Chief Executive

SUMMARY:
Chief Executive
Five (5) year fixed-term performance-based contract
Based at Head Office (East London)

POSITION INFO:
Amatola Water is a Schedule 3B public entity and a water board established in terms of the Water Services Act, 1997 (Act 108 of 1997). The entity is responsible for the provision of bulk water services and related functions within its legislated mandate.

The Board (Accounting Authority) invites applications from suitably qualified, experienced, credible, ethical and transformational leaders for appointment as Chief Executive (CE).

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

Reporting to the Board, the Chief Executive is responsible for providing strategic and operational leadership, driving organisational performance and transformation, and ensuring Sound Governance, Risk Management and Compliance to applicable legislation. The role is accountable for leading Management to deliver reliable, sustainable and developmental water services while positioning the entity for long-term financial sustainability and stakeholder confidence. This is a high-stakes leadership role requiring strong governance capability, decisiveness, resilience and the ability to lead sustainable organisational turnaround within a complex operating environment.

REMUNERATION

A market-related, all-inclusive total cost-to-company package, aligned to Board-approved remuneration scales. The Board will recommend the preferred candidate and the proposed remuneration package to the Executive Authority / Shareholder for concurrence.


MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Qualifications

• A recognised Bachelor’s degree (NQF Level 7) in Commerce, Public Management/Administration, Accounting, Built Environment, Engineering Sciences, Natural Sciences, Water Management or an equivalent relevant field.

• A postgraduate qualification at NQF Level 9 (e.g., Master’s degree, MBA/MBL or equivalent) is required.

• Five (5) to ten (10) years’ experience at Senior Management and/or Executive level, preferably within the public sector, water sector, or a related infrastructure environment.
• Proven experience of at least five (5) years in managing a complex organisation in a PFMA-regulated environment.
• Demonstrable experience in organisational turnaround, change leadership, culture transformation and performance improvement.

• Broad organizational improvement and change management principles.
• Understanding of applicable legislation/regulations, e.g. Bill of Rights, Water Services Act, PFMA, BBBEE Charters, etc.
• Understanding of Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) Framework.
• Understanding of contracts management dealing with large scale infrastructure development and management
• Understanding of Integrated Water Resource Management cycle.

• Effective Leadership and people management
• Proven strategic and system thinking capabilities
• Strategic capability
• Systems thinking
• Business acumen
• Financial Management
• Investor Relations Management
• Water Tariff Management
• Complex and Large-Scale Program management
• Emotional and social intelligence
• Ability to manage ruptures and diverse stakeholders
• Ability to integrate and implement the Water Sector Vision.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

• Represent Amatola Water and the Water Sector at Regional, Continental and International level.
• Balance strategic oversight and attention to detail
• Relationship building
• Espouse Employment Equity principles
• Positive attitude
• Ethical and moral leadership
• Agility
• Savvy

• Clear and demonstrable understanding of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa and the legislative environment applicable to a Schedule 3B public entity, including the PFMA, Treasury Regulations, Water Services Act and relevant governance frameworks.
• Sound knowledge and practical application of Monitoring and Evaluation frameworks, tools and reporting.
• Strong capability in Strategy Formulation and Execution, Financial Stewardship, Governance, Risk Management and Consequence Management.
• Strong Stakeholder Management and Negotiation capability, including engagement with organised labour and other complex multi-stakeholder environments.

• Ensure organisational compliance with Amatola Water’s mandate in terms of the Water Services Act and other applicable legislation, as directed by the Shareholder, while safeguarding long-term financial sustainability.
• Provide strategic leadership and direction, assuming overall accountability for the entity’s strategy, business model, Corporate Plan, APP/Annual Business Plan and overall operations.
• Lead the design, implementation, monitoring and reporting of the Corporate Strategy, Corporate Plan, Annual Performance Plan and related performance measures, including alignment to Balanced Scorecard targets.
• Oversee effective service delivery, operational performance and asset management to ensure achievement of performance standards and contractual obligations.
• Drive prudent financial management and governance compliance with the PFMA, Treasury Regulations and other relevant frameworks, including strengthening internal controls and accountability.
• Strengthen governance, ethical leadership, integrity management, and improve the internal control environment and audit outcomes across the organisation.
• Identify and implement organisational interventions, deploying appropriate resources to respond to the Enterprise Risk Register, emerging risks and changing environmental demands.
• Drive sustainable change management, organisational effectiveness initiatives, capacity building and culture transformation to embed a high-performance, ethical and accountable culture.
• Champion sound human capital management and performance management practices to support delivery, accountability and consequence management.
• Lead the compilation and submission of the annual Shareholder Compact and ensure organisational performance is aligned to agreed commitments and targets.
• Manage and enhance stakeholder relations with the Shareholder Ministry, customers, regulators, organised labour, communities and strategic partners to maintain confidence and improve efficiencies.
• Ensure accurate, timeous and compliant reporting to the Board, Shareholder and oversight institutions, including keeping the Board apprised of strategic direction, value creation and sustainability.
• Ensure effective implementation of Board resolutions and drive delivery of strategic objectives and agreed performance measures.

• A detailed CV;
• Certified copies of ID & academic qualifications (not older than three (3) months); and
• Contact details of at least two (2) recent, relevant referees.
• A cover letter motivating suitability for the role;