We seek a Manager for our Volunteer Travel Business as a 2 YEAR contract starting in March 2014. The position is based in Swaziland, Southern Africa, and includes traveling to South Africa, Mozambique and Botswana.
ALL OUT AFRICA (started in early 2004) operates in Swaziland, South Africa, Mozambique and Botswana and has four divisions: a volunteer travel business, a tours business, a lodge business and a non-profit foundation. The volunteer travel business is the biggest of these operations and runs a range of different wildlife and social projects through offering short term volunteers the opportunity to participate in the projects as a worthwhile travel experience. The Volunteer Travel business has a full-time staff of 12 project co-ordinators and field assistants (with other support staff) including both internationals and locals with education levels varying from high-school O'levels to MSc degrees. At any one point in time, the program may have from 8 to 60 volunteers of ages usually between 18 and 35 but occasionally up to 75. The position of BUSINESS MANAGER involves growing and managing the business including operations, staff, finances, marketing etc to ensure a successful program that continues to improve and grow. There will need to be a keen focus on achieving the dual goals of satisfied volunteers and successful project outputs whilst taking a sustainable business approach.
On a day to day basis your tasks may include:
Goal: Motivated project staff
- Assess & improve staff performance
- Motivate & support project staff
- Help project co-ordinators organise schedules
- Advertise volunteer program vacancies, develop job descriptions, recruit project staff & develop contracts
- Prepare project staff payslips
- Carry out disciplinary procedures for project staff & volunteers where necessary
Goal: Happy Volunteers
- Liaise with the info officer for volunteer arrivals & departures
- Co-ordinate volunteer orientations & introductions
- Oversee food, accommodation & transport arrangements for volunteers
- Oversee monthly project meetings
- Co-ordinate volunteer departures, debriefing & questionnaires
- Assess volunteer satisfaction & arrange necessary improvements
Goal: Successful projects
- Liaise with project co-ordinators to organise projectoperations
- Help organise project activities, equipment & materials
- Visitprojectsto assess operational needs
- Improve operational systems
- Assess & improve project outputs
- Develop new placements and projects as the need arises.
Goal: Happy partners
- Liaise with project partners & help maintain & improve working relations
- Prepare & circulate quarterly reports
- Contact other relevant organisations and NGO's as the need arises.
Goal: Cost efficiency
- Plan the volunteer program budget and manage it's use
- Maintain records of volunteer program expenditure
- Co-ordinate equipment use & maintenance
- Do petty cash reconciliations and disbursements
- Make payments
Goal: Successful bookings & sales
- Manage the maintaining & uploading of project briefs and project info
- Manage the program marketing & advertising
- Oversee the development of the website & other marketing materials
- Manage sales & reservations
Desired criteria:
- Experience and prior success with small/medium business management
- Experience with human resource management of diverse staff
- Excellent organisational and communication skills, highly efficient and a capacity for long work hours
- A passion for social development and wildlife conservation with experience of such in Africa
- Skill in human resource management
- Skill in marketing & advertising
- Skill in the use of information technology (MS word, excel, outlook & powerpoint, email & internet, online social networking etc)
- A degree in development studies/ecology/business management or a relevant field
- A valid manual driving license of at least 3 yrs with experience of driving on tough roads
- A friendly & compassionate, but firm nature
Other beneficial criteria:
- Experience with co-ordinating international volunteer tourists
- Experience with teaching/social work/child care
- Qualification to scuba dive
- Experience with ecological research
How to apply
Please send a motivation letter and resume/CV as an application with 3 professional references tojobs@alloutafrica.com clearly stating 'Volunteer Program Manager' in the address by 20th January 2014.
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