Senior Officer - Southern Zone

The Senior Officer – Southern Zone will serve as the primary operational and administrative support to the Head of Education Excellence (HEE) for the Southern Zone. This role involves managing the day-to-day education activities within the zone, including budget oversight, monthly financial closing, data analysis, reporting, and preparing presentations. The incumbent will also handle logistics and travel arrangements for education initiatives such as the online training programme and Train-the-Trainer (ToT) sessions, ensuring smooth coordination of venues, accommodations, and transport. The ideal candidate is highly organized, confident in working with data and organizational systems, and capable of working independently to meet deadlines.

Key Responsibilities

Support to Head of Education Excellence:
- Act as the main operational and administrative support for the HEE, Southern Zone.
- Manage the HEE’s calendar, organize meetings, and prepare agendas, minutes, and follow-up actions.
- Prepare presentations, briefs, and documents for management meetings and reviews.
- Coordinate travel plans and logistics for the HEE, General Manager Southern Zone, and zonal leadership.

Education Initiatives and Training:
- Oversee the operational delivery of education initiatives, including managing enrolment, scheduling, attendance tracking, and completion records for the online training programme.
- Manage Train-the-Trainer (ToT) activities end-to-end, including nominations, venue booking, hotel accommodations, transport, materials, and on-site coordination.
- Organize logistics for school visits, workshops, and residential trainings across the zone.
- Monitor progress of initiatives against plans and report any risks or delays to the HEE.

Budget, Finance, and Closing:
- Manage and monitor the budget for Southern Zone education teams and initiatives.
- Process purchase requisitions, vendor payments, and expense claims through relevant systems.
- Liaise with Finance to ensure timely disbursement of funds.
- Complete monthly financial closing activities accurately and on schedule.

Data, Reporting, and Systems:
- Collect, clean, and analyze education data to support decision-making by the HEE.
- Prepare and submit periodic reports to management and relevant departments within deadlines.
- Maintain records on organizational systems including finance, HR, procurement, and training platforms.
- Ensure organized filing and documentation of all zonal education activities.

Coordination:
- Coordinate with Finance, HR, Procurement, Admin, and other departments on operational matters.
- Resolve operational issues independently and escalate when necessary.
- Perform any additional tasks assigned by the line manager.

Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree from a reputable institution.
- Minimum of 1 year experience in operations, administration, finance, or programme coordination; experience in the education or development sector is preferred.
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines.
- Proficiency in navigating organizational systems such as finance, HR, procurement, and online learning platforms.
- Advanced skills in MS Excel, PowerPoint, and Word for data analysis and reporting.
- Ability to prepare clear, professional presentations and reports.
- Basic understanding of budgeting, financial processes, and tax.
- Experience coordinating events and logistics, including hotel, venue, and transport arrangements.
- Awareness of education policies and school improvement initiatives.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills in English and Urdu.
- Proactive, detail-oriented, and able to work independently with discretion.

Preferred Qualifications and Benefits
While not explicitly stated, candidates with prior experience in the education or development sectors will have an advantage. The role requires in-person attendance at the designated work location.

Applicants will be asked to provide information regarding their current salary, expected salary, and total years of experience during the application process.