Project Administrator at Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)

About the job: 

• The CSIR has a vacancy for Programme Administrator in the Mining Cluster.  The Mining cluster is seeking a Programme Administrator to join its mining cluster team, the successful incumbent will provide core operational, administrative, and financial-tracking support to the R60 Million, 3-year TIA Critical Minerals Programme Management Office (PMO).
• Reporting to the Programme Manager, the incumbent manages daily PMO workflows, coordinates multi-tiered governance meetings (Steering Committee, Advisory Board, and Judging Panels), compiles PFMA financial drawdown packs, tracks SMME grant records, maintains project data repositories, and serves as the primary administrative liaison for programme stakeholders. The position is based in Pretoria. 
• This position reports to Programme Manager: Critical Minerals Programme. 

Key responsibilities:

Multi-tier governance & secretariat administration:

• Schedule and coordinate meetings for the Steering Committee, Advisory Board, Technical Teams, and SMME Judging Panels;
• Compile and distribute meeting packs, agendas, and technical presentation decks at least 5 business days prior to meetings;
• Accurately record and distribute minutes, decision registers, and action tracking logs within 5 business days of meetings.

Financial tracking:

• Assist the Programme Manager with tracking monthly budget and expenses against approved budget line items under PFMA rules. 
• Collate verified timesheets, expense receipts, vendor invoices, and milestone/progress reports. 
• Track invoice routing through CSIR finance systems to ensure vendor and SMME payments are disbursed within agreed turnaround times.

Document control & digital platform maintenance:

• Establish, organise, and maintain secure digital document repositories (SharePoint Portal) for all technical, administrative and governance files;
• Support the population and regular updating of data inputs for the Live Stakeholder Reporting Dashboard;
• Maintain up-to-date registries of signed Master Collaboration Agreements (MCAs), non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), and SMME grant contracts.

SMME competition & event logistics management:

• Provide administrative coordination for CAMP events: stakeholder engagements, SMME open calls, hackathons, pitch days, and demo days;
• Manage application intake, assist with the redacting/anonymising of proposal submissions for the competition's double-blind review protocol, and maintain applicant logs;
• Coordinate venue bookings, catering, travel, accommodation, and logistics for national events and stakeholder workshops.

  Stakeholder communication & general PMO support:

• Act as the primary administrative helpdesk for programme inquiries from government, mining houses, universities, and SMME applicants. 
• Screen, log, and route project queries to the Programme Manager or BD Practitioner, following up through to full resolution. 
• Perform general office administration, travel bookings, stationery procurement, and asset management for PMO personnel.    

Qualifications, skills and experience:

• A National Diploma (NQF Level 6) or bachelor's degree (NQF Level 7) in Business Administration, Project Management, Public Administration, Office Management, or a related field. 
• Certified associate in project management (CAPM) or equivalent Project Management Certification will be advantageous. 
• At least 3 to 5 years' progressive experience in project/programme management administration and operational coordination.
• Previous experience working within a CSIR, TIA, or national science council project environment.
• Experience working in the mining industry/with mining stakeholders or technology-related firms. 
• Proven experience supporting multi-project portfolios, public-sector programmes, or R&D initiatives. 
• Demonstrated experience servicing formal committee structures (preparing agendas, minutes, and action logs). 
• Experience in financial administrative support, budget monitoring, and invoice tracking under PFMA or public accounting guidelines. 
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, SharePoint) and project management software (MS Project or similar).. 
• All international qualifications require an evaluation report / certificate issued by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). 

What's in it for you? 

The CSIR offers:

• Learning and development opportunities.
• Competitive and market-related remuneration packages.
• Total guaranteed salary packages which encompass contributions to the pension fund, risk insurance and medical scheme.
• We openly acknowledge and reward our employees' contributions and accomplishments through our esteemed CSIR Excellence Awards.

Closing date: 23 September 2026