DEVELOPMENT BANK OF SOUTHERN AFRICA (DBSA)

HEAD: PROGRAMMES (IPPO) (FIXED TERM CONTRACT APPOINTMENT UNTIL 31 MARCH 2031)

Details

Closing Date

2026/09/07

Reference Number

DBS260820-2

Job Title

Head: Programmes (IPPO) (Fixed Term Contract Appointment until 31 March 2031)

Job Type Classification

Contract

Location - Town / City

Centurion

Location - Province

Gauteng

Location - Country

South Africa

Job Profile (Downloadable)

Head Programmes IPPO Final Aug 2026.docx.pdf (218.81 kb) - 8/20/2026 3:39:58 PM

Job Description

The Head: Programmes is a member of the IPPO Executive Management Committee (Exco) and is accountable for the integrated planning, development and delivery of IPPO energy-infrastructure procurement programmes, including generation, storage, gas-to-power, transmission and related initiatives. The role provides senior engineering and programme-delivery leadership across the full lifecycle, from mandate, concept and procurement through to preferred-bidder appointment, financial close, implementation readiness, handover and benefits realisation.

The incumbent integrates technical, legal, financial, commercial, procurement, environmental, regulatory, socio-economic and stakeholder workstreams to ensure programmes are system-aligned, bankable, affordable, investable and executable. The role also leads portfolio governance, engineering assurance, stage-gate controls, programme controls, reporting, knowledge transfer and delivery continuity in support of security of supply, investment mobilisation, affordability, industrialisation, localisation, transformation, socio-economic development and a just energy transition.

Key Responsibilities

Executive strategy, portfolio planning and contribution

• Contribute to IPPO executive strategy, institutionalisation, governance, performance and enterprise decision-making.
• Develop and maintain the Programmes Strategy and integrated portfolio delivery plan aligned to national energy priorities, mandates, resources and the APP.
• Translate priorities into a sequenced programme pipeline with clear outcomes, benefits, dependencies, milestones, resources and funding needs.
• Provide executive advice on delivery feasibility, system constraints, risk, timing, market capacity and corrective interventions.

Institutionalise the Programmes function and lead operating-model transition

• Lead the Programmes workstream of IPPO institutionalisation and implement the approved operating model, governance, delegations and accountability arrangements.
• Protect delivery continuity, governance integrity, institutional credibility and records completeness during transition.
• Embed end-to-end processes, role clarity, assurance, document control, quality standards, knowledge transfer and capability building.

Establish and operate enterprise PMO and portfolio controls

• Establish and lead an enterprise PMO as the single source of truth for scope, schedule, cost, resources, risks, decisions, dependencies and performance.
• Maintain integrated schedules, stage gates, readiness reviews, programme registers, dashboards and management information systems.
• Direct capacity planning, adviser deployment, budgets, standards, templates, governance calendars and continuous improvement of programme maturity.

Lead programme design, engineering readiness and procurement preparation

• Convert mandates into programme business cases, delivery options, feasibility assessments, pro-curement strategies and implementation road maps.
• Lead engineering basis, specifications, system requirements, grid-readiness, permitting, stakeholder approvals and programme dependencies before procurement milestones.
• Integrate technical, commercial, financial, legal, procurement, regulatory, environmental and socio-economic requirements into bankable procurement frameworks.

Direct procurement execution, preferred-bidder and financial-close delivery

• Direct integrated bid-process planning, data-room readiness, bidder interfaces, evaluations, govern-ance submissions, preferred-bidder appointment and close planning.
• Maintain fair, transparent and defensible procurement processes with Legal and Procurement, including records, confidentiality and conflicts management.
• Coordinate preferred-bidder and financial-close plans, resolve dependencies, escalate constraints and ensure structured handover to implementation and contract-management functions.

Provide engineering, grid-integration, implementation and operational-readiness assurance

• Provide executive engineering assurance across generation, storage, gas, transmission, grid con-nection, system integration and emerging technologies.
• Assure design maturity, constructability, interfaces, safety, quality, climate resilience, commission-ing, testing and operational readiness at programme gates.
• Monitor implementation readiness and key delivery milestones, resolve material dependencies and capture lessons for future procurement windows.

