Travel Coordinator SKAO at NRF National Research Foundation

About the position

Postion Summary:
The primary purpose of this role is to coordinate ground and air travel arrangements for staff and visitors between Cape Town/Gauteng and the SKA-Mid telescope site near Carnarvon in the Northern Cape. The role also provides administrative support and receptionist cover as required.

Key Responsibilities:

• Planning site travel, accommodation and associated arrangements for staff and make booking
• Preparing itineraries for staff travelling to site on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays and other days as neededLiaising with Charter service provider about flights and availability Obtaining information about the availability, cost and convenience of different types of transport and accommodation Planning with communications department team about the VIP tour visit to SKA-Mid telescope siteEnquiring and getting quotations from Charter Service Providers on ad hoc flights required for the VIP visits Coordinating and keeping records of operational activities concerning air transport of passengers and freight, such as passenger lists and freight manifestsCoordinating and keeping records of operational activities concerning road transport, such as allocation and scheduling of vehicles and drivers, loading and unloading of vehicles and storage of goods in transitFacilitating the reconciliation of travel invoices to source documents within the Organisation, ensuring that the Finance team have sufficient information to process invoices and recharge parties, as neededServe as a liaison person between the SKAO-Mid and service provider account manager/travel teamDocumenting and maintaining records of staff and visitors invoices, and other travel-related bookings in a timely and accurate mannerRelieving Receptionist at timesAnswering all incoming calls and responding to queries
• Directing visitors to appropriate individuals

Minimum Qualification:

• Diploma / Advanced Certificate / NQF 6

Minimum Experience:

• 3-3 years

• National Diploma hospitality, travel or a related field
• Driver’s license

Experience:

• • 3 years’ work-related experience in travel industry or administration

Knowledge:

• Previous travel and senior administration experience Ability to build process flows and establish travel tracking systemsAbility to understand cost tracking categories in order to allocate costs to various cost centres as well as track items for rechargingKnowledge and use of any travel booking softwareReport writing Accurate minute takerPassion for travel and customer service
• Knowledge of creating and managing contracts

Additional Notes:
Meticulous planner with attention to detail with bookings, payments or other travel-related requirements. Excellent communication and managing skills to build and maintain relationships with [URL Removed] to work under tight deadlines and manage multiple client [URL Removed] to work independently and with minimum supervisionComputer Literacy (Microsoft and Google suites)Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal;Ability to plan, set goals, manage time, priorities, resources, project schedules and costAbility to understand cost tracking categories in order to allocate costs to various cost centres as well as track items for rechargingReport writing & accurate meeting minutes takerThe NRF website provides more details on the initiatives and activities Applicants should submit a comprehensive CV by registering and apply online through the NRF Recruitment and Selection Portal. Applications should be accompanied by a letter of motivation indicating the applicant·s suitability for the position. The names and contact details of at least three referees should be provided.

Desired Skills:

• Skilled in applied field of position
• Knowledge to be relevant
• Responsible in performing duties

About The Employer:

The National Research Foundation (NRF) supports and promotes research and human capital development through funding, the provision of National Research Facilities and science outreach platforms and programmes to the broader community in all fields of science and technology, including natural sciences, engineering, social sciences and humanities. The South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO) spearheads South Africa's activities in the Square Kilometre Array Radio Telescope, commonly known as the SKA, in engineering, science and construction. SARAO is a National Facility managed by the National Research Foundation and incorporates radio astronomy instruments and programmes such as the MeerKAT and KAT-7 telescopes in the Karoo, the Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory (HartRAO) in Gauteng, the African Very Long Baseline Interferometry (AVN) programme in nine African countries as well as the associated human capital development and commercialisation endeavours.