Administrative Assistant - 12 months contract

MSD South Africa; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 200 000 - 300 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading pharmaceutical company in Johannesburg is seeking an Admin Assistant to support the Medical Affairs team. In this role, you will manage calendars and correspondence, coordinate hiring processes, and handle vendor management and payments using SAP. The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, customer-focused, and has strong office administration skills. This position is on a 1-year contract with a focus on effective communication and prioritization.

Responsibilities

• Manage calendars, prepare correspondence and reports, handle confidential issues.
• Coordinate hiring and onboarding of new hires.
• Understand supplier processes, manage payment and track budget appropriately.
• Process purchase orders and run expense reports in SAP.
• Provide status reports and updates with clear communication.

Skills

Customer Service

Database Management

Detail-Oriented

Document Management

Event Planning

Office Administration

People Oriented

Prioritization

Scheduling

Vendor Management

Tools

SAP (Comet & Ariba)

Job description

Job Description

We are currently seeking an Admin Assistant to join Medical Affairs South Africa. If you are prepared to offer essential support to our team and contribute to the success of our business, we invite you to read on and apply today!

This role will report to the Head of Medical Affairs and will be based in Johannesburg, South Africa. The position is for a 1‑year contract.

Responsibilities

• Manage calendars, meetings and meeting minutes, prepare correspondence and reports, and reliably handle confidential and politically sensitive issues.
• Coordinate hiring and onboarding of new hires, and handle resignations/off‑boarding.
• Understand the processes involved with suppliers, vendors, contracting and payment, and manage payment & track expenses/budget appropriately as per various therapeutic areas that the different team members handle.
• Process purchase orders, payment requests, and vendor add forms in SAP (Comet & Ariba), and run expenses & budget reports within SAP.
• Prioritize work and provide status reports on a regular basis, and provide updates with effective and clear communication.

Required Skills

• Customer Service, Database Management, Detail‑Oriented, Document Management, Event Planning, Office Administration, People Oriented, Prioritization, Scheduling, Vendor Management.

Preferred Skills

• Communication.