Administrative and Operations Assistant

Job Title: Administrative and Operations Assistant
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland 
Employment Type: Permanent Full time (Office based) role.
Organisation: Humanitarian Operations – A Children's Education Charity

About Us

We are a nonprofit organisation dedicated to providing free, high-quality education to children in need. Our work is grounded in the belief that every child deserves the opportunity to learn and thrive. As we continue to grow, we are looking for a dedicated and detail-oriented Administrative and Operations Assistant to support our operations with sourcing, purchasing, and administrative tasks.

Role Summary

The Administrative Assistant will play a key role in identifying and sourcing high-quality, cost-effective items (tech accessories, office furniture, educational tools, etc.) for our programs and spaces. The ideal candidate is proactive, highly organised, research-driven, and fluent in Mandarin and English, to liaise effectively with our suppliers in China.

Key Responsibilities

Research & Procurement

• Research and identify the best suppliers, products, and prices for a wide range of items, including tech gadgets, office furniture, school supplies, and more.
• Compare pricing, quality, shipping options, and supplier reliability.
• Manage purchasing processes including quotations, negotiations, and bulk orders—primarily from China.
• Build and maintain supplier relationships, ensuring smooth communication and timely deliveries.

Administrative Support

• Maintain accurate stock records and track inventory levels.
• Organize documentation related to orders, invoices, and shipping.
• Coordinate with internal teams to anticipate and fulfill procurement needs.
• Support general office administration such as scheduling deliveries, managing petty cash, and filing digital records.

Communication

• Communicate with Chinese-speaking suppliers, ensuring clear understanding of order specifications and timelines.
• Translate basic documents and emails as needed between Mandarin and English.

Qualifications

• Proficiency in English is required and Mandarin (spoken and written) is desirable
• Experience in procurement, product research, supply chain, or administrative roles preferred.
• Strong internet research skills; ability to analyse and compare products efficiently.
• Familiarity with Chinese e-commerce platforms (e.g., Alibaba, Aliexpress) is a plus.
• Excellent attention to detail and organisational skills.
• Passion for working with a nonprofit focused on children's education is highly valued.

What We Offer

• A meaningful role contributing to a cause that transforms children's lives.
• Flexible work environment and a supportive, purpose-driven team.
• Opportunities to grow and take on more responsibility as the organisation expands.

About HOPE  

Humanitarian Operations (HOPE), was established in 2004 and is dedicated to eradicating educational inequality. Every child in the world should have equal opportunity to become numerate and have the ability to read and type, regardless of their background or nationality, and without prejudice.   

This should be done using the latest entertainment technology, thus enabling each lesson to come to life and envelop children, globally for free for those who cannot contribute financially.  

We are rapidly growing our team and we are looking for like-minded individuals to bring their skills to push our mission forward. We value teamwork, honesty, and flexibility in the workplace, and create an environment for everyone to flourish.    

What is it like to work at HOPE?       

At Humanitarian Operations, we do things a little differently. We are done with corporate hierarchies and work in an agile, start-up, fashion. We celebrate everyone’s individuality and ideas as exactly what they are: valuable!   

The work culture at HOPE is collaborative and relaxed. We encourage feedback and support each other to solve problems–always striving to be the best we can be. We are driven by a passion for quality and delivering outstanding products.     

We don’t believe in micro-management; we believe in supporting everyone to reach their best potential and practise using the most efficient and innovative solutions. HOPE is not just a place of work. It is a place of growth, learning, and development. We are co-creating a new world and having fun whilst doing it. We want to challenge everyone in positive and creative ways every day so we can all evolve together.