Personal Assistant (Programmes) at Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA)

Job Description    

• To provide efficient and responsive administration, organising and coordination support and make all logistical arrangements for the Group Executive. Manage and prioritise tasks and meetings according to deadlines and schedules, while maintaining good relationships with key stakeholders in the office.

Key Responsibilities    
Administrative Support

• Work with the Group Executive to support the planning and execution of day-to-day work functions, calendar and key deliverables and ensure communication to all parties.
• Provide administrative support across the Programmes Division by supporting multiple units with coordination, documentation, scheduling, and general administrative tasks to ensure efficient operations.
• Liaise with all levels of DBSA employees as well as external clients/ contacts, managing the diary, including keeping all parties informed and updated on all diary changes.
• Draft and edit all communication (letters, routine correspondence) from the Office of the Executive to ensure quality control and seek approval.
• Provide inputs, review and quality assurance of all documents and reports.
• Prepare necessary meeting packs and support for engagements as requested by the Executive.
• Act as the point of contact between the manager and internal/external clients:
• Screen and direct phone calls and distribute correspondence.
• Receiving, reading, monitoring and responding to e-mails, as and when required.
• Attend to general queries made to the Group Executive office, answer calls and handle telephonic queries.
• Ensuring appropriate messages are taken and responded to.
• Responsible for document flow in and out of the office of the Group Executive.
• Organise and make arrangements for meetings:
• Send out meeting invites and provide details to invitees.
• Book meeting rooms, conference rooms and venues as required for each meeting.
• Ensure there are refreshments and catering where applicable.
• Arrange meetings, collect visitors from reception and organise logistics.
• Distribute agendas, meeting packs and documents before the meeting.
• Provide secretariat support in key meetings and interactions to ensure the recording of decisions and follow-up.
• Keep abreast with the Bank’s business conducted by the Programmes division, to provide broad responses and correspondence with stakeholders and maintain communication across several stakeholder groups.
• Administer leave requests and other processes to assist with administrative processes.
• Organise and document travel itineraries, including confirmation of all relevant bookings both nationally and/or internationally.
• Process all claims upon return from trips in terms of the prevailing subsistence and travel procedures/policy.
• Act as a backup and/or support to the Executive Co-ordinator.
• Manage and review filing and other office systems to ensure optimal documentation retrieval and storage.
• Monitor that the Executive’s office is appropriately resourced with daily consumables and ensure an adequate level of stationery is always maintained (utilisation of the SAP procurement system).

Administrative and Operational Efficiencies

• Administer the document management system to secure/ store data and provide a platform for sharing division information.
• Work with the Group Executive to support the planning and execution of day-to-day work routines and key deliverables.
• Management of the office with specific reference to the following:
• Provide secretariat support in key meetings and interactions to ensure the recording of decisions and follow-up;
• Draft and edit communication (letters, routine correspondence) as requested by the Group Executive for approval; and
• Provide inputs, review and quality assurance of all documents and reports.
• Facilitate the procurement of professional services on behalf of the Group Executive by developing the relevant procurement documents and ensuring that procurement is performed according to the policy.

Stakeholder Engagements

• Serve as the first point of contact for the executive’s office, screening and prioritising communication.
• Send the correspondence to high-level stakeholders, including Ministers, CEOs and others, on behalf of the Group Executive.
• Manage the engagements and communications with critical stakeholders, including Ministers and CEOs.
• Oversee the management of partnership agreements with, amongst others, key stakeholders, partners, clients, service providers, and consultants.
• Ensure timely, professional, and accurate communication with internal and external stakeholders.
• Undertake other tasks as assigned by the Group Executive, from time to time.

Key Measurements of Outputs

• Administrative effectiveness and efficiencies in the office.
• Diary management and scheduling of appointments.
• Accurate and timeous travel arrangements.
• Timely completion of administrative tasks in line with agreed standards and deadlines.
• Professional and responsive engagement with internal and external stakeholders.
• Maintenance of high levels of discretion and confidentiality in handling sensitive information.

Expertise & Technical Competencies    
Minimum Qualification

• An Executive Secretarial Diploma / Secretarial Diploma or an equivalent qualification.

Minimum Experience

• A minimum of 6 years’ experience as a Personal Assistant or similar working experience, of which 5 years must be providing direct support to C-suite executives or equivalent senior leadership role.
• Demonstrated hands-on experience in providing comprehensive support to C-suite Executives or senior leadership, including managing calendars, coordinating high-level meetings, handling confidential information and acting as a key liaison between executives, stakeholders and internal teams.
• Proven experience supporting Board and Executive Committee activities, including preparing and distributing board/committee packs, taking minutes, tracking action items, and ensuring compliance with governance and reporting requirements.
• Demonstrated verbal and written communication skills, with a strong ability to draft, edit, and proofread reports, correspondence and presentations, tailored for executive and Exco, board, and sub-committee level audiences.
• Advanced Microsoft Office Proficiency Expert-level proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, particularly PowerPoint (creating executive-level presentations and decks, Excel (data analysis, financial reporting support, advanced functions, and dashboards) and Word (professional documentation, reports, and formatting)
• Demonstrated ability to handle highly sensitive and confidential information with professionalism, integrity, and sound judgment.

Desirable Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Office Administration, Project Management or Business Administration.
• Experience in the banking and/or financial services sector.
• Experience in a DFI or regulated financial services organisation.
• Experience with additional tools such as ERP systems (e.g., SAP), document management systems, and virtual collaboration platforms (e.g., Teams).

Deadline:10th April,2026