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Senior Invesment Officer (Project Finance)
Closing Date
2026/09/25
Reference Number
DBS260911-2
Job Title Senior Invesment Officer (Project Finance)
Job Grade 16
Job Type Classification Permanent
Location – Town / City Midrand
Location – Province Gauteng
Location – Country South Africa
Job Profile (Downloadable) Senior Investments Officer Generic_Job Profile September 2025 v2.docx.pdf (317,84 kb) – 2026/09/11 10:34:31
Job Description
The purpose of the Senior Investment Officer role is to generate deal flow and build a strong pipeline of prospective projects for development financing. This role is also responsible for structuring deals, as well as appraising, negotiating, and closing Project Finance, Corporate Finance, or Structured Finance transactions.
Key Responsibilities
KEY PERFORMANCE AREAS
- Investment and Loan Transactions
Originate, identify, structure and execute infrastructure investment opportunities in key strategic sectors/investment themes.
Perform detailed analysis of investment opportunities, including commercial analysis, financial modelling and risk and institutional analysis.
Negotiate and review transaction agreements (including finance agreements) and project documents.
Facilitate deal closure by taking responsibility for optimal financial, institutional and legal structuring.
Provide innovative and flexible financial structures for complex transactions.
Prepare Investment Committee and Board papers on investment opportunities for consideration by management and committees (including the Board).
Manage relationships at various levels with the relevant project stakeholders, partners, and lead promoters, in accordance with the project’s development objectives.
Identify and report growth opportunities to enhance market presence and implement structured and targeted marketing strategies to promote services.
2. Transaction Execution and Credit Approval
Collaborate with the Treasury, Legal, and Loan Administration teams to structure and negotiate detailed term sheets, ensuring transaction approval.
Secure internal approvals and lead or participate actively in closing transactions through successful negotiations.
Manage the credit approval process from early review to final decision by the relevant committees.
Review proposals submitted to approval committees to ensure they are well-structured and documented for informed decision-making.
Resolve potential constraints in the lending value chain in collaboration with the Head of Transacting.
Implement risk management procedures across continent-wide financing functions, ensuring investment risks are appropriately structured and mitigated during operations.
Capture and apply learning opportunities post-transaction to drive continuous improvement and successful deal delivery.
3. Relationship Management and Business Development
Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, global and regional private businesses, banking and multilateral partners and government officials to further develop specific investment opportunities.
Undertake business development in South Africa and the rest of Sub-Saharan Africa and position DBSA as the preferred lender/investor/partner.
Ensure continuous communication with DBSA-funded project clients to support the division’s monitoring function.
Undertake other tasks as assigned by the line manager, from time to time.
Key Measurements of Outputs (The list is not exhaustive)
Number of transactions that are committed for DBSA funding to black-owned entities (50% shareholding and above) and fund managers.
Quality of signed agreements/mandates.
Clients and Stakeholders’ service rating.
Number and quality of early review reports (ERR’s) submitted.
Revenue performance in terms of interest income and fees generated.
Percentage of the loan book in priority geographies and sectors.
Annual disbursements, commitments and approvals.
Management of relationships with new/ existing clients.
Key Measurements of Outputs (The list is not exhaustive)
Number of transactions that are committed for DBSA funding to black-owned entities (50% shareholding and above) and fund managers.
Quality of signed agreements/mandates.
Clients and Stakeholders’ service rating.
Number and quality of early review reports (ERR’s) submitted.
Revenue performance in terms of interest income and fees generated.
Percentage of the loan book in priority geographies and sectors.
Annual disbursements, commitments and approvals.
Management of relationships with new/ existing clients.
INTERNAL LIAISON RELATIONSHIP (The list is not exhaustive)
Executive Management and applicable Board & Management committees (BCIC and Investment Committee)
Project Preparation, Origination, Risk, Strategy, Finance and Infrastructure Delivery Divisions
EXTERNAL LIAISON RELATIONSHIP (The list is not exhaustive)
Service Providers
DBSA stakeholders and clients
National & Provincial Government
Municipalities
Governments and government departments
Public utilities
Private sector
SMMEs’ communities
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE
A Post-Graduate Degree in Finance, Business (such as an MBA), Accounting, Engineering or Economics.
A minimum of 8 years’ in relevant work experience in appraising, negotiating, undertaking due diligence and closing municipal finance, State Owned
Enterprises finance, project finance, corporate finance, or structured finance transactions in a financial institution.
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 infrastructure investment deals in the public sector/municipalities.
Comprehensive knowledge of the complex public sector financial and regulatory environments including PFMA and MFMA.
Proven experience in working with senior stakeholders in Government in South Africa.
Successful track record in leading project teams with high-level stakeholders and qualified professionals.
