Careers at Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA)

• The mandate of the Infrastructure Fund has been captured in a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the National Treasury, Infrastructure South Africa (ISA), and the DBSA entered into on 17 August 2020.
• The Head of Legal is to lead and manage the Infrastructure Fund Legal Function. Provide legal opinion/s and advice for the Infrastructure Fund and deliver effective legal services both at strategic and operational levels

Key Responsibilities    
Strategic Direction and Outputs

• In collaboration with the Chief Investment Officer: Infrastructure Fund, set the strategic direction for the provision of Legal Services for the Infrastructure Fund through the conceptualisation, design and establishment of legal regulatory frameworks, policies, and parameters.

Legal Unit Management and Advisory

• Provide expert and strategic advice to management and business units on legal matters. These would include the drafting and recommending to management the Infrastructure Fund position on legal and regulatory issues.
• Provides advice on legal risks and complex legal matters and proactively provides solutions that consider multiple inputs, applicable risks, and impacts.
• Drafts, negotiates, and advises concerning material agreements and oversees the review of non-material agreements to minimise risks and maximise legal rights in alignment with corporate risk procedures.
• Collaborate and develop infrastructure procurement documents to ensure that they adhere and align to compliance principles laid out in the following: The Constitution; National Treasury Supply Management Circulars, Directives and Guidelines; Supply Management policies; Public Finance Management Act (PFMA); Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act (PPPFA); Other applicable Procurement Laws and Public Law principles.
• Provide legal opinions, draft and negotiate legal agreements and other legal documentation in respect of investment projects and programmes. Review and draft agreements to facilitate that the business interests of the Infrastructure Fund are protected and are legally sound. These would include the facilitation and assisting IF with the structuring of various investment projects including conducting legal due diligence investigations.
• Provide expert legal advice across each phase of energy projects to create a sense of assuredness to investors and the IF, including but not limited to: performing legal due diligences; evaluating transaction structures; developing and drafting legal documentation; mediating negotiations amongst various stakeholder parties; and providing the IF with legal advice regarding the structuring of third-party service contracts.
• Provide guidance on material purchases, acquisitions, engagement of vendors for new and complex services, complex business loans, and current and/or future business structures and legal entities.

Governance and Legal Regulatory

• Develop and facilitate the implementation of governance policies, practices and systems and the continuous improvement in governance. Ensures business practices and policies/procedures meet regulatory requirements enable the Infrastructure Fund to achieve material compliance to international, national, and local laws and regulations.
• Monitors and provides comment on pending legislation and regulation. May participate on advisory committees to regulators and related government agencies.
• Prepare brief and / or consult with external counsel / legal advisors on legal issues where necessary. Engages and manages outside counsel to ensure costs are within budget and supervises and coordinates work performed by outside counsel.
• Represent Legal at relevant internal Infrastructure Fund management and Board Committees.

People Management

• Engage and manage the legal team in preparation for the case in consultation with the GE: Infrastructure Fund.
• Provide general legal education and training to Infrastructure Fund personnel.

Other Necessary Duties

• When and if necessary, institute and defend legal proceedings on behalf of the Infrastructure Fund.
• Performs other IF duties as assigned.
• Undertake other tasks as assigned by the line manager, from time to time.

Key Measurements of Outputs

• Value and Number of projects closed and implemented
• Case duration:  The time taken for a matter to go from open to closed.
• Time taken to preparation and or review agreements, opinions and provide solutions.
• Quality of agreements, opinions and solutions provided.
• Effective management of legal claims and litigation risks.
• Management of total case / agreement / opinion / other legal costs.
• Clean Audit

Expertise & Technical Competencies    

• LLB Degree (Admitted Attorney)
• A minimum of 10 years’ experience in the Commercial or Corporate Law field, with emphasis on project finance.
• Knowledge and understanding of all legislation relevant to the business of the Infrastructure Fund
• A minimum of 5 years’ experience of a similar or related function at Head: Legal level, as well as the ability to engage with high level legal professionals.
• Additional business qualifications (Finance related) will be an added advantage.
• Demonstrated ability of strong legal / business writing skills. Excellent drafting skills with regards to legal opinions.
• Demonstrated experience in infrastructure and/or project finance and development.
• Expert knowledge of legal, risk and financial management principles, philosophy and methodologies to lead the most complex legal cases, projects/assignments and agreements undertaken by the Infrastructure Fund.
• Demonstrated ability to develop innovative solutions, identify new areas of opportunity, and identify, analyse and address the legal risks inherent in moving the business forward.
• Proven negotiating skills with the ability to close deals/transactions/agreements from a legal perspective.
• Strong verbal and effective presentation skills and with the ability to express complex legal concepts in business terms.
• Ability to interact professionally and confidently at all levels of Management, Board, Shareholder, Clients, employees as well as internal and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrated knowledge of legislation, regulations, policies, processes and procedures governing the infrastructure planning and development in South Africa such as PFMA, MFMA, PPP Regulations.

TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES

Legal Knowledge

• In-depth knowledge, understanding of the principles and investigation in their specialised areas such as contracts and agreement, litigation and other general legal advice and ability to give clear and accurate advice to IF.
• Remains up-to-date with new laws, regulations and compliance with South African laws affecting the business, and regularly interprets and advises senior Stakeholders on these.
• Identifies risk in commercial transactions and suggests risk mitigation methods where applicable.
• Advises senior management on the sequencing and pacing of policy recommendations in terms of legal implications.

Legal Policy Knowledge

• Knowledge of applicable legislation and the legal policies and procedures pertaining to the local, regional and relevant global laws.
• Directs and oversees the setting of organisational legal strategies, policies and guidelines of the most complex and important cases/legal objectives.
• Extensive knowledge of topics such as procurement laws, claims, agreements, and patents laws, intellectual property financial laws, labor laws, environmental laws, trade and economics laws etc.
• Knowledge and ability to enforce conditions and provisions of contracts, grants, agreements and leases.
• Understands global market conditions and trends to meet the needs of different stakeholders and to advance the liberalisation of IF.
• Awareness of all local regional and global legal developments.
• Ability to represent DBSA/Infrastructure Fund in the court of law when required.
• Ability to draft non-standard legal documents per procedures.
• Ability to draft more sensitive policy and legal procedures to be followed by stakeholders of IF, and review and refine in response to inputs from relevant stakeholders, for approval.
• Ability to understand legal rights and responsibilities and the possession of authority to make legal decisions.
• Protects the organisation’s legal rights, utilizing a broad knowledge base of all major legal disciplines.

