Account Manager

University of Fort Hare; Stellenbosch; On-site; ZAR 200 000 - 300 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading educational institution is seeking a dynamic Project Administrator / Communications Officer in Stellenbosch. You will support the CEO by managing multiple projects and facilitating communication with stakeholders. The ideal candidate is fully bilingual in Afrikaans and English, has strong organizational skills, and is comfortable with local travel. This role offers the opportunity to work independently while ensuring smooth project coordination and clear communications across departments.

Qualifications

• Must be fully bilingual in Afrikaans and English (spoken and written).
• Excellent writing skills for emails, updates, and reports.
• High attention to detail and structured planning approach.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate company projects and manage communication with stakeholders.
• Arrange meetings, site visits, and travel logistics for the CEO.
• Draft project-related updates and maintain project documentation.

Skills

Bilingual in Afrikaans and English

Excellent writing skills

Strong organizational skills

High attention to detail

Confident communicator

Solid computer literacy

Education

Post-matric qualification in Business Administration, Communications, PR, Project Management, Marketing or related

Tools

MS Office

Job description

Overview

communications officer|project administrator Somerset West. My client, an established agricultural concern based in Somerset West, is looking to appoint a dynamic Project Administrator / Communications Officer to join their team.

The Project Administrator / Communications Officer will support the CEO by coordinating and administrating multiple company projects end-to-end. The role requires strong stakeholder management and communication skills to liaise with internal departments and external service providers, ensure deadlines are met, and maintain high-quality project documentation and updates. The incumbent must be proactive, able to work independently, and comfortable traveling locally to sites and service providers as needed.

Detail:

Key Responsibilities

• Project Administration & Coordination: Coordinate company projects initiated/driven by the CEO across multiple sites/buildings.
• Stakeholder & Service Provider Liaison: Act as central point of contact between internal role players and external service providers.
• Project Files & Tracking: Set up project files, schedules, action lists, and trackers; ensure follow-through on deliverables.
• Meetings & Site Visits: Arrange project meetings, site visits, and supplier engagements; compile agendas and minutes where required.
• Progress Monitoring: Track progress, risks, dependencies and deadlines; escalate issues proactively.
• Documentation: Maintain accurate project documentation, quotations, supplier information, and decision logs.

Stakeholder & Service Provider Liaison

• Liaise with internal teams (e.g., HR, Marketing, Design, Operations) to coordinate inputs and approvals.
• Brief and manage suppliers/service providers, ensuring requirements are clear and deadlines are met.
• Conduct local travel to meet service providers, visit company buildings, and support project roll-outs.

Executive Support, PA & Travel Coordination

• Provide professional PA support to the CEO and selected members of the management/executive team.
• Manage diaries, meeting scheduling and logistics, ensuring priorities are aligned and deadlines are met.
• Arrange local and international travel for management, including flights, accommodation, transport, itineraries, visas (where applicable) and travel documentation.
• Coordinate travel budgets/approvals, obtain quotations, confirm bookings, and ensure all details are communicated clearly to travellers.
• Prepare and collate meeting packs and briefing notes as required, and assist with correspondence and follow-ups on behalf of the CEO/management team.
• Handle sensitive information with discretion, maintaining a high level of confidentiality and professionalism at all times.

Communications (Internal & External)

• Draft and compile project-related updates for internal stakeholders (emails, memos, staff updates).
• Assist with communications content linked to projects (announcements, notices, stakeholder updates).
• Support the company’s professional corporate image through clear, consistent communication.

General Administration

• Provide administrative support related to CEO projects and ad hoc initiatives.
• Maintain high levels of confidentiality and professionalism when handling business-sensitive information.

Minimum Requirements

• Post-matric qualification (Business Administration, Communications, PR, Project Management, Marketing or related).
• Fully bilingual in Afrikaans and English (spoken and written) – essential.
• Excellent writing skills (professional emails, project updates, reports, stakeholder communications).
• Strong organisational skills with proven ability to multitask and meet deadlines.
• High attention to detail; structured approach to planning and documentation.
• Confident communicator able to engage at executive, staff and supplier level.
• Solid computer literacy (MS Office; exposure to project/comms tools advantageous).
• Valid driver’s licence and willingness to travel locally for site visits and supplier meetings.

Experience Advantageous

• Project administration/coordinator experience (multi-stakeholder, deadline-driven projects).
• Exposure to supplier management and briefing (including chasing deliverables and quality control).
• Experience drafting internal communications or stakeholder updates.
• Exposure to corporate branding/communication workflows beneficial (no design required).

Personality & Fit

• Proactive, independent and able to “think ahead” without constant supervision.
• Calm under pressure; strong prioritisation when handling multiple projects at once.
• Professional, well-presented and service-oriented.
• Practical, solutions-focused and comfortable working across departments and sites.

Key Deliverables / Measures of Success

• Projects coordinated smoothly with clear documentation, timelines and stakeholder alignment.
• Service providers managed effectively with consistent follow-up and deadline adherence.
• Accurate tracking, meeting notes, and action items maintained and communicated.
• Clear, professional project communications delivered consistently.