Job Opportunity: Head of Administration -Re-advertised position available at Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in Addis Ababa. Accounting and Finance, Admin, Secretarial, and Clerical, Business and Administration, Legal jobs in Ethiopia are in high demand. Apply now through GeezJobs - Ethiopia's leading job portal.

Cluster or office-GIZ AU Office 

Contract duration-31.03.2027

Brief and attractive description of the project/ unit

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is a global service provider in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development dedicated to shaping a future worth living around the world. As a public-benefit federal enterprise, GIZ supports the German Government – in particular the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) – and many public and private sector clients in achieving their objectives in international cooperation in around 120 countries.

Since 2004, GIZ has been a reliable and trusted partner of the African Union (AU) to enhance inclusive growth and sustainable development on the African continent in line with the AU’s Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want. With more than 225 staff, GIZ African Union cooperates with the AU Commission, as well as the AU’s specialized institutions and agencies, such as the Development Agency AUDA-NEPAD, at continental, regional and national level in more than 35 member states. Key areas of engagement include Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention, Governance and Migration, Regional Economic Integration, as well as Pandemic Prevention and Health.

The GIZ African Union Office headquartered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with further staff based in South Africa, Ghana and Germany provides services and support in the areas of procurement, financial management, events and travel, human resources, internal operations, communication and portfolio management to all GIZ programs and projects that are implemented in partnership with the African Union.

Responsibilities and Duties

This role requires a combination of strategic oversight, operational management, and leadership skills to ensure the efficient functioning of the organization's administrative operations for the Portfolio.

The Head of Administration is part of the Management of the AU-Office and has a crucial role in the efficient functioning and management of administrative operations within the AU-Portfolio and in the new process of S4GIZ. These tasks include among duties and responsibilities the following:

• Manage office-wide the administrative system of the Unit “Office Management and Secretary” of the AU Portfolio
• Lead and coordinate in cooperation with the 5 sector coordinators the Unit “Office Management and secretary” and the team of 13 Office Managers
• Supervise the Team of “Business Partner Management” and the Database in the new system S4/Hana of GIZ in the context of accounting, procurement and commission management.
• Coordination of the cooperation and the follow up with the country office of Ethiopian as Hub of “Business Partner Management”
• Ensure the correct implementation of the rules of Finance and the cashbox in the accounting system
• Ensure the onboarding of the Unit “Office Management and Secretary” and respect the regulations of Data- and Records management 
• Preparation of data and information according to requirements and ensure compliance with legal law of our implementing countries and GIZ policies.
• Coordination of the Unit “Office Management and secretary” including logistic of travel and events of partners to enable smooth day-to-day operations. 
• Assisting the Head of Finance and Administration (HoFA) of the African Union Portfolio in assuring compliance management, including anti-corruption measures in his/her working field
• Supporting strategic framework for digital changes in GIZ
• Corporate with all other Units and as a part of the Management Team in the Portfolio. Actively network with other units in the AU-Portfolio, incorporating findings and management goals into service level agreements of the Units.
• Organization of knowledge management in area of your working field and make your expertise available for processing topics within the context of knowledge management.
• All other tasks related to the work as Head of Administration in the AU-Portfolio

Qualifications

•  Master’s degree in management, Commerce, Finance, Law or similar working fields.

Professional experience

•  A Minimum of 8-10 years in similar positions in international organizations or GIZ
• Strong knowledge in administrative procedures of governmental structures and international Organization 
• Knowledge in SAP4/Hana and linked workstream Accounting
• Knowledge and capacity to organize the work processes of the secretariat including logistic of travel- and event of partners
• Strong leadership skills and proofed experience in leading agile and teams 
• Strategic thinking and ability to contribute to overall portfolio management of the AU-Portfolio.

Other knowledge, additional competencies

Knowledge of cooperation with the African Union or similar institutions 

• Excellent knowledge of the domain of administration and compliance management
• Knowledge in the principles of cooperation and leadership and change processes in international organizations
• Ability to think and act strategically and analytically, as well as quick comprehension and an eye for the essentials.
• Commitment, team spirit, reliability, diplomatic skills, gender competence and intercultural understanding.
• Proven willingness to provide client-oriented services and competences.
• Independent and solution-oriented way of working, even under deadline pressure, as well as solution-oriented action.
• Fluent in English in written and speaking is necessary; basic knowledge of another language like French or German is an advantage
• Good working knowledge of ICT  (E-Mail, computer applications such as MS Office 365 and SAP)

How To Apply

Application procedure:

Interested and qualified candidates shall submit their motivation letter along with their recent CV via E-Mail: recruitment-ethiopia@giz.de 

Please make sure you mention the vacancy number and position title 'Your Full Name_ Head of Administration #003/2026’ in the subject line of your E-Mail application.

Applications without vacancy numbers in subject lines might be disqualified.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Please refer to our brochure to learn more about GIZ’s attractive benefits package.

       “GIZ is an equal opportunities employer committed to diversity. All qualified candidates, regardless of disability, age, sex, ethnicity, race, and religion are encouraged to apply.”