Strong credit, analytical, and financial modelling skills.
Strong networks and relations with clients, global and regional private investors and banks to identify and source viable projects/investments.
In-depth knowledge and understanding of the infrastructure market, financial markets and the macro landscape.
Demonstrable experience in identifying client challenges and playing an active part in finding innovative solutions.
Ability to mentor junior members of the team.
Expertise & Technical Competencies
TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES
a) Project Management
Defines, plans, and manages large and/or strategic projects, including those with a high degree of technical complexity, with impacts across the organisation and/or with national implications.
Assembles and leads diverse and multi-disciplinary teams, ensuring maximum effective resource utilisation.
Successfully manages substantial project budgets and reports directly to senior managers on the progress and results of projects.
Identifies complex issues that need escalation and proposes appropriate corrective actions.
b) Business Development
Takes overall lead for proactive business development at the national and international level.
Initiates, reviews, and interprets competitor environment reviews and takes actions accordingly.
Formulates and modifies market approaches based on 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 develops 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.
c) Solution Focus
Identifies broad, highly complex problems based on a multitude of factors, many of which are complex and sweeping in nature, difficult to define and often contradictory.
Creates procedures to articulate the nature of problems and to identify and weigh alternate solutions.
Evaluates the effectiveness of solutions using approaches tailored to the situation.
d) Deal Structuring
Uses credit enhancement techniques to structure deals and optimise pricing in terms of Basel principles.
Has an in-depth and practical understanding of how to optimise the Capital Structure, collateral package, and debt repayment profile.
Interrogates financial models, including those with a high degree of complexity, to develop an optimal structure.
Identifies complex structural issues that need escalation and proposes appropriate bankable structures.
Demonstrates knowledge on advanced structuring, including the use of derivatives, syndicated loans, synthetic loans, securitisations, inflation-linked debt, credit default swaps and subordinated debt.
Prepares specialised or tailored reports relating to new innovative instruments, gathers information from a variety of sources, analyse and include in a report for new product approval committees.
Compiles comprehensive specialist reports as required for inclusion in credit committee submissions.
e) Financial Analysis
Serves as subject matter expert.
Evaluates and determines fiscal, operational, and service impacts; analyses and evaluates legislation; and implements and evaluates statistical models in their subject areas.
Demonstrates in-depth technical and administrative knowledge of the rules and regulations in the subject area and to defend analyses, testimony, and recommendations relating to a variety of issues before management and commissions.
f) 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 resource and asset availability.
Can interpret management account reports in an operational/commercial context and take action as appropriate to maximise revenues and control costs.
g) Attention to detail
Quickly identifies relevant and irrelevant information to support accurate decision making.
Maps out all the logistics and details of a situation to ensure smooth and flawless implementation.
Consistently identifies all relevant details that are not obvious in complex situations.
Requires the highest standards for accuracy and quality for their work.
Establishes processes to ensure accuracy and quality of services delivered by the team.
h) Negotiation
Has an appreciation of cultural sensitivities and differences.
Effectively employs a variety of advanced behavioural/interpersonal competencies to control the negotiation situation.
Can take the lead in a variety of sensitive negotiation situations requiring high levels of tact and diplomacy.
Can 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.
i) Commercial Awareness
Deep understanding of commercial drivers and can make decisions based on an assessment of alternatives concerning complex business situations.
Deep understanding of DBSA economic priorities and how they can be implemented to meet DBSA’s strategic objectives.
Deep understanding of DBSA’s core sector role in achieving DBSA’s strategic objectives.
Deep understanding of the need to coordinate efforts with many government entities, the 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.
j) Research
Demonstrates expert skill levels in strategic and operational research techniques, including process analysis, modelling, and forecasting.
Adapts, creates, and designs new research techniques to meet the organisation’s requirements.
Provides specialist coaching and guidance to researchers and other organisation employees.
Promotes the professional reputation of the organisation by maintaining a respected profile with relevant external organisations and the research community in general.
k) Communication and Reporting
Able to communicate complex problems or concepts by making them simple and understandable for others.
Adapts language to the level of the audience 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.
Designs / customises 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.
l) 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.).
Knows various feedback mechanisms to check levels of audience understanding.
Required Personal Attributes
BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES
a) Customer Service Orientation
Tries to understand the underlying needs of customers and matches these needs to available or customised products and services.
Adapts processes and procedures to meet ongoing customer needs.
Utilises the feedback received by customers to develop new and/or improve existing services/ products that relate to their ongoing needs.
Thinks of new ways to align DBSA’s offerings with future customer needs.
b) Integrity
Acts consistent with basic values of openness and honesty.
Acts consistent with values and beliefs.
Acts on values when it is not easy to do so.
