Executive Assistant

The ELMA Philanthropies Services (Africa) (Pty) Ltd. is seeking an Executive Assistant to join its Cape Town team, reporting to the Executive Director and supporting the administrative and travel needs of the Executive Director and the Cape Town-based team.

About ELMA Philanthropies:

With offices in New York City, Cape Town, Johannesburg and Kampala, ELMA Philanthropies develops program strategies, identifies grant and other investment opportunities, monitors, and evaluates investment performance, and manages strategic partnerships for The ELMA Group of Foundations. This Group includes The ELMA Foundation, The ELMA Relief Foundation, The ELMA Vaccines and Immunization Foundation, The ELMA Music Foundation, The ELMA Growth Foundation, The ELMA Caribbean Foundation and The ELMA South Africa Foundation. ELMA Philanthropies is largely focused on providing these services to the largest foundation within the group, The ELMA Foundation. A full description of the investment frameworks and activities of each Foundation can be found on our website: www.elmaphilanthropies.org.

The ELMA Foundation’s mission is to improve the lives of African children and youth through support of sustainable efforts to relieve poverty, advance education, and promote health. It is primarily active in eastern and southern Africa.

The ELMA Relief Foundation invests in relief efforts throughout the globe with special attention to Africa and the needs of children, who often suffer disproportionately in the aftermath of such tragedies.

The ELMA South Africa Foundation funds organizations and programs that support development and progress in South Africa.

The ELMA Music Foundation invests in organizations in USA and South Africa that support youth development through music or provide assistance to members of the music community undergoing personal and financial hardship.

The ELMA Vaccines and Immunization Foundation’s mission is to expand vaccine and immunization coverage for children globally, with a special emphasis on Africa.

The ELMA Growth Foundation invests in the growth or expansion of initiatives that improve the lives of low-income communities in Africa.

The ELMA Caribbean Foundation supports efforts to advance health or combat the environmental and economic threats posed by climate change in the Caribbean.

Job Responsibilities:

The Executive Assistant’s job responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:

• Support the Executive Director with various daily tasks both planned and ad-hoc associated with their role at ELMA
• Schedule meetings and other appointments
• Manage meeting invitations, tech support, and settings for virtual events and in-person meetings
• Assist with the coordination of events as requested
• Coordinate travel including booking flights, accommodation, and transportation
• Complete expense reports
• Conduct research as assigned
• Print and prepare board books and other informational binders
• Schedule and share agendas for team meetings
• Coordinate with HR for the orientation scheduling of new staff
• Manage cellphone contracts and renewals
• Manage the computer register and procurement as approved
• Undertake various accounts functions
• Establish and maintain relationships with regular vendors and the office building management
• Take up role as first aider and fire marshal for the Cape Town office
• Provide back-up support to the Receptionist in their receptionist, office organization and clean up duties

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the incumbent(s) of this job. They are not intended to form an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and activities required for the position. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

Alignment to Values:

All ELMA employees are expected to demonstrate fit with ELMA’s organizational values and culture. Specifically, all employees are expected to demonstrate a commitment to:

• ELMA’s core values of: humility and integrity; respect for human dignity; pursuit of excellence; commitment to partnership; and a results-orientation informed by continuous learning; and
• Gender equity, social justice, and combatting white supremacy, patriarchy, homophobia, colonialism, and other intersecting systems of oppression.

Required Qualifications:

• An associate or bachelor’s degree is not required but preferred
• A minimum of five years’ experience in executive assistant capacity
• Strong time-management and organizational skills, attention to detail and common-sense approach
• Excellent relationship-building skills and ability to collaborate on internal teams of diverse backgrounds as well as with external stakeholders and partners
• Flexible and adaptable to rapid change; a self-starter and team-player
• Strong work ethic and ability to prioritize and multi-task
• Fluency in English and excellent oral and written communication skills
• Excellent computer skills, including with Microsoft Products, and aptitude to learn new software and systems
• Experience with coordinating international executive travel
• Must be able to legally work in South Africa without visa sponsorship
• Ability to work in-person in Cape Town from 9am-5pm and work early mornings on a limited basis

Salary, Benefits & Other Details:

Salary will be commensurate with experience and qualifications with attractive benefits. The salary range for this position is ZAR310,000 to ZAR410,000.

ELMA is committed to helping prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to protecting the safety of our employees. All South Africa based employees will be required to be fully vaccinated unless the employee is approved for a reasonable accommodation due to medical contra-indications to vaccination or a sincerely held religious belief.

ELMA employees are expected to work in the office located in Cape Town from Monday to Thursday, with the option to work remotely on Friday. On occasion, ELMA employees will be required to work in the office on Fridays.

How to Apply

ELMA Philanthropies is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages candidates of all backgrounds to apply for this position. All employment decisions shall be made without regard to race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, family responsibility, ethnic or social origin, national origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, genetic information, HIV or other health status, conscience, belief, political opinion, culture, language, birth, military or veteran status, or any other arbitrary ground in accordance with applicable national laws or regulations.

If you would like to apply for this position, please submit your application to with the following:

• A cover letter
• CV
• Details of contactable references

Personal Information

Should you apply for this position, you consent to us collecting, using, disclosing, and storing your personal information and such special personal information, as defined in the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013, as may be required for the purposes of processing and evaluating your application, and any other purposes set out or implied when you provide the relevant personal information to us. You may withdraw your consent at any time, subject to legal or contractual restrictions and reasonable notice. If you do not consent to us collecting, using, disclosing, and storing your personal information and special personal information for the purposes of processing and evaluating your application, we regret that we will be unable to process your application.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: R310 000,00 - R410 000,00 per year

Work Location: In person