Job Title:            Southern Africa Trip Lead

Location:            South Africa

Contract:            Fixed term contract – approx. 5 months

Hours:                 24 hours per week (during the scholar trip hours will increase to 40 hours per week)  

Salary:                R360,000 – R390,0000 per annum (R600,000 – R650,00 Full time equivalent)

We have a fantastic and new opportunity for a Southern Africa Trip Lead to join the Rhodes Trust. this role will provide logistics planning, coordination and support for the delivery of the Rhodes Southern Africa Trip. This trip aims to understand and address the legacy – historical and contemporary – of Cecil John Rhodes and the Rhodes Trust in Southern Africa. We are looking for the successful candidate to start with us in April.

About the Rhodes Trust

The Rhodes Trust is an educational charity which offers Rhodes Scholarships to exceptional students from around the world to come and study at the University of Oxford. Our mission is to build a better world through global fellowship programmes that develop and connect compassionate, innovative, and public-spirited people committed to solving humanity’s challenges.

In recent years, we have also partnered with several other remarkable organisations to create the Mandela Rhodes Foundation, the Atlantic Institute, the Schmidt Science Fellows, RISE and Oxford Next Horizons.

The Role

This role will work closely in consultation with the Rhodes Scholar Southern Africa Working Group and selected vendors in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Zambia as well as other Rhodes Trust departments, most notably Finance. The Working Group has already formed a detailed itinerary and selected production partners in all three countries. This role is responsible for executing the itinerary and coordinating with the production partners, and other third-party suppliers and support services.

Main Responsibilities

Pre-Southern Africa Trip:

·       Manage trip logistics, in consultation with the Rhodes Scholars Working Group and external vendors and contractors to ensure a seamless delivery of the Rhodes Southern Africa Trip.

·       Communicating with vendors (logistics partners, hotels etc) through use of strong administration skills.

·       Develop and maintain risk management tools, including health and safety documentation, for the Southern Africa Trip.

·       Developing and implementing the run of show documents for the Rhodes Southern Africa Trip and managing coordination between production partners, other suppliers and Scholars.

·       Assist Rhodes Scholars in obtaining the correct insurance and visas, vaccinations, and relevant advice on travel where applicable.

During the Southern Africa Trip

·       Attendance on the Rhodes Southern Africa Trip (tentatively 27^th June 2025 – 12^th July 2025) is essential to play a one-stop point for all in the moment logistics queries and troubleshooting and to ensure the trip proceeds as per itinerary.

·       Play a key role in coordinating the logistics and support shaping the experience for Rhodes Scholars. Logistics include accommodation, travel, meals, stakeholder engagement, and activity arrangements.

·       Be the central contact point for all suppliers, and ensure the successful implementation of the logistics plan.

·       Implementing risk management, and all health and safety procedures and escalation where necessary.

Other

•        Role modelling the Trust’s organisational values of commitment, inclusion, belonging, growth and innovation.
•        Carrying out any other duties relevant to the role, as requested.
•        A deep commitment to the values, ethos and mission of the Rhodes Trust.

Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Experience 

·       Proven experience, knowledge and expertise in on-the-ground logistics in Southern Africa including in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Zambia.

·       An understanding of the history and legacy of Cecil John Rhodes.

·       Significant experience with in-person trip coordination and/or event/itinerary production.

·       Experience building relationships across global cultures.

·       Significant experience coordinating vendors/logistics partners and the ability to manage partner relationships across a broad range of locations.

·       Advanced administrative, organisational, and time management skills.

·       Impeccable verbal and written communication.

·       Ability to maintain a high degree of confidentiality, professionalism, tact, and diplomacy to accomplish work objectives.

·       Ability to work in a fast-paced setting and able to prioritise tasks.  

·       Effective communication skills in a highly collaborative environment.

·       Attention to detail with the ability to support multiple events/projects.

·       Strong integrity and the ability to maintain confidentiality at the highest levels.

·       A deep commitment to the values, ethos and mission of the Rhodes Trust.

·       Enthusiasm and energy for collaboration.

If you would like to find out more, please click ‘apply’ to view the full job description and to find the link to apply. Please send us your CV and a covering letter. Please note, this advert will close on 30 March 2025.

If you have any issues with submitting your application, please email the Recruitment team.

The Rhodes Trust is an equal opportunity employer. We warmly welcome applications from talented people of diverse backgrounds and appoint without regard to age, disability, gender, gender identity, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity, parental status, marital or civil partner status, race, colour, ethnic or national origin, nationality, religion or belief.