Job Details

Job Description

VVOB – education for development is an international non-profit organisation with over 40 years’ experience in strengthening the quality of education systems in Africa, Asia and South America in close partnership with ministries of education and their institutions. Our head office is based in Brussels, Belgium.

We implement our programmes and projects with one shared passion: to ensure the improvement of quality education.

Do you share our ambition to ensure that learners around the world can enjoy their fundamental human right to quality education, without exception? Are you convinced as well that quality education guarantees equal opportunities for everyone and is the key to a better world?

We are looking for an Operations Officer who will operate from our Zambian office in different projects. Do you want to take on this challenge? Then continue reading!

Responsibilities of the Operations Officer :

The Operations Officer is, serving as a bridge between the operations and programmes departments, and responsible for all sorts of operations procedures of all VVOB in-country projects. As Operations Officer you contribute to VVOB’s ambitions and values by being taking initiative whenever necessary to ensure the implementation of a high-quality administering of operational resources at the VVOB country office.

The Operations Officer reports to the operations manager and works closely with all departments within VVOB Zambia.

Additionally, you will have a strong connection with the programmes team, making sure activities have the logistical support it needs during preparations and execution.

You will:

• Provide administrative and logistical support to the projects, including travel arrangements, arranging meeting venues and other related tasks and you indicate areas for improvement where relevant.
• Ensure good office management, including managing office supplies, database management, arranging messenger services and other related tasks and you indicate areas for improvement where relevant.
• Ensure you support in the logistical and administrative capacity building activities of partners.
• Provide administrative support to the projects, such as printing preparations, supporting the participants registration and gathering supportive documentation to procurement procedures.
• Facilitate continuous improvement and knowledge sharing on procurement procedures in order to ensure needed improvements.

If you’re our Operations Officer, your workweek may include the following highlights:

• Together with the Operations team, you discuss updates on operations guidelines to verify if the updates are fully in line with the VVOB global guidelines.
• You handle all operations requests for assigned projects in collaboration with project coordinators and procurement department.
• You join the assigned project teams during their monthly planning and procurement meeting to make sure you understand the upcoming activities for the next month.
• You discuss the progress you made with the operations Manager, and finetune the procurement plans afterwards.
• Lunch! A perfect time to nurture informal relationships with the other team members in Zambia and hear how everyone is doing.
• In the monthly team meeting of the operations team, you share with your manager and team members the status on the currently relevant operations topics.
• You engage with the Finance to ensure that you are aligned on the vendor balances and upcoming payments.
• You support the project teams in logistical preparations for a training such as photo copying of agenda’s, follow up with the procurement team on the outsourced printing batch and making sure accommodation is booked.
• You prepare your field trip in the following week, making sure you understand the expectations of your tasks, asking input from the relevant Project Coordinator.

Who are you?

This is a national position, open to Zambia nationals only.

Your expertise and experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Purchasing and Supply, Finance/Business management or other relevant field or equivalent experience.
• Minimal 3 years’ experience in Operations, preferably experience working in an INGO
• Experience in procurement is seen as an asset
• Excellent computer skills in MS Office, Excel, Power point and Teams and other operations systems.
• Fluent in English
• All professional and academic qualifications must be verified by ZAQA.
• Understanding of donor requirements and experience of compliance is an asset

VVOB core competences:

• Result-oriented
• Continuous improvement
• Cooperation

Function specific competencies:

• Reliability
• Development Oriented
• Communication Skills
• Problem Analysis and Judgement
• Planning and Organization

What we’re offering:

• A dynamic working environment in an international context.
• An exciting job in a growing organisation with varied responsibilities and opportunities for professional development.
• An opportunity to contribute to exciting, evidence-based projects aimed at ensuring the education sector in Zambia is strengthened, by bringing in innovative solutions for professional development of school leaders and teachers.
• A complete remuneration package, which includes a base salary and benefits.
• A national contract to 30/06/2026.

What’s next?

Send your motivation letter detailing your match with the profile as well as your motivation behind applying for the vacancy along with your CV by e-mail no later than 26th May 2025 to [email protected].

Don’t forget to refer to the job title in the subject line of your e-mail.
Before a job offer, shortlisted candidates can expect:

1. A written test
2. An interview process

VVOB firmly believes that quality education can only be achieved if equity is ensured. Qualities of people prevail, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity or disability.