Application Support Divisional Manager at The National Student Financial Aid Scheme(NSFAS)

POSITION OVERVIEW:

• Develop, monitor, and maintain NSFAS policies, operation plans, systems and procedures that drive the efficient and effective implementation of the core business strategy in relation to Applications Support Division.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
Policy, Systems & Procedure Development

• Development, monitoring, and management of the NSFAS policy(ies), guidelines, and procedures across multiple operations department disciplines in line with the student-centric model.
• Manage the processes of the applications and evaluations, appeals, disability, student account management and exceptions to maximise the student experience.
• Manage the maximisation of student expectations with the NSFAS applications support programmes
• Manage the stakeholder challenges that emanate from the applications support value chain.
• Manage and develop instruments to track the implementation of the ongoing applications support programmes
• Develop the overall student funding value chain and ensure the processes are student centric.

People Management & Ethical Leadership

• Manage and/or delegate participation in the recruitment and selection of unit vacancies in line with EE targets.
• Delegate applications support programmes to relevant subunits for implementation.
• Lead and manage the unit team to achieve the set and agreed programmes.
• Direct, inspire, coach and mentor subordinates to deliver quality programmes in line with NSFAS Values
• Lead and manage the individual performance contracting and review process for subunits.
• Lead and manage all disciplinary matters of subunits related to performance and conduct issues.

Stakeholder Management & Relationships

• Oversee the utilisation and implementation of the applications support policies, processes, efficiency channels and databases to resolve stakeholder queries and complaints.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to enable the successful resolution of applications support programmes.
• Manage and delegate the sharing of accurate and reliable data and information to ongoing student support units and institutions of higher learning for the smooth student experience.
• Manage the publication and updating of the details of NSFAS application support.

Project Management & Leadership

• Manage and supervise the projects to address identified needs as per the Applications support strategy.
• Analyse and interpret project reports on completion of the project to evaluate return on investment and to inform decision-making in the unit.

Compliance Monitoring & Evaluation

• Lead and manage the plans and processes of verification, compliance, registration, and deregistration data to support the mandate of the student account management.
• Lead and manage the plans and processes that support the implementation of identified key controls and established risk mitigation procedures.
• Analyse and improve the audit, risk, and compliance outlook.
• Lead and manage the implementational audit plan.

Information & Knowledge Management

• Collaborate with stakeholders to build systems that enable the management of data obtained from different sources.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to use their experience, education and understanding to obtain knowledge from this information.

Reporting & Accountability

• On unit strategic KPIs progress
• On the unit operational plan progress
• On strategic stakeholders’ issues and interventions management
• On internal and external audit and risk
• On any other work in the mandate of the application support unit

DESIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
Minimum requirements:

• NQF Level 8 in Commercial, Legal, Business Administration, Information Systems, or related fields
• Computer literacy – Intermediate MS Package Suite
• Driver’s License.
• 10 Years’ experience in the general various operations units of which 5 should be at the senior management level.
• Advanced project management Skills.
• Advanced Knowledge of the higher education sector
• Experience in the application management programmes.

Preferred

• NQF Level 9 in Commercial or related fields
• Computer literacy – Advanced MS Package Suite
• Driver’s License
• 15 Years’ experience in the general operations of which 10 should be at the management level in the higher sector.
• Advanced project management skills
• Advanced knowledge of the higher education sector.

Skills and Competencies:

• Strategic and visionary
• Project Management
• Interpersonal Skills
• Data Analysis
• Presentation Skills
• Goal orientation skills
• Influential and advocacy
• Systems and IT flair
• Stakeholder Management
• People Management