Administrative Officer (Post Level 10)

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

Job summary

A leading South African university in Stellenbosch is seeking an Administrative Officer for the Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science. The incumbent will manage financial administration, provide secretarial support, and maintain effective departmental operations. Candidates must have a relevant post-matric qualification, at least five years of experience, and proficiency in Microsoft Office. This role offers opportunities for professional growth within a dynamic academic environment.

Qualifications

• Minimum of five years secretarial and/or administrative experience.
• Ability to liaise effectively with individuals at all levels.
• Proven computer proficiency in Microsoft Office.

Responsibilities

• Execute financial administrative tasks aligned with university policies.
• Provide secretarial and administrative support to staff and students.
• Manage departmental filing systems and documentation.

Skills

Financial administration

Secretarial skills

Excellent communication

Interpersonal skills

Organizational skills

Education

Post-matric secretarial or administrative qualification at NQF Level 7 or higher

Tools

Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams)

Job description

Overview

Department Description/Departement Beskrywing
Faculty of Science
Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science
Administrative Officer (Post Level 10)
(Stellenbosch Campus)

Ref. NW02/264/1025

The Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science is one of the largest departments in the Faculty of Science at Stellenbosch University (SU) and has 23 academic and 20 support staff spread over five buildings on the Stellenbosch campus. The Department has a very active and innovative undergraduate teaching programme and a comprehensive postgraduate research programme with approximately 100 enrolled postgraduate students. The support services in the Department are currently divided into three support environments (hubs). The incumbent will perform duties in one of these hubs that include departmental admin support to academic staff involved with undergraduate teaching, as well as support to postgraduate research groups.

Fakulteit Natuurwetenskappe
Departement Chemie en Polimeerwetenskap
Administratiewe Beampte (Posvlak 10)
(Stellenbosch-kampus)
Verw. NW02/264/1025
Die Departement Chemie en Polimeerwetenskap is een van die grootste departemente in die Fakulteit Natuurwetenskappe by die Universiteit Stellenbosch (US) en het 23 akademiese en 20 steunpersoneel versprei oor vyf geboue op die Stellenbosch-kampus. Die Departement het 'n baie aktiewe en innoverende voorgraadse onderrigprogram en 'n omvattende nagraadse navorsingsprogram met ongeveer 100 ingeskrewe nagraadse studente. Die steundienste in die Departement is tans in drie ondersteuningsomgewings (hubs) ingedeel. Die posbekleër sal pligte in een van hierdie hubs uitvoer met inbegrip van administratiewe steun aan akademiese personeel gemoeid met voorgraadse onderrig, sowel as steun aan nagraadse navorsingsgroepe.

Duties / Pligte

Financial administration and budget control

• Timeously and efficiently executing financial administrative tasks related to the daily functioning of the Department and in line with Stellenbosch University's financial policies, including processing requisitions, issuing requisitions, placing orders and receiving goods, processing departmental bursaries, ad hoc payments, interacting with debtors and creditors.
• Managing cost centres of academic staff and researchers in the Department.
• Using the University's financial system to enter and extract financial data, with a thorough understanding of the Department's cost centres and accounts.
• Liaising internally with SU's purchasing and procurement divisions, financial services and the vehicle fleet.
• Responsible for all administrative and financial tasks regarding arrangements for national and international travel, accommodation and conference attendance for academic staff (with compliance to SU policy).

Administrative support

• Receiving visitors, interacting with students, and effectively managing e-mail and telephonic enquiries.
• Maintaining an effective filing system of departmental documents.
• Providing secretarial and administrative support to academic staff members and undergraduate and postgraduate students.
• Handling undergraduate teaching and assessment administration.
• Handling the departmental postgraduate administration.
• Administering and scheduling activities for the Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science (scheduling meetings and planned activities, events coordination, monitoring and managing diaries, taking minutes during meetings, etc.).
• Compiling financial statements, memoranda and other relevant documents as needed.
• Coordinating effective internal communication with departmental staff and students.

Finansiële administrasie en begrotingsbeheer

• Die tydige en doeltreffende uitvoer van finansiële administratiewe take wat verband hou met die daaglikse funksionering van die Departement, en in ooreenstemming met die finansiële beleid van die Universiteit Stellenbosch, met die verwerking van versoeke, die uitreik van rekwisisies, die plaas van bestellings en ontvang van goedere, die verwerking van departementele beurse, ad hoc-betalings, skakeling met debiteure en krediteure.
• Bestuur kostepunte van akademiese personeel en navorsers in die Departement.
• Gebruik die Universiteit se finansiële stelsel om finansiële data in te voer en te onttrek, met 'n deeglike begrip van die Departement se kostepunte en rekeninge.
• Verantwoordelik vir die interne skakeling met die US se aankope-, finansiële dienste- en voertuigpoelafdelings.
• Verantwoordelik vir alle administratiewe en finansiële take gemoeid met nasionale en internasionale reis-, verblyf- en konferensie-bywoningsreëlings vir akademiese personeel (in ooreenstemming met die US se beleid).

