Executive Secretary: Office Of The CFO at Durban University of Technology

Purpose of the Role

• To provide high-level, confidential executive and administrative support to the Chief Financial Officer by coordinating financial governance workflows, managing executive communications and documentation, ensuring compliance with financial reporting and audit requirements, and facilitating the timely implementation and tracking of finance-related decisions across the institution.
• The role exercises independent judgement in prioritising finance and governance matters, coordinating cross-functional financial inputs, supporting audit and reporting cycles, and ensuring alignment with institutional policies, regulatory requirements and financial governance frameworks.

Qualifications

Minimum

• Bachelor’s Degree or Advanced Diploma (NQF 7) in either Public Administration, Business Administration, Finance Administration, Governance or related field.

Ideal / Advantageous

• Advanced Minute-Taking Certification.
• Project Management short course.
• Records Management certification.

Experience

Minimum

• Minimum 5 years administrative or executive support experience.
• At least 3 years supporting senior management.

Ideal / Advantageous

• Experience in higher education or finance environment advantageous.
• Experience supporting audit, budgeting or financial reporting cycles.

NOTE TO APPLICANT

Applicants must demonstrate knowledge and technical competencies in the following areas.

Please provide evidence of this in your Curriculum Vitae: - 

Minimum

• Advanced executive administration and secretarial practice.
• Knowledge of governance and financial administration.
• Strong drafting, report writing and communication skills.
• MS Office and virtual meeting platform proficiency.
• Discretion and sound judgement in handling confidential financial matters.
• Strong working knowledge of POPIA.
• Understanding of governance protocols and financial compliance requirements.
• Governance structures and institutional processes.
• POPIA compliance requirements.
• Financial reporting cycles and governance documentation standards.
• Electronic document management systems.
• Advanced MS Office.

Ideal / Advantageous

• Exposure to finance governance, audit and reporting environments.
• Knowledge of institutional financial policies and compliance requirements.
• Strong coordination across finance units and stakeholders.
• Advanced record-keeping and document control capability.
• Ability to liaise confidently at executive and audit levels.
• Knowledge of PFMA / financial governance frameworks (where applicable).
• Audit and compliance exposure.
• Financial governance and reporting knowledge.
• Institutional policy and procedure knowledge.

Special Requirements

• Willingness to work after hours during audit cycles, budget preparation, governance meetings and reporting deadlines.
• Ability to manage confidential and sensitive financial, governance and executive information.
• High-level professionalism in representing the Office of the CFO.

Key Responsibilities

The successful candidate will be responsible for:

• Provide high-level executive and administrative support to the CFO, including managing a complex diary, priorities, correspondence and executive workflows.
• Screen, assess and quality-assure reports, submissions and requests for accuracy, compliance, urgency, financial implications and risk prior to CFO review.
• Draft executive correspondence, briefing notes, reports, presentations and structured briefing packs for the CFO.
• Coordinate governance documentation and submissions for Council, Executive Committees, Finance Committee, Audit & Risk Committee and other relevant governance structures.
• Monitor governance deadlines, CFO decisions, resolutions, audit actions and other portfolio deliverables to ensure timely implementation and follow-through.
• Coordinate and consolidate financial and other inputs from Finance divisions, faculties, support units, auditors and external stakeholders into executive-ready information.
• Support financial administration and procurement activities within the Office of the CFO, including requisitions, payments, expenditure monitoring, reconciliations and related reporting.
• Maintain accurate, confidential and audit-ready executive, financial and governance records, ensuring appropriate document control, information security and POPIA compliance.
• Act as a central liaison for the Office of the CFO, managing stakeholder engagements professionally and escalating high-risk, financially sensitive, compliance or reputational matters appropriately.
• Coordinate the operational requirements of the Office of the CFO, including meetings, governance sessions, travel, office workflows, systems and service providers

CLOSING DATE: 25 SEPTEMBER 2026