Manager: Tariff Amendments at The South African Revenue Service (SARS)

Job Purpose

• To monitor, manage and control all functions dealing with the tariff amendments and updates to the Schedules of the relevant Acts; to maintain the SARS Tariff systems, to perform legal and technical research and to provide authoritative advice on tariff amendments to SARS and relevant stakeholders.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's Degree / Advanced Diploma (NQF 7) in International Trade, Economics, Commerce, Business or Law (An LLB is advantageous) AND 8 - 10 years’ experience in legislative/regulatory or policy environment (e.g., legislative drafting, statutory interpretation, tariff/customs law), of which 3 - 4 years is at a junior management level.

ALTERNATIVE#

• Senior Certificate (NQF 4) in addition to relevant internal SARS courses plus 15 years in a legislative/regulatory or policy environment (e.g., legislative drafting, statutory interpretation, tariff/customs law), of which 3 - 4 years is at a junior management level.

 Technical / Functional Expertise:

• Legislative drafting & statutory interpretation: Proven ability to translate policy intent into clear, defensible legal text and schedules.
• Tariff & HS mastery: Advanced knowledge of Customs & Excise Act, Harmonized System (HS) structure, Section/Chapter/Heading Notes, GRIs (1–6), and SARS classification principles.
• Research & analysis: Ability to conduct legal research, analyse utilisation/impact data, and prepare high-quality recommendations and publications.
• Governance & publication: Experience navigating SARS governance, public-comment processes and Government Gazette publication.
• Stakeholder leadership: Skilled at coordinating inputs across internal experts and external bodies (e.g., dtic, ITAC, National Treasury).
• Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication, with the ability to produce persuasive, accurate drafting notes and briefs.

Job Outputs:

Key Outputs

• Lead the tariff amendments lifecycle: scope, draft, review, quality-assure and finalise amendment instruments and supporting documents.
• Run governance & publication: manage approvals, public comment, consideration of submissions, and publication in the Government Gazette.
• Implement policy directives: give effect to HS updates; trade agreements/policy directives (dtic/ITAC); and indirect tax policy matters (National Treasury).
• Quality assurance & risk: implement structured reviews; identify and mitigate legal, operational and fiscal risks before implementation.
• Monitoring & insights: track utilisation/impact post-implementation; recommend improvements to drafting methods, templates and processes.
• Stakeholder management: build strong relationships and SLAs with internal and external stakeholders; represent SARS in technical fora.
• People & capability: coach the team and contribute to skills transfer, including collaboration with SACU counterparts.

Process

• Act as the bottom-line drivers of tactical implementation within the context of business unit excellence and performance improvement. (I)
• Direct, control, coordinate and optimise budgeted resources to meet specific objectives and deliver agreed results and productivity requirements. (I)
• Ensure the development and implementation of a practice in alignment with operational policy and procedural frameworks. (I)
• Implement tactical strategy and delivery plans through the development of operational activities, ensuring the achievement of operational targets. (I)
• Plan for handling work outputs, pull together interdependent activities and specify priorities, standards and procedures to ensure tactical implementation. (I)
• Provide periodic reports on performance against plan & progress on short-term initiatives & use to realign tactical plan and objectives appropriately. (I)
• Recommend changes to optimise processes, systems, policies and procedures, and execute the implementation of change and innovation initiated by the organisation. (I)
• Timeously communicate top-down policy modification, objective achievement progress and critical success factors to impacted stakeholders. (I)
• Use the insights gained through integrated business reports to measure success and realign tactical strategy implementation objectives appropriately. (I)
• Apply the necessary discretion and judgment in making decisions and overcoming obstacles in order to attain set goals and objectives.
• Deploy resources appropriately and anticipate and resolve problems to ensure that tactical targets are achieved within agreed deadlines and standards. (I)
• Interact with internal and external stakeholders for the purpose of providing more complex information relating to the amended legislation published history or origin of the structure of the Schedules of the Customs and Excise Act.
• Develop and update internal standard operating procedures and external guides on processes undertaken by the division.
• Draft legislation, publication of comment, considering and reviewing of comment and publication in the Government Gazette.
• Implementation of requests initiated by the International Trade Administration Commission in respect of trade remedies, increase and reduction of customs duties.
• Monitor and control the quality of all processes and tasks performed within the Tariff Amendments division.
• Implement Budget proposals announced by the Minister of Finance during his Budget speech.
• Conduct assessments and use information to advise, make recommendations and facilitate improvement.

Governance

• Implement governance, risk and compliance policy in own practice area to identify and manage
• governance and risk exposure liability. (I)
• Manage and or advise on the translation and application of policy in a specific functional area. (I)

People

• Develop and implement appropriate people capacity plans in line with delivery and efficiency targets, on budget and in partnership with specialised area. (I)
• Plan and implement enhanced organisational efficiency by identifying and addressing development requirements and providing tools for people resources. (I)
• Translate performance expectations into specific metrics and goals to identify and provide effective services, solve problems and achieve objectives. (I)
• Capacity building and transfer of skills to the Tariff amendments team and the Southern African Customs Union counterparts.

