SUMMARY:
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POSITION INFO:
Job Title
Head of Public-Private Partnerships (PPP)
Department
PPP & Project Finance Division
Reporting To
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Location
Johannesburg - Regional Travel Required
Job Grade
Mid to Senior Management
- JOB PURPOSE
The Head of PPP is a foundational Senior Manager role tasked with the establishment, leadership, and strategic direction of the company’s PPP Department. The primary objective is to transition the firm from a "pure-play contractor" to a "project developer and equity participant."
The incumbent will be responsible for identifying and securing long-term concessions in the South African infrastructure market, power and other projects in Botswana, and regional road networks. Crucially, this individual acts as the firm’s primary envoy to the financial sector, leveraging a deep professional network to secure "a seat at the table" with commercial banks, DFIs, and private equity funds. The goal is to ensure the firm is not just bidding on projects but actively shaping the bankability and financial structure of the Southern African infrastructure pipeline.
- KEY JOB OUTPUTS AND ELEMENTS
Output 1: Departmental Design & Strategic Mobilization
Build the internal infrastructure and governance framework for the newly formed PPP division.
- Organizational Design: Define the departmental structure, including the utilisation of specialist project financiers, legal counsel, and risk analysts.
- Strategy Formulation: Develop a 5-year PPP roadmap focusing on Renewable Energy (Botswana), Toll Roads (SADC), and Social Infrastructure (South Africa).
- Internal Integration: Establish workflows between the PPP unit and the existing Tendering and to be established BD team to ensure technical feasibility meets financial bankability.
- Policy Development: Create internal "Investment Committee" protocols for evaluating when the firm should commit balance sheet capital or equity.
Output 2: Financial Sector Relationship Management (The "Seat at the Table")
Act as the primary interface between the firm and the financial ecosystem to secure funding and partnership opportunities.
- Capital Provider Engagement: Cultivate and maintain high-level relationships with the "Big Four" South African banks, the DBSA, IDC, and international infrastructure funds.
- DFI Liaison: Position the firm as a credible partner for the African Development Bank (AfDB) and New Development Bank (NDB) on PPP-specific mandates.
- Investor Credibility: Represent the firm’s financial interests at investor roadshows, PPP forums, and roundtables with National Treasuries.
- Advisory Management: Appoint and manage external financial and legal advisors to ensure the firm's interests are protected in complex consortium agreements.
Output 3: Deal Structuring & Financial Engineering
Lead the conceptualization and financial modelling of complex infrastructure concessions.
- Financial Modelling Oversight: Supervise the development of sophisticated financial models to determine Project IRR, Debt Service Coverage Ratios (DSCR), and Equity IRR.
- SPV Management: Lead the formation of Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs), including the negotiation of Shareholders’ Agreements (SHA) and Equity Subscription Agreements.
- Risk Allocation: Draft and negotiate risk-sharing matrices that balance the requirements of the government (the grantor), the lenders, and the firm (the contractor/operator).
- Funding Optimization: Identify the optimal mix of senior debt, mezzanine finance, and equity for each project to maximize the firm’s return on investment.
Output 4: Pipeline Identification & Project Origination
Identify and qualify PPP opportunities before they reach the formal tender stage.
- Regulatory Monitoring: Maintain deep intelligence on the South Africa PPP Manual, the Botswana PPP policy framework, and SADC regional integration master plans.
- Unsolicited Proposals (USP): Identify opportunities for unsolicited bids in the roads and power sectors, managing the legal and "first-mover" advantage processes.
- Sector-Specific Focus:
- South Africa: Focus on infrastructure, water, health, and transport PPPs.
- Botswana: Prioritize Independent Power Producer (IPP) frameworks and grid infrastructure.
- Regional Roads: Focus on cross-border corridors and toll-road concessions.
Output 5: Concession & Legal Contract Negotiation
Help navigate the complex legal landscape of long-term (20–30 year) infrastructure agreements by introducing relevant experts on a consulting basis.
- Agreement Negotiation: Co-ordinate negotiations for Implementation Agreements, Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), and Concession Agreements.
- Government Liaison: Engage with the South African National Treasury PPP Unit and the Botswana PPP Office to ensure regulatory alignment.
- Lenders’ Direct Agreements: Manage the interface between the government and lenders to ensure project bankability and step-in rights are clearly defined.
- MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS (EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE)
Education
- Primary Degree: B.Com Finance, B.Sc Economics, or B.Eng with a heavy focus on Project Finance.
- Professional Qualification: CA(SA), CFA Charterholder, or MBA from a top-tier business school is mandatory.
- Specialized Training: Certification in Project Finance or PPP Professional (CP3P) is highly desirable.
Experience
- Total Career: Minimum of 7 years in the infrastructure or finance space.
- Sector Expertise: At least 7 years specifically in Infrastructure Finance, Investment Banking, or PPP Project Development.
- Track Record: Must demonstrate a history of reaching Financial Close on at least three major PPP or IPP projects (>$750M USD value).
- Regional Exposure: Significant experience dealing with Southern African financial institutions and government agencies.
- CORE COMPETENCIES & TECHNICAL SKILLS
Technical Skills
- Advanced Project Finance: Mastery of non-recourse and limited-recourse financing structures.
- Legal Acumen: Deep understanding of concession law, public procurement regulations (PFMA/MFMA in SA), and BOT/BOOT/DBFO models.
- Market Awareness: Comprehensive knowledge of the current liquidity in the South African debt market and the risk appetite of institutional investors.
- Strategic modelling: Ability to stress-test financial assumptions regarding inflation, currency hedging (ZAR/USD/BWP), and interest rate swaps.
Behavioural Competencies
- High-Level Networking: The "gravitas" to represent the firm at high levels of banking and government.
- Meticulous Precision: A focus on the "fine print" of financial covenants and legal liabilities that satisfy a detail-oriented board.
- Bilingual Corporate Navigation: Ability to translate complex DFI financial structures into clear strategic options for consideration.
- Entrepreneurial Drive: The resilience required to start a new department and chase long-lead-time projects (2–4 year development cycles).
- KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (KPIs)
- Departmental Launch: Successful setup of the PPP unit and recruitment of key staff within 6 months.
- Financial Network Index: Formalizing at least five strategic partnerships or MoUs with key financial institutions within the first year.
- Pipeline Value: Development of a qualified PPP project pipeline exceeding $1 Billion USD in potential project value.
- Financial Close: Achieving financial close on a flagship project (Power or Roads) within an 18–24 month window.
- Bid Success Rate: Percentage of Prequalification (RFQ) and Proposal (RFP) successes.