Risk Identification & Assessments

• Diagnoses significant, unusual and emerging risks to which the business is exposed.
• Advises on applicable aspects of legal risk identification and assessment.
• Develop innovative and strategic approaches to managing significant legal business risks for the Division.
• Interpret risk reporting and make effective decisions based on high-level understanding and expertise.

Solution Focused

• Identifies complex problems based on a broad range of factors, many of which are ambiguous or difficult to define.
• While remaining guided by organisational values, identifies optimal solutions, thinking first in terms of possible approaches and flexibilities in the system vs. blind adherence to rules or procedures.
• Evaluates the effectiveness and efficiency of solutions after they have been implemented and identifies needed changes.

Knowledge of Contracts

• Advises management and user departments on contractual issues related to procurement.
• Has an in-depth knowledge of the legal framework and appropriate regulation. Ability to apply this to develop appropriate contractual terms, conditions and documentation.
• Identifies and resolves risk and liability.

Negotiation Skills

• Has an appreciation of cultural sensitivities and differences.
• Effectively employs a variety of advanced behavioural/interpersonal competencies to control the negotiation situation.
• Is able to take the lead in a variety of sensitive negotiation situations requiring high levels of tact and diplomacy.
• Is able to place a discrete negotiation situation within the context of a broader long-term relationship and is not threatened by conceding ground to protect the longer-term interests of IF.

Reporting & Communication

• Designs, reviews and improves reporting processes and provides guidance.
• Leads production of complex environment reports, takes an editorial role, determines content and level of detail, and ensures consistent messaging and branding.
• Is relied on by others to help them write complex technical and non-technical documents and briefs.
• Is able to determine which aspects of this knowledge area need to be transferred to others in order to achieve organisational goals.
• Coaches others and transfers communication skills and knowledge to others.
• Able to communicate complex problems or concepts, by making them simple and understandable for others.
• Adapts language to the level of the audience in order to ensure that the message has a positive impact and is interesting to the audience.
• Is articulate, demonstrates a wide range of vocabulary, and is confident when talking to large/high level audiences.

Presentation Skills

• Knows how to deliver arguments persuasively by employing a range of advanced presentation techniques (e.g. the appropriate use of body language, how to close a presentation so that the audience continues to think about the subject matter etc.).
• Has knowledge of various feedback mechanisms to check levels of audience understanding.

Required Personal Attributes    
LEADERSHIP/BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES

Leading & Empowering Others

• Identifies long-term goals for the team and communicates them to team members, ensuring their buy in.
• Sets a good example by personally exercising desired behaviour; acts on values and beliefs.
• Communicates a vision for the team and future success that inspires team members.
• After assessing others’ competence, one delegates full authority and responsibility to others to do a task in their own way.
• Ensures that competent employees are given opportunities to further their careers.

Leading & Managing Change

• Anticipates the need for change when not obvious and influences others to gain support. Builds sustainable business and organisational capacity to embrace and thrive on change.
• Re-engineers and aligns structures, processes and practices to support and sustain the desired change.

Strategic & Innovative Thinking

• Understands connections and trade-offs of strategic choices to evaluate which ideas are practical and possible by considering business and/or scientific implications.
• Develops innovative business and/or customer solutions that shape industry practices.

Teamwork & Cooperation

• Acts to promote a friendly climate and good morale and resolves conflicts.
• Creates opportunities for cross-functional working.
• Encourages others to network outside of their own team/department and learn from their experience.

Developing Others

• Gives specific positive or mixed feedback for developmental purposes.
• Gives negative feedback in behavioural rather than personal terms.
• Reassures and/or expresses positive expectations for future performance when giving corrective feedback.
• Gives individualised suggestions to individuals for their improvement.

Driving delivery of results

• Identifies and implements a business opportunity that will have a long-term impact on the business (which may include the organisation’s reputation or brand image). Monitors progress and adapts the plan if necessary to ensure optimal benefit to the business.
• Makes decisions, sets priorities, or chooses goals on the basis of inputs and outputs: makes explicit considerations of potential profit, return on investment, or cost benefit analysis.
• Based on the cost-benefit analysis, makes decisions of entrepreneurial risk nature.

Decisiveness (High Performance, Service Orientation)

• Makes timely decisions about complex issues even when some information is missing.
• Makes decisions and stands by them even when they are controversial or unpopular. Grasps critical business opportunities when they arise by making timely decisions.

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Job Description    

• This position is specific to the SADC Regional Fund for Water Infrastructure and Basic Sanitation, reporting to the Programme Manager SADC Water.
• The ESG Officer responsibilities, under the supervision of the Programme Manager SADC Water, span a broad spectrum, covering all areas of Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS)/ ESG implementation, monitoring and reporting.

Key Responsibilities    
Project Origination

• Contribute to the implementation of the Fund’s strategy by supporting the development of a climate resilience project portfolio.
• Support the process of project proposal development, including the development of innovative approaches from a climate mitigation and adaptation perspective.
• Identify and evaluate opportunities for embedding ecological and resource management interventions in grey infrastructure interventions.
• Work with the Programme Manager SADC Water to identify and develop opportunities for implementing naturebased solutions as part of the project portfolio.
• Contribute to building relationships and collaboration opportunities with other development organisations/partners.
• Contribute to the development of Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) and Policies.

