Events and Travel Coordinator

The Initiative for Strategic Litigation in Africa (ISLA) is a Pan-African and feminist non-profit organisation which engages the rule of law within African domestic and regional courts to advance women’s human rights and sexual rights. ISLA’s work is based on the belief that strategic litigation is a powerful tool for social change because it has the capacity to work in multidimensional ways, both within a given context and, critically, across contexts. We believe that strategic litigation can reframe understandings of entitlements before the law, challenge legal discourse on human rights violations, hold States and non-State actors accountable to violations of human rights and develop new norms.  This is achieved by building networks across 

the continent that work in strategic litigation.

Events and Travel Coordinator

(12 months fixed term contract)

ISLA seeks to appoint the Events and Travel Coordinator, who will be responsible for all organisation’s events ensuring that they are achieved effectively and efficiently. In line with the performance contract, the Events and Travel Coordinator has the overall responsibility of executing and supporting from initiation, planning, implementation, monitoring and compliance and closure for all travel and events activities and projects.

The Events and Travel Coordinator will perform high-level administrative coordination for events and travel, and support operations directors with all aspects of travel and events including but not limited to support with project design and conceptualisation, troubleshooting, knowledge management, planning and reporting.

Responsibilities:

1. Strategic Coherence 

1. Support and contribute to the organisational strategic goals setting and implementation

2. Establishment And Strengthening 

1. Develop and maintain organisation’s logistics guidelines, tools and templates required to support compliance with relevant policies and internal controls

2. Responsible for the overall planning of events, programmatic and operational across the continent, for online, physical and hybrid:

3. Events Coordination 

• Responsible for the overall planning of events, programmatic and operational across the continent, for online, physical and hybrid.

• Ensuring constant, transparent, accurate and positive communication for all parties involved in event logistics, both internal and external stakeholders, including IT support, interpreters, etc; 

• Partner relations: ensuring regular, professional, and accurate communication with clients (welcome calls, welcome letters, thank you notes, invoices, event guidelines); 

• Event logistics: managing and negotiating with suppliers of the events, and ensuring the quality of delivered services (facilities and site inspections); 

• Onsite event management: managing staff and event suppliers on site, and ensuring that the logistic quality of the event meets the expectations (smooth registration process, organised welcome desk, meeting room set up, suppliers, time management, etc.);

4.Travel Coordination 

• Sourcing relevant information from travellers and convey tentative itinerary to respective traveller for approval; 

• Coordinate, supervise and implement every aspects of travel arrangements for staff, executives, and partners; 

• Research optimal travel alternatives; 

• Coordinating with travel agents to make sure that all travel arrangements are made correctly

• Ensuring that travel arrangements meet all entry and legal requirements, including obtaining passports, visas and vaccinations. 

• Ensuring that staff have comprehensive travel support that includes considerations for when they leave their homes until they return

• Support travel for the directors

• Convene and facilitate post event/travel debriefing meetings to ensure recording of project reports and lessons learned

5. Compliance And Oversight 

1. Understanding typical ISLA projects including litigation institutes to ensure  that all projects are properly mapped on Asana to track the progress of the project, minimise breakdowns and troubleshoot when there are challenges; 

2. Ensuring that events and travel comply with the organisation’ Standard Operating Policies and Procedures (SOPPs) on Finance, Events and Travel; 

3. Identifying policy gaps and referring to the operations director parts of the SOPPs that need to be updated as and when it is needed; 

4. Providing information and being a focal point for event and travel related queries; 

5. Maintaining an up-to-date knowledge of all internal unit processes; and 

6. Work with the Director of Operations and Finance and Senior Operations Coordinator to develop processes, training materials and convening workshops to provide information and updates on travel and events matters. 

7. Working with the programme coordinators collaboratively to understand the specific support that is required for events and travel. 

8. Working with the Coordination team 

9. Preparing reports about travel and events activity for internal use by an organisation or for external use by partners 

10. Thinking outside the box and providing the team with ideas on how to improve the event coordination process for events and travel events, etc;

6. Financial Compliance 

1. Development of budgets and tracking of travel and events related expenditure 

2. Managing the financial aspects of travel and events planning by tracking expenditures and generating reports on travel spending

3. Review travel and event associated invoices as well as statements for accuracy plus codes for cash advance reconciliations.

4. Monitor the submission of claims, chasing untimely submissions and approvals as necessary and escalating as required

5. Ensure to compare invoices with genuine travel and event transactions to validate every charge.

6. Identify most suitable as well as best quality service with reasonable possible rates.

7. Research business and transactional practices of the travel destinations and work with finance to facilitate and accommodate different requirements within the organisations finance policies

7. Holistic Care, Safety And Well-Being

1. Development of organisational procedures on creating safety, well-being and holistic care during events and travel; 

2. Ensuring that attendees and travellers know what to do in case of unwellness, harassment or other situations that may threaten their safety and well-being; 

3. Keeping abreast of developments and best practices in the sector, gender and sexuality, when convening events to update our procedures; 

4. Consult partners and check travel alerts and advisories to help the teams decide on whether it is safe to travel or host convenings in various countries; 

5. Prepare travel information pack with relevant information including legal services, hospitals, psycho-social, mobile service providers, relevant embassies, and contact details of the team when travelling. 

6. Exercise employer’s duty of care to ensure that travellers are equipped with the knowledge and tools to deal with the challenges and risks they may face while in hostile or high-risk areas.

8. Qualifications And Skills

Essential:

• Bachelor's degree preferred

• An equivalent combination of education and/or experience may substitute for the degree when the experiences are closely related to the duties of the job.

• Proven work experience as Logistics Coordinator or similar role

• Knowledge of organisational effectiveness and operations management

• Experience budgeting and forecasting

• Excellent communication skills

• Outstanding organisational skills

• Excellent networking and negotiations skills

• Demonstrated ability to quickly and effectively problem solve and troubleshoot independently.

• Willingness to work independently at the direction of others, and in a team-focused environment.

• Exceptional attention to detail, accuracy and data tracking skills.

• Ability to learn quickly and succeed in a rapidly changing environment.

• Adaptability and willingness to learn and understand the organisation’s procedures and systems; 

• Familiarity and appreciation of project tracking tools, Asana specifically; 

• Willingness to work outside of standard working hours; 

• Commitment to the overall aims and values of ISLA; feminism and Pan Africanism.

9. Personal Attributes

• A courteous, professional, and cooperative attitude.

• Ability to work constructively and professionally across multiple issue areas and under the pressure of deadlines.

• Demonstrated commitment to human rights, feminism, and social justice.

• Highest standards of excellence and integrity always and to all persons.

1. Preference will be given to qualifying women applicants.

Salary: This position offers a competitive total cost to company salary scale ZAR360k - ZAR450k (US$24k - US$30K) commensurate with experience.

Closing Date: 27 September 2024

Suitable candidates who meet the requirements for this position are invited to click here https://www.the-isla.org/events-and-travel-coordinator/  to complete an application form. 

ISLA's job application form replaces the need to submit a CV as we prefer to have standardised information provided by all candidates. Upon submission, the applications will be received by the ISLA recruitment team for selection. Only shortlisted candidates will receive feedback on their application with further requirements. Late applications will not be considered.