Senior Manager - Pretoria at South African Reserve Bank

Brief Description        

• The main purpose of this position is to provide leadership and strategic direction in developing, interpreting and providing a comprehensive set of high-quality national accounts statistics in line with international standards and benchmarks, being mindful of local conditions and conducting in-depth research and analyses in this specialised field.  

Detailed Description        
The successful candidate will be responsible for the following key performance areas:

• Provide managerial leadership, thought leadership and strategic direction in alignment with the objectives of the Economic Statistics Department (ESD) and the South African Reserve Bank (SARB), while ensuring cross-functional coordination. 
• Contribute to the development and implementation of a coordinated national accounts plan, informed by the national and international statistics agenda, and respond to data needs.
• Determine and clarify roles and performance expectations, manage performance and support career development within the unit. 
• Develop, implement and manage the unit’s operational plan that is aligned with the departmental strategic plan and the SARB’s strategic focus areas. 
• Identify and mitigate risks related to the national accounts statistics function and ensure compliance with the relevant governance frameworks, policies, procedures and legislative requirements. 
• Adopt and ensure compliance with the relevant and best international and related methodological guidelines and manuals (i.e. System of National Accounts (SNA), Handbook on quarterly national accounts, etc.) in the compilation and analysis of statistics. 
• Ensure the timely delivery of high-quality economic statistics in this specialised field within the integrated economic accounts framework. 
• Conduct an overview of the integration of statistical data and ensure quality control on data, economic reviews and research. 
• Provide guidance on methodological research to ensure the continual improvement of the delivery and functioning of the national accounts’ statistics function of the ESD. 

Lead and participate in internal and external stakeholder engagements, displaying an ability to solicit information and deliver a coherent and convincing message which includes: 

• leading and participating in strategic and technical inter-governmental/agency statistical platforms/forums;
• addressing the media regularly on statistical issues; 
• presenting to the Monetary Policy Committee; 
• formulating and defending South Africa’s position on methodological issues in domestic and international forums. 
• participating in the drafting of, or commenting on economic statistics manuals to render globally comparable economic statistics; and 
• leading and participating in ad hoc investigations on this specific subject matter where necessary and provide recommendations. 

Job Requirements        
To be considered for this position, candidates must be in possession of: 

• a Master’s degree in Economics or Statistics or an equivalent qualification; 
• a Doctorate in Economics would be an added advantage; 
• sound knowledge and understanding of the macroeconomic accounting frameworks (i.e, SNA);
• familiarity with the integrated economic accounts would be an advantage; and
• at least 10 years’ experience in the field of economic analysis and/or financial economics, with a minimum of five years in a managerial role. 

Additional requirements include: 

knowledge and skill in:

• industry, business and organisational awareness;
• quality assurance;
• continuous improvement;
• economic and/or national accounts analysis principles, theories, practices, methodologies and tools;
• economic and/or national accounts statistics review; and
• economic and/or national accounts research;
• developing and managing relationships;
• having impact and influence;
• leading change;
• building capacity;
• establishing focus;
• participating in strategic thinking; 
• showing a strong drive for results;
• managing complexity and ambiguity; and
• displaying self-awareness.