Project Office Administrator
Simera Sense
Simera Sense is a leading provider of Earth observation camera solutions for the global small satellite market. Committed to excellence and innovation, we deliver superior products and services to our worldwide customer base.
Are you a master organiser with a passion for keeping projects running like clockwork? We are seeking a dynamic Project Office Administrator to join our high-energy team and serve as the engine that keeps our project operations moving forward. In this role, you will be the go-to person who keeps our project managers empowered, our processes streamlined, and our delivery on track. If you thrive in a fast-paced environment, love bringing structure to complexity, and want to play a central role in driving meaningful impact, this is your opportunity to shine!
Position Type: Full-time
Remote Opportunity: No
Report To: Group Project Manager
Location: Somerset West, South Africa
Job Purpose:
Provide comprehensive administrative, financial, and project coordination support to ensure the efficient execution of space industry projects in compliance with technical, regulatory, and stakeholder requirements.
Responsibilities:
Budget Monitoring & Cost Tracking
- Assist project managers in tracking project budgets, ensuring alignment with approved financial plans.
- Monitor actual expenditures against forecasts and flag variances for investigation and resolution.
- Maintain accurate records of financial transactions related to project activities.
Risk & Cost Control Support
- Identify and escalate project risks such as cost overruns, delayed tasks, and milestones at risk.
- Support the implementation of project management efficiency measures.
Project Management Systems & Tools
- Use project management systems (e.g., MS Project, MS Planner) to input, retrieve, and analyse project data.
- Maintain records of project progress
- Assist with core PM documentation maintenance and update
- Assist with PM processes documentation creation, revision.
Project Coordination & Support
- Provide comprehensive administrative support to project managers and work package leads across multiple space-related initiatives.
- Maintain and update project schedules, timelines, and milestone tracking tools.
- Coordinate internal meetings, reviews, and workshops, ensuring agendas, minutes, and action items are documented and followed up.
Internal Controls & Governance
- Ensure adherence to PM, procedures, and internal controls.
Documentation & Compliance
- Manage the creation, formatting, version control, and archiving of project documentation in line with ISO and space industry standards.
- Ensure compliance with national and international regulatory requirements, including those from ECSS and ITAR (where applicable).
- Support audit preparation and internal quality assurance processes.
Communication & Stakeholder Liaison
- Act as a central point of contact between project teams, internal departments, and external stakeholders (e.g., suppliers).
- Draft internal communications, reports, and presentations for project updates and executive briefings.
Resource & Procurement Administration
- Assist in tracking project budgets, procurement requests, and resource allocations.
- Liaise with supply chain and finance teams to ensure timely acquisition of materials and services critical to mission timelines.
Data & Systems Management
- Maintain project databases, dashboards, and collaboration platforms (e.g., MS Project, Planner, SharePoint, or local equivalents).
- Support the integration of digital tools for project monitoring, risk management, and reporting.
Risk & Change Management Support
- Assist in maintaining risk registers and change control logs.
- Coordinate the documentation and communication of change requests and mitigation strategies.
Continuous Improvement
- Identify and recommend improvements to project management office processes and tools.
- Participate in lessons-learned sessions and contribute to knowledge management initiatives.
- Where needed, find training to update the skill set.
Required Qualifications:
Higher Certificate in Business Administration, Office Management, Public Administration, or Project Management
Required Experience:
- 5+ years of experience in administrative roles, ideally with exposure to technical or project-based environments
- Experience in coordinating meetings, managing calendars, and handling documentation workflows
- Experience working in project-based environments, ideally within engineering, aerospace, defense, or high-tech sectors
- Familiarity with project lifecycle phases, milestone tracking, and reporting
- Exposure to budget tracking, procurement processes
- Experience working with project management systems (e.g., MS Project)
- Experience managing technical documentation, version control, and compliance with ISO 9001 or similar quality standards
- Familiarity with document control systems (e.g., SharePoint, Confluence, or custom platforms)
- Understanding of regulatory environments such as ECSS, SANSA, ICASA, or ITAR (even at a support level)
- Proven ability to liaise with internal teams and external customers
- Experience preparing reports, presentations, and customer-facing documentation
Recommendations:
- Diploma or Degree in Business Administration, Project Management, or a related field
- Certifications such as Project Management (e.g., PRINCE2, PMP),
What we offer:
- The opportunity to work in the fast-growing space industry.
- Niche global market for optical payloads for microsatellites.
- Cutting-edge technology at your fingertips
- A competitive salary
- A friendly working environment.
Ready to make an impact?
Apply now by submitting your CV and cover letter.
