Technical Finance Specialist (Jobs Fund)

Requirements

A postgraduate qualification (NQF Level 8) in Finance, Management Accounting, Financial Accounting, Economics, Business Administration or a related field. 10–15 years' experience in appraising, negotiating and closing project finance and corporate finance transactions. A minimum of 7 years' 21 experience in a project management environment. 5 years of experience at a middle / senior managerial level. Advantageous: Experience in deal structuring. Practice as a project manager. Public sector and grant management experience. Strong analytical skills, strategic and critical thinking, risk management and communication skills. Experience in the use of relevant AI tools. Ideal Candidate Profile: You are an experienced finance professional who combines strong technical and analytical ability with sound project management practice. You are comfortable engaging with both internal teams and external stakeholders, quality assuring complex financial appraisals, and applying rigorous risk management across a diverse project portfolio. You bring integrity, strong communication skills and a commitment to using public and grant funding effectively to support job creation.

Key Responsibilities

Provide financial technical support on project due diligence and appraisals of new projects, including financial structuring of new applications, and manage a portfolio of projects and team. Provide input into the quarterly stakeholder reports. Prepare and contribute to the development of Term Sheets for new funding rounds and assist with project origination to build a pipeline of fundable projects; quality assure appraisals before submission to the Technical Evaluation and Investment Committees and support the team in presenting recommendations. Ensure the contracting of new projects is finalised within prescribed timelines, including drafting of financial contractual obligations, and conduct roadshows for new funding rounds. Facilitate efficiency improvements to the Jobs Fund's Grant Management Framework and Procedures, and provide technical support to project teams to meet the Fund's annual disbursement and job targets. Conduct risk-based oversight of the project portfolio, design and implement remedial actions to address underperformance, and prepare for and participate in quarterly Disbursement Panel meetings. Quality assures disbursement memoranda and ensure audit readiness of the project portfolio, with timeous resolution of audit findings and appropriate controls to prevent repeat findings. Conduct baseline assessments of key business processes, support the implementation of new technologies to improve operational efficiency, and support sound governance and document management practices. Effective planning of project site visits (SV) to ensure effective project implementation, and efficient utilisation of operational budget. Improve the visibility of the Jobs Fund's work by cultivating stakeholder relationships, producing discussion documents and Practice Notes, preparing webinar content, and representing the Fund at conferences and panel discussions. Generate, package and disseminate research information, support the development of terms of reference for project evaluations and close-out reports, and prepare Learning and Research Papers, Practice Guides and Articles. Contribute to the Jobs Fund's internal learning agenda through brown-bag sessions and related learning material, and coordinate with the finance team on financial information and forecasts. Maintain communication with staff and stakeholders on financial matters, motivate and support project teams, and maintain relationships with Contracted Intermediaries to ensure sound risk management at project and portfolio level. Develop and manage the Jobs Fund Risk Framework, develop strategies to mitigate financial and performance risk, and monitor portfolio-level risk status, implementing corrective actions as needed. Support the Management team in developing the Jobs Fund's financing strategy, own and manage specific financial management processes, provide training to staff to improve financial appraisal and management skills, and contribute to strategic planning sessions within the Jobs Fund and its sub-programmes.

How to Apply

Enquiries

Notes

The Jobs Fund is recruiting a Technical Finance Specialist to provide technical financial support in the management of its portfolio of projects and to contribute to the achievement of projected outcomes and the knowledge and learning agenda of the Fund. This is a specialist role suited to an experienced finance professional with strong project finance and corporate finance experience. 22