Executive Manager: Economic Development, Coordination and Sector Support

Executive Manager: Economic Development Coordination and Sector Support (Head Office)

5 YEAR FIXED TERM CONTRACT - Grade 22 – Total Cost to Company

The incumbent will be responsible for leading, promoting and facilitating the formulation and implementation of the economic development strategy focussing on priority sectors and industry development to drive economic growth, job creation, and inclusive economy in the Eastern Cape. The role will entail coordinating business development plans for various initiatives; investigating and analysing funding requirements including formulating plans to source funding; monitoring overall progress according to the projections and strategic plans; and building relationships and partnerships with relevant stakeholders/potential investors for the benefit of industrialisation and economic development in the province. The incumbent will thus be expected to develop plans and oversee projects in, amongst others, agro-processing, manufacturing, tourism, oceans economy, digitisation, industrialisation and renewable energy that enable economic growth in the province; facilitate research to optimise the industrial development potential of the relevant sectors within the province; provide leadership to support and capacitate existing and economic growth initiatives including the development of industrial hubs. The role will also entail marketing the province’s industrial opportunities to potential local and international markets; as well as facilitating transformation of industrialisation opportunities into realisable projects and programmes through the coordination of viability studies, business planning, funding structuring, and partner identification.

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Key Performance Areas will encompass:

Strategic Planning and Governance

• Provide input to the organisational strategy, as well as reviewing organisational activities and recommend corrective actions where necessary.

• Develop unit operational plans and align all activities undertaken in the unit to ensure delivery of corporate objectives.

• Enhance and implement treasury systems, processes, procedures, tools, and control systems.

• Implement controls within the Unit which minimize potential risk to stakeholders.

• Ensure monthly, quarterly, and annual reports are prepared accurately, maintained, and submitted timeously to all stakeholders.

• Participate in management forums within ECDC, contributing expertise to enable sound decision making.

• Facilitate inter-departmental communication through appropriate structures and systems.

• Manage preparation and support of all internal and external audits.

Formulate key strategies and plans for driving Eastern Cape economic development and sector support for inclusive economic growth

• Formulate a consolidated strategic plan with key interim objectives and milestones.

• Translate overall business strategy into an overall business plan.

• Review and constantly improve the business plan to maximise profit and improve the efficiency of the Economic Growth in the Province.

• Make sure the unit is sustainable, manage the risk, preserve liquidity and maintain confidence of stakeholders.

• Formulate a business development plan for each business initiative.

• Investigate and analyse funding requirements and devise a definitive plan to source funding.

• Monitor overall progress according to the projections and strategic plans.

• Develop relationships with potential partners and provide strategic expertise.

Develop and implement a Provincial-wide industrialisation plan in alignment with the provincial government priority sectors

• Develop goals and projects in the agro-processing, manufacturing, tourism and oceans economy, creative and digitisation, industrialisation and renewable energy that enable economic growth in the province.

• Conduct research and identify upstream and downstream industrialisation opportunities in mining, agriculture, technology and manufacturing.

• Working in collaboration with other stakeholders, take the entitative to create, facilitate and coordinate activities that will result in increased and diversified industrialization.

• Provide leadership to support and capacitate existing and economic growth initiatives including the development of Industrial hubs.

• Review existing national and provincial industrial policies with the view to refining them to suit the specific conditions of Eastern Cape and to capitalize on the competitive advantages of the province.

• Market the province’s industrial opportunities among potential local and international industrialists through among other things an annual industrial convention, industrial support services, industrial exhibitions, etc.

• Working with other development institutions, coordinate the development of infrastructure in support of Industrial hubs.

• Provide leadership for the project teams responsible for the development of the industrial hubs in the province.

• Create the framework for and develop an operational plan for an Industrial Development Fund.

• Initiate the capitalization of the fund and develop the funding criteria.

Establish, manage and evaluate industrial development projects and programs in alignment with the Provincial Economic Development Strategy

• Initiate ideas that are conducive to industrialisation in the Region or Sector.

• Develop clear business plans, concepts, prototypes and assume or take ownership of all entrepreneurial activities in the region.