Acts on values when a significant cost or risk is associated with doing so.
c) 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.
d) Achievement Orientation
Undertakes challenging assignments and strives to complete them.
Sets priorities and chooses goals based on 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.
e) Analytical Thinking
Identifies multiple elements of a problem and breaks down each of those elements in detail, showing causal relationships between them. Uses several
analytical techniques to identify several solutions and weighs the value of each.
f) Conceptual thinking
Creates new concepts that are not obvious to others and not learned from previous education or experience to explain situations or resolve problems.
Looks at things in a significantly novel way, breakthrough thinking.
g) Strategic and Innovative thinking
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.
Recognises opportunities or problems emerging in patterns and trends, and their impact on the business and profitability drivers.
Applies learning from previous situations and experiences.
Sees underlying causality in the current situation. Applies business acumen to make sound decisions.
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.
h) Commercial Business Acumen
Understands business fundamentals.
Analyses and comprehends organisational goals and strategies.
Understands tactical business fundamentals in the public sector environment and incorporates them into decision-making.
i) 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.
j) Teamwork
Acts to promote a friendly climate and good morale and resolves conflicts.
Creates opportunities for cross-functional working.
Click here to apply
Principal Investment Officer: Project Finance
Closing Date
2026/09/25
Reference Number
DBS260910-1
Job Title Principal Investment Officer: Project Finance
Job Grade 00
Job Type Classification Permanent
Location – Town / City Midrand
Location – Province Gauteng
Location – Country South Africa
Job Profile (Downloadable) Principal Investment Officer Project Finance .docx (1) (2).pdf (271,75 kb) – 2026/09/10 15:36:59
Job Description
The Principal Investment Officer is responsible for formulating and executing the strategic objectives of the business in collaboration with the Transacting Head, whilst generating deal flow and building a robust pipeline of prospective projects for development financing bankability.
Key Responsibilities
Transaction Assessments
Evaluate the feasibility of investment opportunities with a view to ensure they are commercially viable and align with the DBSA’s strategic objectives and mandate.
Enhance the bankability of transactions by identifying and mitigating key risks, collaborating closely with Credit Risk, Country Risk Specialists, and other Divisions/Units in the Bank.
Provide financial structuring expertise on transactions for the benefit of clients and the organisation through innovative approaches and strategic thinking.
Transaction Execution and Credit Approval
Collaborate with the team to structure and negotiate detailed term sheets with Treasury, Legal, and Loan Administration teams, ensuring transaction approval.
Secure internal approvals and lead or participate actively in closing transactions through successful negotiations.
Manage the credit approval process from early review to final decision by the relevant committees.
Review proposals submitted to approval committees to ensure they are well-structured and documented for informed decision-making.
Resolve potential constraints in the lending value chain in collaboration with the Head of Transactions.
Implement risk management procedures across financing functions, ensuring investment risks are appropriately structured and mitigated during operations.
Capture and apply learning opportunities post-transaction to drive continuous improvement and successful deal delivery.
Contribute to and lead input into certain strategic initiatives that are driven for the benefit of the organisation
Lead Transaction Execution Functions
Lead transaction teams in conducting assessments, executing deals, and driving the credit approval process.
Coach and mentor Senior Investment Officers and Investment Officers, guiding them toward achieving transaction bankability and to enhance their skills and performance.
Relationship Management and Stakeholder Relations
Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, global and regional private businesses, banking and multilateral partners and government officials to further develop specific investment opportunities.
Manage relationships at various levels with the relevant project stakeholders, partners, and lead promoters, following the project’s development objectives.
Maintain communication with clients and manage client relations; ensure that they submit all the Bank’s requirements to facilitate the appraisal process.
Provide feedback on the status of their application timeously and advise them on the bank’s processes and procedures.
Ensure continuous communication with clients/ projects that the DBSA has funded to adequately support the division’s monitoring function.
Identify clients’ pain points to coordinate DBSA’s solution offerings to address them.
Network and maintain relationships with key internal and external stakeholders.
Undertake other tasks as assigned by the line manager, from time to time.
Key Measurements of Outputs
*The list is not exhaustive
Revenue performance in terms of Interest Income and Fees generated.
Delivery on the agreed Operations Mandate; these include:
Growth rate in assets of the 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/ pipelines
Management of client relationships and key stakeholders.
Expertise & Technical Competencies
Minimum Requirements
A postgraduate qualification or equivalent in Business (such as an MBA) or Finance (CA or CFA), or Engineering, or Economics.
A minimum of 10 years of relevant work experience in appraising, negotiating, due diligence and closing project finance, corporate finance, or structured finance transactions in a financial institution.
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 infrastructure investment deals in relevant sectors/geographies in SA and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Comprehensive knowledge of the complex financial and regulatory environments.
