Chief Investment Officer- 5 Year Fixed- Term Contract

Technology Innovation Agency; Pretoria; On-site; ZAR 2,000,000 - 3,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) seeks an accomplished Chief Investment Officer to provide executive leadership over investment management, portfolio strategy, and risk control. The role drives long-term strategies positioning TIA as a dynamic national innovation partner with strong governance and impact focus.

The CIO will lead blended finance initiatives, co-investment models and Fund-of-Funds mechanisms, while ensuring due diligence, financial controls and stakeholder engagement across NSI

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Finance or related field.
• Professional certification or advanced training in investment management or related areas.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the allocation and monitoring of investment funds.
• Align investment decisions with portfolio priorities and approved budgets.
• Design blended finance, co-investment, and Fund of Funds mechanisms.
• Ensure due diligence, financial analysis, risk assessment and impact.
• Ensure PFMA compliance and reporting requirements.
• Lead strategic relationships with investors, funders, and NSI stakeholders.
• Drive investment governance, portfolio optimisation, and performance reporting.
• Define investment risk appetite and mitigation measures.
• Strengthen evidence-based decision-making with market intelligence and analytics.

Skills

Master’s degree

Professional certification

Education

15+ years senior management

Tools

Investment tools

Job description

Chief Investment Officer- 5 Year Fixed- Term Contract

Details

Closing Date 2026/09/22

Reference Number TIA260904-2

Job Title Chief Investment Officer- 5 Year Fixed- Term Contract

Job Type Classification Contract

Location - Town / City Pretoria

Location - Province Gauteng

Location - Country South Africa

Job Advert Summary

The Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) is a talent-driven, customer-centric, and impact-focused organisation committed to advancing technology innovation that delivers meaningful socio-economic outcomes. As part of this mission, TIA seeks to attract and retain high-performing professionals who embody teamwork, innovation, agility, customer focus, accountability, and a strong commitment to creating value. These attributes are cultivated to foster a culture of excellence, collaboration, impact, and responsibility.

In fulfilling its mandate, TIA provides both financial and non-financial support to innovators and enterprises, enabling the development and commercialisation of technologies that contribute to economic growth, improve quality of life, and promote environmental sustainability.

Job Purpose

To provide executive leadership and strategic oversight of TIA’s investment management, portfolio strategy, funding instruments and investment risk functions. The role leads the development and execution of long-term investment strategies that position TIA as a dynamic, intelligence-driven national innovation agency, and strategic investment partner within the National System of Innovation.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Finance, Investment Management, Business Management, Economics, Commercialisation, Engineering, Science, Technology or a related field.
• Professional certification or advanced training in investment management, corporate finance, venture capital, development finance, portfolio management or innovation commercialisation.

Experience

• Total 15 years working experience on senior management level within an institutional funding environment.
• Proven experience in managing investment portfolios, funding instruments, due diligence, risk management and stakeholder partnerships.
• Total 15 years executive-level experience in a technology development, innovation, development finance, venture capital, public sector funding or National System of Innovation environment of which 8+ years must be at EXCO / General Manager level.
• Proven experience in blended finance, co-investment models, Fund-of-Funds mechanisms, commercialisation support, portfolio optimisation

Knowledge and Skills

• Knowledge of Public sector investment governance and PFMA requirements.
• Investment funding instruments, portfolio management and risk oversight.
• Blended finance, co-investment, Fund-of-Funds and development finance models.
• Commercialisation pathways, technology readiness and innovation scaling.
• Intellectual property, technology transfer and market adoption considerations.
• Due diligence, investment appraisal, IRR, ROI and impact assessment.
• Strategic judgement.
• Executive presence and influence.
• Accountability and ethical leadership.
• Analytical and systems thinking.
• Portfolio management and optimisation.
• Due diligence and investment appraisal.

Duties and Responsibilities

Financial Perspective

• Partner with the Chief Financial Officer to ensure alignment between investment funding decisions, financial controls, reporting requirements and audit outcomes.
• Oversee the allocation, utilisation and monitoring of investment funds to ensure alignment with approved portfolio priorities, funding instruments and strategic outcomes.
• Drive the design and implementation of blended finance, co-investment and Fund of Funds mechanisms to leverage public and private sector capital.
• Monitor investment expenditure, commitments and disbursements against approved budgets, delegations of authority and PFMA requirements.
• Ensure that investment decisions are supported by sound due diligence, financial analysis, risk assessment and expected impact.

Stakeholder Management

• Build and manage strategic relationships with investors, funders, government departments, development finance institutions, industry partners, universities, science councils and other NSI stakeholders.
• Position TIA as a credible innovation investment partner and curator of high-impact innovation opportunities.
• Represent TIA in relevant investment, innovation, commercialisation and technology development forums.
• Provide strategic advice on emerging investor expectations, market trends, stakeholder priorities and partnership opportunities.

Internal Processes

• Lead the development, implementation and continuous improvement of TIA’s investment management framework, portfolio governance model and investment decision-making processes.
• Ensure that investment pipeline development, screening, due diligence, approval, contracting, monitoring, reporting and exit processes.
• Oversee portfolio segmentation, Prioritisation and optimisation to support strategic impact, commercialisation readiness and financial sustainability.
• Define investment risk appetite, risk assessment criteria and mitigation measures.
• Strengthen evidence-based investment decision-making through improved market intelligence, portfolio analytics, impact measurement and performance reporting.
• Ensure alignment between investment management, commercialisation support, intellectual property assessment, business support and NSI curation functions.
• Define TIA’s short-, medium- and long-term investment priorities in line with the Decadal Plan, APP and national innovation priorities.
• Identify emerging sectors, technologies, market opportunities and funding gaps that require investment intervention.
• Support integrated organisational planning by aligning investment strategy with innovation, commercialisation, financial strategies.
• Oversee monitoring and evaluation of funded investments to assess financial performance, commercialisation progress, technology development milestones and socio-economic impact.
• Identify underperforming investments and recommend corrective actions, additional support, restructuring or exit strategies.
• Improve operational efficiencies of technology development and commercialisation portfolio.

Learning and Growth

• Ensure KPAs are understood and achieved as agreed upon in the performance agreements for each division.
• Ensure reviews of performance against agreed performance standards
• Live the values and culture of TIA.
• Communicate and implement development opportunities to ensure continuous improvement of work effectiveness and efficiency.
• Identify, manage and coordinate the implementation of knowledge systems, tools and initiatives to improve the performance TIA.
• Integrated information systems and tools are optimally utilized to execute core tasks.

The Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) web pages are frequently updated and improved. New content will be added as it is available. Although we will attempt to keep information in the TIA web site accurate, the accuracy of the information provided cannot be guaranteed. The logos of TIA are copyrighted and may not be used in web pages, electronic, or written publications without the express permission of TIA.

Data privacy

In terms of the requirements set in the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (Act No. 4 of 2013) (POPIA) everyone has the right to privacy, including the right to the lawful collection, retention, dissemination and use of one’s personal information. To give effect to this right, TIA is under a duty to provide you with various details in respect of the processing of your personal information, before such information is processed, which details are set out in TIA’s Section 18 detailed informed consent document. By providing TIA with your personal details, you consent to TIA processing your Personal Information, which TIA undertakes will be done in accordance with the said notice.