Finance

• Draw up a budget aligned to tactical delivery plans, monitor planned vs. actual, minimise expenditure and report on cost efficiency. (I)
• Implement and monitor financial control, management of costs and corporate governance in area of accountability. (I)

Client

• Build strong relationships and implement service level agreements that promote SARS with internal and external stakeholders. (I)
• Develop and ensure implementation of practices which builds service delivery excellence and encourages others to provide exceptional client service. (I)
• Manage an integrated service excellence culture, which builds rewarding relationships and provides opportunity for feedback and exceptional service. (I)

Behavioural Competencies

• Accountability (V) - The acknowledgement and assumption of responsibility for actions, products, decisions, and policies within the scope of the role or employment position.
• Fairness and Transparency (V) - Build diverse and inclusive workplaces where decisions, practices, processes and transactions are transparent and fair.
• Honesty and Integrity (V) - The quality of being upright, truthful, sincere and freedom from deceit or fraud (H). Guided by values, ability to demonstrate moral judgement and doing the right thing consistently (I).
• Problem Solving and Analysis Level 3 - Must be able to systematically identify, analyse and resolve existing and anticipated problems in order to reach optimum solutions in a timely manner
• Respect (V) - Ability to be considerate for self and others.
• Trust (V) - Firm belief in the reliability, truth or ability of someone or something.

Leadership Competencies

• Ability to translate strategy into execution -Execution leadership means having a strategic mind-set and the leadership skills to perform a function, implement a process or execute a project.
• Concern for Impact of own behaviour on others - The ability to influence a wide range of diverse individuals and groups positively.
• Develops teams and nurtures interdependency - Leverage collaborative relationships. The ability to apply the right technology to the right process at the right time with the right people.
• Inspires others to Positive Action - Inspirational leadership is about energising and creating a sense of direction and purpose for employees and excitement and momentum for change. It involves energising individuals to strive towards a compelling vision of the future by embracing and embodying SARS’s values in all aspects of their work. It includes offering clarity around goals and objectives and ensuring that those who are led work collaboratively towards a shared purpose.
• Nurtures Future Talent - Develops the technical skills and leadership abilities of SARS personnel to create sustainable delivery capability. The drive to further the development and learning of others.
• Stewardship and Service Orientation - Steward leaders have a sense of purpose, which helps them to align their actions to the organisation’s vision, goals, and values. Regard leadership as an inordinate privilege without a sense of entitlement. Capture the collective aspirations of those that they lead, foster a sense of commitment, and place the interest of others ahead of their own.
• Strong Results Orientation - Consistently delivers required business results; sets and achieves achievable, yet aggressive, goals; consistently complies with quality standards and meets deadlines; maintains focus on organisational goals.
• Values and Manages Diversity Level - Understands and respects the customs and norms of others and modifies own behaviour. Contributes actively to a working environment that recognises, responds to and acknowledges the value proposition of SARS, acts as a
• catalyst for promoting SARS values and influences others to translate vision into action.

Technical Competencies

• Business Acumen - Understands main business drivers in order to impact on decision making and get things done
• Change Management - Transforming individuals, teams and organisations to a desired new state
• Customs Knowledge - Activities, tasks and practices associated with obtaining and using high level of knowledge in business areas, functions and services
• Decisiveness - The confidence and ability to take timely and appropriate decisions
• Data Analysis- The ability to calculate the financial implications of tariff amendment
• Effective Business Communication - Must be able to communicate information and ideas in a clear and concise manner appropriate for the audience in order to explain, persuade, convince and influence others to achieve the desired outcomes.
• Functional Policies and Procedures - The knowledge and interpretation of the functional policies and procedures, including monitoring their consistent application internally within SARS.
• Legal Advisory and Interpretation - Advises on the development of policies and strategies on governance through legislative analysis and interpretation.
• Legal Compliance - Complies with relevant legislation, regulatory and professional standards
• Legal Knowledge and knowledge of ethics - Knowledge of applicable legislation and the legal policies and procedures pertaining to the local, regional and relevant international laws as well as relevant Codes.
• Managerial Budgeting - Must be able to plan the work unit budget and manage income and expenditure, through responsible implementation of policies, practices and decisions, in order to achieve unit objectives effectively and efficiently.
• Planning and Organising - Ability to organise, prioritise and, where applicable, delegate work activities to efficiently accomplish tasks and meet
• Planning, Management and Measurement - Plans, Manages and Measures objectives
• Problem Analysis and Judgement - Identifies problems, analyses the problem in a logical way, defining the root cause and formulating the correct solution or line of action.
• Tariff and Classification (CUSTOMS EU FRAMEWORK) - All activities that Customs professionals deal with regarding the aspects of tariff and classification of goods from application, validation and usage of online databases, rules and regulations relating to use and application of measures.

Deadline:19th February,2026