ADVERT – GENERAL MANAGER: PROJECTS

The General Manager: Projects is a senior executive role within the Projects department of the FP&M SETA, based in Dunkeld West, Johannesburg. The position is offered on a fixed-term contract and reports directly to the CEO, with the overarching purpose of providing strategic, results-driven leadership to ensure that all projects, including NSF projects, are managed from an end-to-end value chain perspective and delivered with the highest level of professionalism, compliance, and integrity. The incumbent will be responsible for ensuring financial year-based reporting of project performance against budget and guaranteeing that all contracted projects have robust payment plans and are settled timeously.

Candidates must hold a Chartered Accountant (CA) designation or an equivalent professional financial credential, together with a minimum of ten years of senior or executive management experience. A proven track record in both project management and financial management, with a heavy emphasis on end-to-end project lifecycles, is essential. The role demands a deep, above-average understanding of government’s skills development initiatives and the specific legislative mandate assigned to SETAs. The ideal candidate will demonstrate a history of delivering value-added contributions in previous executive roles, the ability to strategise and lead complex operations, and the capacity to plan and effectively manage institutional change. Strong leadership qualities are critical, including the ability and willingness to make difficult, high-stakes, or unpopular decisions. The successful applicant must be deeply process-oriented with exceptional organisational and time management skills, advanced verbal communication, negotiation, presentation, and executive report-writing skills, and a proven ability to perform optimally under high-pressure conditions within cross-functional team environments. Additional behavioural dimensions required include brand leadership, positive influence capabilities, independence, precision, cognitive application of coherent principles, and confidentiality.

The main duties are broad and encompass strategic leadership and governance, policy development, regulatory compliance, reporting, and operational personnel administration. In the strategic sphere, the General Manager will set objectives and oversee the implementation of FP&M SETA NSDP activities, aligning departmental strategies with the Sector Skills Plan, Strategic Plan, and Annual Performance Plan. They will set, drive, and achieve national and regional operational targets, assume direct command and strategic oversight during high-priority divisional crises, and provide executive oversight to ensure the efficient management of staff, operational budgets, and departmental resources. Regarding policy, the role involves developing, reviewing, and optimising discretionary and mandatory grants policies, processes, and operating procedures, as well as formulating and reviewing the comprehensive divisional business plan. The incumbent must ensure absolute compliance with all relevant legislative and regulatory frameworks, oversee monthly assurance exercises for project completeness and accuracy, and drive departmental audit readiness to consistently secure a clean, unqualified audit opinion. They will also liaise swiftly and effectively with internal and external auditors, ensuring all audit recommendations are adequately and timeously addressed. Reporting responsibilities include preparing annual, quarterly, and monthly project performance and financial reports for the CEO, EXCO, and the Board, verifying and signing off on Sector Quarterly Monitoring Report information, and cultivating strategic stakeholder partnerships. On the operational side, the role entails managing discretionary grant business processes to facilitate timeous, compliant payments, providing continuous leadership, mentorship, training, and development to divisional staff, managing performance, overseeing knowledge transfer, and partnering with the HR division to conduct appraisals and address competency gaps.

The FP&M SETA encourages suitably qualified historically disadvantaged individuals to apply. The SETA reserves the right to amend the advert and not to make an appointment. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted, and should applicants not receive correspondence within eight weeks of the closing date, they are to consider their application unsuccessful. Personal information submitted will be processed within the scope of the application and in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, and applicants are required to attach a CV along with certified copies of their ID and qualifications not older than six months.