DIRECTOR: INFRASTRUCTURE DELIVERY SOUTHERN CLUSTER

This senior leadership position is responsible for directing infrastructure delivery for the Southern Cluster, based at the Head Office in Johannesburg. Reporting within the Infrastructure Delivery Southern Cluster directorate, the successful candidate will act as a strategic manager overseeing the full lifecycle of built environment projects, with a primary focus on supporting the Provincial Department of Education. The role sits at the heart of planning, procurement, and contract implementation, ensuring that infrastructure programmes are delivered on time, within budget, and to the required quality standards. It is an occupation-specific dispensation (OSD) graded post, with an all-inclusive remuneration package structured as a basic salary and a flexible portion, and the incumbent will be required to enter into a performance agreement within three months of assuming duty.

Applicants must hold an undergraduate qualification at NQF level 7 in a built environment discipline such as engineering, construction project management, architecture, quantity surveying, or town and regional planning, as recognised by SAQA. A minimum of five years’ experience at middle or senior managerial level within the built environment is required, alongside registration with the relevant professional council as a built environment professional. A valid driver's licence is essential, and candidates must obtain a Pre-Entry SMS Certificate (Nyukela) before appointment. The role demands a thorough working knowledge of key legislative and regulatory frameworks, including the PFMA, DORA, Treasury Regulations, the Public Service Act, GIAMA, the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the Labour Relations Act, the Preferential Procurement Act, and the B-BBEE Act, as well as supply chain management policies and various contract options for infrastructure projects. Strong competencies in strategic leadership, financial management, problem-solving, people management, communication, negotiation, conflict management, and change management are critical, along with personal attributes such as credibility, responsiveness, creativity, flexibility, and sound decision-making.

The core duties revolve around managing professional inputs to the Provincial Department of Education across all phases of infrastructure delivery. This includes preparing and directing the construction procurement strategy and the Infrastructure Programme Implementation Plan (IPIP), ensuring alignment with budgets and cash flow projections, and validating building plans in line with national and municipal regulations. The Director will manage the nomination and appointment of professional service providers and contractors through the departmental Supply Chain Management Unit, attend SCM committees, prepare procurement documentation, register projects on the CIDB i-tender system, and issue work and batch orders. Responsibilities also include managing service delivery agreements, monitoring contract implementation against time, cost and quality parameters, conducting site visits, approving cost and scope variations, signing off invoices, and validating final accounts. The role requires regular interaction with the Provincial Education Department to proactively identify challenges and agree on joint solutions, preparing progress reports for governance infrastructure structures, and consolidating reports on projects delivered through alternative implementing agents until those arrangements are phased out. Additionally, the Director must ensure proper documentation, including as-built plans, is submitted to the centralised document warehouse, manage the release of construction guarantees, and compile final cost analyses for each project. This is a demanding, high-impact role suitable for an experienced built environment professional seeking to shape public education infrastructure delivery at scale.