Senior Secretary to the Provincial Manager (Reference HRMC 84/13/2)

Advertiser: Department of Home Affairs

Location: Pietermaritzburg

Salary: R212 106 to R249 849 per annum (Level 8). In addition, a range of competitive are offered.
Centre: KwaZulu-Natal, Provincial Manager’s Office: Pietermaritzburg

Requirements:
A 3 year Degree/Diploma in Public Management/Administration/Social Science or an NQF level 6 qualification in the related field with 1-2 years’ relevant experience of which 1 year must in a Secretarial and Administration environment and/or a Grade 12 certificate plus 3-5 years’ relevant experience of which 3 years must be in a Secretarial and Administration environment
- Sound interpersonal skill
- Honesty and integrity
- Basic Computer Literacy and Numeracy
- Good written and verbal communication skills
- Analytic thinking
- Planning and organizing skills
- Problem solving
- Verbal and written communication
- Financial administration
- Good Interpersonal Skills
- Attention to detail
- Clerical and administration
- Ability to multi Task
- Teamwork
- Record and time management
- Willingness to work extended hours including overtime
- weekends and shifts are critical.

Duties:
The successful candidate will be responsible for, amongst others the following specific tasks:
- Provide a secretarial / receptionist support service to the Provincial Manager
- Receive telephone calls in an environment where, in addition to the calls for the senior manager, discretion is required to decide to whom the call should be forwarded to
- Perform advanced typing work
- Operate and ensure that office equipment, e.g. fax machines and photocopier are in good working order
- Records the engagements of the senior manager
- Utilize discretion to decide whether to accept/decline or refer to other employees requests for meetings, based on the assessed importance and urgency of the matter
- Coordinate with and sensitizes/advises the manager regarding engagements . Compile realistic schedules of appointments
- Render administrative support services
- Ensure the effective flow of information and documents to and from the office of the manager
- Ensure the safekeeping of all documentation in the office of the manager in line with relevant legislation and policies
- Obtain inputs, collate and compile all relevant reports as instructed by the manager: Scrutinises routine submissions/reports and makes notes and/or recommendations for the manager
- Respond to enquiries received from internal and external stakeholders
- Draft documents as required
- Do filing of documents for the manager and the unit where required
- Collect, analyse and collate information requested by the manager
- Clarify instructions and notes on behalf of the manager
- Ensure that travel arrangements are well coordinated
- Prioritise issues in the office of the manager
- Manage the leave register and telephone accounts for the unit
- Handle the procurement of standard items like stationary, refreshments etc. for the activities of the manager and the unit
- Obtain the necessary signatures on documents like procurement advice and monthly salary reports
- Provide support to the Provincial Manager regarding meetings
- Scrutinise documents to determine actions/information/other documents required for meetings
- Collect and compile all necessary documents for the manager to inform him/her on the content
- Record minutes/decisions and communicates to relevant role players and follows up on progress
- Prepare briefing notes for the manager as required
- Coordinate logistical arrangements for meetings when required
- Support the manager with the administration of the manager’s budget
- Collect and coordinate all the documents that relate to the manager’s budget
- Assist the manager in determining funding requirements for purposes of MTEF Submissions
- Keep record of expenditure commitments, monitors expenditure and alerts manager of possible over and under spending
- Check and correlate BAS reports to ensure that expenditure is allocated correctly. Identify the need to move funds between items, consult with the manager and compiles draft memos for this purpose.

Enquiries: KwaZulu Natal: Mr Q Luthuli-Tel: (033) 845 5000

The Department of Home Affairs is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. It is our intention to promote representivity (race, gender, disability) through the filling of position. Candidates whose appointment / transfer / promotion will further the objective of representivity will receive preference.

The Department of Home Affairs has embarked on an extensive turnaround programme, aimed at developing a culture of responsiveness and improved service delivery. We are looking for committed, passionate and talented individuals to form part of a new leadership team, equipped with the right skills to deliver a world-class service. If you have what it takes to serve the needs of South Africa’s citizens, residents and visitors - and your credentials meet the requirements of any of the following positions,- then respond before the closing date. Join our leadership team in transforming our vision into a reality.

Applications:
Applications must be sent to the correct address as indicated below, to reach the address on or before the closing date. Applications sent to a wrong address and/or received after the closing date or those that do not comply with the requirements, will not be taken into consideration. In the event of hand-delivery of applications, applicants must sign an application register as proof of application. Kindly ensure that the relevant reference number is quoted and applications are directed to the relevant province as indicated below:

Direct applications to: The Department of Home Affairs, Postal address: Private Bag X114, Pretoria 0001, Physical Address; The Hallmark Building, Corner Johannes Ramokhoase & Thabo Sehume Street, Pretoria.
Eastern Cape Province: Postal address: Private Bag 7413, King Williams Town, 5600 Physical address: 11 Hargreaves Avenue, King William’s Town, 5600 Free State Province: Physical address: Postal address: P.O Box 12262 Brandhof 9324Physical Address: 40 Victoria Road Willows Bloemfontein 9301
Gauteng Province: Postal address: Private Bag X108, Braamfontein, 2017, Physical address: 3rd Floor, Mineralia Building, Cnr De Beer and De Korte Street, Braamfontein, 2017
KwaZulu-Natal Province: Postal address: PO BOX 09, Scottsville 3209 Physical address: 181 Church Street, Pietermaritzburg 3200
Limpopo Province: Postal address: Private Bag X9517, Polokwane, 0700 Physical Address: 89 Biccard Street, Polokwane, 0699
Mpumalanga Province Postal Address: Private Bag X11264, Nelspruit, 1200, Physical Address: 2nd Floor, Bateleur Building 16 Nel Street, Nelspruit, 1200.
North West Province: Postal address: Private Bag X 119, Mmabatho, 2735, Physical address: Cnr Sheppard and Carrington Street, Mafikeng, 2745
Western Cape Province: Postal address: Private Bag X 9103, Cape Town, 8000 Physical address: 4th Floor, Faircape Building, 56 Barrack Street, Cape Town, 8001

Note:
Applications must be submitted on a Z83 form (click to download pdf form), obtainable from any Public Service department and should be accompanied by a comprehensive CV, including the details of at least two contactable referees (should be people who recently worked with the applicant) and certified copies of qualifications and identity document (with an original certification stamp). It is the responsibility of applicants in possession of foreign qualifications to submit evaluated results by the South African Qualifications Authority. Where a valid driver’s licence is a requirement, applicants must attach certified copies of such licences. No faxes or e-mailed applications will be considered. If no contact is made within three months of the closing date, please accept that the application was unsuccessful. Successful candidates will be required to enter into a performance agreement and be subjected to security clearance procedures. Successful candidates may be required to undergo a competency assessment. Candidates who possess a tertiary qualification, as well as those who promote representivity (especially People with Disability), will receive preference.

Reference number: HRMC 84/13/2

Closing date: 13 September 2013



WRITE A BRILLIANT CV

The first thing to remember is that we are not writing an essay. We need to convey as much relevant information as possible and not exceed 3 to 4 pages. Your CV should cover the following:

Your personal information:

  • Name and surname
  • Phone number
  • Email address
  • Physical address
  • Postal address
  • Languages
  • Driver's license

    Points to remember: It is essential that your cellphone needs to be on in case anyone phone. Make sure that you have a professonal message on your phone in case you miss a call. If you only have a home phone number then everyone living with you need to be aware of the fact that you are waiting for a call. Place a pen and paper next to the phone in casy there is a message. Do not give your spouse's cellphone number unless you will be able to speak to the caller immediately. Is your email up and running? Does the P O Box belong to you or someone else? If it belongs to (e.g.) your parents they need to be aware that you might get important information. It is not necessary to disclose your age, gender, height, weight, marital status or religion. If you do not have an email address then set one up through Hotmail or Yahoo. And as tempting as what it might do not have your macho_man@hotmail.com address on your CV. Try and register one with your name and surname only.

    Educational information:

    Start with the most recent achievement / qualification and work your way back. List the degree, diploma, matriculation or standard achieved as well as the year and institution. Then move on the one just before that (e.g. first your degree and then matric). There is no need to list all the subjects you took (unless it is relevant). However, it is crucial to list all your qualifications - whether they were from academic institutions or not.

    It is important to list all of your achievements while studying, e.g. competitions won, awards received, provincial colours achieved, orders of merit.

    List all the leadership positions you served in, e.g. class prefect, captain of a team, chairperson of a committee.

    End this section of with your extracurricular activities that you participated in, e.g. sport, hobbies.

    Points to remember: The older you are the less important your school information will become. For instance: You might only want to mention that you matriculated, where and when and one or two major achievements. It is also not necessary to show your grades or marks achieed. It is also best to leave out any information on political activities or other controversial topics. However, if you know that the recruiter is looking for someone who participated in certain political groups then you might want to mention it.

    Work experience:

    Start with the most recent position and work your way back. List the title of the position, the name of the company and your length of service. Below this you can give a description of your duties (in bullet-point format). It is also important to list any projects that you worked on. Be specific and use numbers where possible, e.g. Managed 32 staff members and a R1 million budget.

    It is again important to list all of your achievements while working, e.g. competitions won, awards received.

    List all the leadership positions you served in, e.g. managerial or supervisory roles, chairperson of a committee.

    End this section of with any additional things that you use to do for the company, e.g. editor of the company newsletter, organiser of the year end function.

    Points to remember: Always look at the information and ask whether it is relevant. There is no need to supply the contact details of previous employers nor the reason why you left their employment.

    Computer skills:

    The ability to work on a computer has developed into a key skill. List all the programs that you are able to work with as well as your proficiency level.

    Courses:

    List all the courses, workshops, seminars, etc that you attended only if it is relevant to the position you are applying for and if you haven't mentioned it before. It is always a good idea to list the topic, institution, facilitator / guest speaker and date.

    Activities and Interests:

    Remember that most people enjoy listening to music, going to the movies, socialising with friends, reading, etc. Unless you do someting special, or relevant to the position, rather leave this section out.

    References:

    Mention that "References are available on request". It is important that your references are aware of the fact that they might be contacted.