Project Investment Evaluation & Development

• Assess and appraise the environmental, social and governance (ESG) impact of potential investments by identifying ESG development outcomes, identifying key environmental, social and (occupational) health & safety risks and proposing relevant mitigation and monitoring measures.
• Support the process of environmental and social risk categorisation of pipeline projects and guide additional assessments (such as Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), resettlement action plan (RAP), etc.).
• Prepare due diligence reports on the outcomes of assessments for consideration to the governance structures.
• Support the embedding of gender considerations through the implementation of the Gender Marker System in the appraisal of investment and development projects.
• Ensure that all relevant ESG /Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) aspects are covered and that appropriate measures, management plans and procedures are in place to address ESG and OHS risks and impacts.
• Review ESG outputs from consultants/service providers and implementation plans.
• Monitor compliance and report on ESG requirements/standards and outcomes during the implementation of Fund financed projects.
• Coordinate and liaise with the DBSA ESG team, mobilising additional support to the business unit as required.

Project Investment Administration

• Liaise with the Project teams in defining project specific ESG and OHS measures to be included in project implementation that comply with relevant national legislations and international standards.
• Provide advice to clients to support sustainable infrastructure delivery for ESG.
• Ensure the implementation of ESG measures across the portfolio as required in the ESG Framework in collaboration with the team.
• Monitor and evaluate of implementation of ESG and E&S/OHS measures and agreed environmental and social action plans for ongoing projects.

Fund Communication and Reporting

• Develop appropriate ESG & Climate reporting matrices for ongoing projects.
• Prepare regular reports as required for governance reporting.
• Support the preparation of regular partner/investor reports.

Key Measurements of Outputs

• Quality and number of due diligence assignments and projects concluded to ensure the application of the Banks Environmental and Social Safeguard Standards (ESSS) in investment decision-making.
• Quality reports prepared on due diligence, ESG requirements/standards, and climate change matrices.
• Achievement of setting ESG targets.

Expertise & Technical Competencies    
Minimum Requirements:

• A Bachelor's degree in Environmental Sciences, relevant Engineering, Climate Risk Management / Mitigation / Adaptation, Sustainable Development field, or relevant.
• A minimum of 6 years’ experience in preparing and appraising projects for investment, quantifying development outcomes, identifying and mitigating environmental, social/ governance risks.
• A minimum of 3 years’ experience in conducting environmental and social due diligence assessments, ideally against international standards (such as International Finance Corporation Performance Standards (IFC PS), World Bank Environmental and Social Standards (WB ESS) and World Bank Environmental, Health, and Safety (WB EHS) Guidelines).
• Experience with International Financial Institution funded programmes.
• Experience in working on infrastructure projects, preferably in the water sector.
• Demonstrate experience in the application of good international industry practice principles in ESG.
• Proven ability to undertake research, analyze and synthesize diverse ESG-related data (especially climate-related) and information to deliver independent, high-quality professional reports.
• Proven ability to communicate ideas clearly and confidently, and present ideas to clients and partners.
• Understanding of gender mainstreaming and grievance redress mechanisms.
• Experience in setting up and/or implementing project ESMS and Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP).
• Fluent in written and spoken English.
• Excellent communication and reporting skills.

Desirable Requirements

• Experience working on water infrastructure projects.
• Experience in working in the SADC region.
• Project management and delivery experience.

TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES

Written communication

• Understands that different writing styles are required for different documents or audiences.
• Write effective correspondence, prepares questions and reports, statements of circumstance and briefing notes.
• Reviews others’ documents for clarity and impact.
• Has a solid mastery of writing principles such as grammar, sentence construction etc.

Presentation skills

• Can reinforce key presentation points with examples.
• Is able to translate technical terminology into language understandable to the audience.
• Has insight into the audience’s behavior and motivation and responds appropriately and professionally, adapting communication style as appropriate.

Reporting

• Designs / customizes reports to meet user needs.
• Prepares complex or tailored reports, gathers information from a variety of sources, analyses and includes in a report.
• Keeps standard reports under review and proposes improvements to meet user needs.

Business acumen

• Thinks and plans in future-oriented terms.
• Develops annual business plans that consider longer-term activities, issues, problems or opportunities.
• Develops and establishes broad scale, longer-term objectives, goals or projects (e.g., affecting a business, department, or organisation).

Project Management

• Demonstrates a practical knowledge of project management principles and techniques.
• Plans, defines, and manages projects within a department or area.
• Identifies resources required and their appropriate role and skills.
• Assists in the management of projects where the objectives, milestones and time scales have been defined.

Presentation Skills

• Knows how to deliver arguments persuasively by employing a range of advanced presentation techniques (e.g., the appropriate use of body language, how to close a presentation so that the audience continues to think about the subject matter etc.).
• Has knowledge of various feedback mechanisms to check levels of audience understanding.

Negotiation

• Understands and can apply basic negotiating skills and techniques, e.g. obtaining a full understanding of the other party's agenda and needs before disclosing own perspectives.
• Possesses an understanding of various unspoken communications from other parties and can decipher hidden agendas.
• Is able to successfully conclude negotiations which require the development of an emotional as well as factual argument.
• Is able to develop mutually-beneficial potential solutions.
• Required Personal Attributes    

BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES

Achievement Orientation

• Delivers work on time and quality and follows through on agreed commitments.
• Views new work experiences as an opportunity for growth.
• Reacts immediately to overcome setbacks or/and obstacles in order to meet goals.
• Recognises and acts upon current opportunity.
• Make specific changes to systems and processes in order to improve efficiency and quality.
• Formulates own objectives and action plans in order to achieve a measurable improvement in the future.

Conceptual thinking

• Uses knowledge of theory or of different past situation to look at current situation.
• Applies learned concepts across various situations.

Customer Service Orientation

• Tries to understand the underlying needs of customers and matches these needs to available or customized products and services.
• Adapts processes and procedures to meet on-going customer needs.
• Utilises the feedback received by customers, in order to develop new and/or improve existing services/ products that relate to their on-going needs.
• Thinks of new ways to align DBSA’s offerings with future customer needs.

Decisiveness

• Acts promptly to address urgent needs, quickly taking those decisions which need to be taken.
• Assesses available information to reach a clear view of key options and selects the best option at the time.
• Thinks on their feet when necessary.

Integrity

• Publicly admits having made a mistake.
• Speaks out when it may hurt a trust relationship.

Self-awareness and Self-control

• Withholds effects of strong emotions in difficult situations.
• Keeps functioning or responds constructively despite stress.
• May apply special techniques or plan ahead of time to manage emotions or stress.

