Position Title
REF 1817: Personal Assistant To Chief Operating Officer
About Our Organisation
The Water Authority of Fiji is a corporate body established under the Water Authority of Fiji Act 2007 to make provision for the effective management and administration of the Water and the wastewater systems.
We are responsible for providing access to quality drinking water and wastewater services to over 159,000 and 33,540 residential and non-residential metered customers in the urban areas of Fiji and also setting up water supply systems in rural areas.
Position Objective
The Personal Assistant to the Chief Operating Officer is responsible for providing high-level executive, administrative and coordination support to the COO and ensuring the efficient and professional management of the COO’s Office. As the WAF’s Senior Executive managing the Operations, the COO provides leadership and oversight of nationwide operations and service delivery through the three Manager Regional Operations and the managers responsible for Water Treatment and Water Quality, Occupational Health and Safety, Mechanical and Electrical, Warehouse, and SCADA and Instrumentation departments. The Personal Assistant supports the COO in effectively carrying out these responsibilities by managing executive priorities, meetings, correspondence, travel, stakeholder engagements, confidential records and follow-up actions. The position serves as the key administrative coordination point between the COO’s Office, national operational functions, regional operations, other SBU Chiefs, the CEO’s Office and external stakeholders. Through effective planning, sound judgement, initiative, professionalism and discretion, the position ensures that information, instructions, decisions and commitments are accurately communicated, coordinated and followed through, contributing to effective operational leadership and improved service delivery across WAF.
Key Accountabilities
- Management of the Chief Operating Officer’s Office
- Manage the day-to-day administration and effective functioning of the COO’s Office.
- Plan, organise and prioritise the COO’s workload, commitments and administrative requirements.
- Act as the principal point of contact for internal and external matters directed to the COO.
- Screen telephone calls, emails, correspondence, visitors, enquiries and requests.
- Refer matters to the appropriate regional, departmental or corporate officers for attention.
- Keep the COO informed of urgent, confidential and time-sensitive matters requiring attention or decision.
- Maintain effective office systems, forward schedules and administrative arrangements.
- Resolve routine administrative matters within delegated authority and escalate significant matters to the COO.
- Calendar, Meetings and travel Coordination
- Manage the COO’s calendar, appointments, meetings, site visits and official engagements.
- Prioritise meeting requests and resolve scheduling conflicts in consultation with the COO.
- Coordinate meeting notices, agendas, papers, attendance, venues and technological requirements.
- Ensure that the COO receives complete meeting papers and briefing information in advance.
- Attend meetings as required and prepare accurate minutes, decisions and action points.
- Distribute approved minutes and follow up responsible officers on agreed actions.
- Coordinate domestic and international travel, including approvals, transport, accommodation and itineraries.
- Prepare travel packs, briefing materials, contact details and other supporting documentation.
- Executive Correspondence and Documentation
- Draft, review, proofread and format letters, memorandum, emails, submissions and official responses.
- Prepare correspondence to the Line Ministry, other government offices, statutory bodies and regulators.
- Assist with correspondence to development partners, utilities, private-sector organisations and other stakeholders.
- Prepare reports, briefing papers, presentations, talking points and other executive documents.
- Ensure documents are factual, clear, appropriately addressed and professionally presented.
- Verify references, dates, names, titles, attachments and supporting information before submission.
- Coordinate the internal review, clearance and approval of correspondence prepared for the COO.
- Maintain accurate records of incoming and outgoing correspondence and follow up outstanding responses.
- National and Regional Operations Coordination
- Serve as the administrative coordination point between the COO’s Office and the three Manager Regional Operations.
- Coordinate with the national functional/departmental managers reporting to the COO.
- Maintain effective working relationships with the Administrative Assistants supporting each Manager Regional Operations.
- Facilitate the timely flow of instructions, reports, correspondence and information between the National Office and the regions.
- Coordinate reporting calendars, meeting requirements and submissions across national and regional operations.
- Follow up incomplete, inconsistent or overdue reports and other information required by the COO.
