Administrative Assistant

Nova Pioneer is looking for a superstar Administrative Assistant to serve as a 3-month maternity cover at our Athi River campus, willing and ready to start in May.

You will provide high-level administrative support to the School Principal. This is an opportunity to help create a transformative school model with the future of Africa's youth at stake.

Disclaimer :
Nova Pioneer does not charge any fee to process your application.

ABOUT NOVA PIONEER

Imagine a world in which every young person across Africa attends a school that truly sets them up for success in the 21st century.

A school that cares about individual students and allows them to explore the world around them. A school that focuses more on developing skills than on memorizing content. At Nova Pioneer, we have done more than just imagine this future, we are bringing it to life. Nova Pioneer is a pan-African, independent network of schools offering high-quality, accessible education from pre-primary through secondary school.

Nova Pioneer uses a unique, enquiry-based learning approach that encourages students to ask "why" instead of telling them the "what".

It allows them to form their own thinking through exploration, investigation and collaboration.

Nova Pioneer currently has 17 schools in South Africa and Kenya with a vision to launch 100 schools and reach tens of thousands of students across the African continent in the next decade.

To learn more visit

ABOUT THE ROLE

You will:
Facilitate the public relations function of the front office
Provide administrative support to the School Principal
Prepare documents ahead of internal and external meetings as directed by the School Principal (photocopying, binding, filing etc.)
Prepare documents for internal display on pin-boards or notice boards (brochures, posters, etc.)
Keep custody of the students' attendance registers and any confidential documents on behalf of the School Principal
Maintain the school's student roster (termly) and update it as necessary
Communicate with internal and external stakeholders via telephone, in person and in writing through the drafting of letters, memorandums, reports, and emails
Lead the timely preparation and distribution of the school's newsletter and parent letters
Prepare and share regular school updates with the marketing team for posting on social media, etc.
Facilitate logistical arrangements for weekly, monthly and quarterly meetings
Provide administrative services and take minutes for various meetings
Assist in managing PTA communications and meetings
Create and maintain filing systems, both electronic and physical
Any other duties as assigned by your line coach.

ABOUT YOU
Bachelor's degree/ Diploma in Office Administration/Management
You have 2-4+ years of experience as an Administrative Assistant, preferably of an established startup, large company or a school
You are experienced or open to learning the Google software suite (Google Calendar, Docs, Sheets, G Mail, etc.) as well as Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint)
You are experienced and proficient in MS Suite with strong writing skills (for office communication) and are skilled in making posters and certificates
You have excellent organizational, planning and time management skills - you are able to handle many moving parts while maintaining high standards of excellence
You demonstrate capacity to analyze complex situations and solve problems
You are a great communicator. You are able to provide a clear and effective written and verbal communication to the leaders and school team
You have an exceptional ability to think strategically and yet you sweat the small stuff—people see you as unusually detail-oriented and conscientious
You have the ability to exercise discretion in handling sensitive matters
You have a flexible and adaptable approach to work
You are proactive and have an enthusiastic approach to work
You are excited about our organizational culture—and in particular, you are fired up to challenge yourself by embracing mutual vulnerability and a firehose of feedback
You have a desire to further develop your leadership skills and apply them to transform the lives of African youth

HOW TO APPLY
To apply, please complete the form on the right-hand side of this page. We DO NOT process applications that are emailed to us.

Please note:
Where a copy of your resume is required, please attach your resume in PDF format to protect formatting.

There are a series of stages in the Nova Pioneer interview process and candidates will be moved forward in the process depending on their success in the previous stage.


The process is as follows:

Phone interview:
a short conversation to understand your skills and experience a little better.

Practical demonstration of what you can do: you will complete a written task or a demonstration related to the role you are applying for.

Teachers participate in a half-day selection day at one of our campuses as well as deliver a lesson to a class.

In-person interviews: at this point, you will visit one of our schools to meet the team and participate in a series of in-person interviews.


Final interview:
you'll have a final conversation with the hiring manager before decisions are made.

WORKING AT NOVA PIONEER

Nova Pioneer is a place where our people experience tremendous growth, fast We invest heavily in the growth of our people because it leads to greater mastery in both us and our students.

"Novaneers" work harder and work longer hours than most schools but as a result, the growth they experience is extraordinary.

We offer consistent and ongoing personal development and provide clear career pathways that ensure that our people are always achieving their personal and professional best.

Nova Pioneer has a highly energetic, entrepreneurial environment where our people get to bring their creative and innovative ideas to life.

We look for people who are flexible and who are able to adapt and respond quickly to adversity with a positive, can-do attitude (there are no problems, only solutions).

We welcome challenges and roll with the punches because it makes us, and our students, better.

There is no problem too big for us We bring infectious energy and enthusiasm to everything we do because joy fuels our work and learning.

Read more about our culture principles here.
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Common Interview Questions And Answers

1. HOW DO YOU PLAN YOUR DAY?

This is what this question poses: When do you focus and start working seriously? What are the hours you work optimally? Are you a night owl? A morning bird? Remote teams can be made up of people working on different shifts and around the world, so you won't necessarily be stuck in the 9-5 schedule if it's not for you...

2. HOW DO YOU USE THE DIFFERENT COMMUNICATION TOOLS IN DIFFERENT SITUATIONS?

When you're working on a remote team, there's no way to chat in the hallway between meetings or catch up on the latest project during an office carpool. Therefore, virtual communication will be absolutely essential to get your work done...

3. WHAT IS "WORKING REMOTE" REALLY FOR YOU?

Many people want to work remotely because of the flexibility it allows. You can work anywhere and at any time of the day...

4. WHAT DO YOU NEED IN YOUR PHYSICAL WORKSPACE TO SUCCEED IN YOUR WORK?

With this question, companies are looking to see what equipment they may need to provide you with and to verify how aware you are of what remote working could mean for you physically and logistically...

5. HOW DO YOU PROCESS INFORMATION?

Several years ago, I was working in a team to plan a big event. My supervisor made us all work as a team before the big day. One of our activities has been to find out how each of us processes information...

6. HOW DO YOU MANAGE THE CALENDAR AND THE PROGRAM? WHICH APPLICATIONS / SYSTEM DO YOU USE?

Or you may receive even more specific questions, such as: What's on your calendar? Do you plan blocks of time to do certain types of work? Do you have an open calendar that everyone can see?...

7. HOW DO YOU ORGANIZE FILES, LINKS, AND TABS ON YOUR COMPUTER?

Just like your schedule, how you track files and other information is very important. After all, everything is digital!...

8. HOW TO PRIORITIZE WORK?

The day I watched Marie Forleo's film separating the important from the urgent, my life changed. Not all remote jobs start fast, but most of them are...

9. HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR A MEETING AND PREPARE A MEETING? WHAT DO YOU SEE HAPPENING DURING THE MEETING?

Just as communication is essential when working remotely, so is organization. Because you won't have those opportunities in the elevator or a casual conversation in the lunchroom, you should take advantage of the little time you have in a video or phone conference...

10. HOW DO YOU USE TECHNOLOGY ON A DAILY BASIS, IN YOUR WORK AND FOR YOUR PLEASURE?

This is a great question because it shows your comfort level with technology, which is very important for a remote worker because you will be working with technology over time...