Head of Strategy and Operations

Fuels Industry Association of South Africa; City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality; On-site; ZAR 500 000 - 600 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading industry association seeks a Head of Strategy and Operations for a full-time, on-site role in Johannesburg. The successful candidate will work closely with the Chief Executive to shape strategic direction and lead organizational planning. Responsibilities include driving performance through KPIs, managing operational workflows, and ensuring governance excellence. Candidates should have 7–10 years of relevant experience and a Bachelor's degree in a related field. PMP certification is preferred, making this a great opportunity for forward-thinking leaders in the sector.

Qualifications

• 7–10 years’ experience in operations management, project management, policy coordination, or executive support.
• Experience ideally within an association or similar environment.
• PMP certification preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead multi‑year strategic planning and annual business planning.
• Drive organisational performance through KPIs, dashboards, and reporting frameworks.
• Support policy development and stakeholder engagement.
• Ensure governance excellence and manage operational efficiency.
• Provide executive‑level support to the Chief Executive.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Analytical skills

Project management capability

Excellent communication skills

Stakeholder engagement skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Management, Economics, Public Policy, or a related field

Tools

Project management tools

Performance reporting tools

Job description

Company Description

The Fuels Industry Association of South Africa represents and advocates for the South African fuels industry. The association addresses critical issues related to the refining, manufacturing, transporting, storing, and distributing of transportation energy products. Through collaboration and strategic leadership, the organisation aims to support efficiency, innovation, and sustainability within the sector. It serves as a unifying voice for the industry to influence policies and promote best practices.

Role Description

This is a full-time, on-site role located in the City of Johannesburg for the Head of Strategy and Operations. As the Head of Strategy and Operations, you will work directly with the Chief Executive to shape Association’s strategic direction, lead organisational planning, and ensure effective execution across all operations. This role requires a forward‑thinking leader who can balance strategy, governance, policy oversight and operational delivery in a fast‑moving sector.

You will be responsible for:

• Leading multi‑year strategic planning and annual business planning.
• Driving organisational performance through KPIs, dashboards, and reporting frameworks.
• Supporting policy development, including research, regulatory monitoring, and stakeholder engagement.
• Ensuring governance excellence through board support, committee coordination, and compliant processes.
• Managing operational efficiency, workflows, risk, and special projects.
• Providing executive‑level support and representing the Chief Executive where needed.

Key Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Management, Economics, Public Policy, or a related field.
• 7–10 years’ experience in operations management, project management, policy coordination, or executive support — ideally within an association or similar environment.
• Strong strategic, analytical, and project management capability.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Proficiency in project management tools, performance reporting and organisational coordination.
• PMP certification preferred.