- Track the implementation of instructions and decisions issued by the COO.
- Provide the COO with updates on progress, outstanding matters, approaching deadlines and issues requiring further direction.
- Operational Reporting and Executive Support
- Coordinate the compilation and consolidation of weekly, monthly, quarterly and other operational reports.
- Follow up Manager Regional Operations and national functional/departmental managers on required reports and updates.
- Review submissions for completeness, consistency and alignment with the COO’s reporting requirements.
- Gather and organise relevant operational information to support the COO’s meetings and decisions.
- Undertake research and data collection on matters referred by the COO.
- Prepare briefing notes, operational summaries, presentations and other executive materials.
- Assist with the preparation and coordination of management reports, Board papers and executive submissions.
- Ensure the COO is properly briefed for executive, Board, government, stakeholder, media and operational engagements.
- Interdepartmental Coordination
- Liaise with the CEO’s Office on executive correspondence, meetings, instructions and organisational priorities.
- Coordinate with other SBU Chiefs, managers and corporate support functions on cross-functional matters.
- Facilitate joint meetings, reports, submissions and initiatives involving Operations and other departments.
- Communicate executive instructions and deadlines to the relevant departments and responsible officers.
- Monitor interdepartmental actions and follow up matters requiring input, approval or completion.
- Bring significant delays, conflicting information or unresolved matters to the COO’s attention.
- Support the coordination of matters where the COO is acting for or assisting the CEO.
- Maintain effective working relationships while respecting WAF’s reporting lines and delegated authority.
- Stakeholder Liaison and Professional Representation
- Maintain professional working relationships with government ministries, statutory bodies and regulatory authorities.
- Liaise with development partners, utilities, municipal authorities and private-sector organisations.
- Coordinate stakeholder meetings, official visits, correspondence and requests involving the COO.
- Ensure stakeholder enquiries are promptly acknowledged, recorded and referred to the appropriate officer.
- Follow up commitments, information requests and responses arising from stakeholder engagements.
- Apply appropriate professional and government protocol when coordinating official meetings and correspondence.
- Represent the COO’s Office professionally and uphold WAF’s reputation and service standards.
- Avoid making operational, financial, contractual, employment or policy commitments unless expressly authorised.
- Records, Action Tracking and Confidentiality
- Maintain secure and accessible electronic and physical filing systems for the COO’s Office.
- Keep accurate registers of incoming and outgoing correspondence, COO instructions and executive requests.
- Record and monitor meeting actions, approvals, decisions, stakeholder commitments and outstanding matters.
- Follow up responsible officers and provide the COO with regular progress updates.
- Escalate significant delays, non-responses, incomplete actions and emerging risks.
- Maintain appropriate document naming, filing, version control and records-retention arrangements.
- Ensure that significant decisions, approvals and correspondence have a clear audit trail.
- Protect operational, personnel, financial, commercial and strategic information with the highest level of confidentiality and discretion.
- Operational and Emergency Coordination Support
- Provide administrative and coordination support during service interruptions, emergencies and other high-priority operational events.
- Arrange operational briefings, emergency meetings, conference calls and other coordination activities.
- Gather updates from the Manager Regional Operations and national functional/departmental managers.
- Coordinate and consolidate information required for situation reports and executive briefings.
- Record key decisions, instructions, assigned responsibilities and required completion timeframes.
- Maintain emergency contact lists, operational records and action trackers for the COO’s Office.
- Follow up responsible officers on emergency response actions and outstanding requirements.
- Provide executive and administrative support outside normal working hours where operationally necessary.
- Office Administration and Continuous Improvement
- Coordinate office supplies, equipment, facilities and other administrative requirements for the COO’s Office.
- Facilitate approved procurement requests and maintain relevant supporting documentation.
- Support the organisation of workshops, conferences, official functions, site visits and operational events.
- Coordinate venues, technology, catering and other approved logistical arrangements.
- Develop and maintain templates, reporting calendars, registers and administrative tracking tools.
