Head: Technical Planning and Design at Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA)

Job Description    

• The Head Technical Planning and Design role is accountable for strategic leadership and management of planning, designing, and the implementation of technical projects within the Infrastructure Delivery Division. The incumbent is responsible for developing strategic plans, overseeing project execution, and ensuring that all technical designs meet the bank's standards and regulatory requirements. The Head of Technical Planning and Design plays a crucial role in driving innovation and efficiency in infrastructure development. In addition, lead and contribute to the origination and development of infrastructure development opportunities in the targeted sectors driven by Business Development.

Key Responsibilities    
Strategic Focus

• Lead the development and execution of strategic plans for technical projects, ensuring alignment with the Bank's overall strategy, development and business objectives.
• Identify and prioritise strategic initiatives and deliverables that focus resources on high-impact infrastructure development opportunities and measurable outcomes.
• Develop and maintain short-term and long-term technical planning, design roadmaps, systems and procedures aligned to organisational strategy, operational priorities and approved budgets.
• Drive effective communication and implementation of the strategy across internal and external stakeholders to ensure alignment, engagement, and accountability.

Technical Planning and Design

• Lead the planning and design of scalable, secure, and compliant infrastructure solutions that support operational resilience, business growth, and regulatory compliance.
• Establish and implement technical planning frameworks, processes, systems, and procedures to guide Infrastructure Delivery Division (IDD) project execution.
• Oversee and approve high-level and detailed technical designs to ensure architectural integrity, technical feasibility, and adherence to internal standards, regulatory requirements, and industry best practices.
• Maintain governance frameworks and technical controls for planning and design processes to ensure consistency, accountability, and effective risk management.
• Conduct technical assurance reviews to evaluate design quality, strengthen controls, and drive continuous improvement in infrastructure planning and design practices.

Project Management and Resourcing Planning

• Oversee the planning and delivery of infrastructure projects from concept through implementation ensuring alignment with strategic priorities and technical standards.
• Ensure projects are adequately resourced with the relevant teams and appropriate skills required to deliver expected outcomes.
• Monitor projects performance to ensure delivery within agreed timelines, budgets, quality and regulatory requirements
• Identify, monitor and mitigate technical and project risks to minimise disruptions and ensure successful project execution.

Innovation and Improvement

• Identify and evaluate emerging technologies that can enhance infrastructure capabilities to ensure the Bank remains at the forefront of innovation, improves operational efficiency, and strengthens its competitive edge.
• Drive innovation in infrastructure design, automation, and service delivery to increase scalability, reduce manual effort, and improve speed and reliability of services. Innovation in these areas supports digital transformation, enhances customer experience, and enables the Bank to respond quickly to changing market demands.
• Measure the impact of new technologies and methodologies on project outcomes to ensure continuous improvement, justify investments, and guide future strategic decisions.

Stakeholder Management and Collaboration

• Act as the primary liaison with internal business units, regulatory authorities, external stakeholders and service partners.
• Ensure clear and concise communication and build trust and credibility with internal and external stakeholders.
• Provide expert advice to senior leadership on planning, design, and technical projects requirements.
• Collaborate across functions to ensure that technical planning and design solutions support operational needs and organisational objectives.
• Leverage cross-functional and business data to inform strategic, operational, and domain-specific decisions.
• Focus on value creation for the business, and functional stakeholders.
• Procurement and Contract Management of External Stakeholders
• Manage and maintain strategic relationships with external contractors, service providers, and suppliers to ensure the delivery of high-quality technical planning and design services.
• Lead the procurement and contracting process for outsourced services in collaboration with the Supply Chain Management unit, ensuring full compliance with procurement policies, procedures, and applicable legislation.
• Negotiate, manage, and monitor vendor contracts to optimise service quality, cost-effectiveness, and performance against agreed service level agreements (SLAs).
• Conduct regular quality control inspections of outsourced services and building works to ensure standards are consistently met or exceeded.
• Enforce compliance with all relevant internal standards, regulatory requirements, environmental regulations, and procurement legislation.
• Oversee and track the timely completion of outsourced works, addressing delays or deficiencies to ensure satisfactory delivery.