Lead portfolio risk, performance, governance and reporting

• Maintain integrated risk, issue, opportunity and performance frameworks across technical, grid, schedule, cost, procurement, market, regulatory, environmental, social, financial and stakeholder risks.
• Provide concise, decision-useful reports, forecasts, dashboards and recommendations to IPPO, DEE, DBSA and governance structures.
• Ensure programmes remain compliant, audit-ready and aligned to approved scope, schedule, cost, quality, benefits and strategic outcomes.

Drive transformation, industrialisation, socio-economic development and just-transition outcomes

• Translate transformation, localisation, industrialisation, skills, socio-economic development and just-transition priorities into programme requirements, evaluation criteria and contractual deliverables.
• Balance development outcomes with competition, affordability, bankability, value for money and delivery feasibility.
• Monitor portfolio-level delivery of commitments, address underperformance and use lessons to strengthen future procurement windows.

Build strategic partnerships and maintain market and investor confidence

• Build trusted relationships with government, regulators, DBSA, NTCSA, Eskom, municipalities, IPPs, sponsors, lenders, DFIs, investors, advisers, industry bodies and communities.
• Maintain clear governance, information, decision and escalation arrangements for inter-institutional dependencies.
• Lead market engagement while protecting procurement integrity, confidentiality, equal access to information and market confidence.

Enable people and build organisational capability

• Create an ethical, accountable, inclusive and collaborative delivery culture across staff, secondees, advisers and matrixed teams.
• Implement workforce and capability plans covering role clarity, succession, recruitment, retention, professional development, mentoring and coaching.
• Institutionalise knowledge management, standard methods, lessons learned and structured capabil-ity transfer from external advisers to internal teams.

Expertise & Technical Competencies

Minimum Requirements: 

• Bachelor of Engineering or BSc Engineering degree at NQF Level 8 in a relevant engineering discipline, or equivalent qualification recognised by ECSA.
• Professional registration with ECSA as Pr Eng, and a recognised programme or project management qualification, are added advantages.
• Relevant postgraduate qualification at NQF Level 9 in engineering, energy systems, programme or project management, infrastructure finance, business administration or a related field is advantageous.
• Minimum 15 years' post-qualification experience in engineering, programme or project management and delivery of large-scale infrastructure programmes.
• At least 10 years' experience in complex energy or infrastructure programmes, including generation, storage, gas, transmission, grid infrastructure or comparable project-financed assets.
• Minimum five years at senior management or executive level, with accountability for multidisciplinary teams, governance, budgets, advisers, outcomes and senior stakeholder relationships.
• Proven leadership of a multi-programme portfolio, enterprise PMO or major infrastructure delivery office across the full programme lifecycle.
• Demonstrated experience in IPP, PPP or infrastructure finance environments, including engagement with sponsors, lenders, DFIs, institutional investors, advisers, regulators and government decision-makers.
• Advanced experience in scheduling, cost and resource control, risk, change, technical assurance, quality, governance reporting and recovery of delayed or distressed programmes.
• Experience in public-sector governance, institutional transition, ESG, climate resilience, transformation, localisation, industrialisation and socio-economic outcomes in infrastructure delivery.

Professional Registration 

• ECSA Pr Eng registration and a recognised programme/project-management credential (e.g. PMP, PRINCE2) are both an added advantage, not mandatory.

Knowledge

• IPPO mandate, operating model and full programme lifecycle, including procurement, delivery, monitoring and contract interfaces.
• National energy policy, planning and market frameworks, including DEE Strategy, IRP, TDP, SAREM, Gas Master Plan and just-transition priorities.
• Power-system engineering, grid integration, generation, storage, gas, transmission and emerging energy technologies.
• IPP, PPP, infrastructure procurement, project finance, bankability, risk allocation and investor requirements.
• Portfolio governance, enterprise PMO design, stage gates, readiness reviews, programme controls, assurance and benefits realisation.
• Public-sector governance, procurement, regulatory, environmental, ESG, transformation, localisation and socio-economic development requirements.
• Institutional landscape and stakeholder roles, including DEE, National Treasury, DBSA, NERSA, Eskom, NTCSA, municipalities, IPPs, lenders, DFIs and advisers.