Proven experience in working with senior stakeholders in highly political environments in South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Successful track record in leading project teams with high-level stakeholders and qualified professionals.
Strong credit, financial, analytical, and financial modelling skills.
Strong networks and relations with clients, global and regional private investors and banks to identify and source viable projects / investments.
In-depth knowledge and understanding of the infrastructure market and financial markets.
Demonstrable experience in identifying client challenges and playing an active part in structuring innovative solutions.
TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES
Project Management
Defines, plans, and manages large and/or strategic projects, including those with a high degree of technical complexity, with impacts across the organisation and/or with national implications.
Assembles and leads diverse and multi-disciplinary teams, ensuring maximum effective resource utilisation.
Successfully manages substantial project budgets and reports directly to senior managers on the progress and results of projects.
Identifies complex issues that need escalation and proposes appropriate corrective actions.
Deal Structuring
Uses credit enhancement techniques to structure deals and optimise pricing in terms of Basel principles.
Has an in-depth and practical understanding of how to optimise the Capital Structure, collateral package, and debt repayment profile.
Interrogates financial models, including those with a high degree of complexity, to develop an optimal structure.
Identifies complex structural issues that need escalation and proposes appropriate bankable structures.
Demonstrates knowledge of advanced structuring, including the use of derivatives, syndicated loans, synthetic loans, securitisations, Inflation-linked debt, credit default swaps and subordinated debt.
Prepares specialised or tailored reports relating to new innovative instruments, gathers information from a variety of sources, analyses and includes in a report to new product approval committees.
Compiles comprehensive specialist reports as required for inclusion into credit committee submissions.
Solution Focus
Identifies broad, highly complex problems based on a multitude of factors, many of which are complex and sweeping in nature, difficult to define and often contradictory.
Creates procedures to articulate the nature of problems and to identify and weigh alternate solutions.
Evaluates the effectiveness of solutions using approaches tailored to the situation.
Financial Analysis
Serves as subject matter expert.
Evaluates and determines fiscal, operational, and service impacts; analyses and evaluates legislation; and implements and evaluates statistical models in their subject areas.
Demonstrates in-depth technical and administrative knowledge of the rules and regulations in the subject area and to defend analyses, testimony, and recommendations relating to a variety of issues before management and commissions.
Risk Management
Drives integration and standardisation of risk management processes across the organisation.
Advises on the application of the organisation’s risk management policies, industry best practices and constructs organisation guidelines.
Analyses trends in risk management and internal control, evaluates implications, defines, and implements organisation-wide response.
Attention to detail
Quickly identifies relevant and irrelevant information to support accurate decision making.
Maps out all the logistics and details of a situation to ensure smooth and flawless implementation.
Consistently identifies all relevant details that are not obvious in complex situations.
Requires the highest standards for accuracy and quality for their work.
Establishes processes to ensure accuracy and quality of services delivered by the team.
Negotiation
Has an appreciation of cultural sensitivities and differences.
Effectively employs a variety of advanced behavioural/interpersonal competencies to control the negotiation situation.
Can take the lead in a variety of sensitive negotiation situations requiring high levels of tact and diplomacy.
Can 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.
Commercial Awareness
Deep understanding of commercial drivers and can make decisions based on an assessment of alternatives concerning complex business situations.
Deep understanding of DBSA economic priorities and how they can be implemented to meet DBSA’s strategic objectives.
Deep understanding of DBSA’s core sector role in achieving DBSA’s strategic objectives.
Deep understanding of the need to coordinate efforts with many government entities, the private sector, community groups and individuals to ensure effective implementation of new policies and regulations.
Research
Demonstrates expert skill levels in strategic and operational research techniques, including process analysis, modelling, and forecasting.
Adapts, creates, and designs new research techniques to meet the organisation’s requirements.
Provides specialist coaching and guidance to researchers and other organisation employees.
Promotes the professional reputation of the organisation by maintaining a respected profile with relevant external organisations and the research community in general.
Communication and Reporting
Able to communicate complex problems or concepts by making them simple and understandable for others.
Adapts language to the level of the audience 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.
Designs / customises 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.
Innovation
Develops innovative business solutions that shape industry practices.
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.).
Knows various feedback mechanisms to check levels of audience understanding.
Required Personal Attributes
BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES
Achievement Orientation
Focuses on new or more effective ways of improving own work and meeting targets.
Focuses on raising quality, customer satisfaction and revenues.
Makes specific changes to systems and processes to improve efficiency and quality.
Formulates own objectives and action plans to achieve a measurable improvement in the future.
Analytical Thinking
Identifies multiple elements of a problem and breaks down each of those elements in detail, showing causal relationships between them.
Uses several analytical techniques to identify several solutions and weighs the value of each.
