Head: Water & Sanitation at Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA)

Job Description    

• Lead and manage the origination and development of investment opportunities in the Water & Sanitation sector. The Head: Water & Sanitation is responsible for formulating sector strategies, identifying and evaluating viable projects, and ensuring alignment with the bank’s development mandate and investment objectives. The role also drives client engagement, fosters strategic partnerships, and leads the development of market-responsive financial products.

Key Responsibilities    
Strategic Leadership

• Develop and lead the water and sanitation origination strategy, aligned with national and regional development priorities, including universal access, climate resilience, water security, and sustainable sanitation.
• Originate bankable and early-stage projects across public and private infrastructure sectors, in line with the Bank’s development finance mandate and long-term strategic objectives.
• Align the project pipeline with strategic investment themes such as water resource management, sanitation infrastructure, circular economy, and measurable development outcomes.

Deal Origination

• Lead the early-stage identification, conceptualisation, and screening of water and sanitation projects and investment proposals to assess technical, commercial, developmental, and strategic viability, laying a solid foundation for project origination.
• Develop and manage a high-quality, diversified origination pipeline, progressing projects from concept to preparation phase in line with the Bank’s mandate.
• Collaborate with internal teams to maintain pipeline quality, momentum, and alignment with institutional investment and development priorities.
• Drive targeted outreach and client engagement strategies, focusing on municipalities, water utilities, private sector entities, and cross-border stakeholders in the water and sanitation space.
• Lead data-driven market analysis and segmentation to identify high-impact opportunities and expand the Bank’s client and partner base.
• Represent the Bank in sector forums, conferences, and stakeholder engagements, positioning DBSA as a key player in water and sanitation infrastructure development.

Sector Intelligence and Policy Influence

• Oversee the development of sector-specific insights, opportunity maps, and investment briefs to guide project origination and inform institutional strategy in the water and sanitation sector.
• Provide technical input into national and regional water and sanitation policy processes, regulatory consultations, and sector reform initiatives to support enabling environments for investment.
• Position the Bank as a thought leader in sustainable water and sanitation solutions, including climate resilience, circular water economy, and inclusive service delivery.
• Monitor industry trends, regulatory developments, and macroeconomic factors impacting the water and sanitation landscape across South Africa and the broader region.

Client & Stakeholder Relationship Management

• Build and maintain long-term, trust-based relationships with key clients, sponsors, and stakeholders across public and private sectors.
• Engage early with project sponsors to shape bankable concepts and accelerate deal progression.
• Navigate complex stakeholder landscapes across government, development partners, private sector, and communities to align interests, influence outcomes, and drive successful infrastructure development.
• Position DBSA as the preferred partner for water and sanitation investment opportunities in the region.

Governance, Reporting & Compliance

• Lead and oversee the preparation and presentation of high-quality submissions and reports for Executive Committees, Board, and governance forums, ensuring strategic and regulatory alignment.
• Coordinate cross-functional inputs to support informed decision-making and maintain compliance with governance protocols and institutional standards.
• Oversee robust reporting frameworks to ensure transparency, accountability, and timely reporting on performance, risks, and strategic progress.
• Manage follow-ups, actions, and resolutions from governance processes, while ensuring adherence to regulatory requirements, risk policies, and audit recommendations.

Digital Transformation

• Champion digital transformation within the Water & Sanitation function, leveraging technology to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
• Drive a culture of innovation and continuous improvement across teams.

People Management

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous learning to maximise individual and collective potential.
• Drive talent development initiatives, including coaching, performance management, and career pathing, to build and retain a skilled and motivated team.
• Provide direction and management to the business unit, to enable the execution of the strategy.
• Attract, retain, and develop talent and ensure succession planning and sufficient capacity and capability in all critical functions, supporting diversity strategies and initiatives as well.
• Promote DBSA values and a culture of high performance through implementing performance management in line with the planned strategic objectives, goals, quality standards and agreed key performance measures using sound performance management principles.

Key measurement of output:

• Achievement of sector-specific origination targets, including value and volume of project approvals, commitments, and disbursements.
• Performance of the industry portfolio, measured through key indicators such as Non-Performing Loan (NPL) ratio and overall asset quality.
• Delivery on sector-specific development targets, including the value of infrastructure catalysed and alignment with national development goals.
• Number and value of projects prepared for DBSA approval and funds secured under management.
• Client service ratings, development of annual client plans for key clients, and establishment of partnerships to enhance DBSA’s market positioning and generate deal flow.
• Effective team management, including talent development, performance management, and succession planning aligned to strategic objectives.

Expertise & Technical Competencies    
Qualifications

• A postgraduate qualification (honours, master’s, or equivalent) in Finance or Development Finance or Civil Engineering or relevant qualification

Experience

• Minimum 12 years’ experience in finance, investment banking, or development finance, with at least 5 years in a senior management role, preferably in water and sanitation or related sectors.
• Proven track record in originating, structuring, and closing large-scale investment projects in the water and sanitation sector or broader infrastructure environment.
• Deep understanding of financial instruments and structures, including corporate loans, project finance, and earlystage/venture capital investing.
• Strategic planning and leadership expertise, with a strong grasp of business strategy execution and investment alignment.
• Solid knowledge of infrastructure markets, financial markets, and macroeconomic dynamics across South Africa and broader African regions.
• Strong stakeholder and relationship management skills, with a well-established network of partners, clients, and investors across public and private sectors.
• Experience in client engagement and solution design, with a demonstrated ability to address complex challenges through innovative investment solutions.
• Exceptional negotiation and communication skills, with experience influencing and closing deals at executive and board levels.
• Proven ability to operate in politically sensitive environments, engaging senior stakeholders across diverse African contexts.
• Proven track record of leading and preparing good quality reports, documents and presentations for Executive Management, Board and high-level stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to manage teams with proven track record of mentoring developing direct reports.
• Sound knowledge and good grasp of the infrastructure landscape, financial markets political economics, macroeconomics as well as socio-economic, development issues, challenges and opportunities in South African and the rest of Africa.

Professional Certifications (Preferred/Advantageous):

• Chartered Financial Analyst
• Chartered Accountant
• Leadership Programme such as a General or Advanced Management Programme
• Project Management Professional
• ECSA registration (for engineers)