Skills

• Executive strategy, portfolio prioritisation and benefits management.
• Advanced programme, project and PMO management, including scope, cost, schedule, risk, change and quality control.
• Engineering assurance, multidisciplinary integration and technical decision-making.
• Procurement design, transaction management, preferred-bidder management and financial-close coordination.
• Commercial, project-finance and value-for-money analysis.
• Management and Executive reporting, analytics, dashboards, issue resolution and evidence-based decision-making.
• Negotiation, facilitation, stakeholder management, people leadership and capability building.

South African public-domain Acts, frameworks and policies applicable to the IPPO:

• Constitution of the Republic of South Africa; PFMA; Treasury Regulations and Instructions.
• PAJA; PAIA; PPPFA and Regulations; Public Procurement Act 28 of 2024.
• Electricity Regulation Act; Electricity Regulation Amendment Act 38 of 2024; National Energy Regulator Act; National Energy Act.
• South African Grid Code; Market Code; SAWEM framework; NERSA licensing and registration frameworks.
• NEMA; Climate Change Act; OHSA; Construction Regulations; environmental, water, heritage, land-use and permitting frameworks.
• B-BBEE Act and Codes; Competition Act; transformation, localisation, industrialisation and socio-economic development policies.
• DEE Strategic Plan; IRP; Gas Master Plan; Transmission Development Plan; SAREM; Just Energy Transition plans.
• IPP Procurement Programme frameworks and standard public-domain procurement documentation.
• National Treasury infrastructure-delivery, PPP and procurement frameworks.
• Engineering Profession Act; ECSA regulatory framework; applicable SANS and NRS standards.

Required Personal Attributes

Behaviours

• Integrity, accountability and public-interest orientation.
• Strategic, systems and whole-of-portfolio thinking.
• Professional judgement, decisiveness and resilience under pressure.
• Delivery discipline, urgency and attention to detail.
• Collaborative, inclusive and cross-disciplinary leadership.
• Political and organisational ac-ity, diplomacy and stakeholder orientation.
• Learning agility, innovation and continuous improvement.

Policy

The Development Bank of Southern Africa will endeavor to make appointments in line with its Employment Equity Policy and Plan. Applications from suitably qualified designated groups, especially people with disabilities, are encouraged.

The DBSA corporate culture fit requires clear, logical and analytical thinking grounded in good interpersonal skills, a sense of urgency and results orientated execution of duties. The ability to work collaboratively and finding practical yet innovative solutions is critical to success in a work environment that demands emotional resilience, accountability and responsible risk taking and management.

The DBSA reserves the right to amend or remove vacancies in line with organisational requirements.

All vacancies can be viewed on the DBSA website (www.dbsa.org) under Careers.

PLEASE APPLY HERE

PROGRAMME MANAGER: NON-REVENUE WATER (PROGRAMMES)

Details

Closing Date

2026/09/02

Reference Number

DBS260817-1

Job Title

Programme Manager: Non-Revenue Water (Programmes)

Job Grade

00

Job Type Classification

Contract

Location - Town / City

Midrand

Location - Province

Gauteng

Location - Country

South Africa

Job Profile (Downloadable)

WPO_Programme_Manager-_Non-revenue_Water__Job_Profile_July_2026.pdf (371.43 kb) - 8/17/2026 6:19:42 PM

Job Description

The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) is mandated by the National Water Act, 1998 and Water Services Act 1997 to be responsible for national water resource infrastructure and supporting municipalities with the provision of water services. To support the implementation of the National Water & Sanitation Masterplan, DWS has designed and implemented the National Water Partnerships Programme (NWPP) comprising of several sub-programmes within the water sector that will address specific challenges facing the sector.

