Project Officer

Job Description

JUST TRANSITION FINANCE MECHANISM (JTFM) MANDATE

The Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), in partnership with the Presidential Climate Commission (PCC), has established the Just Transition Finance Mechanism (JTFM) to mobilise and channel finance towards inclusive, locally owned and scalable just transition initiatives across South Africa. The JTFM is intended to address financing barriers that limit the implementation of just transition priorities at local, provincial and national levels. Through the mobilisation of public, private and concessional finance, the mechanism seeks to support projects that create sustainable livelihoods, strengthen community resilience, promote social ownership and participation, and advance South Africa's transition to a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy. Supported through funding from the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, the programme is being implemented jointly by DBSA and the PCC. The initiative focuses on strengthening stakeholder participation, supporting local and provincial just transition planning, developing a pipeline of investable projects, mobilising transition finance, and establishing a sustainable institutional platform for long-term implementation.

The Project Officer is responsible for providing cross-cutting programme coordination support to the JTFM team, ensuring effective implementation of project outputs, alignment, communication, and delivery across DBSA, PCC, service providers, and key stakeholders. The focus is on implementation coordination, milestone tracking, and delivery support, ensuring that outputs are delivered on time, within scope, and aligned with programme objectives.

Key Responsibilities

KEY PERFORMANCE AREAS

1. Project Management

• Coordinate the delivery of key programme outputs during the initial implementation phase (Years 1–2), with a central focus on developing the Partnership Implementation Model and advancing the Socially Owned Renewable Energy project pipeline.
• Drive implementation coordination, milestone tracking, and delivery support, ensuring outputs are delivered on time, within scope, and aligned with programme objectives.
• Support the JTFM Teams’ efforts in the development of the project plan and translate the plan into a workable project schedule.
• Provide project coordination and project administration support for the JTFM and the various Units/Teams within the partnership, including:
  • Manage day-to-day administrative activities
  • Manage diaries and arrange meetings
  • Take minutes, distribute for inputs and follow-up on actions required
• Perform secretariat functions for the various committees and meetings that are part of the JTFM structures ensuring compliance with governance prescripts.
• Administer the master schedule to support the Deliverable Leads and Units/Teams with the development and implementation of the project schedule and management plan.
• Analyse the project schedule for time impacts, delay analysis as well as forecasting (trend analysis, including schedule reserve) and provide early warnings on anticipated changes to the schedule.
• Identify milestones and the critical path (including multiple / near critical paths).
• Provide administrative support for procurement and contract management, submission and processing of invoices and claims.
• Liaise with internal and external stakeholders (SCM, Legal, Finance, ICT, ) on administrative requirements.
• Collate and edit various presentations and reports on project performance updates for the various Steering Committees, DBSA, etc.
• Implement systems to track performance throughout the life cycle of the project and take responsibility for system’s (SAP) information accuracy, updates and quality management.
  • Participate actively in projects deliverables using specific systems and programmes ensuring that tracking occurs throughout the implementation phase.

2. Project Reporting and Records Management

• Monitor, analyse and report on schedule performance across the project duration for specific project outcomes including the Social Ownership of Renewable Energy (SORE) and Partnership Implementation Model (PIM) project development.
• Consolidate reports on the performance of the project against targets and highlighting risks or concern (i.e., non-performing service providers, process of system failures, non-compliance).
• Collate reports, including accounting information, summarising and forecasting project activities and financial performance in (i.e. disbursements and projections, income and expenditure) current and expected operations for portfolio projects and programmes.
• Maintain the record and retrieval systems, including the project document repository, a paper and e-filing.

3. Programme Implementation Coordination

• Coordinate day-to-day implementation activities across JTFM work programme.
• Support integrated planning and delivery across Outputs I–V.
• Track milestones, timelines, and deliverables to ensure alignment with programme schedules.
• Facilitate coordination between DBSA, PCC, service providers, and stakeholders.
• Assist with stakeholder engagement processes for JTFM design and piloting.
• Provide secretariat support to governance structures, preparing meeting packs, agendas, and trackers.
• Consolidate progress inputs into structured programme reports and maintain repositories.
• Provide regular implementation data to MEL Officer and Monitoring/Gender Analyst.
• Coordinate service provider deliverables, procurement administration, and payment documentation.
• Support institutionalisation of governance and sustainability arrangements for long-term impact.

KEY MEASURES OF OUTPUTS

• Successful coordination of day-to-day implementation activities across JTFM work

• Support integrated planning and delivery across Outputs I–

• Track milestones, timelines, and deliverables to ensure alignment with programme

• Facilitate coordination between DBSA, PCC, service providers, and

• Assist with stakeholder engagement processes for JTFM design and

• Provide secretariat support to governance structures, preparing meeting packs, agendas, and

• Consolidate progress inputs into structured programme reports and maintain

• Provide regular implementation data to MEL Officer and Monitoring/Gender

• Coordinate service provider deliverables, procurement administration, and payment

• Stakeholder satisfaction with advisory support, financing solutions, and transaction

• Clean audit outcomes and effective resolution of audit

Expertise & Technical Competencies

Minimum Qualifications

• A Bachelor’s Degree or Diploma in Project Management, Development Studies, Public Administration, Climate Finance or related field.

Minimum Experience

• A minimum of 5 years programme/project management

• Considerable knowledge of standard administration practices and procedures is a necessity for this position

• Excellent knowledge of protocol and etiquette

• Demonstrated experience in working in a multi-disciplinary

• An understanding of organisational processes and group

• Experience in supply chain management processes (preparing project tender documents, )

• Demonstrated knowledge and use of project methodology such as PMBOK, Prince or similar

• Demonstrable ability to use of the Microsoft Office (MS Projects, Excel, PowerPoint, Word & MS Outlook)

• Proven track record of preparing project/programme progress reports and presentations for various stakeholders (Project Managers, Steering Committees, Exco and Board)

• Demonstrated experience in preparing meeting documentation (agendas, taking minutes, )

• Excellent knowledge of protocol and etiquette.

Desirable Requirements

• Familiarity with donor-funded programme

• Knowledge of legislation, reg