CHIEF QUANTITY SURVEYOR GRADE A REF NO: CQS/HO/07 (Re-advertisement: Building)

This is a senior professional role within the Department’s Head Office, re-advertised specifically for the Building portfolio. The Chief Quantity Surveyor Grade A is an OSD-graded position that carries an all-inclusive remuneration package and is responsible for leading the delivery of professional quantity surveying and cost management services across the Department’s infrastructure projects. The post demands a strategic, hands-on professional who can ensure financial control, value engineering, and cost optimisation from project inception through to completion, while also aligning every step with public-sector construction legislation and the Department’s infrastructure delivery frameworks.

Candidates must hold a Grade 12 certificate together with a Bachelor of Science in Quantity Surveying, a Bachelor of Quantity Surveying at NQF Level 8, a BTech in Quantity Surveying at legacy NQF Level 7, or a recognised equivalent qualification. Compulsory registration with the South African Council for the Quantity Surveying Profession as a Professional Quantity Surveyor is required, along with a valid driver’s licence and proficiency in computer applications. Applicants need at least five years of relevant post-registration experience as a Professional Quantity Surveyor. The role also calls for sound knowledge of the PFMA, Treasury Regulations, the CIDB Act, GIAMA, Construction Regulations, and the National Building Regulations, as well as proficiency in WinQS, AutoCAD, MS Project, and the Microsoft Office Suite. In-depth understanding of cost planning, contract administration under JBCC, NEC and GCC forms, building cost norms, and lifecycle costing is essential, together with strong programme and project management capabilities, legal and operational compliance awareness, and excellent analytical, planning, problem-solving, and report-writing skills. The successful candidate must also demonstrate the ability to manage multidisciplinary teams and multiple infrastructure projects simultaneously, supported by strong interpersonal and communication skills.

The core duties involve providing professional quantity surveying services, managing construction contracts, certifying payments, and resolving contractual claims. The post holder will evaluate, appoint, and monitor consultants and contractors, conduct feasibility studies, develop cost estimates, and maintain accurate project budgets and cash flows. The role also requires undertaking research and implementing new methods, technologies, and sustainable solutions in infrastructure delivery, while ensuring full alignment with the Infrastructure Delivery Management System, the Infrastructure Procurement and Delivery Management toolkit, and relevant prescripts. Technical support in preparing tender documentation, bid evaluations, and adjudication processes forms a further key responsibility.

Shortlisted candidates should note that the selection process includes technical exercises, interviews, and, for SMS-level posts, psychometric assessments and pre-entry assessments covering integrity and ethical conduct. The top candidates will undergo personnel suitability checks, including criminal record, citizenship, financial, qualification, and employment background verification. The successful appointee will be required to enter into an Annual Performance Agreement and disclose financial interests annually. Foreign qualifications must be evaluated by SAQA, and applicants must disclose any business interests with an organ of state or additional remunerative work. The Department reserves the right not to appoint, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.