Virtual Office Manager

Virtual Office Manager

Location: Remote/Homebased

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer

Direct Reports: Senior Administrators, National Team Administrators

Contract Type: Flexible – Voluntary (Pathway to Contract) or Commission-Based Model available

Minimum commitment: 10hrs/week

Build the Digital Backbone of a Global Nonprofit. Enable Mission-Critical Operations. Join the Global Executive Leadership Team.

Project Yananai is seeking an exceptionally organised, detail-driven professional to serve as our Virtual Office Manager. This is a unique opportunity to join the Global Executive Leadership Team (GELT) and build, from the ground up, the administrative infrastructure that will enable a growing global organisation to operate with precision, compliance, and world-class efficiency.

About Project Yananai

Project Yananai is a global non-profit with HQ in the United Kingdom, with Affiliate Entities and National Management Teams in India, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Our mission is to inspire and empower individuals and communities by fostering enduring relationships, enhancing sustainable skills, and delivering compassionate humanitarian aid. Rooted in Christian values, we are dedicated to nurturing resilient societies that are self-sufficient, spiritually fulfilled, and equipped to break cycles of poverty. Our integrated Theory of Change - the Project Yananai Ecosystem - brings together three core activities that work synergistically to create lasting impact: Family Foundations, Community Learning Hubs and Relief Operations. We operate as a fully virtual organisation, with no physical offices. Our team spans four continents, collaborating through digital tools, with Google Workspace at the heart of our operations. The Virtual Office Manager will be the steward of this digital environment.

The Role

As Virtual Office Manager, you will be the architect and guardian of Project Yananai's digital infrastructure. You will be responsible for organising our Google Workspace environment into a logical, intuitive, and secure structure that meets the highest standards of information management - mirroring the rigour expected of ISO, EFQM, or international organisation filing systems. This is a role for someone who finds satisfaction in order, who understands that good systems enable good decisions, and who takes pride in creating the conditions for others to do their best work.

Key Responsibilities

• Google Workspace Organisation & Information Architecture
• Design, implement, and maintain a logical, intuitive folder structure across Google Workspace that reflects the organisation's divisions, departments, functions, processes, and geographic operations (global, regional, national).
• Ensure the structure aligns with international best practice standards (ISO, EFQM, or equivalent) for information management.
• Create and maintain clear naming conventions, version control protocols, and document lifecycle management processes.
• Establish and document standard operating procedures for the use of shared drives, folders, and collaborative spaces.
• Security & Access Rights Management
• Work in close liaison with the IT team to define and enforce appropriate access rights based on role, responsibility, and the principle of least privilege.
• Ensure that data protection requirements (UK GDPR and applicable local laws) are embedded in access management protocols.
• Conduct regular audits of access rights to ensure continued appropriateness and compliance.
• Manage the onboarding and offboarding of team members in Google Workspace, ensuring timely provision and revocation of access.
• Documentation Governance
• Ensure that all key documentation is drafted by the relevant responsible persons and made available to team members in the appropriate locations, including: Compliance documentation (policies, registers, certificates) Global, divisional, and departmental strategies Program and project documentation Meeting agendas, minutes, and supporting papers Monitor "live" documents to ensure they are kept up to date, with version control and review dates clearly marked.
• Establish a system for regular review and archival of superseded or obsolete documents.
• Meeting Minutes & Administrative Oversight
• Draft minutes for the Chief Officers Group and Global Executive Leadership Team (GELT) meetings, ensuring accuracy, clarity, and timely distribution.
• Where minutes are taken by a colleague, ensure copies are consistently filed in the appropriate location and that action points are captured and tracked.
• Conduct regular inspections of the Administration folders of Regional and National Management Teams to ensure minutes and key documentation are consistently filed in accordance with global standards.
• Provide guidance and support to Regional and National Teams on documentation standards and best practices.
• Team Leadership & Capacity Building
• Build, train, and lead a growing team of administrators across the organisation, including: Senior Administrators supporting members of the Global Executive Leadership Team (GELT) Administrators embedded within National Management Teams (NMTs) in India, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe Recruit, onboard, and mentor administrative staff, ensuring they have the skills, tools, and support to excel in their roles.
• Develop and deliver training programmes on information management, Google Workspace best practices, document control, and meeting administration standards.
• Establish clear role descriptions, performance expectations, and development pathways for administrative team members.
• Foster a collaborative, supportive community of practice among administrators across all geographies, facilitating regular check-ins, peer learning, and knowledge sharing.
• Ensure consistency of administrative standards and practices across global, regional, and national teams.
• Provide guidance and quality assurance to administrators in National Management Teams, conducting periodic reviews of their documentation, filing, and meeting administration practices.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for administrative challenges, providing support and problem-solving where needed.
• Promote a culture of excellence, reliability, and service-orientation within the administrative function, recognising that good administration enables good mission delivery.
• Task Monitoring & Escalation
• Monitor priority tasks across given technology platforms, spreadsheets, or files (e.g., action trackers, project management tools, shared task lists).
• Maintain a clear overview of pending actions, upcoming deadlines, and overdue items.
• Proactively alert Directors, Chief Officers, and the Chair of Trustees where tasks become overdue or at risk of delay.
• Escalate persistent or high-risk delays in accordance with established protocols.
• Process Improvement & Systems Development
• Continuously assess the effectiveness of the organisation's virtual infrastructure and propose improvements.
• Work with the Chief People and Governance Officer and IT team to refine and document administrative processes.
• Support the implementation of new tools or systems as the organisation grows and its needs evolve.

About You

Essential Experience & Skills

• Proven experience in office management, administration, or information management, ideally within a virtual or distributed organisation.
• Expert proficiency in Google Workspace (Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Shared Drives, Gmail, Calendar), with demonstrable experience designing and maintaining complex folder structures.
• Strong understanding of information architecture principles and best practices for document management.
• Experience with access rights management and an understanding of data protection principles (UK GDPR or equivalent).
• Exceptional attention to detail and organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Excellent written communication skills, with experience drafting meeting minutes and formal documentation.
• Proficiency with task management tools (e.g., Asana, Trello, Monday.com) and spreadsheets for tracking and monitoring.
• Self-sufficient, proactive, and able to work independently in a remote environment.

Desirable Experience

• Familiarity with ISO 15489 (Records Management) or equivalent standards.
• Experience working with international or multi-site organisations.
• Knowledge of EFQM or other organisational excellence frameworks.
• Experience with document management systems beyond Google Workspace.
• Experience in the nonprofit or international development sector.

Personal Qualities

• A systems thinker who finds satisfaction in creating order from complexity.
• Discreet, trustworthy, and able to handle sensitive information with confidentiality.
• Calm under pressure, with the ability to maintain clarity when deadlines approach.
• Collaborative and supportive, with a service-oriented approach to enabling colleagues.
• Aligned with Project Yananai's mission and values.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience.
• Relevant qualifications in records management, information governance, or administration are advantageous.

What We Offer

• A seat on the Global Executive Leadership Team (GELT), with visibility across the entire organisation.
• A role with genuine impact, where your systems and processes will directly enable mission delivery across four nations.
• The flexibility of a fully remote role within a supportive, mission-driven team.
• A collaborative culture that values excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Flexible Remuneration Arrangements (as required)

Project Yananai is committed to attracting exceptional talent and offers flexible remuneration structures to suit different candidate circumstances. These are available as part of fundraising activities where the candidate is involved. Project Yananai is a charity registered in England and Wales number 1209060 and an equal opportunity organisation. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all colleagues. We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and cultures.