Driving Delivery of Results

• Sets challenging goals that will have a significant impact on the business or support the organisational strategy.
• Commits significant resources and/or time to ensure that challenging goals are achieved, while also taking action to mitigate risk.

Teamwork and Cooperation

• Acts to promote a friendly climate and good morale and resolves conflicts.
• Creates opportunities for cross-functional working.
• Encourages others to network outside of their own team/department and learn from their experience.

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Job Description    

• This position is specific to the SADC Fund for Water Infrastructure and Basic Sanitation. The Investment Officer's responsibilities, under the supervision of the Programme Manager, span a broad spectrum, covering all areas of project origination, investment evaluation and administration and reporting.

Key Responsibilities    
Strategy and Project Origination

• Contribute to the implementation of the strategy.
• Contribute to identifying new clients and prioritise existing key clients based on set criteria (i.e., financial metrics, current and potential revenue and margin) and strategic factors.
• Support the development of a strong project pipeline of good quality investment following the Fund’s investment criteria through proactive origination/ business development and developing and employing sector/ country knowledge within the SADC region.
• Support the development of innovative financing approaches and partnerships.
• Drive project opportunities through to the implementation phase working closely with the SADC project preparation and other preparation facilities to facilitate project preparation, scoping, feasibility studies and business plans to close investment deals.
• Conduct research on clients and develop in-depth knowledge of the water sector regional development landscape in the SADC regions/ clients and partners serviced and leverage such insights/ knowledge across countries and clients.
• Keep abreast of developments, trends and investment opportunities in specific priority sectors and make recommendations to management regarding the competitive dynamics and landscape.

Project Investment Evaluation & Development

• Evaluate the feasibility of investment opportunities/ project transactions to ensure that they are economically and commercially sound prospects for grant and debt financing and the development impact is aligned with the Fund's investment criteria, strategy and mandate.
• Support the development of bankable projects by identifying and mitigating key risk issues by working closely with the Project Manager, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Officer and other specialists.
• Support the development and structuring of proposals to draw in other funding partners.
• Provide value to transactions for the benefit of and/ or the client through knowledge of the subject, innovation, and lateral thinking.
• Coordinate the project Early Assessment and Due Diligence Appraisal in liaison with the Technical Project Manager and ESG Officer.
• Prepare project investment documentation for governance committee submission.
• Work with the Programme Manager, to structure and negotiate the detailed terms of the funding/ investment to drive the approval of project investments.
• Under the supervision of the Programme Manager, drive the investment approval process in its entirety from early review to the relevant approval committees.
• Ensure proposals submitted to the committees are well structured and documented for effective decision making.

Project Investment Administration

• Implement transactions by facilitating the preparation or managing the preparation of complex multiple jurisdiction financing agreements/ documents and compliance with all required procedures, laws, and regulations in liaison with IDD Legal and other specialists.
• Monitor compliance with conditions precedent of financing agreements including engaging beneficiaries on their co-contributions.
• Identify investment risks of the Fund, develop and implement (and/ or coordinate) mitigation measures.
• Support monitoring of the implementation of ongoing projects, including quality and compliance.
• Monitor project disbursement and financial reporting.

Fund Communication and Reporting

• Develop appropriate investment and impact reporting matrices for ongoing projects and regular business reviews.
• Prepare regular partner/ investor reports of the Fund with support from the team.
• Provide input into quarterly Fund reporting, including analysis of the performance of the Fund investments and utilisation of commitments.
• Prepare business overview reports of the Fund.

Key Measurements of Outputs

• Revenue performance in terms of interest income and fees generated.
• Delivery on the agreed operations mandate; these include:
• Growth rate in assets of loan book
• Annual disbursements, commitments and approvals
• Quality of loan book
• % of loan book in priority geographies and sectors
• Number of new clients
• Number of potential deals worked on
• Management of client relationships and key stakeholders.

Expertise & Technical Competencies    
TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES

Written communication

• Understands that different writing styles are required for different documents or audiences.
• Write effective correspondence, prepares questions and reports, statements of circumstance and briefing notes.
• Reviews others’ documents for clarity and impact.
• Has a solid mastery of writing principles such as grammar, sentence construction etc.

Presentation skills

• Can reinforce key presentation points with examples.
• Is able to translate technical terminology into language understandable to the audience.
• Has insight into the audience’s behavior and motivation and responds appropriately and professionally, adapting communication style as appropriate.

Reporting

• Designs / customizes reports to meet user needs.
• Prepares complex or tailored reports, gathers information from a variety of sources, analyses and includes in a report.
• Keeps standard reports under review and proposes improvements to meet user needs.

Business acumen

• Thinks and plans in future-oriented terms.
• Develops annual business plans that consider longer-term activities, issues, problems or opportunities.
• Develops and establishes broad scale, longer-term objectives, goals or projects (e.g., affecting a business, department, or organisation).

Project Management

• Demonstrates a practical knowledge of project management principles and techniques.
• Plans, defines, and manages projects within a department or area.
• Identifies resources required and their appropriate role and skills.
• Assists in the management of projects where the objectives, milestones and time scales have been defined.

Presentation Skills

• Knows how to deliver arguments persuasively by employing a range of advanced presentation techniques (e.g., the appropriate use of body language, how to close a presentation so that the audience continues to think about the subject matter etc.).
• Has knowledge of various feedback mechanisms to check levels of audience understanding.

Negotiation

• Understands and can apply basic negotiating skills and techniques, e.g. obtaining a full understanding of the other party's agenda and needs before disclosing own perspectives.
• Possesses an understanding of various unspoken communications from other parties and can decipher hidden agendas.
• Is able to successfully conclude negotiations which require the development of an emotional as well as factual argument.
• Is able to develop mutually-beneficial potential solutions.

