Supporting a Director of a fast-growing hospitality and tourism group in Tanzania, currently mid-way through a major hotel launch and two renovations. The role is fast-paced and reactive by nature — this is not a conventional 9-to-5 admin position. This role requires genuine flexibility beyond standard office hours.
Key Responsibilities
Communication & Coordination
- Serve as the primary point of contact across WhatsApp and email, staying on top of high message volume across multiple groups
- Proactively flag urgent matters (guest incidents, maintenance emergencies, etc.) before being asked
- Maintain a dedicated assistant email for formal correspondence (HOD reports, external parties)
- Ensure communication flows consistently across WhatsApp, email, and meetings — no channel becomes a blind spot
Meetings & Follow-Up
- Attend meetings to take structured notes and track action items
- Represent the Director in select meetings when she’s unavailable, and report back
- Follow up with consultants on active construction/renovation projects
Scheduling & Calendar
- Build and maintain a clean, organized calendar
- Run daily morning/evening check-ins collaboratively — confirming the Director’s existing commitments before finalizing a day’s plan
- Track recurring commitments and flag time-sensitive prep in advance
Team & Project Oversight
- Monitor Managers on Duty (MODs) across properties for responsiveness and follow-through
- Track outstanding items from project meetings and escalate as needed
- Conduct site visits 1–2 times per month
- Build and maintain strong working relationships with HODs, managers, and staff — approachable and respectful, while confident enough to follow up firmly and hold people accountable
Travel & Personal Logistics
- Manage all work-related travel arrangements — flights, accommodation, ground transport — coordinated around the Director’s project and meeting schedule
- Manage personal travel arrangements separately, keeping work and personal travel clearly distinguished
- Coordinate the Director’s children’s school calendar, including term dates, holidays, and drop-off/pick-up logistics
- Handle full travel preparation: ticket purchases, visa applications, and passport applications/renewals — tracking validity and lead times well in advance
Documents & Admin
- Track and manage items awaiting the Director’s approval across departments (budgets, designs, payments), ensuring nothing sits pending without visibility
- Ensure invoices and documents requiring sign-off reach her in time for scheduled payment processing days
- Track documents requiring physical signature and manage their handling while the Director is traveling
- Maintain organized records of approvals and follow-up items
- Maintain clear, up-to-date trackers across projects, approvals, deadlines, and outstanding matters so nothing gets lost
Key Competencies
- Fast, consistent communication — able to match a high-paced, reactive work environment
- Strong initiative — identifies pending matters, gaps, and potential problems before being asked, and brings recommended next steps rather than just flagging issues
- Collaborative planning style
- High discretion and confidentiality
- Comfortable representing the Director in professional settings
- Solid organizational systems-thinking — able to build and maintain structure independently
- Basic tech proficiency (Zoom, WhatsApp, general note-taking/document tools)
- Excellent interpersonal skills and emotional maturity — respectful and approachable, yet confident enough to follow up firmly and hold people accountable, without creating friction or overstepping
- High attention to detail — this role carries real consequences for small errors
- Demonstrated track record of sound judgment — working independently while knowing when something needs to be raised rather than handled directly
Relevant Experience
- Prior experience as an Executive Assistant to a senior executive, director, or business owner
- Experience coordinating multiple external stakeholders (contractors, vendors, or similar)
- Hospitality/tourism industry exposure is an advantage, though not required — training available
- Based in Tanzania, with availability for regular travel between properties and project sites as required
Working Arrangement
- Primarily in-person, based in Tanzania — includes regular travel between properties and project sites
- Site visits and travel required as outlined above