WAZA Membership and Office Assistant
Posted: 8 July 2026 | Full time | Barcelona, Spain
Salary Range: 29,000€ – 31,000 € gross per annum
20 € gross per month if remote work agreement is signed
Benefits: 200€ per month in meal vouchers (tickets restaurant).
Location: Barcelona, Spain (a work permit to work in Spain is required)
Employment type: Full-time, and permanent contract
Remote work two days a week (requiring approval by supervisor) – applicable after 1 month at the role.
Flexible hours, within core hours of 7:00–19:00 (requiring approval by supervisor) – applicable after 1 month at the role.
Probation period: Based on the Collective Agreement for Offices and Professional Firms of Catalonia (Convenio Colectivo de Oficinas y Despachos de Catalunya), an administrative role classified within professional groups 3–4 — which typically include positions such as administrative assistant, office administrator, executive assistant or general administrative support roles — and hired under a full-time permanent contract, is subject to a maximum legal probationary period of two months.
Supervision: The Membership and Office Assistant reports primarily to the Director of Membership and Events and secondarily (dotted line) to the Finance and Office Manager (FOM) for office, finance, and operational matters.
- Director of Membership and Events: Assigns and supervises membership-related tasks, monitors progress, approves work outputs, and supports career development. Additionally, this role approves holidays and evaluates performance in consultation with the FOM.
- Finance and Office Manager: Assigns and supervises office tasks related to procedures, administrative support, record-keeping.
Tentative timeline for recruitment process *Subject to modification:
- Call for applicants: 8th to 28th of July
- First round of interviews: Second week of August
- Second round of interviews: First week of September
Application Process: Interested applicants should send a CV and cover letter to recruitment@waza.org by 28th of July 2026.
Applicants must be fluent in both written and conversational Spanish and English. Applicants must also have a valid work permit to work in Spain.
Only candidates shortlisted for interview will be contacted.
Overview and Job Purpose
The Membership and Office Assistant will assist in WAZA’s global membership processes, act as a first point of contact for members, and ensure smooth day-to-day office operations. This role supports clear, professional communications with members, committees, and partners, contributing to WAZA’s global visibility and impact.
What we offer
- Competitive salary and benefits: Annual gross salary in line with WAZA’s budget, plus 200€ per month in meal vouchers (tickets restaurant).
- Hybrid working arrangement: Ability to work remotely up to two days per week, with flexible working hours within the core hours of 7:00–19:00 per approval of supervisor.
- Permanent, full-time contract: Stability and long-term career opportunity within an international organisation.
- Professional development: Access to training, workshops, and opportunities to develop skills in membership management, administration, and international organisations operations.
- Collaborative and supportive environment: Work alongside a global and multicultural team of professionals committed to advancing the mission of zoos and aquariums worldwide.
- International exposure: Engage with a global network of WAZA members, committees, and partners, to support contributions to conservation, animal welfare, and sustainable development initiatives.
- Work-life balance: Flexible scheduling and support for maintaining a healthy balance between professional and personal commitments.
Scope
- Coverage: Supports WAZA’s global membership through core membership administration and contributes to smooth internal office operations.
- Staff Line Management: No line management duties; works collaboratively and provides administrative support as required.
- Supervised Staff and Contributors: None. May coordinate routine tasks with internal staff, suppliers, and committee members.
- Budget Responsibility: No budget ownership; assists with tracking membership payments and other types of payments (e.g.: grants) and basic financial records.
- Programme and Operational Scale: Supports membership, office administration, HR tasks, and occasional event-related activities.
- Collaboration and Internal Interaction: Works closely with Membership, Events, Finance, and Office Management; liaises with members and suppliers.
- Impact: Contributes to member satisfaction and operational efficiency through accurate, timely administrative support.
Occasional work outside normal office hours may be required.
Responsibilities – WAZA Membership and Office Assistant
Membership (estimated 50%-60% of the role)
- Assist in membership retention and recruitment efforts.
- Accurately process membership applications and renewals, adhering strictly to deadlines and in full compliance with GDPR requirements (In Spain: Organic Law 3/2018 on Protection of Personal Data and Guarantee of Digital Rights)
- Support the membership application process, including preparing membership application summaries for the Membership Committee
- Managing the membership email account to respond to enquiries from prospective members.
- Assist in maintaining and improving WAZA’s customer relationship management (CRM) system, to ensure the rest of the team can access timely and accurate data via our CRM.
- Support the annual review of membership status, including verifying regional/national association memberships with WAZA Association Members.
- Contribute to membership engagement efforts, such as updating the WAZA website’s membership pages and preparing engagement materials.
- Assist with the WAZA Awards programme, including coordinating calls for nominations and assisting with the purchase of award trophies.
- Schedule meetings for Directors of Membership & Events for membership-related matters
- Assist with events matters if required.