The DWS has signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the South African Local Government (SALGA) and the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) to jointly implement the programme. To give effect to the NWPP, the parties have established the Water Partnerships Office (WPO) which includes the following:

• The development of a standardised programme for the preparation, funding and implementation of projects within the water sector

• Providing support to municipalities and water boards to prepare, fund and implement projects according to a standardised approach

• The development of innovative and blended finance funding solutions, that will unlock and enable private sector investment in the water sector

• Facilitating partnerships with the private sector and other key stakeholders

The role of the Programme Manager: Non-Revenue Water (NRW) is to manage the development of a pipeline of municipal NRW projects to be prepared, financed and implemented.

Key Responsibilities

Programme Development and Management

• Develop strategies and plans for the execution of the programme and to optimise the support provided to municipalities and water boards.
• Maintain the NRW Programme as a standardised programme within the WPO, to support municipalities to address and reduce their nonrevenue water.
• Develop and maintain a “toolbox” of standardised documentation, best practice approaches, methodologies, models and mechanisms to support the preparation, funding and implementation of projects.
• Engage with municipalities and water boards to introduce the programme and the Unit/Team as the “centre of excellence” for municipal NRW interventions in the country.
• Conduct a needs analysis to identify project opportunities and develop a pipeline of projects to be prepared, financed and implemented.
• Identify sources of project preparation funding for NRW projects and work with the Head: WPO to secure the funding.
• Manage the preparation, design, development and structuring of projects according to the clients and funders agreements.
• Design and review the implementation of projects / programmes including:
• 
  
• The preparation estimates and detailed programme plans for all phases of the programme.
• Implementation plans with outputs, activities, responsibilities and time frames.
• Programme budget and report against budget.
• Resource plan and allocate responsibilities.
• Manage, coordinate and monitor a portfolio of NRW infrastructure projects and programmes involving multiple stakeholders from cradle to completion in line with the overarching policies, frameworks and master plans in the Local Government structures and the Department of Water and Sanitation’s strategy.
• Facilitate project costing and cost control methodologies and procedures to ensure that projects are completed within budget.
• Map key programme dependencies and the interfaces between projects and facilitate cohesive project interfaces and collaboration.
• Manage challenges, risks and programme change requests and implement risk mitigating measures to prevent adverse impact on the project deliverables.
• Provide status reporting regarding programme milestones, deliverable, dependencies, risks and issues, communicating across leadership and identified stakeholders.
• Develop and support the implementation including improvement of project management methodologies, tools and standards.
• Provide inputs to contracts, agreements and other legal documents with partners/ service providers and manage the enforcement of agreements.
• Monitor the implementation of safety, health and environmental standards by contractors in compliance to the requirements and guidelines of the DBSA.
• Prepare monthly progress reports that is required by the WPO (for purposes of reporting to the Oversight Committee as well as to the DBSA)

Procurement

• Establish and maintain service provider panels to ensure there are adequate resources to achieve programme objectives in planned timeframes.
• Procure, appoint and manage service providers for the preparation, funding and implementation of projects.
• Support the procurement of contractors and operators for the implementation and operation and maintenance of projects, potentially on a Performance Based Contracting model.

Stakeholder Management

• Establish parentships with private sector role players in the NRW environment.
• Build and manage relationships at various levels with the project stakeholders, partners in accordance with the NWPP and NRW Programme development objectives and stakeholder relations and communication strategy.
• Coordinate efforts and work with the NRW teams within the DWS, City Support Programme, SALGA, Water Research Commission) WRC, Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent (MISA) and others.
• Participate in structures created to support the NRW Programme such as a NRW Programme committee, NRW Community of Practice, etc.
• Effectively providing key stakeholders/partners comfort that their investment on agreed projects / programmes will be successfully and timeously completed.

People Management

• Establish, lead and manage a team of specialist resources in the NRW Unit/Team
• Provide direction and guidance to the direct reports to enable the execution and management of their portfolios and responsibilities effectively.
• Facilitate team development while holding teams accountable for their commitment to ensure strong team delivery.
• Conduct performance management for all direct reports, managing their performance in relation to quality standards and agreed benchmarks and objectives, in line with sound performance management principles.
• Provide transferable skills, frameworks and toolkits to promote empowerment of the team.
• Promote DBSA values and a culture of High Performance within the areas of responsibility.
• Manage, coach and mentor project management resources.
• Perform other strategic, operational and other duties as assigned.

