Executive Support Assistant x2 (Durban North) at Aspen Pharma Group

JOB PURPOSE

To provide an effective secretarial and administrative support function to the Group Corporate Services Function, serving as a liaison between the designated Executives, Senior Management and the wider organisational teams.  In addition to administrative duties for the designated Executives / the Function, the Executive Support Assistant (Group Corporate Services) will also be responsible for:

• Serving as a back-up for the Travel Events and Conferences Coordinator
• Processing of SAP related work for designated Group Corporate Services functions 

KEY PERFORMANCE AREAS

General Administrative Support: 

• Accurate drafting and typing of correspondence
• Arranging meetings and coordinating diaries for the designated Executives
• Answering telephones, logging messages, as well as being efficient and helpful to stakeholders to resolve concerns and complaints where possible
• Photocopying / scanning as and when required
• Preparing PowerPoint presentations
• Initiating replies on correspondence and other matters when required
• Organizing workshops / meeting venues, ensuring that the necessary equipment is available at these venues, and coordinating with the Aspen Group Digital Technology Helpdesk to ensure that all equipment is in order
• Logging IT maintenance requests for the designated Executives and ensuring such requests are resolved expeditiously
• Organizing the courier of documents and / or equipment to various destinations
• Managing emails proficiently and within agreed turnaround times
• Maintaining an electronic and paper filing system
• Completing allocated tasks on time and with highest quality
• Providing progress updates on allocated tasks in accordance with agreed timelines
• Proactively following up on deadlines and project managing deliverables to successful completion
• Handling of and responding to emails or telephonic enquiries appropriately
• Coordinating visits by guests in consultation with the Aspen Site Services department, and welcoming guests by greeting them in person
• Collating of contacts lists and updating same regularly
• Ensuring archiving of email folders and regular maintenance of such folders
• Handling confidential and / or sensitive correspondence and information with utmost discretion and maintaining confidentiality at all times 
• Following established in-house work procedures and identifying / implementing new procedures to improve efficiency
• Working with the Travel, Events and Conferences Coordinator to arrange all local and international business travel for the designated Executives and their departments
• Accurately collating and submitting designated Executives’ foreign travel claims to Travel, Events and Conferences Coordinator
• Managing driver requests in co-ordination with the Site Services department

Diary Management:

• Effectively maintaining designated Executives’ appointment schedules by planning and scheduling teams meetings, video conferences and teleconferences, locally and internationally
• Providing "gatekeeper" and "gateway" role for direct access to the designated Executives’ diaries
• Working closely and effectively with the designated Executives to keep them well informed of upcoming commitments and responsibilities, and following up appropriately
• Effectively coordinating meetings for internal and external stakeholders
• Ensuring meeting invitations have sufficient information for the designated Executives and stakeholder(s) to prepare for the meeting
• Responding to meeting requests within realistic and appropriate turnaround times
• Ensuring no duplications / conflicts of meetings

Meeting Management:

• Preparing meeting agendas and distributing same
• Taking minutes at meetings at the designated Executives’ request
• Distributing minutes within agreed timelines after meetings and proactively following-up on actions arising
• Coordinating meeting rooms, teleconferencing and video conferencing requirements, and such other requirements (including catering) for departmental meetings (internal and external)
• Compiling relevant documents for meetings
• Providing historical references by developing and utilizing filing and retrieval systems and recording meeting discussions
• Handling of ad hoc queries related to meetings Accurately managing different time zones when scheduling international meetings
• Accurately managing different time zones when scheduling international meetings

Special Projects:

• Managing a variety of special projects for the designated Executives, some of which may have organizational impact
• Successfully completing critical aspects of deliverables with a hands-on approach
• Proactively following-through on projects to successful completion, often with deadline pressures
• Working with the Travel, Events and Conferences Coordinator in respect of any Group Corporate Services departmental events or conferences as and when required, communicating the requirements for such events or conferences and following up on the progress and final arrangements  

Requirements
Education:

• Matric, Grade 12
• Administrative or Secretarial Diploma an advantage

Experience:

• The ideal candidate will demonstrate at least 5 years’ administrative experience
• Proficiency in MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, Internet and Email at an advanced level 
• SAP Concur Travel Request and Management Expense (an advantage)

Work-specific skills & exposure:

• Strong interpersonal communications skills
• Superior typing and note taking skills
• Technologically savvy and keeps up to date with office administration tools
• Willingness to upskill on corporate administration
• Willingness to play a stand-in role in the planned or unplanned absence of the Travel, Events and Conference Coordinator or any of the other ESAs, at the direction of the Holdings Administration Co-Ordinator (Group Corporate Services) or the Deputy Company Secretary as required

Skills and attributes:

• Excellent time management skills
• Project administration experience
• Strong organisational skills that reflect ability to perform tasks and projects independently
• Prioritise multiple tasks seamlessly with excellent attention to detail
• High level written and verbal communication skills
• Presents and communicates information clearly
• Demonstrated proactive approaches to problem-solving with good decision-making capability
• Developed emotional intelligence
• Upholds Aspen ethics and values and demonstrates high level of integrity
• Takes initiative and works under own direction
• Engages professionally with Executives and Senior management
• Operates with considerable independence and resolves problems involving administrative matters
• Adapts and responds positively to change
• Works productively in a pressurised environment
• Ability to achieve high performance goals and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Forward thinker who actively seizes opportunities and proposes solutions
• Team player who actively contributes to their group to complete tasks, meet goals or manage projects