- Review office processes and identify opportunities to improve efficiency, consistency and responsiveness.
- Promote consistent administrative practices between the National Office and regional offices.
- Provide coordination and administrative guidance to regional Administrative Assistants and support the Operations management team as authorised.
- Other Duties and Organizational Responsibilities
- Perform other duties assigned by the COO or authorised executive management.
- Remain flexible in responding to changing operational and organisational priorities.
- Work independently and exercise initiative within the authority delegated by the COO.
- Provide additional administrative support during periods of high workload or urgent operational activity.
- Comply with WAF policies, procedures, delegated authorities and lawful instructions.
- Observe WAF’s occupational health and safety, information security and records-management requirements.
- Maintain professional conduct, integrity and confidentiality in carrying out all responsibilities.
- Contribute positively to the effectiveness of the Operations Team and the achievement of WAF’s service-delivery objectives.
Qualification and Experience Requirement
- The applicant must possess a Diploma in management, public administration, business administration or equivalent from a recognised institution with 2 years’ relevant work experience OR a minimum of 2 years’ experience working as a legal clerk and or assistant in a law firm.
Skills and Abilities
- At least 2-3 years’ relevant experience in a senior Personal Assistant, Executive Assistant or executive administrative support role, preferably supporting a Chief Executive, Chief Officer, General Manager or equivalent senior executive.
- Proven experience managing a demanding executive office, including complex calendars, meetings, travel arrangements, official engagements and competing priorities.
- Demonstrated ability to provide high-level administrative and coordination support within a large, multi-site, public-sector, infrastructure, utility or service-delivery organisation.
- Excellent organisational, planning, prioritisation and time-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks and meet tight deadlines.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare high-quality correspondence, reports, submissions, briefing papers, presentations and meeting minutes.
- Proven ability to draft and coordinate formal correspondence for government ministries, statutory bodies, regulators, development partners, private-sector organisations and other senior stakeholders.
- Strong coordination and follow-up skills, with the ability to track executive instructions, correspondence, meeting actions, reports and stakeholder commitments through to completion.
- Demonstrated ability to coordinate effectively across national and regional operations, including with Regional Manager Operations, functional managers and regional Administrative Assistants.
- Experience compiling, reviewing and consolidating operational, management and executive reports from multiple departments or regional offices.
- Strong research, data-collection and information-synthesis skills, with the ability to prepare concise and decision-ready briefs for the COO.
- Excellent interpersonal and stakeholder-management skills, with the confidence and professionalism to liaise with senior executives, government officials, employees and external stakeholders.
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft 365 applications, particularly Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams and SharePoint, or equivalent office-management and collaboration systems.
- Strong records-management, filing, document-control and information-management skills, including maintaining correspondence registers, action trackers and clear audit trails.
- Demonstrated maturity, integrity, sound judgement and the ability to maintain the highest level of confidentiality and discretion when handling sensitive operational, personnel, financial and strategic information.
- Proven ability to work independently, exercise initiative, anticipate executive requirements and make sound administrative decisions with minimal supervision.
- Ability to remain calm, accurate and responsive under pressure, including during service interruptions, operational emergencies and other time-sensitive situations.
- Ability to understand organisational reporting lines, delegated authority and professional protocol and to promptly escalate material operational, safety, legal, financial, stakeholder or reputational risks.
- Demonstrated flexibility, resilience and service orientation, including the ability to work outside normal hours and travel when required to support the COO and WAF’s operational responsibilities.
How To Apply For Position
Interested candidates are advised to apply online and complete the recruitment requirements on the portal. All applications should be received no later than 11th September, 2026
INCOMPLETE & LATE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. ONLY SHORTLISTED CANDIDATES WILL BE CONTACTED.
Employment Type
Established
SBU
Operations
Sub-Section
Support
Salary Scale
$18,400.00-$23,000.00 Per year
Job Location
National Office - Suva
Vacancy Valid Till
September 11, 2026
