Operations Manager (Full Time or Part Time)

Background 

Lang Tengah Turtle Watch (LTTW) is currently celebrating its 10th year of marine conservation successes in Terengganu, Malaysia.  Since inception, we have grown substantially, to date saving over 150,000 endangered and critically endangered turtle eggs from human consumption; nurturing and out-planting over 700 coral fragments back onto the reef; removing over 18,500 kg of rubbish from beaches and waters; and engaging tens of thousands of people with our conservation efforts across our 4 project sites, and many more digitally.  LTTW currently has 11 salaried staff members and hosts around 40 interns and up to 100 volunteers per annum.   We blend the worlds of practical conservation, research, outreach and responsible tourism, to achieve both immediate and long-term conservation goals. 

The Candidate

We are open to applications from individuals of any industry background.  Applicants who exhibit the right skillset and mindset, with a sincere and tangible passion for wildlife conservation, will be considered.  A strong track record of administrative and operational capabilities is essential. 

We are looking for a passionate, proactive, considerate and highly-organised individual, who possesses a holistic outlook and a great passion for conservation, to take ownership of the organisation’s operational and administrative elements.  An understanding and commitment to upholding the vision, mission, values and groundwork that have been laid over the last decade across the breadth of the organisation will be key.  As the ideal candidate, you will have displayed the capacity to simultaneously oversee the management of multiple projects, be comfortable with traveling between sites, and have the capacity to identify and strengthen systems and processes throughout the organisation.  You will have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with a strong ability to build and maintain healthy working relationships. You will have keen financial acumen, with the ability to manage financial reporting effectively.  A collaborative team player, you will also be someone who highly values diversity, inclusion and capacity building.

The Role

This role offers the opportunity to play an instrumental part in a dynamic conservation organisation with a strong track record of supporters, sponsors and collaborators.  You will ensure that our impactful projects on the ground continue to run smoothly and efficiently.

The role itself can be tailored to either a full-time (preferred) or part-time basis, depending on the needs, skillset and experience of the candidate. 

Duties will consist of (but not be limited to): 

• Recruitment and Onboarding of Staff and Interns (where necessary)*

• Scheduling (project sites, staff, interns and volunteers)*

• Staff Management*

• Liaising with Directors, Collaborators and Sponsors*

• Regular Site Visits

• Bookkeeping; Collating and Analyzing Project Accounts

• Payroll & Payments

• Handling General Enquiries, Admin and Volunteer Bookings

• Management of Online Adoptions

• Marketing / Advertising / Social Media*

• Co-ordinating and Attending Events*

• Merchandise Stock Management

• Systems and Processes Refinement

• Other Administrative Tasks

* These tasks will be undertaken in conjunction with other team members.  

See a full description of duties outlined below.

Skills and Qualifications

Essential:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher

• Minimum 5 years relevant work experience

• Excellent communication (written and verbal), interpersonal, and relationship-building skills

• Exceptional organisational skills

• Knowledge and experience of bookkeeping and producing financial reports

• Experience in team management and leadership

• Knowledge of systems management and refinement

• Be a critical and strategic thinker, with the ability to plan and implement effectively and identify areas for improvement

• Solutions driven, adaptable and a confident decision-maker 

• Strong passion for nature and education, and a willingness to learn about the wildlife conservation sector

• Commitment to the vision, mission, values and brand of LTTW

Desirable: 

• Experience in the non-profit sector

• Experience managing multiple project sites

• Experience in the eco/edu/responsible tourism sector

• Experience and knowledge of the conservation sector

Other Information

Start date:  July 2023, or as soon as possible

Pay:  Competitive for the industry.  Commensurate with experience and number of duties undertaken

Perks:  EPF, SOCSO, EIS; regular travel to project sites in Terengganu; flexible working hours; work from home (with travel as and when necessary)

This position is only available for those eligible to live and work in Malaysia.

If this is the role for you, please submit your application to our Co-Founder, Raphe (raphe@langtengahturtlewatch.org), including your C.V., covering letter, details of two referees and highlighting if you are applying for a full-time, or part-time position – we greatly look forward to hearing from you!

