values – Communication, Ownership, Making a difference, Professionalism, Employee Welfare, Teamwork and Efficiency.
• Sound independent judgment, discretion and integrity.
• A high level of integrity and the ability to maintain strict confidentiality.
• A task-oriented approach while being simultaneously proactive and responsive.
• Excellent organisational, project management and time-management skills.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Problem-solving ability.
• Strong interpersonal and stakeholder-management skills.
• The ability to manage competing priorities in a highly pressurised executive environment.
• The ability to communicate confidently and professionally across different levels of the organisation and with external stakeholders.

We offer:

• A competitive compensation structure
• A conducive, supportive, stimulating working environment
• An opportunity for you to actively participate inthe attainment of the Commission's vision 2030 of a Competitive, Dynamic, Deconcentrated and inclusive Economy that serves all South Africans.
• The opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the dynamic and growing field of competition law in South Africa
• Exposure to excellent local and international training opportunities in the field of competition economics and law