Minimum Requirements:

• A Bachelor’s Degree in Finance, Investments, Business Science, Accounting, Economics or other relevant field.
• A minimum of 6 years post-qualification experience in appraising, negotiating and closing project finance, corporate finance, or structured finance transactions in a financial institution.
• A minimum of 2 years of relevant professional experience in originating and/or appraising infrastructure projects.
• Proven/ demonstrated understanding and exposure to infrastructure finance, development finance or wholesale banking.
• Experience in development project origination and financing.
• Demonstrable experience in identifying client challenges and playing an active part in finding innovative solutions.
• Experienced communicator and negotiator.
• Strong negotiation skills with the ability to close deals.

Desirable Requirements

• Master’s degree in Finance / Masters in Business Administration (MBA)/ CA/ CFA.
• Experience working on water infrastructure projects.
• Experience in working with International Financial Institution(IFI) funded programmes in the SADC region.
• Project management and delivery experience.

Required Personal Attributes    
BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES

Achievement Orientation

• Delivers work on time and quality and follows through on agreed commitments.
• Views new work experiences as an opportunity for growth.
• Reacts immediately to overcome setbacks or / and obstacles in order to meet goals. Recognises and acts upon current opportunity.
• Make specific changes to systems and processes in order to improve efficiency and quality.
• Formulates own objectives and action plans in order to achieve a measurable improvement in the future.

Conceptual thinking

• Uses knowledge of theory or of different past situation to look at current situation.
• Applies learned concepts across various situations.

Customer Service Orientation

• Tries to understand the underlying needs of customers and matches these needs to available or customized products and services.
• Adapts processes and procedures to meet on-going customer needs.
• Utilises the feedback received by customers, in order to develop new and/or improve existing services/ products that relate to their on-going needs.
• Thinks of new ways to align DBSA’s offerings with future customer needs.

Decisiveness

• Acts promptly to address urgent needs, quickly taking those decisions which need to be taken.
• Assesses available information to reach a clear view of key options and selects the best option at the time.
• Thinks on their feet when necessary.

Integrity

• Publicly admits having made a mistake.
• Speaks out when it may hurt a trust relationship.

Self-awareness and Self-control

• Withholds effects of strong emotions in difficult situations.
• Keeps functioning or responds constructively despite stress.
• May apply special techniques or plan ahead of time to manage emotions or stress.

Driving Delivery of Results

• Sets challenging goals that will have a significant impact on the business or support the organisational strategy.
• Commits significant resources and/or time to ensure that challenging goals are achieved, while also taking action to mitigate risk.

Teamwork and Cooperation

• Acts to promote a friendly climate and good morale and resolves conflicts.
• Creates opportunities for cross-functional working.
• Encourages others to network outside of their own team/department and learn from their experience.

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Job Description    

• The purpose of this job is to provide country risk reports inclusive of country risk ratings and LGD’s using the various rating tools to support the mandate of the DBSA to provide Cross Border Development assistance and lending. The Cross-Border functions are spread across the Coverage, Transacting and Project Preparation Divisions aimed at enhancing sustainable investment in economic infrastructure in the African region.

Key Responsibilities    
Strategic Functions

• Provide advice on the socio-economic/political climate, risk profiles, perspectives, strategies and key infrastructure initiatives and trends within a country and regional context and its impact on potential new investments.
• Co-ordinate inputs and provide country and regional macro-economic market analysis to inform potential investments.
• Co-ordinate inputs and conduct debt sustainability analysis and analysis of sovereign lending capacity.
• Analyse risk factors and conduct country risk profile exposures of potential investments in the South African and broader African region and present the DBSA with suitable solutions.
• Provide analysis of the impact of policy, legislation, strategy, and tariff regimes at a country and regional level for potential investments in the Bank's priority sectors.
• Write and compile country and regional presentations and reports.
• Build networks with clients, information suppliers and other specialists in similar areas of expertise.

Key Measures

• Provide country and regional risk reports which enable the business to invest in infrastructure.
• Engage in data modelling in support of investment decisions.
• Deliver interpretations from data models and other sources that will enable sustainable investment decisions.
• Provide hands on expertise to produce country / regional reports and advisory services to coverage teams.
• Deliver papers at national and regional forums.
• Engage with international counterparts in appropriate forums to source relevant information from Development Finance economic networks on the African Continent.

Expertise & Technical Competencies    
Minimum Requirements

• A relevant post graduate degree in an appropriate professional field specialising in Economics, Regional Development / Business Economics or Development Studies / Finance.
• At least 10 years progressive and relevant experience in providing country risk profiles / risk analysis within a development finance context.
• Relevant experience in conducting debt sustainability analysis and analysis of sovereign lending capacity.
• Extensive knowledge of the infrastructure, development and financing challenges and opportunities on the African continent.
• Experience of country and regional policy, legal and regulatory frameworks, and the institutional dynamics in the African region.
• Demonstrated research ability with proven experience in problem solving ability within a development finance context.
• Extensive understanding of the lending process.
• High level of competency required in MS Word, MS Excel, PowerPoint and related data analysis and modelling software packages.

Desirable Requirements

• Fluent in French
• Familiar with Economic models
• Experience of presenting Country Economics at National or International conferences

TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES

Data Collection and Analysis

• Skilled in the use of advanced/complex analytical techniques.
• Ability to use judgement to decide upon the most appropriate analytical techniques according to the situation.
• Recognises underlying principles, patterns, or themes in an array of related information, and determine whether additional information would be useful or necessary.
• In-depth understanding of the business environment, reviews outputs of analysis to identify anomalies and draws conclusions, relating these to operational circumstances.
• Can model a range of scenarios covering all potential business circumstances and highlight potential risks/opportunities.

Sector Expertise

• Develops sector insights to serve as trusted advisor to stakeholders and to shape DBSA sector policies.
• Follows given sector industry dynamics, trends and key players and uses that knowledge to develop sector insights.
• Knows business models and operating models within the given sector and uses that knowledge to identify best practices.
• Ability to draw on sector knowledge and knowledge of the client business to identify unique opportunities to enhance business performance for the client.

Planning & Organizing

• Uses effectively advance time management processes to deal with high workload and tight deadlines.
• Organises, prioritises and schedules tasks so they can be performed within budget and with the efficient use of time and resources.
• Achieves goals in a timely manner, despite obstacles encountered, by organising, reprioritizing and replanning.

