Business Developer (P7) (Johannesburg Business School: UJ Centre for Entrepreneurship) (3-Year Fixed Term Contract) at University of Johannesburg

Job Purpose:

The purpose of this role is to provide integrated leadership across the Raymond Ackerman Academy (RAA) Programme at the University of Johannesburg, Business Development, and Programme Management functions.

• The incumbent will allocate their time to serving as RAA Programme Lead, providing strategic oversight of the UJ chapter and ensuring alignment with the Academy’s mandate to foster an entrepreneurial culture among young people and equip youth entrepreneurs with practical business skills to build sustainable enterprises. 
• Focuses on Business Development, including identifying and securing funding and strategic partnerships, managing stakeholder relationships, and supporting the growth, sustainability, and impact of entrepreneurship initiatives. 
• Dedicated to turnkey Programme Management, encompassing planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting to ensure operational excellence, compliance with governance and funder requirements, and the effective delivery of high-impact entrepreneurship programmes that achieve measurable outcomes.

Responsibilities:

• The successful candidate will be responsible for overseeing programme operations and ensuring full compliance with University of Johannesburg policies, RAA standards, and funder requirements, including financial controls, procurement processes, and reporting timelines. The role coordinates communication between internal teams, external partners, facilitators, and participants to ensure alignment and effective resolution of operational matters. It also includes implementing and maintaining systems and processes that support programme delivery, milestone tracking, budget monitoring, performance management, and risk mitigation, while providing operational inputs for financial reporting and audits.
• The role drives business development and programme sustainability by identifying and securing funding, partnerships, and growth opportunities aligned to organisational priorities. Responsibilities include building and managing strategic stakeholder relationships, leading the development of high-quality proposals and partnership submissions, contributing to business development strategy, and analysing funding and market trends to inform positioning. The incumbent will collaborate with programme and finance teams to ensure realistic and compliant budgets, manage funder relationships post-award, track business development pipelines and targets, and enhance programme visibility through stakeholder engagement and sector participation.
• The position also manages communications, networking, and programme data to ensure transparency, accountability, and informed decision making. This includes maintaining ongoing stakeholder engagement, representing the programme at relevant forums, and building networks that support programme impact and sustainability. The incumbent will ensure accurate collection and management of participant and performance data, maintain organised documentation for reporting and audits, and uphold data integrity, confidentiality, and compliance with institutional and data protection standards.

Minimum requirements

• A Bachelor’s degree (NQF 7) in Business Administration or a relevant equivalent qualification.
• Three years’ experience in start-ups formation, business leadership and administration.
• Two years’ experience working in a higher education environment.
• Strong stakeholder relationship building and maintenance.
• Strong networks within the private and public sectors.
• Past managerial experience in an established business environment.

Recommendations:

• An NQF 8 qualification will be advantageous.
• More than ten (10 )years’ experience in start-ups formation, business leadership and administration.
• More than five (5) years’ experience working in a higher education environment.

Competencies and Behavioural Attributes:

• Knowledge of institutional bodies’, i.e., Matriculation Board, South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), DHET etc
• At least five years of work experience in a professional services environment.
• Understanding of the educational environment.
• Experience using a Lerner Management System, preferably Blackboard.
• Understanding of online or blended learning methods and practices.
• Experience in academic administration (preferable), alternatively general experience in student administration,
• project management and financial management.
• Leading a unit and providing guidance