Key Measurements of Outputs

• Successful maintenance of the NRW Programme and Unit/Team within the WPO
• Approved NRW Programme short-, medium- and long-term plan/s
• Number of NRW projects identified, prepared/developed and implemented
• Value of funding sourced for the design, preparation and implementation of the NRW Programme from relevant and applicable local and international institutions
• Number of catalysed opportunities resulting in a robust pipeline of bankable projects
• Successful oversight, management and implementation of agreed NRW projects:
• 
  
• Percentage of performance targets met as per business plan
• Quality of delivery of projects / programmes
• Investor satisfaction of invested NRW projects / programmes
• Quality of presentations and reports
• Accuracy and quality of presentations and reports
• Effective performance management and strong culture of performance and delivery in NRW Unit/Team
• Good governance and ethical behaviour
• A clean audit

Expertise & Technical Competencies

Minimum Qualifications

• A Degree in Engineering (preferably Civil Engineering) or Finance

Minimum Experience

• A professional engineering registration with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) if the candidate is an Engineer
• A minimum of 10 years demonstrated technical work experience (planning, design, implementation) in the field of municipal NRW (including advanced metering infrastructure, innovative technology, etc.) both Engineering, Procurement, Construction (EPC) and Operation & Maintenance (O&M)
• A minimum of 5 years’ post-accreditation experience in a similar job function as well as the skills and experience to manage teams of professionals
• Experience and understanding of the project preparation cycle and requirements to prepare bankable projects
• Knowledge and understanding of all legislation relevant to the business of DBSA/WPO as well as the water sector (i.e., PFMA, MFMA, PPPFA, NWA, WSA, etc.)
• Strong knowledge and experience in working with local government planning cycle and processes
• A strong knowledge and experience in Public Private Partnerships (PPP) and PBCs
• A strong knowledge and experience of climate change
• Demonstrable track record of working with high level government stakeholders
• Comprehensive knowledge of the complex regulatory environments of municipalities / metros, state-owned enterprises and other government entities in South Africa
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex strategic initiatives and projects to successful completion

Desirable Requirements

• A qualification in Project/Programme Management.
• Experience in Performance Based Contracting (PBC) for NRW.

TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES

Business Acumen

• Reviews own actions against the organisation's strategic plan; includes the big picture when considering possible opportunities or projects or thinks about long-term applications of current activities.
• Understands the projected direction of the industry and how changes might impact the organisation.
• Deep understanding of commercial drivers and can take decisions based on an assessment of alternatives concerning complex business situations.
• Deep understanding of DBSA/WPO economic priorities and how they can be implemented to meet DBSA's/WPO’s strategic objectives.
• Deep understanding of DBSA's/WPO’s core sector role in achieving DBSA's/WPO’s strategic objectives.
• Deep understanding of the need to coordinate efforts with many government entities, private sector, community groups and individuals to ensure effective implementation of new policies and regulations.

Project Management

• Ability to plan, initiate, execute, control and close projects related to a relevant function as well as to track and manage resources, timelines, costs, deliverables and performance, and implement contingency plans, if necessary, to ensure projects are successfully.
• Defines, plans and manages large and/or strategic projects, including those with a high degree of technical complexity, with impacts across the organisation and/or with national implications.
• Assembles and leads diverse and multi-disciplinary teams, ensuring maximum effective resource utilisation.
• Successfully manages substantial project budgets and reports directly to senior managers on the progress and results of projects.
• Identifies complex issues that need escalation and proposes appropriate corrective action by maintaining a respected profile with relevant external organisations and the research community in general.

Solutions Focused

• Identifies complex problems based on a broad range of factors, many of which are ambiguous or difficult to define.
• While remaining guided by organisational values, identifies optimal solutions, thinking first in terms of possible approaches and flexibility in the system vs. blind adherence to rules or procedures.
• Evaluates the effectiveness and efficiency of solutions after they have been implemented and identifies needed changes.