Financial Acumen

• Makes sound financial decisions after having analysed their impacts on the organisation, partner agencies, and community.
• Effectively prepares budgetary submissions and forecasts for own department.
• Knows the internal and external factors that impact on resource and asset availability.
• Is able to interpret management account reports in an operational/commercial context and take action as appropriate to maximize revenues and control costs.

Reporting & Communication

• Designs / customizes reports to meet user needs.
• Prepares complex or tailored reports, gathers information from a variety of sources, analyses and includes in a report.
• Keeps standard reports under review and proposes improvements to meet user needs.

Presentation Skills

• Knows how to deliver arguments persuasively by employing a range of advanced presentation techniques (e.g. the appropriate use of body language, how to close a presentation so that the audience continues to think about the subject matter etc.).
• Has knowledge of various feedback mechanisms to check levels of audience understanding.

Stakeholder Management

• Actively engages partners and encourages others to build relationships that support DBSA objectives.
• Understands and recognises the contributions that staff at all levels make to delivering priorities.
• Proactively manages partner relationships, preventing or resolving any conflict.
• Adapts style to work effectively with partners, building consensus, trust and respect.
• Delivers objectives by bringing together diverse stakeholders to work effectively in partnership.

Required Personal Attributes    
BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES

Achievement Orientation

• Undertakes challenging assignments and strives to complete them.
• Sets priorities and chooses goals on the basis of calculated costs, anticipated benefits and improvement of performance.
• Aims at exceptional performance; setting out to achieve a unique standard.
• Constantly analyses outcomes to ensure the achievement of business goals.
• Identifies short-term opportunities or potential problems aiming to achieve better outcomes.

Customer Service Orientation

• Tries to understand the underlying needs of customers and matches these needs to available or customized products and services.
• Adapts processes and procedures to meet on-going customer needs.
• Utilises the feedback received by customers, in order to develop new and/or improve existing services/products that relate to their on-going needs.
• Thinks of new ways to align DBSA’s offerings with future customer needs.

Integrity

• Is willing to end a business relationship because it was associated with unethical business practice.
• Is capable of challenging senior management (in an appropriate and respectable manner) in order to act on espoused values.

Leading and Empowering Others

• Creates the conditions that enable the team to perform at its best (e.g., setting clear direction, providing appropriate structure, getting the right people, obtain needed resources).
• Monitors performance against clear standards, and addresses performance issues promptly and takes action to get performance back to desired levels.
• Proactively asks for feedback on own performance from team members, aiming to become more effective.

Self-awareness and Self Control

• Withholds effects of strong emotions in difficult situations.
• Keeps functioning or responds constructively despite stress.
• May apply special techniques or plan ahead of time to manage emotions or stress.

Strategic and Innovative Thinking

• Recognises opportunities or potential problems, before they become obvious, by seeing the connections in range of sources of information, including insights from outside DBSA.
• Restates complex knowledge in a way that makes it easier for others to understand.
• Experiments with new approaches, tests scenarios, questions assumptions and challenges conventional thinking.
• Creates new concepts that are not obvious to others, leveraging internal and external sources of information, to build incremental revenue and growth opportunities.

Teamwork & Cooperation

• Acts to promote a friendly climate and good morale, and resolves conflicts.
• Creates opportunities for cross-functional working.
• Encourages others to network outside of their own team/department and learn from their experience.

Closing Date    
2024/08/21

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Job Description    

• The Senior Deal Originator is responsible for formulating and executing the strategic objectives of the business in collaboration with the Head Client Coverage whilst being accountable for deal origination, building and owning client and partnerships and developing projects for the DBSA ultimately leading to bankable deals.

Key Responsibilities    

• Contribute to the development of Divisional and Business unit strategies and implementation thereof.
• Identify new, and prioritise existing key clients based on a set criteria (i.e. financial metrics, current and potential revenue and margin) and strategic factors.
• Develop strong pipeline of good quality investments through proactive origination/business development and developing and employing sector/country knowledge.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, global and regional private businesses and facilitate the identification of opportunities to initiate viable projects.
• Work closely with the project preparation team to facilitate project preparation, scoping, feasibility studies and business plans with the intention of closing investment deals.
• Work closely with the Transactions team to take deals to bankability.
• Remediate and eliminate partnership obstacles and inefficiencies, have knowledge of all new products, structured products and services offered by competitors.
• Develop an in-depth knowledge of the political landscape of regions/sectors/clients and partners serviced and leverage such insights/knowledge across other regions/sectors and clients.
• Build relationships, networks and collaborate with internal and external key stakeholders and clients to position DBSA as the ‘go-to’ Bank for infrastructure development opportunities.
• Continuously research and analyze the clients’ business context, operations and financial performance in search of new opportunities
• Leverage, engage and collaborate with the Bank’s internal network to ensure that the entire Bank’s relevant expertise is used to the optimum.
• Develop strong pipeline of good quality investments through proactive origination/business development and developing and employing sector/country knowledge;
• Compile and provide competitor analysis and understand the operating environment.
• Lead, initiate and develop new business strategies and opportunities to create a pipeline of development impact projects ensuring deal flow and bankability.
• Working closely with Financing Operations Division, initiate and develop new business strategies and opportunities to create a pipeline of fee income generating projects.
• Prepare and provide documentation/reports for EXCO and Board(s) decision making where applicable.
• Present at deal Committees where applicable as and when required.

Key Measurements of Outputs

• Value of project approvals, commitments and disbursements.
• Value of projects prepared and committed for DBSA approval.
• Value of funds under management secured (Infrastructure Delivery business).
• NPL targets.
• Client service rating.

Expertise & Technical Competencies    
TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES

Risk Identification & Assessment skills

• Advises on applicable aspects of risk identification and assessment.
• Assesses and links short-term tasks in the context of long-term business strategies or perspectives.