Conceptual thinking
Creates new concepts that are not obvious to others and not learned from previous education or experience to explain situations or resolve problems.
Looks at things in a significantly novel way, breakthrough thinking.
Strategic and Innovative thinking
Recognises opportunities or problems emerging in patterns and trends, and their impact on the business and profitability drivers.
Applies learning from previous situations and experiences.
Sees underlying causality in the current situation. Applies business acumen to make sound decisions.
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.
Commercial Business Acumen
Understands business fundamentals.
Analyses and comprehends organisational goals and strategies.
Understands tactical business fundamentals in the public sector environment and incorporates them into decision-making.
Teamwork
Acts to promote a friendly climate and good morale and resolves conflicts.
Creates opportunities for cross-functional working.
Click here to apply
Principal Project Development Specialist
Closing Date
2026/09/24
Reference Number
DBS260908-1
Job Title Principal Project Development Specialist
Job Grade 00
Job Type Classification Permanent
Location – Town / City Midrand
Location – Province Gauteng
Location – Country South Africa
Job Profile (Downloadable) Principal Project Development Specialist _Job Profile November 2025 Final Aug 26.docx.pdf (330,21 kb) – 2026/09/08 16:04:35
Job Description
The Principal Project Development Specialist is responsible for leading the execution of technical project development from early-stage preparation through to bankable feasibility, ensuring projects meet the technical, environmental, social, regulatory, and commercial requirements for investment decision-making and financial close.
Key Responsibilities
Project Development and Technical Execution
Provide technical inputs in the development of project development strategies to unlock infrastructure projects in South Africa, SADC and select African Countries through project preparation.
Design projects that support the annual disbursement target and the division’s strategic objectives.
Lead the technical, engineering, and environmental components of project preparation to achieve bankable feasibility.
Develop detailed project development workplans and schedules covering feasibility studies, Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), technical designs, grid and geotechnical studies, and permitting processes.
Define scope, technical specifications, quality standards, milestones, deliverables, and resource requirements for project development activities
Lead the preparation of pre-feasibility and feasibility studies, including engineering designs, cost estimates, implementation models, scheduling and risk assessments.
Oversee development of preliminary and detailed design work, including capacity sizing, layout planning, technology selection, and constructability evaluations.
Ensure technical solutions are aligned to appropriate technology standards, lifecycle cost considerations, operational performance requirements, and sustainability principles.
Provide technical guidance to the project development team, ensuring maintenance of quality standards and a standardised approach.
Procurement and Management of Technical Service Providers
Draft the Terms of Reference (ToR) and technical procurement specifications for external consultants, engineers, and technical advisors.
Lead the procurement process in line with DBSA procurement governance.
Manage, oversee, and quality-assure outputs of technical service providers, ensuring deliverables meet technical and bankability standards.
Due Diligence and Regulatory Compliance
Review projects for compliance with legislation impacting infrastructure development.
Coordinate with relevant specialists for Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs) and associated management plans in accordance with IFC/World Bank standards, local regulatory requirements, and climate-resilient development principles.
Engage with regulators, utilities, municipalities, and line ministries to secure required permits, licenses, environmental approvals, water use rights, grid connection approvals, etc.
Validate and adhere to all legislative, sector policy, and regulatory conditions that are embedded into feasibility outputs.
Maintain a risk register covering technical, environmental, commercial and execution risks and provide risk mitigation strategies.
Financial and Commercial Assessment Support
Liaise with a multidisciplinary team to support programme implementation, identifying funding needs for the project development.
Provide technical inputs to prepare bankable feasibility data packs to enable financial modelling, investment appraisal, and structuring.
Work closely with financial specialists to test project affordability, revenue models, commercial structures, and risk allocation frameworks.
Bankable Feasibility Report Development
Consolidate all technical, environmental, social, regulatory, commercial and cost data into a bankable feasibility report suitable for due diligence, financial modelling, structuring, and investment decision-making.
Validate accuracy, completeness and technical defensibility for financial appraisal.
Prepare presentations and submissions for Investment Committees and transaction preparation governance structures.
Relationship Management and Stakeholder Relations
Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, global and regional private businesses, banking and multilateral partners and government officials to further develop specific investment opportunities.
Facilitate continuous communication with clients/ projects that the DBSA has funded to adequately support the Division’s monitoring function.
Network and maintain relationships with key internal and external stakeholders to develop specific investment opportunities further.
Identify clients’ pain points and coordinate DBSA’s solution offerings to address them.
Undertake other tasks as assigned by the line manager, from time to time.
Key Measurements of Outputs
Value of bankable projects developed
Value and number of projects approved and committed.
Value of infrastructure catalysed.
Reduction in impairments through de-risking technical and commercial risk aspects of projects
Management of client relationships and key stakeholders
Quality of signed agreements/mandates.
