Director jobs in South Africa

The Initiative for Social Performance in Renewable Energy (INSPIRE) aims to advance the field of social performance in South Africa’s renewable energy sector, with the wider goal of becoming a leading platform across the African continent and internationally. Their mission is to build leadership capacity in Africa for a more integrated renewable energy ecosystem that ensures equitably shared socio-economic benefits.

INSPIRE (Initiative for Social Performance in Renewable Energy) is seeking a highly motivated and skilled person to join our team as a Governance and Operations Officer. As a member of the INSPIRE team, you will play a key role in strengthening the organisation’s governance systems, operational efficiency, and executive support functions. This role is ideal for an early-career professional with an interest in company secretariat work, governance, organisational administration, and non‑profit operations.

You will work closely with the Managing Director, Operations Manager, and Board Chair to ensure that all governance, board, compliance, and operational processes run smoothly and professionally. Over time, the role has strong potential to grow into a more senior Governance & Operations function. Your work will contribute to advancing social performance in South Africa's renewable energy sector and promoting best practices in the field. This post offers a valuable opportunity to put your organisational development and project management skills to contribute to a just energy transition in South Africa and beyond.

This is a full‑time position for a term of 6 months. Contract renewal is possible if the funding is available and the KPIs for the work are met.

Governance & Board Administration

Coordinate all board and committee meeting logistics, schedules, and calendar planning.

Prepare board packs, briefing papers, resolutions, and supporting documentation.

Draft agendas in consultation with the MD and Board Chair.

Take accurate minutes and maintain high‑quality records and registers.

Maintain compliance checklists, action logs, and governance trackers.

Support statutory filings and reporting (e.g., CIPC updates, annual returns).

Assist with creating and maintaining governance policies and frameworks.

Maintain the document archive and board document library.

Executive Assistance & Administrative Support

Provide direct support to the Managing Director (e.g., diary support, follow‑ups, meeting preparation).

Draft correspondence, presentations, and internal communication materials.

Support travel arrangements, expense tracking, and reimbursements.

Conduct light research or background information gathering as needed.

Support the MD with strategic coordination and project management tasks.

Operations Support

Work closely with the Operations Manager on day‑to‑day operational processes.

Assist with HR administration (contracts, onboarding packs, staff files, leave records).

Coordinate procurement processes and supplier documentation.

Maintain organisational calendars and shared systems.

Support donor compliance administration (non‑financial) and reporting coordination.

Ensure organisational policies are up to date, accessible, and in use.

Special Projects & Cross‑Functional Support

Assist with organisational development projects, audits, risk management processes, or change initiatives.

Provide support to programmes during peak periods.

Contribute to improving systems, workflows, templates, and processes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or diploma in one of the following (or related):
• Company Secretarial Practice / Governance
• Business Administration
• Legal Studies / Paralegal
• Public Administration
• Operations or Management Studies

Experience

• 1–3 years of administrative, governance, operations, or coordination experience
• Experience in minute‑taking, report formatting, or compliance administration is advantageous
• Experience in an NGO/NPC/impact‑driven organisation is a bonus
• Extremely strong organisational and administrative ability
• Meticulous attention to detail
• Professional writing and minute‑taking skills
• Discretion, confidentiality, and sound judgement
• Ability to manage multiple deadlines
• Good interpersonal and communication skills
• Competency in MS Office/Google Workspace; advantage if familiar with governance software (e.g., BoardPAC, Diligent, Teams)

Personal Attributes

• High levels of integrity and reliability
• Calm, organised, and able to prioritise under pressure
• Eager to learn and grow professionally
• Comfortable interacting with senior leadership and board members
• Proactive, solutions‑driven, and adaptable
• Values‑aligned with the organisation’s mission and culture