Business Development

• Takes overall lead for pro-active business development at national and international level.
• Initiates, reviews and interprets competitor environment reviews and take actions accordingly.
• Formulates and modify market approaches on the basis of competitor analyses.
• Leads the formulation, development and implementation of the business development strategy to generate new business opportunities in public and private sector delivery of infrastructure.
• Identifies and develop new markets, products and clients.
• Leads the participation and presentation of an organisation at investment conferences and roundtable discussions.
• Coordinates business activities to ensure that investment initiatives are in support of government BEE strategies, broader national and regional economic development strategies.
• Promote compliance and alignment with the strategic imperatives of both individual clients and the organisation of investment and development interventions.
• Builds capacity to coordinate, control and manage the activities and efforts required for the implementation of the plan.
• Builds capacity to conduct project origination exercises.

Business Acumen

• Deep understanding of commercial drivers and is able to take decisions based on an assessment of alternatives concerning complex business situations.
• Deep understanding of economic priorities of South Africa and Africa and how they can be implemented to meet an organisations strategic objectives.
• Deep understanding of the need to coordinate efforts with many government entities, private sector, community groups and individuals to ensure effective implementation of new policies and regulations.
• Takes actions to fit business strategy.
• Assesses and links short-term tasks in the context of long-term business strategies or perspectives.
• Reviews own actions against the organisation's strategic plan; includes the big picture when considering possible opportunities or projects or thinks about long-term applications of current activities.
• Anticipates possible responses to different initiatives.
• Understands the projected direction of the industry and how changes might impact the organisation.

Deal Origination

• Utilises extensive networks with developers, sponsors and consultants in DBSA-mandated sectors to identify project preparation opportunities.
• Conducts project identification, conceptualisation and preliminary structuring of projects structuring and value preposition for DBSA.
• Applies analytical skills to understand the technical, environmental, institutional, financial and legal components of projects to present a structure to prepare the project.
• Understands the regulatory and policy environments and offers advice in preparing/structuring of projects.
• Conducts market research, business analysis and profiling to identify opportunities for infrastructure development in SA, SADC and selected African countries.
• Provides and grows the opportunity for DBSA equity investments.
• Independently structures and negotiates and concludes engagement letters, term sheets and facility agreements.

Project Management

• Initiates project plans and secures resources for projects that span area or department boundaries.
• Uses estimating techniques and develops project risk management approaches.
• Has an in-depth and practical understanding of how to maximize the effectiveness of project teams.

Planning & Organizing

• Is relied on to helps other plan and organise their workload.
• Uses effectively advance time management processes to deal with high workload and tight deadlines.
• Organises, prioritises and schedules tasks so they can be performed within budget and with the efficient use of time and resources.
• Achieves goals in a timely manner, despite obstacles encountered, by organising, reprioritizing and re-planning

Financial Acumen

• Makes sound financial decisions after having analysed their impacts on the organisation, partner agencies, and community.
• Effectively prepares budgetary submissions and forecasts for own department.
• Knows the internal and external factors that impact on resource and asset availability.
• Is able to interpret management account reports in an operational/commercial context and take action as appropriate to maximize revenues and control costs.

Reporting & Communication

• Designs / customizes reports to meet user needs.
• Prepares complex or tailored reports, gathers information from a variety of sources, analyses and includes in a report.
• Keeps standard reports under review and proposes improvements to meet user needs

Presentation Skills

• Knows how to deliver arguments persuasively by employing a range of advanced presentation techniques (e.g. the appropriate use of body language, how to close a presentation so that the audience continues to think about the subject matter etc.).
• Has knowledge of various feedback mechanisms to check levels of audience understanding.

Negotiation

• Has an appreciation of cultural sensitivities and differences.
• Effectively employs a variety of advanced behavioural/interpersonal competencies to control the negotiation situation.
• Is able to take the lead in a variety of sensitive negotiation situations requiring high levels of tact and diplomacy.
• Is able to place a discrete negotiation situation within the context of a broader long-term relationship and is not threatened by conceding ground to protect the longer-term interests of DBSA.

Minimum Requirements

• An Honours degree in Finance, Business, Accounting, Engineering or Economics;
• 8-10 years’ experience in appraising, negotiating and closing Project Finance, Corporate Finance, or Structured Finance transactions in a financial institution;
• Experience in securing infrastructure investment deals in relevant sectors/geographies in SA and/or Africa (where applicable).
• Experience in leading, initiating and developing new business strategies and opportunities to create a pipeline of development impact projects ensuring deal flow and bankability.
• Experience in securing deals of appropriate size for sectors and geographies in question.
• Strong networks and relations with clients, global and regional private investors and banks in order to identify and source viable projects/investments.
• Successful track record in leading project teams with high level stakeholders and qualified professionals;
• Experience in using Financial models;
• Comprehensive knowledge of the complex financial and regulatory environments across Africa (where applicable).
• In depth knowledge and understanding of infrastructure market, financial markets and the macro landscape.
• Demonstrable experience in identifying client challenges and playing an active part in finding innovative solutions.
• Experienced communicator and negotiator (expertise at senior level).
• Strong negotiation skills with the ability to close deals.
• Proven experience in working with snr stakeholders in highly political environments in South Africa and the rest of Africa (where applicable)
• Role requires flexibility to be redeployed if required
• Ability to mentor jnr members of the team

Desirable Requirements

• A post-graduate qualification such as a CA, CFA or MBA

Required Personal Attributes    
BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES

Achievement Orientation

• Delivers work on time and quality and follows through on agreed commitments.
• Views new work experiences as an opportunity for growth.
• Reacts immediately to overcome setbacks or/and obstacles in order to meet goals.
• Recognises and acts upon current opportunities.

Customer Service Orientation

• Makes self fully available, especially when the customer is going through a critical period.
• Requests on-going feedback from customers and takes action in response to it; manages to retain and capitalize on existing customers.
• Takes the “extra step” to resolve customer issues appropriately, even in the case where they do not fall under own area of responsibility.
• Is aware of the level of service offered by the competition and provides more for customers than they expect.

Attention to Detail

• Double-checks the accuracy of information or work.
• Ensures that the work produced doesn’t contain any errors.

Leading and Empowering Others

• Creates the conditions that enable the team to perform at its best (e.g., setting clear direction, providing appropriate structure, getting the right people, obtain needed resources).
• Monitors performance against clear standards, and addresses performance issues promptly and takes action to get performance back to desired levels.
• Proactively asks for feedback on own performance from team members, aiming to become more effective.
• Ensures tasks are delegated so that team members are empowered to deliver results and develop their capabilities.