Office (estimated 40%-50% of the role)
- Support the monitoring of office and operational expenses, including assisting with accountability and financial software tasks such as reconciliations and revisions.
- Assist with invoice creation for membership and related payments, using the digital invoicing system and accurate CRM data.
- Monitor membership payments under supervision of the Finance and Office Manager and support follow-up to ensure members remain in good standing.
- Support recruitment and HR administrative processes, including drafting and posting job advertisements, scheduling interviews, and assisting with onboarding of new staff.
- Maintain accurate HR and personnel records and provide general administrative support for HR-related processes.
- Schedule meetings and support calendar management, including creating polls, coordinating availability, and assisting with planning annual meeting calendars for the CEO.
- Support the purchase, tracking, and management of office supplies and equipment.
- Assist with travel arrangements, including bookings and logistical coordination, following approval from the Finance and Office Manager.
- Provide basic IT and systems support, including onboarding new staff, coordinating with external IT service providers, and maintaining the IT equipment inventory.
- Support compliance (within clearly defined procedures and under supervision) with IT maintenance, cybersecurity, and data protection measures, including user access management, antivirus updates, backups, and hardware/software tracking.
- Liaise with the external occupational health and safety provider and assist with risk assessments, implementation of preventive measures, and compliance with workplace safety regulations.
- Coordinate and schedule required health and safety training for employees.
- Assist with the preparation, coordination, and recording of minutes for Council and governance meetings.
- Provide general office and administrative support to ensure smooth day-to-day operations, including ad hoc tasks as required.
- Review with the FOM on a monthly basis membership payments.
- Occasionally support grants management related administrative tasks, as required.
General and compliance
- Ensure compliance with WAZA policies, procedures, and relevant legal requirements.
- Maintain accurate records and support administrative workflows.
- Participate in professional development and appraisal processes.
- Engage with the WAZA appraisal system, and demonstrate commitment to our values, behaviours, and your continuous development.
- Perform other reasonable duties and/or projects as directed by your manager.
Person Specification (WAZA Membership and Office Assistant)
Education and Experience:
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in administration, business, or related field.
- Previous experience in membership management, office administration, and/or not-for-profit support roles (preferred).
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- Strong organisational, planning, and record-keeping skills.
- Proficiency in MS Office, CRM systems, and office management tools.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- Ability to work independently and manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
- Good writing, grammatical and editing skills mainly in English and to some extent in Spanish. Skills in planning, prioritising, coordinating, multi-tasking and completing work assignments within established deadlines.
- Providing first class customer care and service, including dealing with member complaints
- Self-motivated, fast learner, able to work independently and show initiative
- Adept at problem solving
- Creative and enthusiastic
Language:
- The primary language of WAZA is English, and the WAZA Membership and Office Assistant must be proficient in spoken and written English and Spanish (as a significant part of work with office providers is in Spanish).
- Other languages will be advantageous but not required.
Additional information:
- In some years, the role might be required to travel internationally for two days annually.
- If remote work is agreed upon, demonstrates the ability to work effectively in hybrid and remote environments, with strong accountability and timemanagement skills.
Role dimension
Planning and Organising
- Planning is mainly short- to medium-term, following established procedures and timelines, with flexibility to adjust priorities as operational needs change,
- Autonomy to set and achieve day-to-day objectives and organise their own work within agreed boundaries.
- Ensure all membership enquiries and applications are processed within required time frames.
Communication and Relationships
- The post holder communicates with internal/external stakeholders at all levels to provide support and guidance, often acting as first point of contact for the WAZA team.
- Professional communication with internal colleagues, members, committees, and external service providers
- Engage with current and prospective members to promote WAZA and our mission
- Is required to provide courtesy and effectiveness in dealing with others, and recognises sensitive situations – responding and adapting style appropriately.
- The nature of the relationships and the type of communication will mainly involve collating, informing and sharing information daily
- Clear written and verbal communication in English and Spanish is essential
Problem-Solving and Decision-Making
- Produces routine letters, reports and other documents from standard templates. Operates within a defined role but may have some autonomy in how tasks are delivered, e.g. creating own admin systems and processes.
- Minimal problem-solving requirements other than prioritising tasks and dealing with high demand from different directions.
- Using knowledge and experience to solve or identify any database errors or system improvements.
- Decision making will be limited due to the in-tray/out-tray nature of the role and activities, but the post-holder could decide the order of work for the week ensuring the priorities are achieved in a logical order
- Seeking assistance from the line manager or raising issues that need further investigation.
Routine administrative issues are resolved using established processes and sound judgement. Decisions are made within defined guidelines, with complex, sensitive, or exceptional matters referred to senior managers. Accuracy, discretion, and reliability are essential to support effective operations and positive member relations.
The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) is the global alliance of regional associations, national federations, zoos and aquariums, dedicated to the care and conservation of animals and their habitats around the world.