Clean Audit.
Expertise & Technical Competencies
Minimum Requirements
A Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering and/or in the Built Environment (Civil, Construction Management or Quantity Surveying)
Minimum Experience
A minimum of 10 years’ experience in infrastructure project development/preparation in the built environment, public sector management, advisory service or consulting experience.
Experience in dealing with development finance institutions at the various levels of government and business.
Demonstrated expertise in financial modelling and feasibility analysis.
Extensive experience in structuring project finance deals.
Successful track record in business development and stakeholder management.
Understanding of infrastructure project development, feasibility and structuring.
Understanding of financial modelling and project finance structuring.
Knowledge of regulatory frameworks and industry best practices.
Desirable Requirements
Project Management professional with one of the following qualifications: Project Management Institute (PMI), Projects in Controlled Environments (PRINCE) and South African Council for the Project and Construction Management Professions (SACPCMP).
TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES
a) Business Acumen
Deep understanding of commercial drivers and can make 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 organisation’s strategic objectives.
Deep understanding of the need to coordinate efforts with many government entities, the 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.
b) Project Management
Ability to plan, initiate, execute, control and close projects related to a relevant function as well as to track and manage resources, timelines, costs, deliverables and performance, and implement contingency plans if necessary, to ensure projects are successfully.
Defines, plans and manages large and/or strategic projects, including those with a high degree of technical complexity, with impacts across the organisation and/or with national implications.
Assembles and leads diverse and multi-disciplinary teams, ensuring maximum effective resource utilisation.
Successfully manages substantial project budgets and reports directly to senior managers on the progress and results of projects.
Identifies complex issues that need escalation and proposes appropriate corrective action by maintaining a respected profile with relevant external organisations and the research community in general.
c) Project Preparation
Demonstrates a sound understanding of limited recourse and balance sheet funding, the process required to prepare projects, and financing documentation required to present projects for investment decisions.
Leads an internal team of sector specialists and analysts to appraise and present transactions to internal committees.
Appoints and leads a team of external consultants/advisors (technical, environmental, financial and legal) to prepare and present the Project Information
Memorandum (PIM) to prospective financiers.
Analyses sponsors’ financial statements, understands and reviews financial models.
Demonstrates a sound understanding of the water, transport and energy sectors to identify potential fatal flaws generally associated with these sectors in projects presented and key risks to be mitigated.
d) Solution Focus
Identifies broad, highly complex problems based on a multitude of factors, many of which are complex and sweeping in nature, difficult to define and often contradictory.
Creates procedures to articulate the nature of problems and to identify and weigh alternate solutions.
Evaluates the effectiveness of solutions using approaches tailored to the situation.
e) Financial Analysis
Serves as subject matter expert.
Evaluates and determines fiscal, operational, and service impacts; analyses and evaluates legislation; and implements and evaluates statistical models in their subject areas.
Demonstrates in-depth technical and administrative knowledge of the rules and regulations in the subject area and to defend analyses, testimony, and recommendations relating to a variety of issues before management and commissions.
f) Risk Management
Drives integration and standardisation of risk management processes across the organisation.
Advises on the application of the organisation’s risk management policies, industry best practices and constructs organisation guidelines.
Analyses trends in risk management and internal control, evaluates implications, defines, and implements organisation-wide response.
g) Negotiation
Has an appreciation of cultural sensitivities and differences.
Effectively employs a variety of advanced behavioural/interpersonal competencies to control the negotiation situation.
Can take the lead in a variety of sensitive negotiation situations requiring high levels of tact and diplomacy.
Can 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.
h) Commercial Awareness
Deep understanding of commercial drivers and can make decisions based on an assessment of alternatives concerning complex business situations.
Deep understanding of DBSA economic priorities and how they can be implemented to meet DBSA’s strategic objectives.
Deep understanding of DBSA’s core sector role in achieving DBSA’s strategic objectives.
Deep understanding of the need to coordinate efforts with many government entities, the private sector, community groups and individuals to ensure effective implementation of new policies and regulations.
i) Communication and Reporting
Able to communicate complex problems or concepts by making them simple and understandable for others.
Adapts language to the level of the audience 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.
Designs / customises 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.
j) 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
BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES
a) Achievement Orientation
Focuses on new or more effective ways of improving own work and meeting targets.
Focuses on raising quality, customer satisfaction and revenues.
Makes specific changes to systems and processes to improve efficiency and quality.
Formulates own objectives and action plans to achieve a measurable improvement in the future.
b) Analytical Thinking
Identifies multiple elements of a problem and breaks down each of those elements in detail, showing causal relationships between them.