• Lead the developmental goals of the sectors with regards to investments developmental growth and decent value adding jobs and improving skills base.

• Attract quality FDI that will create jobs, enhance the skills base of the sectors, facilitating the transfer of technology and boosting commercial activity, also creating the atmosphere for more investment both foreign and local.

• Lead and identify industrial hubs in underdeveloped and rural regions of the province with untapped economic growth potential and a high need for employment creation opportunities, downstream economic development and basic services.

• Lead and facilitate the formulation and implementation of the Economic Growth strategy.

• Direct and promote the diversification of economic activities, in particular, the diversification of industrial production.

• Facilitate the research and investigation necessary to optimize the industrial development potential of the relevant sectors within the province.

• Transforming Industrialisation opportunities into realizable projects and programmes through the coordination of viability studies, business planning, funding structuring, partner identification, etc.

Resource optimisation

• Develop and embed a culture of customer focus and performance management to ensure high quality and continuous improvement in service delivery.

• Ensure compilation of budgets in accordance with budget policy and regulations.

• Conduct and lead the implementation of outcomes of organisational culture assessments.

• Drive a culture of high performance within the unit.

• Ensure effective project and program management and reporting framework and support tools are in place.

• Ensure that the company has effective business improvement processes in place and monitoring arrangements which support ECDC strategic objectives and commitment to customer care and value for money.

• Control and monitor performance of the Unit in accordance with the Performance Management System employed by ECDC.

• Coordinate and manage the implementation of initiatives aimed at maintaining or improving governance within the divisions.

• Drive the process of staff engagements (quarterly) to ensure that staff is updated on developments within the organisation

Forge and maintain strategic relationships.

• Identify, build and maintain stakeholder relationships and partnerships to advance corporate support services in the organisation.

• Communicate with the relevant stakeholders and implement initiatives in support of organisational objectives.

• Participate in relevant internal and external forums.

• Develop and sustain close working relationships with provincial and national organisations that play a role in the economic development arena.

• Develop and manage relationships with all internal and external stakeholders.

• Collaborate with other organisations including researchers, funders, industrial associations, business formations, etc.

• Forster partnerships to build competitiveness of existing and emerging enterprises.

• Building networks and alliances between potential investors and ECDC for the benefit of

Industrialisation in the province.

• Keep abreast with latest trends and best practices of Industrialisation.

Accountability for the overall Financial Management for the business unit

• Prepare and approve the consolidated forecast of annual capital and operational budgets in line with corporate guidelines.

• Manage overall costs against guidelines and take action where necessary.

• Monitor the utilisation of the budget to ensure that expenditure is effectively managed and allocated efficiently.

• Identify and analyse reasons/causes for deviations against the allocated budget and justify any significant deviations from allocated budgets and implement corrective measures to address deviations.

• Review liquidity reports to ensure there are sufficient funds available to meet the financial obligations of ECDC.

• Present key findings from the financial report and financial position of the organisation in relation to projected financials of the Unit.

Build and manage a team of professionals to achieve the strategic objectives

• Determine staff levels and fill the vacancies to complement strategic objectives and requirements.

• Determine human resource requirements taking into consideration operational needs, skills scarcity, and retention capability.

• Allocate responsibility and accountability for achievement of goals and targets

• Monitor performance and address any issues as they arise.

• Oversee performance to ensure achievement of strategic plans, goals and key operational areas.

• Monitor and manage performance towards goals and organizational objectives, to ensure overall success.

• Identify development needs and implement development plans.

• Ensure required resources are available to enable the staff to achieve objectives

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• A Masters’ degree in Commerce or Development Studies.

• Minimum of 10 years work experience of which 5 years should be at senior management and/or senior consultancy level in an economic development or industrial development environment.

This is a fixed term contract position, and the successful candidate will be subjected to signing of a performance contract and verification of qualification. If you have not been contacted within 8 weeks after the closing date of the advertisement, please regard your application as unsuccessful.

The ECDC embraces the principles of the Employment Equity Act; preference will be given to female candidates.

Please send your detailed CV and certified copies of qualifications to:

Talent Consultant

Tel: (043) 704 5783

Email: humanresources@ecdc.co.za

Closing date: 26 September 2023