Self-awareness and Self Control

• Feels strong emotions in the course of a conversation or other task, such as anger, extreme frustration, or high stress;
• Holds the emotions back, and continues to act calmly.
• Ignores angering actions and continues a conversation or task.
• May leave temporarily to withhold emotions, then return immediately to continue.

Strategic and Innovative Thinking

• Recognises opportunities or potential problems, before they become obvious, by seeing the connections in a range of sources of information, including insights from outside DBSA.
• Restates complex knowledge in a way that makes it easier for others to understand.
• Experiments with new approaches, tests scenarios, questions assumptions and challenges conventional thinking.
• Creates new concepts that are not obvious to others, leveraging internal and external sources of information, to build incremental revenue and growth opportunities.

Teamwork & Cooperation

• Values and utilises the expertise of colleagues, asking for ideas and input and collaborates to form decisions and plans.
• Willingly learns from others.
• Creates opportunities for knowledge and expertise sharing between all members of the team.

Closing Date    
2024/08/21

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Job Description    

• Develop, implement and maintain procurement systems and provide systems support to user to optimise operational efficiency such as resolving technical issues, maintaining hardware and software installations, and improving IT systems.

Key Responsibilities    
System Improvement

• Work closely with IT and SCM operations to build and improve SCM process models, systems and applications that enable fully automated SCM processes and procedures.
• Develop technical specifications for the configuration of system workflows, customised reports and business processes to ensure seamless processing of procurement requests and approvals.
• Facilitate User Acceptance Testing for all procurement systems to ensure that systems meet the user requirements and development specifications.
• Work with IT and service providers to implement changes or upgrades to procurement systems.

Systems Support and Maintenance

• Provide first line technical system support and maintenance for all SCM systems and applications.
• Manage system incidents, troubleshoot system errors and provide solutions to solve end-user technical issues and implement systems amendments as required.
• Administer and maintain procurement systems and applications in line with applicable processes and procedures to avoid audit queries and findings.
• Verify that continuous system backups are run and report all faults to ensure minimised impact of system failure, data-corruption or other loss of information.
• Log incidents and change requests and implement system changes as required within the turn-around times.
• Provide inputs to systems training manual development and provide training to end-users on new systems and changes to existing systems.

Key measurements of outputs

• Timeout and effective of IT Support provided to the SCM team and end-users
• Efficiency of procurement systems.
• Management of client relationships and key stakeholders.
• Management of system

Expertise & Technical Competencies    
Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in information technology/Computer Science/Information Systems or equivalent
• A minimum of 5 years’ experience in Information Technology of which 3-4 years in Technical Support and Helpdesk experience
• Demonstrated ability to recognise and resolve system related problems; work independently and make necessary decisions throughout the systems process within the bank’s guidelines.
• Experience and knowledge of computer hardware, software.
• Proven ability to determine IT needs and train end-users.
• Experience in documenting processes and monitoring performance metrics.
• Demonstrated knowledge of database maintenance and implementation of ICT policies.
• Proven ability to keep up with technical innovation and trends in IT support.
• Knowledge and capability experience of System Development Life Cycle
• Understands Internet, Intranet, Extranet and client/server architectures

Desirable Requirements

• Proficient in writing fine-tuned SQL queries, stored procedures (e.g., PL/SQL code) and working with data in relational databases like SQL Server, MySQL etc.

TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES 

Solutions Focused

• Identifies optimal solutions based on weighing the advantages and disadvantages of alternative approaches.
• After implementation, evaluates the effectiveness and efficiency of solutions.

Detail Orientation

• Reviews all relevant information or aspects of a situation before taking action or making a decision.
• Pays close attention to details that are important to others to make sure they are right.
• Verifies that work has been completed according to the standards and procedures.

Customer Service Orientation

• Tries to understand the underlying needs of customers and matches these needs to available or customized products and services.
• Adapts processes and procedures to meet on-going customer needs.
• Utilises the feedback received by customers, in order to develop new and/or improve existing services/ products that relate to their on-going needs.
• Thinks of new ways to align offerings with future customer needs.

Written Communication

• Understands that different writing styles are required for different documents or audiences.
• Write effective correspondence, prepares questions and reports, statements of circumstance and briefing notes.
• Reviews others’ documents for clarity and impact.
• Has a solid mastery of writing principles such as grammar, sentence construction etc.
• Teamwork and Cooperation

IT Support

• Contacts end-user / customer to follow up on services and/or solutions to ensure that their needs have been correctly and effectively met.
• Understands issues from the end-user/customer’s perspective.
• Keeps end-user/customer up to date with information and decisions that affect him/her.
• Monitors services provided to end-user / customer and makes timely adjustments as required.
• Proposes new, creative and sound alternatives to improve technical services.
• Uses advanced techniques in solving technical problems.

IT Business Analysis

• General understanding of business processes for a functional area and how IT can provide support.
• Understands how to develop user specifications on the basis of operational user requirements.

Required Personal Attributes    
BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES

Teamwork and cooperation

• Promotes a friendly climate and good morale, and resolves conflicts
• Creates opportunities for cross-functional working.
• Encourages others to network outside of their own team/department and learn from their experience.

Driving delivery of results

• Identifies and implements a business opportunity that will have long term impact on the business
• Monitors progress and adapts plans if necessary to ensure optimal benefit to the programme
• Makes decisions, sets priorities, or chooses goals on the basis of inputs and outputs: makes explicit considerations of potential profit, return on investment, or cost benefit analysis.
• Based on cost benefit analysis, makes decisions of entrepreneurial risk nature

Customer Service Orientation

• Tries to understand the underlying needs of customers and matches these needs to available or customized products and services.
• Adapts processes and procedures to meet on-going customer needs.
• Utilises the feedback received by customers, in order to develop new and/or improve existing services/ products that relate to their on-going needs.
• Thinks of new ways to align offerings with future customer needs.

Closing Date    
2024/08/25