Uses several analytical techniques to identify several solutions and weighs the value of each.
c) Conceptual thinking
Creates new concepts that are not obvious to others and not learned from previous education or experience to explain situations or resolve problems.
Looks at things in a significantly novel way, breakthrough thinking.
d) Strategic and Innovative thinking
Recognises opportunities or problems emerging in patterns and trends, and their impact on the business and profitability drivers.
Applies learning from previous situations and experiences.
Sees underlying causality in the current situation. Applies business acumen to make sound decisions.
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.
e) Commercial Business Acumen
Understands business fundamentals.
Analyses and comprehends organisational goals and strategies.
Understands tactical business fundamentals in the public sector environment and incorporates them into decision-making.
f) Teamwork
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.
*The KPA’s, competencies and relationships listed in this document, are not exhaustive, and the incumbent will be expected to undertake additional duties within their capacity to meet the needs of business and/or the business unit.
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Principal Project Preparation Officer
Closing Date
2026/09/28
Reference Number
DBS260423-1
Job Title Principal Project Preparation Officer
Job Grade 00
Job Type Classification Permanent
Location – Town / City Midrand
Location – Province Gauteng
Location – Country South Africa
Job Profile (Downloadable) Principal Project Preparation Officer _Job Profile.pdf (338,08 kb) – 2026/04/23 12:51:18
Job Description
The purpose of this role is to lead the preparation of projects from the end of pre-feasibility through to the commitment of project preparation funding to increase the DBSA’s investment pipeline and disbursements in priority sectors in South Africa, the SADC Region and Selected African Countries in line with the approved Project Preparation Strategy.
Key Responsibilities
Project Preparation Planning
Contribute to the development of the strategic and operational direction to prepare projects in collaboration with Governments, State-Owned Entities (SOEs), Regional Economic Communities (e.g. SADC), the Private Sector and other Project Preparation Facilities.
Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to develop a pipeline of quality projects in priority sectors and focus countries:
Economic cost-benefit analysis.
Confirm the development impact of the project and structure accordingly.
Conduct innovative structuring of complex transactions.
Appropriate structuring of the project (project finance or corporate finance) to finance, own, operate and maintain the project.
Liaise with a multidisciplinary team to support programme implementation, identifying funding needs for the project development.
Provide inputs to prepare bankable feasibility data packs to enable financial modelling, investment appraisal, and structuring.
Project Preparation Implementation
Identify sectoral and product experts and specialists required to undertake the necessary project preparation work.
Conduct financial and commercial assessments to test project affordability, revenue models, commercial structures, and risk allocation frameworks.
Appraise accepted projects for the preparation facility by preparing early review reports and appraisal reports and present them to DBSA decision-making structures for approval consideration.
Verify the contents of the appraisal report, including the scope of work, terms of reference and outstanding preparation work needed to advance the project to bankability stages.
Negotiate with the sponsor on the preparation facility agreement and oversee the implementation of feasibility study activities in line with the preparation facility’s implementation plan.
Prepare presentations and submissions for Investment Committees and transaction preparation governance structures.
Provide guidance and support to junior team members to ensure effective execution of their functions.
Due Diligence and Regulatory Compliance
Review projects for compliance with legislation impacting infrastructure development.
Coordinate with relevant specialists for Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs) and associated management plans in accordance with IFC/World Bank standards, local regulatory requirements, and climate-resilient development principles.
Validate and adhere to all legislative, sector policy, and regulatory conditions that are embedded into feasibility outputs.
Maintain a risk register covering commercial and execution risks and provide risk mitigation strategies.
Relationship Management and Stakeholder Relations
Facilitate continuous communication with clients/ projects that the DBSA has funded to adequately support the Division’s monitoring function.
Network and maintain relationships with key internal and external stakeholders to develop specific investment opportunities further.
Build and maintain strong relationships with clients at global, regional, and local levels, including businesses, banking and multilateral partners and government officials, to further develop specific project preparation opportunities.
Manage relationships at various levels with the relevant project stakeholders, partners, and lead promoters, in accordance with the project’s preparation objectives and products.
Undertake other tasks as assigned by the line manager, from time to time.
Key Measurements of Outputs
Number and quality of Project Preparation Appraisal Reports (PAR) submitted, approved and committed.
Quality loan book as represented by reduced non-performing loans.
% of the loan book in priority geographies and sectors.
Number of new clients and projects.
Number of potential projects worked on.
Management of clients.
Demonstration of thought coaching and or mentoring to transfer skills.
Clean Audit.
Expertise & Technical Competencies
Minimum Qualification
A Postgraduate Degree in Business, Economics, Engineering, Finance or related.
Minimum Experience
A minimum of 10 years’ experience in appraising, negotiating and committing project preparation in support of corporate finance, or structured finance transactions in a financial institution.
