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SOUTH AFRICAN REVENUE SERVICES (SARS)
COMPLIANCE RISK SPECIALIST
Position Reports to: Business Area Head: Enterprise Compliance
Division: Taxpayer Engagement Operations
Location: Pretoria (Brooklyn)
Advert Closing Date: 29 October 2026
About the Position
Use data. Understand behaviour. Shape compliance. SARS is seeking an accomplished Compliance Risk Specialist to help identify emerging compliance risks, understand shifts in taxpayer and trader behaviour, and translate data, research and analytics into actionable compliance intelligence.
Job Purpose
To provide technical specialist expertise in the implementation of the taxpayer and trader compliance risk management framework, including the Compliance Programme, to promote voluntary compliance with Tax, Customs and Excise legislative obligations such as registration, filing, declaration and payment.
Education and Experience
Minimum Qualification & Experience Required
Bachelor's Degree / Advanced Diploma (NQF 7) in Economics, Commerce and Management Studies, Taxation or Risk Management and 8–10 years' experience in a Customs, Audit, or Risk environment, of which 3–4 years at junior specialist level.
Alternative #
Senior Certificate (NQF 4) and 15 experience in a Customs, Audit, or Risk environment, of which 3–4 years at junior specialist level.
Minimum Functional Requirements
- Compliance risk management: Identify, assess, prioritise and monitor taxpayer and trader risks; maintain risk registers; and apply industry indicators, financial ratios and environmental intelligence.
- Compliance measurement: Measure and report voluntary compliance, including the VCI, filing, payment, Customs and Excise indicators, and behavioural shifts across major tax types.
- Data analytics and intelligence: Integrate and analyse governed data, apply advanced analytics, maintain CEMIS, and translate findings into actionable insights and recommendations.
- Research and behavioural insight: Research compliance trends and measurement methods, conduct diagnostic studies, and apply behavioural economics and psychology to shape compliance.
- Compliance programme development: Develop and refresh the SARS Compliance Programme to support voluntary compliance and revenue mobilisation.
- Stakeholder engagement and capability building: Provide specialist advice, build external knowledge networks, contribute thought leadership and support compliance risk-management training.
- Analysis and interpretation of data; tax administration across the compliance value chain; SARS operations; auditing; major tax types including PIT, CIT, VAT and PAYE; use of SARS core systems; and the use of analytical tools, including Excel and basic SQL.
Job Outputs:
Process
- Produce research reports and discussion papers on research findings to contribute to SARS’s knowledge on compliance and compliance strategy development and refinement.
- Seek to establish coordination, collaboration, leverage of the SARS compliance approach across the compliance value chain to ensure achievement of strategic outcomes.
- Develop, review and update the SARS Compliance Programme according to the compliance risk management process.
- Plan for value-added, continuous practice and system improvements to deliver on objectives to enhance tactical implementation and excellence.
- Recommend changes to optimise processes, systems, practice areas and associated procedures and execute the implementation of change and innovation.
- Translate top-down policy, apply modification in relation to own practice area and communicate impact to relevant stakeholders.
- Integrate business information, compare, analyse and produce reports to identify trends, discrepancies and inconsistencies for decision making purposes.
- Analyse and make recommendations about improvements to specialist systems, procedures, policies and practices.
- Contribute to the optimum utilisation of org. resources, advising effective planning and development of area of specialisation resource plans.
- Develop a single practice area in alignment with operational activity and procedural frameworks and ensure tactical implementation.
- Draw on own technical or professional expertise, knowledge and experience to identify and recommend tactical solutions to defined problems in practices.
- Optimise goal achievement through tactical strategy implementation and optimisation of practises, processes and systems across an internal value chain.
- Proactively identify interconnected problems, determine its impact and use to develop best fit alternatives; best practice implementation solutions.
- Conduct diagnosis studies to identify areas within business's process, people, systems, policy, procedures that might be hampering the enhancement of compliance.
- Research methods of compliance measurement and application.
- Conduct research and analysis of compliance levels across major areas in the taxpayers and trader life cycles in order to provide insight into taxpayer and trader behaviour.
- Contribute to the implementation of a comprehensive compliance framework aimed at targeted responses in education, service and enforcement.
- Network with government departments, foreign tax administrations and academics for exchanging compliance information and improving compliance monitoring and measurement.
- Use behavioural economics and Psychology concepts to assist SARS to shape, influence and drive compliance behaviour, nudging, cooperative compliance, etc.
Governance
- Develop and /or align governance and compliance policies for own practice area to identify and manage risk exposure liability.
People
- Integrate new knowledge and transfer skills attained through formal and informal learning opportunities in the execution of your job.
- Provide specialist know-how, support, advice and practice thought leadership in area of expertise.
Finance
- Implement and monitor financial control, management of costs and corporate governance in area of specialisation.
Client
- Develop and ensure implementation of a practice that builds service delivery excellence and encourages others to provide exceptional stakeholder service.
- Participate in the specialist practice community and contribute positively to organisation knowledge management.
- Provide authoritative, specialist expertise and advice to internal and external stakeholders.
