Head: Programmes (IPPO) (Fixed Term Contract Appointment until 31 March 2031)

Job Description

• The Head: Programmes is a member of the IPPO Executive Management Committee Exco and is accountable for the integrated planning, development and delivery of IPPO energy-infrastructure procurement programmes, including generation, storage, gas-to-power, transmission and related initiatives. The role provides senior engineering and programme-delivery leadership across the full lifecycle, from mandate, concept and procurement through to preferred-bidder appointment, financial close, implementation readiness, handover and benefits realisation.
• The incumbent integrates technical, legal, financial, commercial, procurement, environmental, regulatory, socio-economic and stakeholder workstreams to ensure programmes are system-aligned, bankable, affordable, investable and executable. The role also leads portfolio governance, engineering assurance, stage-gate controls, programme controls, reporting, knowledge transfer and delivery continuity in support of security of supply, investment mobilisation, affordability, industrialisation, localisation, transformation, socio-economic development and a just energy transition.

Key Responsibilities Executive strategy, portfolio planning and contribution

• Contribute to IPPO executive strategy, institutionalisation, governance, performance and enterprise decision-making.
• Develop and maintain the Programmes Strategy and integrated portfolio delivery plan aligned to national energy priorities, mandates, resources and the APP.
• Translate priorities into a sequenced programme pipeline with clear outcomes, benefits, dependencies, milestones, resources and funding needs.
• Provide executive advice on delivery feasibility, system constraints, risk, timing, market capacity and corrective interventions.

Institutionalise the Programmes function and lead operating-model transition

• Lead the Programmes workstream of IPPO institutionalisation and implement the approved operating model, governance, delegations and accountability arrangements.
• Protect delivery continuity, governance integrity, institutional credibility and records completeness during transition.
• Embed end-to-end processes, role clarity, assurance, document control, quality standards, knowledge transfer and capability building.

Establish and operate enterprise PMO and portfolio controls

• Establish and lead an enterprise PMO as the single source of truth for scope, schedule, cost, resources, risks, decisions, dependencies and performance.
• Maintain integrated schedules, stage gates, readiness reviews, programme registers, dashboards and management information systems.
• Direct capacity planning, adviser deployment, budgets, standards, templates, governance calendars and continuous improvement of programme maturity.

Lead programme design, engineering readiness and procurement preparation

• Convert mandates into programme business cases, delivery options, feasibility assessments, pro-curement strategies and implementation road maps.
• Lead engineering basis, specifications, system requirements, grid-readiness, permitting, stakeholder approvals and programme dependencies before procurement milestones.
• Integrate technical, commercial, financial, legal, procurement, regulatory, environmental and socio-economic requirements into bankable procurement frameworks.

Direct procurement execution, preferred-bidder and financial-close delivery

• Direct integrated bid-process planning, data-room readiness, bidder interfaces, evaluations, govern-ance submissions, preferred-bidder appointment and close planning.
• Maintain fair, transparent and defensible procurement processes with Legal and Procurement, including records, confidentiality and conflicts management.
• Coordinate preferred-bidder and financial-close plans, resolve dependencies, escalate constraints and ensure structured handover to implementation and contract-management functions.

Provide engineering, grid-integration, implementation and operational-readiness assurance

• Provide executive engineering assurance across generation, storage, gas, transmission, grid con-nection, system integration and emerging technologies.
• Assure design maturity, constructability, interfaces, safety, quality, climate resilience, commission-ing, testing and operational readiness at programme gates.
• Monitor implementation readiness and key delivery milestones, resolve material dependencies and capture lessons for future procurement windows.

Lead portfolio risk, performance, governance and reporting

• Maintain integrated risk, issue, opportunity and performance frameworks across technical, grid, schedule, cost, procurement, market, regulatory, environmental, social, financial and stakeholder risks.
• Provide concise, decision-useful reports, forecasts, dashboards and recommendations to IPPO, DEE, DBSA and governance structures.
• Ensure programmes remain compliant, audit-ready and aligned to approved scope, schedule, cost, quality, benefits and strategic outcomes.

Drive transformation, industrialisation, socio-economic development and just-transition outcomes

• Translate transformation, localisation, industrialisation, skills, socio-economic development and just-transition priorities into programme requirements, evaluation criteria and contractual deliverables.
• Balance development outcomes with competition, affordability, bankability, value for money and delivery feasibility.
• Monitor portfolio-level delivery of commitments, address underperformance and use lessons to strengthen future procurement windows.

Build strategic partnerships and maintain market and investor confidence

• Build trusted relationships with government, regulators, DBSA, NTCSA, Eskom, municipalities, IPPs, sponsors, lenders, DFIs, investors, advisers, industry bodies and communities.
• Maintain clear governance, information, decision and escalation arrangements for inter-institutional dependencies.
• Lead market engagement while protecting procurement integrity, confidentiality, equal access to information and market confidence.

Enable people and build organisational capability

• Create an ethical, accountable, inclusive and collaborative delivery culture across staff, secondees, advisers and matrixed teams.
• Implement workforce and capability plans covering role clarity, succession, recruitment, retention, professional development, mentoring and coaching.
• Institutionalise knowledge management, standard methods, lessons learned and structured capabil-ity transfer from external advisers to internal teams.

Expertise & Technical Competencies Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor of Engineering or BSc Engineering degree at NQF Level 8 in a relevant engineering discipline, or equivalent qualification recognised by ECSA.
• Professional registration with ECSA as Pr Eng, and a recognised programme or project management qualification, are added advantages.
• Relevant postgraduate qualification at NQF Level 9 in engineering, energy systems, programme or project management, infrastructure finance, business administration or a related field is advantageous.
• Minimum 15 years' post-qualification experience in engineering, programme or project management and delivery of large-scale infrastructure programmes.
• At least 10 years' experience in complex energy or infrastructure programmes, including generation, storage, gas, transmission, grid infrastructure or comparable project-financed assets.
• Minimum five years at senior management or executive level, with accountability for multidisciplinary teams, governance, budgets, advisers, outcomes and senior stakeholder relationships.
• Proven leadership of a multi-programme portfolio, enterprise PMO or major infrastructure delivery office across the full programme lifecycle.
• Demonstrated experience in IPP, PPP or infrastructure finance environments, including engagement with sponsors, lenders, DFIs, institutional investors, advisers, regulators and government decision-makers.
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