Tongaat Hulett boasts a proud 134-year history and a significant socio-economic legacy within KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa, extending into sub-Saharan Africa. The Group’s technical operations encompass:

• Four sugar manufacturing mills located along the North Coast of KwaZulu-Natal, stretching from Tongaat to Empangeni;
• A sugar refining operation based on South Coast Road, Durban;
• Voermol Feeds, an animal feeds manufacturing plant situated in Tongaat, adjacent to the Maidstone Sugar Mill;
• A Technical Operations support function comprising specialists who provide high-level assistance to operations both locally and internationally.

The Company’s current priority is to enhance overall business performance over the medium to long term, with objectives to operate strategically, sustainably, efficiently, and profitably. Tongaat Hulett is focused on revitalising assets to generate cash flow and exploring new customer segments.

This is a newly created role based at Voermol Feeds, Maidstone, reporting directly to the Managing Director. The successful candidate will manage and coordinate the activities of the Managing Director’s office, providing executive-level administrative, governance, reporting, and business coordination support. Key responsibilities include controlling executive reporting cycles, tracking decisions, risks, audit and compliance actions, and strategic projects, as well as supporting the implementation and follow-through of decisions made by the Managing Director and management structures.

The role requires close collaboration with the Managing Director, EXCO members, Heads of Department, management teams, customers, suppliers, auditors, and service providers. Handling confidential information with the utmost discretion is essential.

Coordinate information and management responses required for internal audits, external audits, and assurance activities.

To manage and coordinate the activities of the Managing Director’s office, providing executive-level administrative, governance, reporting, and business coordination support.

The role involves controlling executive reporting cycles, coordinating strategic and cross-functional initiatives, maintaining visibility of business performance, risks, projects, and outstanding commitments, and supporting the implementation and follow-through of decisions made by the Managing Director and management structures. The incumbent exercises judgement in prioritising matters, reviewing submissions, resolving routine coordination issues, and escalating significant exceptions requiring executive intervention.

Executive & Administrative Support

• Coordinate the Managing Director’s diary, meetings, workshops, business engagements, and executive-office priorities;
• Prepare meeting packs, briefing notes, presentations, and executive correspondence, managing confidential and sensitive information with discretion;
• Provide administrative support for strategic initiatives and special projects, liaising with internal and external stakeholders within agreed authority limits.

Executive Office Governance & Control

• Develop and maintain the annual Executive Office calendar for EXCO submissions, business reviews, budgeting, strategic planning, and governance deadlines;
• Establish protocols, templates, and submission requirements, reviewing submissions for completeness and required approvals before referral to the Managing Director;
• Maintain a controlled register of executive decisions, commitments, and delegated actions, monitoring implementation and escalating significant deviations.

Meeting Coordination, Decision Tracking & Follow-up

• Attend designated meetings, record accurate minutes, and capture decisions, responsibilities, and due dates;
• Manage the Managing Director’s action register and Microsoft Planner boards, communicating approved outcomes to relevant stakeholders;
• Issue a weekly Outstanding Actions Report highlighting overdue, high-risk, and decision-dependent items, escalating overdue actions as necessary.

Management Reporting & Information Management

• Own and coordinate the monthly Voermol management reporting cycle, issuing instructions, templates, and deadlines to Heads of Department;
• Review submissions for completeness, consistency, and discrepancies, returning incomplete submissions for correction;
• Consolidate departmental reports into management and EXCO packs with concise executive summaries, highlighting exceptions, emerging risks, and decisions required.

Business Performance Coordination

• Coordinate monthly collection and consolidation of departmental KPI results, maintaining the consolidated Voermol business-performance dashboard;
• Ensure corrective actions are assigned, documented, monitored, and escalated when overdue; coordinate performance-review meetings and maintain a register of improvement initiatives.

Risk, Audit & Compliance Action Coordination

• Maintain the Voermol business risk, audit, and compliance action register, tracking mitigating actions, commitments, and target dates;
• Highlight overdue actions, unresolved material risks, and control gaps to the Managing Director;
• Maintain a register of audit findings and monitor corrective-action closure, including retention of supporting evidence.

Strategic Initiative & Project Governance

• Establish standard project-reporting templates, milestone trackers, and status-reporting requirements;
• Coordinate governance reporting and project-review meetings for strategic projects sponsored by the Managing Director, escalating missed milestones and unresolved constraints;
• Maintain a consolidated portfolio view of strategic initiatives and prepare periodic portfolio summaries.

Delegated Executive & Stakeholder Coordination

• Obtain information directly from departments for executive reporting and decision support, escalating non-compliance with executive requirements or deadlines;
• Prepare background briefs, coordinate approved follow-up communication, and maintain a confidential commitments register.

Process Improvement & Digital Enablement

• Identify, document, and improve executive administrative, reporting, and action-tracking processes, templates, workflows, and registers;
• Act as business-process owner for the Managing Director’s Microsoft Planner environment and utilise Microsoft Copilot and approved digital solutions to improve reporting quality and efficiency;
• Train and support designated users, monitor adoption and data quality, and recommend practical improvements to executive-office controls.

Qualifications

• Minimum: Grade 12 (Matric);
• Preferred: A qualification in Administration, Office Management, or Business Administration;
• A minimum of 12 months’ formal training, including advanced Microsoft Office, Microsoft Planner, business reporting, project coordination, document control, and governance processes.

Essential Experience

• At least five years’ service within Voermol and/or Tongaat Hulett;
• Proven experience in executive administration, reporting, coordination, and confidential information management;
• A strong understanding of Voermol’s operations, reporting processes, and organisational structure;
• Proficient working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications;
• Fluency in both English and Afrikaans, written and spoken, is essential.