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

Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) is actively recruiting for a Head: Programmes (IPPO) (Fixed Term Contract Appointment until 31 March 2031) position in Gauteng. This is an excellent opportunity for professionals in the Engineering / Technical sector looking to advance their careers.

• Experience Level: 15 years • Educational Background: Bachelor or equivalent • Industry Focus: Engineering / Technical • Location Preference: in Gauteng

This Head: Programmes (IPPO) (Fixed Term Contract Appointment until 31 March 2031) role is critical in driving technological innovation and infrastructure development. Technical professionals are essential for South Africa's economic growth and digital transformation.

This role in Engineering / Technical offers valuable career progression opportunities aligned with your experience level and professional aspirations.

When applying for this Head: Programmes (IPPO) (Fixed Term Contract Appointment until 31 March 2031) position, ensure your CV highlights: • Relevant experience matching the 15 years requirement • Educational qualifications in line with Bachelor • Specific achievements in the Engineering / Technical field • Any certifications or specialized training

The Engineering / Technical sector in South Africa continues to show strong demand for skilled professionals. This position represents a valuable opportunity in the current job market.

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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.

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.

Executive strategy, portfolio priori-tisation and benefits management. Advanced programme, project and PMO management, including scope, cost, schedule, risk, change and quality control. Engineering assurance, multidisci-plinary 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, deci-siveness and resilience under pressure. Delivery discipline, urgency and attention to detail. Collaborative, inclusive and cross-disciplinary leadership. Political and organisational acu-ity, diplomacy and stakeholder orientation. Learning agility, innovation and continuous improvement.

Deadline:7th September,2026