Performance Monitoring and Reporting

• Define and track key performance indicators (KPIs) for infrastructure planning and design to measure effectiveness, ensure alignment with strategic goals, and drive continuous improvement.
• Report on project status, resource utilisation, and strategic alignment to ensure transparency, accountability, and informed stakeholder engagement.
• Identify data-driven insights to improve planning accuracy and design efficiency to enhance forecasting, reduce waste, and optimise resource allocation.
• Utilise data and trends to inform strategic decision-making and continuous improvement in Infrastructure delivery.

People Management

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous learning to maximize individual and collective potential.
• Drive talent development initiatives, including coaching, performance management, and career pathing, to build and retain a skilled and motivated team.
• Drive a culture of innovation and continuous improvement across the division to support strategic agility.
• Contribute to building synergies & cooperation across functions in the DBSA.
• Live the DBSA values.

Reporting and Governance

• Establish and enforce robust governance frameworks and reporting mechanisms to ensure transparency, compliance, and effective decision-making across all operations.
• Ensure timely and accurate reporting of key performance indicators, risks, and progress against strategic objectives to relevant internal and external bodies.

Digital Transformation

• Champion and drive digital transformation initiatives, leveraging technology to enhance operational efficiency, improve service delivery, and unlock new value streams within the DBSA.
• Foster a mindset of innovation, identifying opportunities to adopt emerging technologies and best practices to modernise processes and deliver impactful solutions.
• Lead the integration of digital technologies and data analytics to improve and enhance technical planning and design.

Key Measurements of Outputs

• Timely development and implementation of strategic plans for technical projects to achieve profitability margins per project and overall, per area.
• Achievement of high-level and detailed design, architectural integrity and technical feasibility with value engineering savings and aligned with strategic objectives.
• Effective risk mitigation, adherence to budget, cost control, resources optimisation, and robust implementation of robust policies and procedures.
• Full compliance with standards, regulatory requirements, and industry best practices, environmental regulations, and internal operational standards.
• Cost-effective management of suppliers, adherence to SLAs, timely completion of outsourced works, and rapid response to technical planning and design related emergencies.
• Accurate, timely, and data-driven reporting to leadership, supporting informed decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Effective collaboration and advisory support to internal and external stakeholders, ensuring technical planning and design solutions align with organisational objectives.
• Achievement of team KPIs, talent development, retention, succession planning, and fostering a high-performance, collaborative, and value-driven culture.
• Achievement of a clean audit outcome for technical planning and design operations, with no material findings or unresolved audit issues.

Expertise & Technical Competencies    
QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum Requirements

• Postgraduate degree in Engineering or Construction Management or Infrastructure/Urban Planning or Architecture or relevant discipline

Desirable Requirements

• Professional Engineer Certification

EXPERIENCE

Minimum Experience

• A minimum of 12 years’ experience in technical planning, architecture, and solution design with at least 5+ years in management.
• Proven exposure to large-scale infrastructure projects (e.g. construction, bulk water, housing, energy, etc.).
• Demonstrated experience in technical design, planning frameworks and project execution.
• Experience in lean and agile methodologies to manage large-scale projects.
• Demonstrated experience in managing multi-disciplinary technical teams.
• Experience in procurement and contract management, including working with contractors and service providers.
• Proven ability to work with high level stakeholders including regulators, government entities and private sector partners.
• Experience in project and programme management including resourcing, risk and delivery oversight.

Desirable Experience

• Project Management Certification (e.g. PMP, PRINCE2) and design tools.
• Familiarity with BIM (Building Information Modelling) and digital twin technologies.
• Experience with sustainable design and green building standards.

Deadline:3rd April,2026