Planning and Organising

• Coaches’ others on advanced planning and organising skills.
• Plays a role in transferring advanced planning and organising skills and knowledge to others.
• Identifies and acts on opportunities to partner with other units in the department to achieve desired results.
• Develops partnership agreements that ensure win-win outcomes for all parties.
• Develops integrated plans for the work unit and others that interfaces with the function’s budget.
• Uses effectively advance time management processes to deal with high workload and tight deadlines.
• Organises, prioritises and schedules tasks so they can be performed within budget and with the efficient use of time and resources.
• Achieves goals in a timely manner, despite obstacles encountered, by organising, reprioritising and re-planning

Detailed Oriented

• Quickly identifies relevant and irrelevant information to support accurate decision making.
• Maps out all the logistics and details of a situation to ensure smooth and flawless implementation.
• Consistently identifies all relevant details that are not obvious in complex situations.
• Requires the highest standards for accuracy and quality for their work.
• Establishes processes to ensure accuracy and quality of services delivered by the team.

Reporting & Communication

• Designs, reviews and improves reporting processes and provides guidance.
• Leads production of complex environment reports, takes an editorial role, determines content and level of detail, and ensures consistent messaging and branding.
• Is relied on by others to help them write complex technical and non-technical documents and briefs.
• Can determine which aspects of this knowledge area need to be transferred to others in order to achieve organisational goals.
• Coaches’ others and transfers communication skills and knowledge to others.
• Able to communicate complex problems or concepts, by making them simple and understandable for others.
• Adapts language to the level of the audience in order to ensure that the message has a positive impact and is interesting to the audience.
• Is articulate, demonstrates a wide range of vocabulary, and is confident when talking to large/high level audiences.

Presentation Skills

• Knows how to deliver arguments persuasively by employing a range of advanced presentation techniques (e.g., the appropriate use of body language, how to close a presentation so that the audience continues to think about the subject matter etc.).
• Has knowledge of various feedback mechanisms to check levels of audience understanding.

Required Personal Attributes

BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES

Customer Service Orientation

• Tries to understand the underlying needs of customers and matches these needs to available or customized products and services.
• Adapts processes and procedures to meet on-going customer needs.
• Utilises the feedback received by customers in order to develop new and/or improve existing services/ products that relate to their on- oing needs.
• Thinks of new ways to align offerings with future customer needs.

Self-Awareness and Self Control

• Withholds effects of strong emotions in difficult situations.
• Keeps functioning or responds constructively despite stress.
• May apply special techniques or plan of time to manage emotions or stress.

Strategic and Innovative Thinking

• Experiments with new approaches, tests scenarios, questions assumptions and challenges conventional thinking.
• Creates new concepts that are not obvious to others, leveraging internal and external sources of information, to build incremental revenue and growth opportunities.

Driving Delivery of Results

• Sets challenging goals that will have a significant impact on the business or support the organisational strategy.
• Commits significant resources and/or time to ensure that challenging goals are achieved, while also taking action to mitigate risk.

Teamwork and Cooperation

• Acts to promote a friendly climate and good morale and resolves conflicts.
• Creates opportunities for cross-functional working.
• Encourages others to network outside of their own team/department and learn from their experience.

Policy

The Development Bank of Southern Africa will endeavour to make appointments in line with its Employment Equity Policy and Plan. Applications from suitably qualified designated groups, especially people with disabilities, are encouraged.

The DBSA corporate culture fit requires clear, logical and analytical thinking grounded in good interpersonal skills, a sense of urgency and results orientated execution of duties. The ability to work collaboratively and finding practical yet innovative solutions is critical to success in a work environment that demands emotional resilience, accountability and responsible risk taking and management.

The DBSA reserves the right to amend or remove vacancies in line with organisational requirements.

All vacancies can be viewed on the DBSA website (www.dbsa.org) under Careers.

PLEASE APPLY HERE