Project Management Administrator

Sanlam Life and Savings (SLS) is focused on serving our retail and corporate clients in South Africa and further developing our strategic advantages in the South African market. Sanlam Life and Savings consists of the following business units Retail Mass, Corporate, Risk and Savings, Glacier and various business enabling functions. The Sanlam Life and Savings Office provides strategic direction, coordination and support to the four clusters, as well as performing governance oversight that includes assurance provided by second line of defense functions in SLS, to enable us to meet our business objectives.

Role Purpose: The Project Management Administrator provides comprehensive project, financial, office, and governance administration support to Project Managers and project teams. The role ensures effective coordination, accurate reporting, adherence to PMO standards, and smooth execution of project activities across multiple workstreams within a fast paced environment.

• Update and maintain project budgets, including monthly cost and projection reporting
• Manage vendor payments, purchase orders, and invoice capturing
• Resolve and follow up on budget related queries
• Coordinate PPO time capturing by ensuring all project resources complete monthly submissions before month end close
• Provide financial reporting support to the Project Manager
• Support contract management financials, including signatory approval processes (for applicable projects)

• Provide administrative support to Project Managers and large project teams
• Maintain and update project information on PPO and SharePoint, including risks, issues, and dependencies
• Communicate and follow up on action items, providing daily feedback through stand ups, Kanban boards, or Planner updates
• Produce accurate, high quality meeting minutes and distribute within 48 hours
• Interpret and update project plans using MS Project, PPO, JIRA, or Planner tools
• Compile accurate weekly dashboards and monthly progress reports in line with PMO standards
• Arrange meetings, venues, catering and virtual collaboration logistics
• Manage project diaries, meeting schedules and project related mailboxes
• Maintain project registers (e.g. contact lists, birthdays, or other required records)
• Actively contribute to positive team morale and collaboration within the project environment

• Log and track infrastructure and equipment issues with relevant helpdesks until resolution
• Manage asset registers and equipment allocation for project resources
• Process hardware and software orders via SRS / Helix systems (in line with 15 working day SLA)
• Support onboarding of new project resources
• Assist with coordination of team building activities and project functions

• Adhere to PMO methodologies, governance frameworks and documentation standards
• Ensure correct use of approved templates, processes, filing and archiving standards as prescribed on MS Teams and PMO platforms

• Grade 12 (Matric)
• Relevant accredited courses
• Relevant diploma in Project Administration, Project Management, IT or a related field will be an advantage

• Minimum of 3 years' job related experience in a formal project administration role
• Experience supporting IT/software development projects will be beneficial

• Solid understanding of the project life cycle and formal project methodologies
• Strong end to end administration and coordination skills
• Advanced proficiency in project and productivity tools, including:
  • Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint and Word
  • MS Project
  • JIRA or similar agile/project tracking tools
• Experience using AI enabled productivity or project support tools (e.g. AI assisted reporting, documentation, scheduling or analysis tools) will be beneficial
• Resilience and ability to maintain performance under pressure
• Strong customer focus and service orientation
• Results driven with high attention to detail
• Clear, professional and effective communication skills
• Action oriented with strong prioritisation and planning ability
• Collaborative team player with a continuous improvement mindset
• Agile and responsive to changing business and project demands

• Being resilient - Contributing independently
• Collaborates - Contributing independently
• Customer focus - Contributing independently
• Cultivates innovation - Contributing independently
• Drives results - Contributing independently

• Interpersonal savvy - Contributing independently
• Decision quality - Contributing independently
• Plans and aligns - Contributing independently
• Optimises work processes - Contributing independently

The Sanlam Group is committed to achieving transformation and embraces diversity. This commitment is what drives us to achieve a diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace as we believe that these are key components to ensuring a thriving and sustainable business in South Africa. The Group's Employment Equity plan and targets will be considered as part of the selection process.