Overview

Call for Expressions of Interest  

Administrative Assistant Consultant, Lilongwe, Malawi 

Anticipated timeframe: January 2026 to the end of March 2026 

Location: Lilongwe, Sightsavers Malawi Country Office 

Purpose of the Consultancy 

This role provides essential administrative support to the Sightsavers Malawi Country Office during a maternity leave period. The consultant will ensure smooth office operations, effective communication, and support for project activities, helping maintain continuity in eye health and disability inclusion programmes.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate programme and admin activities: Organise meetings, events, and travel logistics for efficient project delivery.

• Manage office operations and communication: Oversee daily office systems, correspondence, and information flow.

• Supervise support staff: Lead and guide drivers and admin personnel to maintain operational standards.

• Handle logistics and procurement: Manage procurement, inventory, vehicle maintenance, and asset records in line with policies.

• Liaise with external partners: Work with contractors and service providers to ensure timely and compliant service delivery.

This is a highly varied and involved role and the above is not an exhaustive list of duties or required professional skills. Please see the Terms of Reference (ToR) for full details. 

Skills and Experience

About the Consultant 

The Administrative Assistant will be highly organised, proactive, and detail-oriented, with strong communication and interpersonal skills. They will demonstrate the ability to manage multiple tasks efficiently and maintain professionalism in a fast-paced environment. The consultant will have experience in office administration, coordinating logistics, and supporting programme activities. They will be confident in supervising support staff and liaising with external stakeholders, ensuring compliance with organisational policies and delivering high-quality administrative support. Strong problem-solving skills, adaptability, and a commitment to Sightsavers’ mission of promoting eye health and disability inclusion are essential.

Timeline 

We anticipate this consultancy assignment will take place between January and the end of March 2026

Consultant expertise 

• Proven experience in office administration and coordinating logistics.

• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills for effective internal and external engagement.

• Ability to supervise and support office staff, ensuring operational standards are maintained.

• Competence in managing procurement processes, inventory, and asset administration in compliance with policies.

• Proficiency in using standard office software and systems.

• Experience working with payments.

• Ability to raise purchase orders.

• Knowledge of the SUN system would be advantageous.

• Experience raising supplier credits and handling queries.

• Problem-solving skills and adaptability to handle unexpected challenges.

• Commitment to Sightsavers’ mission and values, particularly in eye health and disability inclusion.

Payment Terms  

The agreed budget will be discussed at interview. Consultancies with a proven track record in the above will be procured to undertake the project through an expression of interest process. Full details of the project, Scope of Work and Outputs/ Deliverables can be found within the attached ToR.

Due to project deadlines, we are keen to fill this role as quickly as possible so applications will be considered as soon as they are received.

As an equal opportunity employer, we actively encourage applications from all sections of the community. Sightsavers is a Disability Confident Leader and qualified people living with a disability are particularly encouraged to apply.

Next Steps

How to express your interest: 

To submit your bid please read the complete ToR and complete our Expression of Interest (EoI) which can be found via the application link by 11 December 2025.  

Interested bidders are also requested to include an example of previous similar work.

The deadline to submit your EoI is 11 December 2025 at 23:30pm BST UK. 

Interviews are likely to be held on the 16th and 17th of December 2025.

Please note due to the high volume of applications anticipated it is possible that only successful applicants will be contacted. We reserve the right to close this ad early.

Selection Criteria:  

Sightsavers is committed to running a fair and transparent tender process and ensuring that all bidders are treated and assessed equally during this process. Bidder quotation responses will be evaluated against Essential Criteria, Capability Criteria, Sustainability Criteria and Commercial Criteria. These criteria have been especially created to help SCI determine which bidder is able to offer the best quality and most commercially competitive solution to meet our needs and deliver the most effective programming to our beneficiaries.