Director: Facilities at University of Pretoria/Universiteit van Pretoria

KEY REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ROLE:

The successful incumbent will have to successfully display the following:

Strategic Management and Leadership  

• A proven track record in senior leadership, with the ability to develop and execute long-term facilities and infrastructure strategies aligned with institutional strategic goals.
• Lead the development and implementation of long-term infrastructure and sustainability plans.
• Demonstrated success in managing large scale real estate portfolios (preferably in higher education or similarly complex environments).

Operational Excellence and Governance   

• Extensive experience in strategic asset management, optimising the use, performance, and lifecycle of physical infrastructure.
• Strong financial and budgetary acumen, with experience overseeing multi-million- rand operational and capital budgets.

Stakeholder and Change Management   

• Exceptional ability to engage executive leadership, academic stakeholders, and external partners to drive integrated campus development.
• A change agent with experience in transforming facilities management practices to enhance efficiency, sustainability, and service delivery. 

Technical and Industry Expertise   

• In-depth knowledge of property management, maintenance systems, space planning, and sustainable infrastructure development. 
• Familiarity with smart campus technologies, green building standards, and risk/compliance frameworks in facilities management.

People and Team Leadership   

• A dynamic leader with a history of building high-performing teams, fostering collaboration across multidisciplinary units.
• Strong commitment to staff development, diversity, and inclusive leadership within a large, complex organisation.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS   

• A Master’s degree in either Construction Management, Engineering or a related built environment discipline.
• At least 15 years of post-qualification experience, including at least 5 years or more in a senior management role in facilities or infrastructure management within a medium-to-large organisation.

Proven expertise in: 

• Strategic planning and execution;
• Project and financial management;
• Human Resources and organisational development;
• Regulatory compliance (OHS, building regulations, procurement frameworks); and
• Sustainability and environmental systems;
• Strategic Management;
• Contract Management, including a basic knowledge of requirements related to procurement processes and contractual agreements, e.g., service level agreements;
• National Building Regulations; Contract Law (JBCC, NEC); and Occupational Health and Safety requirements;
• Applied knowledge and experience in MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint, as well as integrated enterprise resource management systems including Help Desk and Maintenance Management.
• Professional registration with the appropriate South African regulatory professional body.