South Africa: Secretary (Visual Arts)

About the Role

The Department of Visual Art, within the School of Visual and Performing Arts, Faculty of Humanities at Nelson Mandela University, seeks a self-motivated and highly organised Secretary to provide administrative support to the department and its management team.

Key Responsibilities

• Assist in organising, coordinating, and participating in events related to learning and teaching, operations, and marketing, including fashion shows, exhibitions, career expos, seminars, and similar activities.
• Manage filing systems, mail distribution, student records, marks records, examination administration, general communications, and the administration of documents, forms, and templates for undergraduate and postgraduate studies.
• Type, format, template, and archive all departmental documentation, including letters, reports, agendas, minutes, correspondence, and examination papers.
• Handle all telephonic communication with internal and external stakeholders, including taking messages, redirecting calls, establishing context, and screening calls for the Director of School (DoS) and/or Head of Department (HoD).
• Manage the DoS/HoD diary, both electronically and manually, and facilitate the efficient and effective use of their time in the performance of their duties.
• Coordinate all travel, accommodation, and venue arrangements, and ensure that cheque requests are processed timeously via the Integrated Tertiary Software (ITS) financial system.
• Schedule and arrange meetings; notify staff and stakeholders; record and distribute minutes; and follow up on action items.
• Manage all incoming and outgoing mail and oversee its distribution.
• Perform all ITS-related administrative functions, including those related to student records and marks, quotations, requisitions, job requests, and budget administration.
• Assist with first-year enquiries and student enrolments.
• Support senior management within the School with administrative duties related to operational budgets and financial portfolios.
• Process and facilitate requisitions for materials and goods related to learning and teaching projects in Visual Art, including follow-up procedures in accordance with institutional protocols.

Requirements

• Grade 12 qualification.
• A minimum of two to five years’ relevant work experience within a university or tertiary education environment.
• At least two to five years’ experience in an academic or administrative setting.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook) and OneDrive.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• In-depth knowledge of office management and general administrative processes.

Qualifications

• A relevant national diploma or degree is an added advantage.

Salary & Benefits

• The salary for this position is not specified.