Vumelana provides transaction advisory services to support the conclusion of commercial partnership agreements between communities that acquire land under South Africa’s land reform programme and investors. Once agreements are reached, the successful investor pays for Vumelana’s services that made the deal possible. Vumelana uses the fees recovered from the investor to help build leadership and management capability in the Community Institution on whose land the development takes place.
Based in Johannesburg, Vumelana Advisory Fund seeks to appoint a
PROJECTS MANAGER
The role of the Project Manager is to support the Programmes Manager to manage the core programmes of the organization: the Transaction Advisory Support Programme which is designed to procure and manage the advisory services for the structuring of agreements between Communal Property Institutions and commercial investors, the Communal Property Institution Support Programme which is designed to build the capacity of Communal Property Institutions to manage their affairs. The Projects Manager will also participate in the management team meetings.
Key responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to:
Provide systems support for the procurement, appraisal, monitoring, reporting, evaluating and closing of projects
Liaise with the Operations Manager as required to ensure that database, project records and schedules are current and complete.
Identify and review projects and service providers
Analyse project proposals for project panel review deliberations
Conduct due diligence tests on communities, projects, service providers, including undertaking field visits
Formulate recommendations for the project review panel and the Board
Develop contracts with communities, service providers, and other relevant stakeholders
Monitor project implementation to ensure systematic risk management throughout the project life cycle
Conduct project completion and evaluation as part of post-deal monitoring and evaluation programme
Undertake project visits as may be required from time to time and provide reports on these
Support the Programmes Manager in the maintenance of strategic relationships with key stakeholders (especially funders, advisors, private investors, government, related authorities and communities)
The Projects Manager must meet the following criteria:
Post graduate degree in development economics, business administration, economics, law, agribusiness or related field with application in developing country contexts and significant work experience.
10 years’ experience in project management with experience in project analysis and stakeholder management in a developing country context.
Ability to plan, organise, direct, control and report on budget for the implementation of agreed projects
Strong interpersonal skills and ability to communicate clearly at different levels with government officials, project advisors and communities.
Ability to analyse investment proposals, community dynamics, commercial sense of proposals and other pro-poor development impact indicators in the analysis of prospective, approved and completed projects.
Ability to identify challenges and resolve them and facilitate co-operation amongst competing partners with competing interests.
Demonstrated creativity and willingness to innovate, think systematically and design solutions to development challenges.
Ability to assess Financial risks and returns when reviewing projects, manage projects within budget and provide forecast information to the Finance Manager on project payments.
Knowledge and understanding of the prevailing political and socio-economic issues in South Africa
Familiarity with issues and challenges of promoting inclusive and sustainable markets with a perspective on the role of the public and private sectors in that process.
Knowledge about land reform development issues in South Africa and the various approaches to tenure reform, pre- and post-settlement support.
View the full job description and application instructions on the Vacancies page at www.actionappointments.co.za and email your application by Friday 15th October 2021 to [email protected]