Technical Lead

GOPA; South Africa; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

GOPA seeks a Technical Lead for the Project Implementation Support Unit (PISU) under South Africa's Just Energy Transition Partnership to support Transnet’s rail and port decarbonisation. The role requires strong project management, governance and financial oversight across multi-year assignments.

The candidate will coordinate multidisciplinary teams, ensure timely delivery within budgets, and interact with international financiers and institutions.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of professional experience in project delivery.
• 5+ years managing multidisciplinary teams (engineering, procurement, scheduling, finance).
• 7+ years in feasibility studies, project economics, engineering design and procurement processes.
• Knowledge of PPPs, grants, loans and financial instruments relevant to energy transition projects.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coordinate, and support the successful delivery of a multi-year technical assistance assignment.
• Coordinate financial aspects of projects and monitor financial performance.
• Manage project-related risks to ensure effective and compliant delivery.
• Work with international financiers such as the EU, EIB, AfDB, WB, and others.

Skills

Project management

Leadership

Stakeholder coordination

Budget & financial management

Risk management

English proficiency

Education

Degree in engineering

PgMP or equivalent certification

Job description

Technical Lead for the Project Implementation Support Unit (PISU) under South Africa's Just Energy Transition Partnership, coordinating delivery of a multi-year technical assistance assignment supporting Transnet's rail and port decarbonisation.

The Project Implementation Support Unit (PISU) forms part of the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) and supports Transnet in advancing South Africa’s shift toward low-carbon, climate-resilient transport infrastructure. Funded through the EU-supported IIPSA grant and aligned with the EIB’s Decarbonisation Framework Loan, the PISU provides end-to-end support across project preparation, procurement, implementation, monitoring, and reporting. Its work enables the decarbonisation of key rail and port assets while strengthening governance, planning systems, and institutional capacity to deliver long-term energy transition investments.

The Technical Lead demonstrates strong proficiency in project management principles, including the planning, organisation, and execution of projects within defined budgets and timelines. The role requires solid experience in coordinating financial aspects of technical assignments, monitoring financial performance, and managing project-related risks to ensure effective and compliant delivery.

What you will do

You will contribute your expertise to lead, coordinate, and support the successful delivery of this multi-year technical assistance assignment. For this role, we find the following experience particularly relevant.

• 12+ years of professional experience, including 5+ years in Sub-Saharan Africa (South Africa an advantage).


• 7+ years in feasibility studies, project economics, engineering design, technical risk assessment, scheduling and procurement processes.


• 5+ years managing multidisciplinary teams (engineering, procurement, costing, scheduling, finance, legal).


• Experience in large-scale rail and/or port sectors (experience in both is an advantage).


• Finance and contract management responsibility for at least two large infrastructure projects (CAPEX > EUR 50m) in the past 10 years.


• Knowledge of PPPs, grants, loans and financial instruments relevant to energy transition projects.


• Knowledge of South African legal, contractual and public procurement requirements (advantage).


• Experience coordinating financial aspects of projects and monitoring financial performance.


• Strong grounding in project management principles including planning, organising, execution within budget and timelines, and risk monitoring.


• Experience working with EU, EIB, AfDB, WB, AFD/Proparco, FMO, KfW or similar IFIs.


• Degree in engineering or equivalent.


• Certification in Programme Management (PgMP or equivalent).


• Proficiency in English.


• Strong engineering, technical coordination, and project-delivery skills.