Administratiewe ondersteuning

• Ontvang besoekers, skakel met studente, en die effektiewe bestuur van e-pos- en telefoniese navrae.
• Die instandhouding van 'n effektiewe liasseringstelsel van departementele dokumente.
• Verleen sekretariële en administratiewe ondersteuning aan akademiese personeel en voorgraadse en nagraadse studente.
• Hanteer voorgraadse onderrig- en assesseringsadministrasie.
• Hanteer die departementele nagraadse administrasie.
• Administreer en skeduleer aktiwiteite vir die Departement Chemie en Polimeerwetenskap (skedulering van vergaderings en beplande aktiwiteite, monitering en bestuur van dagboeke, neem van notules tydens vergaderings, ens.).
• Die opstel van finansiële state, memoranda en ander toepaslike dokumente soos benodig.
• Koördinering van effektiewe interne kommunikasie met departementele personeel en studente.

Job Requirements / Pos Vereistes

• A post-matric secretarial or administrative qualification at NQF Level 7 or higher.
• At least five years' secretarial and/or administrative experience.
• Knowledge and experience of financial, administration, and information systems.
• The ability to liaise appropriately and effectively with individuals at all levels, both within and outside the University.
• Proven computer proficiency - intermediate to advanced - in the use of the Microsoft Office package (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams). Shortlisted candidates will be required to complete an applicable proficiency assessment.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.
• The ability to work under pressure without compromising accuracy.
• Outstanding interpersonal skills.
• The ability to work independently as well as in a team.
• Excellent organisational skills, and the ability to adhere to deadlines.
• Afrikaans language preference: 'n Naskoolse kwalifikasie in 'n sekretariële of administratiewe rigting op NKR-vlak 7 of hoër. Minstens vyf jaar se sekretariële en/of administratiewe werkservaring. Kennis en ervaring van finansiële, administratiewe en inligtingstelsels. Die vermoë om toepaslik en effektief met persone op alle vlakke, binne, sowe buite die Universiteit te skakel. Bewese rekenaarvaardigheid (intermediêr tot gevorderd) in die gebruik van die Microsoft Office pakket. Daar sal van kortlyskandidate verwag word om 'n toepaslike vaardigheidsassessing voltooi.
• Voortreflike mondelinge en skriftelike kommunikasievaardighede in Afrikaans.
• Die vermoë om onder druk te funksioneer sonder om akkuraatheid in te boet.
• Uitmuntende interpersoonlike vaardighede.
• Die vermoë om onafhanklik, sowel as in spanverband te kan werk.
• Uitstekende organisatoriese vaardighede en die vermoë om sperdatums na te kom.

Recommendation /Aanbeveling

• A general working knowledge of scientific terminology.
• Some prior exposure to the use of chemical drawing software.
• Prior experience of administration work at a higher education institution.
• Prior experience in using Stellenbosch University's online systems (SUNLearn, STEMLearn, SUNStudent, SUNFin, etc.).
• An excellent spoken and written command of Afrikaans.

How To Apply / Hoe Om Aansoek Te Doen

The University is committed to employment equity (EE), and appointments will be made in line with the institutional EE Plan. Only South African citizens from the designated groups will be considered for appointment.

Stellenbosch University reserves the right not to make an appointment.

Your application, comprising a comprehensive curriculum vitae (including the names and email addresses of at least three references), must reach the University before or on the closing date in the advertisement. Apply online at by clicking "Apply now" at the top to the right of the page for the specific vacancy. The University reserves the right to investigate qualifications and conduct background checks on all candidates. The Occupational Health and Safety Act requires people in occupations that entail potential exposure to certain hazards to undergo medical screening to determine whether they be fit to work in those occupations. If you have received no feedback from the University after four to six weeks of the closing date, kindly accept that your application was unsuccessful.

Die Universiteit Stellenbosch is tot gelyke indiensneming (GI) verbind, en aanstellings word ooreenkomstig die institusionele GI-plan gemaak. Slegs Suid-Afrikaanse burgers uit die aangewese groepe sal vir aanstelling oorweeg word. Die Universiteit Stellenbosch behou die reg voor om nie 'n aanstelling te maak nie. U aansoek moet vergesel wees van 'n volledige curriculum vitae (met die name en e-posadresse van minstens drie referente) en moet die Universiteit voor of op die sluitingsdatum in die advertensie bereik. Doen aanlyn by aansoek deur op "Apply now" regs boaan die bladsy vir die spesifieke vakature te klik. Die Universiteit behou die reg voor om kwalifikasies na te gaan en agtergrondinligting oor alle kandidate in te win. Die Wet op Beroepsgesondheid en Veiligheid vereis dat persone in beroepe met potensiële blootstelling aan sekere gevare mediese keuring moet ondergaan. Indien u nie binne vier tot ses weke na die sluitingsdatum van die Universiteit verneem nie, aanvaar asseblief dat u aansoek onsuksesvol was.

Enquiries / Navrae

Enquiries about this post: Mrs Athalea Minnaar on 021 808 3357, or at

Enquiries about remuneration/benefits and technical assistance with the electronic application process: Human Resources Client Services Centre, on 021 808 2753 (Stellenbosch), or 021 938 9636 (Tygerberg), or at

Navrae oor hierdie pos: Mrs Athalea Minnaar by 021 808 3357, or at

Navrae oor vergoeding/voordele en tegniese ondersteuning met die elektroniese aansoekproses: Menslike Hulpbronne Kliëntedienssentrum, by 021 808 2753 (Stellenbosch), of 021 938 9636 (Tygerberg), of by

Currency ZAR

Commencement Date 01-Dec-2025

Closing Date 31-Oct-2025

Amount of Travel

Work At Home