Operations Assistant

GROWTH POLES PROJECT VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

Position Title: Operations Assistant (Support 1)
Duty Station: Lilongwe, Malawi
Department: Sub-Awards, Contracts & Procurement
Reporting to: Operations, Contracts & Procurement Officer
Hours of Work: 40 per week
Anticipated Grade: Support I (Assistant)
Anticipated Start Date: 1 st May 2026

Scope of Work

Company Overview:

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion – We welcome applications from all sections of society and actively encourage diversity to drive innovation, creativity, success and good practice. We positively welcome and seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce; and that all job applicants and employees receive equal and fair treatment regardless of their background or personal characteristics. These include: (but are not limited to) socio-economic background, age, race, gender identity, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, nationality, veteran, marital or indigenous-status.

Safeguarding – We define Safeguarding as “the preventative action taken by Palladium to protect our people, clients and the communities we work with from harm”. We are committed to ensuring that all children and adults who come into contact with Palladium are treated with respect and are free from abuse.  All successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced selection process including safeguarding-focused interviews and a rigorous due diligence process.

Project Overview:

The Ireland-funded Growth Poles Project (GPP) is a five-year initiative implemented by Palladium International. The project’s goal is to accelerate environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable wealth generation in Malawi by mobilizing private sector investments and fostering partnerships with anchor firms and their surrounding communities. A key strategic focus is the adoption of climate-smart technologies to enhance the resilience and productivity of smallholder farmers.

Role Description:

The Operations Assistant role consolidates and professionalizes the Project front-office/reception, administrative support, and office cleanliness functions, ensuring consistent service delivery and reducing operational gaps.

Success in this role is measured by:

• A clean, safe, and well‑maintained office environment that meets hygiene, sanitation, and presentation standards at all times.
• A professional and welcoming reception experience for all visitors, including timely greetings, clear direction, and courteous communication.
• Consistent and reliable administrative support, including timely handling of incoming/outgoing mail, and meeting room preparations.
• Timely identification and reporting of maintenance or repair needs, ensuring issues are escalated and resolved without delay.
• Effective support to meetings and events, through proper room setup, refreshments, and cleanliness before and after activities.
• Reliable execution of daily tasks with minimal supervision, demonstrating punctuality, attention to detail, and adherence to operational routines.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Manage the project’s reception desk / front office
• Serve visitors by greeting, welcoming, and directing them appropriately
• Provide operational support before, during and after meetings.
• Cleaning and keeping the offices, kitchen, corridor, toilets, conference room, and the office environment clean and ensuring hygienic standard of sanitary facilities.
• Office tea and refreshment preparation.
• Removing trash in office areas.
• Dusting, disinfecting, and polishing of surfaces and furniture as needed.
• Responsible for reporting repairs and replacements encountered when executing daily tasks.
• Other tasks as may be assigned and appropriate for the role

Hours of Work: 40 hours per week.

Reporting: The employee shall report to the Operations, Contracts & Procurement Officer.

Qualifications and Experience

• Minimum of a Malawi School Certificate of Education. Those with a Diploma or Advanced Diploma in a relevant field will be an added advantage.
• At least 3 years of experience in administrative/operational support roles.
• Problem-solving skills with experience identifying and suggesting solutions to challenges as they arise.
• Excellent interpersonal skills needed to work effectively with technical project staff, including the ability to collaborate and communicate clearly.
• Ability to work efficiently under pressure and manage multiple deadlines with limited guidance, while maintaining high standards in quality of work.
• Fluency in English and Chichewa
• Computer proficiency a plus, especially Microsoft email, Word and Excel
• Ability to work in Malawi

How to apply:

Interested applicants must send their Curriculum Vitae with cover letter and copies of certificates indicating “Operations Assistant” in the subject matter to HRGPMW@thepalladiumgroup.com by 17:00hrs on 14th April 2026.