Impact Area Manager at Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)

About the job:

The CSIR has a vacancy for an Impact Area Manager in the Smart Mobility Cluster area within the Smart Society division. The incumbent will be responsible for the provision of strategic and technical leadership to the research groups, and including people management, business development, financial sustainability, and operations management. This position is based in the Pretoria.

Key responsibilities:

• Provide and coordinate strategic leadership for the development of a coherent Impact Area strategy that is aligned with the Cluster and Divisional strategies to support the CSIR organisational vision aimed at fostering scientific development to realise its Business Strategy and to focus on implementation and adaptation of appropriate Research Development and Innovation (RDI) roadmap for the transport infrastructure engineering industry;
• Manage the implementation, execution of Cluster Strategic roadmap and business plan within the Impact Area to achieve set business targets and integrate complete solutions aligned with the focus of the Impact Area and the cluster;
• Develop and grow a diversified income stream to maintain financial sustainability of the Smart Mobility cluster, with minimum target of sixty-one million rand with potential to grow and establish diffusion of solutions in line with the cluster’s strategic roadmap;
  • Account for the financial sustainability of the Impact Area and attract funding,
  • Propose and/or contribute to the strategic investment plan and implement Parliamentary Grant, other grant-funded projects and programmes.
• In collaboration with the Business Development and Commercialization portfolio:
  • Drive the transfer of technology and innovation solutions design to industry/user environment,
  • Package technologies for commercialisation or develop an “investment ready business” through financial modelling market assessment and business plan development.
• Deliver on all KPIs of the area and ensure that all outputs are achieved, including transformation, profit and loss, quality, health, safety and environment as per agreed targets;
• Implement and comply with appropriate financial, business and governance systems, including operational approvals. Drive and uphold good governance and procurement principles;
• Lead strategic stakeholder engagements (internal and external) to build strategic business ecosystem that will support a sustainable growth for the cluster:
  • Align, partner, network and collaborate internally and externally to deliver impact,
  • Ensure high level, quality internal communication and engagement,
  • Lead the team to development a stakeholder engagement plan.  
• Promote and drive a safety leadership culture for human capital growth and sustainability of the Smart Mobility cluster;
• Support the formulation of teams to actively drive the scoping, costing of proposals, for a balanced RDI programme pipeline;
• Ensure high quality science, engineering and technology (SET) expertise and develop appropriate SET capacity and profiles;
  • Grow effective management of staff (effective utilisation of performance management systems),
  • Ensure demographic transformation of the Impact Area,
  • Ensure staff development and strategic Human Capital Development to advance individual staff through their careers and ensure alignment with the Industrial development focus and National Science strategy.
• Ensure SET outputs and quality, which would include:
  • Industry applications – global benchmarking of transport infrastructure engineering value chain challenges to build integrative solutions,
  • Support to SMME, products and prototypes developed, technologies localised and diffused, new patents granted, new licences, new companies formed, industry standards and capable state (technology development, acquisition and use dimension), etc.,
  • Services – Decision support, policy briefs, norms and standards etc.

Qualifications, skills and experience:

• A Doctoral degree in science or engineering field with at least eight years’ experience in strategic leadership and/or business management at a senior level with experience in the following areas:
  • Transport Infrastructure Engineering industry experience;
  • Business development showing growth of income;
• Solid track record of:
  • Engagement with the transport sector on strategic level, business drivers and understanding of industry business drivers;
  • Broad understanding of relevant technologies and their potential impact on competitiveness;
  • Building SET capability.
• In-depth knowledge of transport infrastructure engineering value chain, processes, management systems, engineering equipment’s and how all is integrated into running the operations.
• Lead innovation and technology adoption in the transport industry.
• An understanding of the RDI to market ‘innovation’ value chain.
• Deep understanding of industry needs and integration of sector knowledge in a multi-dimensional research and development programme to deliver industry aligned RDI.
• Ability to:
  • Understand, integrate, and provide technical leadership across all domains;
  • Provide thought leadership and high-level conceptualisation;
  • Work independently as well as in teams;
  • Develop and build relevant capabilities to deliver on the cluster business plan and Capabilities are defined as (Skills set or proficiency of technical expertise, Tools for professional Practice e.g., systems engineering, Infrastructure e.g.  Prototype).

• Required Skills:
  • Interpersonal communication;
  • Business Development and financial acumen;
  • Excellent communication (verbal and written) and presentation;
  • Project and programme management;
  • Excellent people management;
  • Operational management;
  • Conflict management;
  • Decisiveness and action orientation.
• To travel to clients and industry manufacturing sites.