Bursary Management Assistant

Job description

Role description

The Bursary Management Assistant supports the delivery of high-quality, end-to-end bursary programmes through strong administrative coordination and student engagement. Reporting to the bursary manager, this role is focused on assisting with the recruitment, screening, and shortlisting of students, as well as providing day-to-day support across the bursary lifecycle. This role requires someone who is organised, proactive, and genuinely invested in student wellbeing. You will engage directly with students, supporting them through the application process, gathering and verifying required information, and maintaining consistent, professional communication to ensure a positive student experience.Working closely with the bursary manager and broader team, you will support the screening and selection process by ensuring applications are complete, accurately assessed against criteria, and prepared for review. You will also assist in aligning shortlisted students to donor requirements, ensuring that both student needs and donor expectations are well understood and supported.This role contributes to Feenix’s mission by helping ensure that students are effectively supported and connected to funding opportunities, while upholding our values of sustainability, innovation, transparency, and efficiency..

Core responsibilities including, but not exclusive to:
Bursary administration support

• Provide administrative assistance throughout the bursary lifecycle, including recruitment, screening (moderation), onboarding, record keeping, document management, and eligibility verification.
• Work closely with the finance and operations teams to support the timely and accurate disbursement of bursary funds (tuition, accommodation, allowances, stipends, and resources).
• Ensure student information is consistently updated and verified to align with disbursement requirements.
• Assist with the preparation of reports, tracking bursary fund utilisation, and maintaining compliance with funder and internal requirements.

Student liaison and support

• Serve as the primary point of contact for bursary recipients, offering prompt and clear responses to student queries across communication platforms.
• Build and maintain authentic, professional relationships with students to foster trust, engagement,  confidence, and provide clarity around bursary processes, and offer guidance where needed.
• Represent the student voice internally, advocating for their needs and ensuring their experiences inform departmental decisions.
• Support onboarding and wrap-around support activities, including orientations and resource referrals (e.g. mental health support, job readiness training).

Monitoring, reporting and impact tracking

• Maintain accurate records and track student progress, engagement, and support needs.
• Collect and consolidate feedback from students to continuously improve bursary and crowdfunding support services.
• Stay informed on higher education trends, bursary and funding landscapes, and student challenges to inform Feenix strategies.
• Assist in compiling data for internal reporting and impact measurement, in collaboration with the monitoring and evaluation team.

Team collaboration and dynamic support

• Work closely with the bursary manager, marketing, finance and operations, monitoring and evaluation, and broadersStudent advancement team to ensure smooth operations.

• Provide flexible and responsive support to the department, adapting to changing priorities and emerging needs.

Qualifications and experience

Education: Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as social sciences, project management, or similar.

Experience:

• 1-2 years experience in customer support services or administration.
• Great time management and attention to detail, with a focus on delivering measurable outcomes.
• Demonstrated passion for youth development and advancing student success.

Skills:

• Excellent time management skills.
• Detail-orientated.
• Ability to manage multiple responsibilities simultaneously.
• Strong written and verbal communication abilities.
• Ability to build relationships with diverse stakeholders.
• Ability to adapt and learn new technologies quickly.

Advantageous training/experience:

• Experience in bursary administration support,  student support, preferably within a nonprofit or educational setting, will be beneficial.
• Has a valid driver’s license, as travel will be required

Working environment:

Hybrid model

• Compulsory in office days on Wednesdays and Thursdays (days are subject to change)
• Optional remote work on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays (at own expense to the individual)

Occasional Travel

• Assistant will be required to travel occasionally both locally (Cape Town) and nationally for university activations throughout the year.

Posted on 15 Apr 16:21, Closing date 4 May