Understanding of international economic & financial relations, specific experience in doing business in South Africa and outside South Africa is a requirement.
Experience in dealing with development finance institutions at the various levels of government and business.
Demonstrated expertise in financial modelling and feasibility analysis.
In-depth experience in project finance, mergers and acquisitions, equity finance experience and or property finance structuring.
Understanding of infrastructure project development, feasibility and structuring.
Knowledge of regulatory frameworks and industry best practices.
Desirable Requirements
Experience in working with Development Finance Institutions.
A post-graduate qualification e.g. CA(SA), CFA or MBA.
TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES
Project Management
Ability to plan, initiate, execute, control and close projects related to a relevant function as well as to track and manage resources, timelines, costs, deliverables and performance, and implement contingency plans if necessary, to ensure projects are successfully.
Defines, plans and manages large and/or strategic projects, including those with a high degree of technical complexity, with impacts across the organisation and/or with national implications.
Assembles and leads diverse and multi-disciplinary teams, ensuring maximum effective resource utilisation.
Successfully manages substantial project budgets and reports directly to senior managers on the progress and results of projects.
Identifies complex issues that need escalation and proposes appropriate corrective action by maintaining a respected profile with relevant external organisations and the research community in general.
Project Preparation
Demonstrates a sound understanding of limited recourse and balance sheet funding, the process required to prepare projects, and financing documentation required to present projects for investment decisions.
Leads an internal team of sector specialists and analysts to appraise and present transactions to internal committees.
Analyses sponsors’ financial statements, understands and reviews financial models.
Demonstrates a sound understanding of the infrastructure sector, including water, transport and energy sectors, to identify potential fatal flaws generally associated with these sectors in projects presented and key risks to be mitigated.
Solution Focus
Identifies broad, highly complex problems based on a multitude of factors, many of which are complex and sweeping in nature, difficult to define and often contradictory.
Creates procedures to articulate the nature of problems and to identify and weigh alternate solutions.
Evaluates the effectiveness of solutions using approaches tailored to the situation.
Financial Analysis
Serves as subject matter expert.
Evaluates and determines fiscal, operational, and service impacts; analyses and evaluates legislation.
Demonstrates in-depth technical and administrative knowledge of the rules and regulations in the subject area and can defend analyses, testimony, and recommendations relating to a variety of issues before management and commissions.
Risk Management
Drives integration and standardisation of risk management processes across the organisation.
Advises on the application of the organisation’s risk management policies, industry best practices and constructs organisation guidelines.
Analyses trends in risk management and internal control, evaluates implications, defines, and implements organisation-wide response.
Negotiation
Has an appreciation of cultural sensitivities and differences.
Effectively employs a variety of advanced behavioural/interpersonal competencies to control the negotiation situation.
Can take the lead in a variety of sensitive negotiation situations requiring high levels of tact and diplomacy.
Can 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.
Commercial Awareness
Deep understanding of commercial drivers and can make decisions based on an assessment of alternatives concerning complex business situations.
Deep understanding of DBSA economic priorities and how they can be implemented to meet DBSA’s strategic objectives.
Deep understanding of DBSA’s core sector role in achieving DBSA’s strategic objectives.
Deep understanding of the need to coordinate efforts with many government entities, the private sector, community groups and individuals to ensure effective implementation of new policies and regulations.
Communication and Reporting
Able to communicate complex problems or concepts by making them simple and understandable for others.
Adapts language to the level of the audience 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.
Designs / customises 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.
Required Personal Attributes
BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES
Achievement Orientation
Focuses on new or more effective ways of improving own work and meeting targets.
Focuses on raising quality, customer satisfaction and revenues.
Makes specific changes to systems and processes to improve efficiency and quality.
Formulates own objectives and action plans to achieve a measurable improvement in the future.
Analytical Thinking
Identifies multiple elements of a problem and breaks down each of those elements in detail, showing causal relationships between them.
Uses several analytical techniques to identify several solutions and weighs the value of each.
Conceptual thinking
Creates new concepts that are not obvious to others and not learned from previous education or experience to explain situations or resolve problems.
Looks at things in a significantly novel way, breakthrough thinking.
Strategic and Innovative thinking
Recognises opportunities or problems emerging in patterns and trends, and their impact on the business and profitability drivers.
Applies learning from previous situations and experiences.
Sees underlying causality in the current situation. Applies business acumen to make sound decisions.
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.
Commercial Business Acumen
Understands business fundamentals.
Analyses and comprehends organisational goals and strategies.
Understands tactical business fundamentals in the public sector environment and incorporates them into decision-making.
Teamwork
Acts to promote a friendly climate and good morale and resolves conflicts.
Creates opportunities for cross-functional working.
Click here to apply
We wish you all the best with your applications
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