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Full Description of Duties

Recruitment and Onboarding of Staff and Interns (where necessary)*

•  Reactivate and tweak advert listings on websites

•  Mainly monsoon recruitment and liaising with upcoming recruits

•  Contract drafting

Scheduling (all project sites, staff, interns and volunteers)*

• Volunteer arrivals

• Staff and intern breaks*

• School & university visits*

Staff Management*

• Ensure the smooth running of project sites (enforcing deadlines, milestones, targets)

• Regularly liaise with project staff and respond to any problems and complaints as quickly as possible

• Keep in regular contact with staff members to ensure their wellbeing

• Communicate information to all project sites in the form of a regular ‘HQ update’

• Offer regular feedback to staff members about their performance and progress

Liaising with Directors, Collaborators and Sponsors*

• Send news updates and discuss any developments

• Send through project proposals for review

• Manage communication between Project Directors and Field Site Staff

• Ensure existing sponsors are kept updated on any developments and how their sponsorship is being used

• Identifying and engaging with potential collaborators and sponsors

Regular Site Visits

• Observe dynamics and people (staff, interns and volunteers)

• Talk with staff (as groups and individuals) to discuss any developments and problems

• Quality Control – oversee that aesthetic standards are being maintained and keep an eye on hygiene standards, equipment (upkeep and maintenance – being treated with care) and any items that may need to be replaced

• Oversee the quality of administrative tasks, checking that data is being collected and stored appropriately

• Discuss with site managers any opportunities for improvements in the running of project sites

• Oversee that the team are regularly sending through the forms for any online adoptions

Bookkeeping; Collating and Analyzing Project Accounts

• Oversee the management of petty cash and that project sites report when they need more cash to be transferred

• Ensure project sites submit accounts monthly, and check that these have been inputted correctly

• Oversee the management of payments from the company account, and ensure that invoices are paid promptly

• Oversee management of the office accounts

• Ensure that the accounts are submitted regularly (once every 2-3 months) to the organisation’s accountant and provide any necessary documentation

Payroll & Payments

• Paying staff salaries on time

• Paying employer’s and employee’s contribution for EPF, SOCSO, EIS and MTD on time

• Ensuring that monthly payslip and annual EA form are given to employees on time

• Set up online payments for approval

Handling General Enquiries, Admin and Volunteer Bookings

• Ensure that emails and social media messages are checked daily (ideally aim to respond within 24-72 hrs)

• Processing of volunteer bookings and updating of staff on site with amended spreadsheets

• Tracking of volunteer payments and following up

• Reviewing, storing and passing on all volunteer documents (medical documents and appropriate follow ups, insurance policies, indemnity forms etc.)

• Filing and storing of all LTTW documents and files across digital and physical spaces

Management of Online Adoptions

• Oversee the process of email enquiries and payments through PayPal

• Ensure that the updated online adoptions database are sent through to the appropriate site Manager so they are able to ensure updates are sent out and nests are purchased

Marketing / Advertising / Social Media

• Ensure the social media (Facebook/Instagram) are scheduled by project sites, and that content is varied

• Oversee and update the listings and advertisements across existing websites (environment jobs, GoOverseas etc.)

• Look for new opportunities for volunteer listings/recruitment online

• Doing minor updates and edits on the website / liaising with website designer for maintenance

Co-ordinating and Attending Events*

• Organise and co-ordinate any events in Kuala Lumpur or on the East Coast with project managers.

• Follow up on promotional and fundraising opportunities

• Oversee international school and university visits

Merchandise

• Oversee the managing of stock levels across the project sites and ensuring that regular deliveries of stock are made to the East Coast when necessary

• Look for opportunities to develop the existing range, to be more ethical and sustainable

Maximising Revenue

• Helping boost self-generated revenue through increasing donations, voluntourism, merchandise sales, corporate and international school trips, whilst not overstretching capacity of ground staff

Systems and Processes Refinement

• Identify how systems can be streamlined to improve operational efficiency and capacity

Other Administrative Tasks

• Collating directors’ signatures and submitting to relevant parties on time (e.g., accountant/secretary/auditor) as and when required.

• Filling and submitting forms for accounts/audit/tax/insurance/other office related matters.

• Ensuring compliance of the orgainsation with relevant regulations and laws