Behavioural Competencies
- Accountability
- Analytical Thinking
- Attention to Detail
- Commitment to Continuous Learning
- Conceptual Ability
- Expertise in Context
- Fairness and Transparency
- Honesty and Integrity
- Organisational Awareness
- Problem Solving and Analysis
- Respect
- Trust
Technical Competencies
- Business Knowledge
- Data Collection and Analysis
- Economic Research
- Efficiency improvement
- Functional Policies and Procedures
- Reporting
- Reporting and Interpretation
- Risk and Compliance
- Risk Awareness
- Risk Identification
- Risk Knowledge
Compliance Competency
- The position involves access to confidential and sensitive information, including taxpayer information. The successful candidate will therefore be required to demonstrate appropriate judgement, integrity and respect for the confidentiality of information.
Employment Equity
The Employment Equity policy of SARS will be considered as part of the recruitment and selection process and Persons with Disabilities are encouraged to apply. Successful candidates will be required to undertake an oath of secrecy, pre-employment screening, case study, pre-assessment, psychometric assessment and or vetting, and a declaration of private interest. The appointment is also subject to appropriate reference(s) and security clearance where applicable.
Protect yourself. Never pay for a job.
Recruitment Fraud Alert: SARS never asks for payment for vacancies, interviews, or appointments. Any such request is a scam.
SARS official reporting channels: SpeakOut@sars.gov.za; Anti-Corruption@sars.gov.za;ReportingUnprofessionalConduct@sars.gov.za; SARS Hotline number (0800 00 28 70).
ADMINISTRATOR: OFFICE SUPPORT
Position Reports to: Head: National Operations Command
Division: Taxpayer Engagement
Location: Brooklyn Bridge – Pretoria
Advert Closing Date: 28 October 2026
About the Position
In an ever-changing environment, we have built a responsive and agile organisation to give effect to our strategic intent of achieving voluntary compliance. We invite you to be part of the special team that contributes to the collection of revenue and protects the economy and people of South Africa. We believe that your skills, commitment, and dedication will add value and make a difference to the organisation and country Integrity is key to the organisation.
Job Purpose
To deliver office support tasks through the execution of pre-defined objectives as per agreed SOPs to increase operational quality and productivity.
Education and Experience
Minimum Qualification & Experience Required
Higher Certificate (NQF 5) AND 2 years administrative Information / data management in an administrative data driven environment.
Alternative
Senior Certificate (NQF 4) AND 3 years administrative Information / data management in an administrative data driven environment.
Job Outputs:
Process
- Coordinate and track stock of office supplies and equipment in collaboration with relevant business units and place orders when necessary.
- Use electronic and manual filing system to retrieve, track and file documents.
- Assist and support management regarding various management, contractual and administrative tasks where relevant.
- Assist with functional and administrative tasks and procedures relating to the functional area.
- Communication of transactional outputs and queries in area of work according to policies and quality requirements.
- Contribute to the development & improvement of area specific standards, procedures and processes to ensure continued quality and service improvement.
- Contribute to the successful implementation of change initiatives by providing support in area of work.
- Deliver on contracted performance objectives and escalate unresolved delivery and quality issues to management and process owners.
- Draw on own knowledge and experience to identify and develop solutions that leads to improved service delivery and quality.
- Effectively plan and schedule own activities to continuously improve quality and service delivery in area of work.
- Perform all administrative actions related to the area of accountability in line with relevant policies, processes, legislation and work instructions.
- Report on transactional and process activities within set guidelines to provide timely information for decision making.
Governance
- Comply with and adhere to identified governance and compliance standards and escalate problems for investigation and resolution.
People
- Drive own performance in order to achieve work outputs in line with required response time, quality and service delivery standards.
- Search for, integrate and share new knowledge attained through formal and informal learning opportunities in the execution of your job.
Finance
- Perform own work well to reduce costs and save money.
Client
- Understand job service requirements in order to meet client expectations.
Behavioural competencies
- Accountability
- Analytical Thinking
- Attention to Detail
- Commitment to Continuous Learning
- Conceptual Ability
- Expertise in Context
- Fairness and Transparency
- Honesty and Integrity
- Organisational Awareness
- Respect
- Trust
Technical competencies
- Business Knowledge
- Data Collection and Analysis
- Efficiency improvement
- Administrative Support
- Events, Meeting or Task Coordination
- Functional Policies and Procedures
- Quality Control
- Record Maintenance
- Reporting
- Service delivery
- Standard operating procedure compliance
Compliance Competency
GOC Confidential - (a) sensitive information, the unlawful disclosure of which may be harmful to the security or national interest of the Republic or could prejudice the Republic in its international relations;(b) commercial information, the disclosure of which may cause financial loss to an entity or may prejudice an entity in its relations with its clients, competitors, contractors and suppliers. E.g. Taxpayer information
Employment Equity
The Employment Equity policy of SARS will be considered as part of the recruitment and selection process and Persons with Disabilities are encouraged to apply. Successful candidates will be required to undertake an oath of secrecy, pre-employment screening, case study, pre-assessment, psychometric assessment and or vetting, and a declaration of private interest. The appointment is also subject to appropriate reference(s) and security clearance where applicable.
Protect yourself. Never pay for a job.
Recruitment Fraud Alert: SARS never asks for payment for vacancies, interviews, or appointments. Any such request is a scam.
SARS official reporting channels: SpeakOut@sars.gov.za; Anti-Corruption@sars.gov.za;ReportingUnprofessionalConduct@sars.gov.za; SARS Hotline number (0800 00 28 70).
