The Department of Water and Sanitation has an administrative opportunity centred on records management, data capturing, correspondence and registry services.
The role requires Grade 12 or a relevant qualification and would suit someone with experience or knowledge of office administration, public-sector records, computer systems and basic human resources processes.
A particularly useful part of the role is its exposure to formal records management. The successful candidate will work with physical and electronic documents, maintain registers, retrieve files, process correspondence and prepare records for archiving.
What kind of work does the role involve?
The position supports the Department’s registry and administrative operations.
Daily work includes receiving documents, registering correspondence, maintaining files and helping employees or members of the public who need assistance from the registry.
The successful candidate will also deal with telephone enquiries and hand-delivered documents. This means the job combines customer service with detailed administrative work.
Why is records management important?
Records management helps government departments keep official information organised, traceable and available when needed.
The successful candidate will open and close files according to the Department’s classification system, store documents and retrieve records electronically or manually.
The work also includes:
- Filing and tracing documents
- Completing file index cards
- Scanning records
- Preparing files for archives
- Keeping lists of archived documents
- Packaging records for storage or distribution
These skills can also be useful in careers involving compliance, document control, information management and corporate administration.
What computer and data skills are needed?
Applicants need to be comfortable capturing information and working with computers.
The Department specifically refers to data capturing, administrative statistics and basic knowledge of PERSAL, the personnel and salary system used across the public service.
The role also involves electronic scanning and record retrieval.
Someone with good attention to detail will be better suited to this work because mistakes in file names, registers or document records can make information difficult to trace later.
What is PERSAL knowledge used for?
Basic PERSAL knowledge supports administrative work linked to government personnel and human resources processes.
The Department expects applicants to understand basic financial operating systems and human resources practices alongside their registry responsibilities.
This gives the role some exposure to the systems and procedures used in public-sector HR administration.
Applicants do not need to approach the position as a specialist HR role, but familiarity with government administrative systems can be valuable.
What happens to incoming and outgoing correspondence?
The successful candidate will help control the movement of official mail and documents.
This includes:
- Receiving mail
- Sorting and registering correspondence
- Dispatching documents
- Distributing registry notices
- Registering hand-delivered files
- Tracking incoming and outgoing records
The role also includes responsibility for valuable or registered items that need to be recorded and transferred correctly.
What does the postal administration involve?
The position includes practical responsibility for the Department’s outgoing post.
The successful candidate will operate the franking process, maintain the relevant register and keep daily records of letters processed.
Other tasks include checking that private post has not been included, securing mail for delivery and maintaining a remittance register for valuable items.
Where a remittance has been sent incorrectly, it must be returned through registered post and properly recorded. This part of the role requires accuracy because it involves both official correspondence and accountable records.
What knowledge is expected?
Applicants need a basic understanding of how administration works in the public service.
Useful knowledge includes:
- Human resources functions and practices
- Registry procedures
- Records storage and retrieval
- Data capturing
- Public-service legislation
- Administrative statistics
- Basic financial systems
- Filing and archiving procedures
The Department also expects applicants to understand the legislative framework that governs public-sector work.
Who is this opportunity best suited to?
The role is best suited to someone who is organised, comfortable working with records and able to follow formal administrative procedures.
It may appeal to candidates interested in careers in:
- Records management
- Office administration
- Human resources administration
- Document control
- Public administration
- Information management
- Registry services
Someone who enjoys structured work and keeping information accurate may find the role a stronger fit than a candidate looking for a less process-driven administrative position.
What qualification is required?
- Applicants need a Senior Certificate, commonly known as Grade 12, or a relevant qualification.
- The role also requires the ability to use computers, capture data and work with administrative records.
- Knowledge of PERSAL, registry work and public-service procedures can strengthen an application.
How can this experience support a longer-term career?
Experience in registry and records administration can build skills that transfer into several professional support functions.
Working with controlled documents, archives, government systems and formal procedures can provide a foundation for later work in records management, HR administration, compliance, document control or broader public administration.
The role also develops practical skills in handling information accurately, dealing with clients and maintaining records that other teams depend on.
Apply for Registry Clerk: Records, Data and Public Administration
