Senior Head: Municipalities at Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA)

Job Description    

• The Senior Head: Municipalities leads and manages the origination and development of investment opportunities within the municipal infrastructure sector. This role provides strategic oversight to the Head: Infrastructure Planning, Head: Partner A District, and the Head: Financing. Key responsibilities include formulating sector-specific strategies, identifying and evaluating bankable municipal infrastructure projects, and ensuring alignment with the bank’s developmental mandate and investment objectives. The role also assists municipalities with infrastructure planning, drives proactive engagement with municipal stakeholders, cultivates strategic partnerships across the public and private sectors, and spearheads the design of innovative, market-responsive financing solutions tailored to the unique needs of municipalities and districts.

Key Responsibilities    
Strategic Leadership

• Provide strategic oversight to the Head: Infrastructure Planning, Head: Partner A District, and Head: Financing within the Bank’s Municipalities function.
• Develop and lead the origination strategy for municipal infrastructure investment opportunities, aligned with national, regional, and local development priorities, including sustainable service delivery and infrastructure-led development.
• Originate and structure bankable municipal infrastructure projects in collaboration with municipalities, ensuring alignment with the Bank’s development finance mandate and long-term strategic objectives.
• Build and maintain a robust project pipeline focused on key municipal infrastructure sectors such as water, sanitation, energy, transport, and waste management while delivering measurable socio-economic development outcomes.
• Support municipalities with infrastructure planning and financing solutions, ensuring projects are technically sound, financially viable, and aligned with integrated development plans and sector strategies.

Deal Origination

• Oversee and lead the early-stage identification, conceptualisation, and screening of municipal infrastructure projects and investment proposals to assess technical, financial, developmental, and strategic viability, ensuring a strong foundation for project origination.
• Develop and manage a high-quality, diversified origination pipeline of municipal infrastructure projects, progressing them from concept to preparation in alignment with the Bank’s development finance mandate.
• Collaborate with internal teams to ensure the pipeline maintains strategic relevance, technical integrity, and alignment with institutional investment and developmental priorities.
• Drive targeted outreach and client engagement strategies focused on municipalities, municipal-owned entities, and relevant district and provincial stakeholders to identify investment opportunities and support infrastructure planning.
• Conduct data-driven market analysis and segmentation to identify high-impact municipal infrastructure opportunities and expand the Bank’s engagement with under-resourced and high-potential areas.
• Represent the Bank in municipal infrastructure forums, conferences, and stakeholder platforms, positioning DBSA as a key partner in advancing sustainable and inclusive municipal development.

Sector Intelligence and Policy Influence

• Oversee the development of sector-specific insights, municipal infrastructure opportunity maps, and investment briefs to inform project origination and guide the Bank’s municipal investment strategy.
• Provide technical input into national, provincial, and local government policy processes, regulatory frameworks, and municipal infrastructure reform initiatives to strengthen enabling environments for sustainable investment.
• Position the Bank as a thought leader in municipal infrastructure development, including sustainable service delivery, integrated planning, climate-resilient infrastructure, and municipal finance reform.
• Monitor sector trends, regulatory developments, fiscal policy changes, and macroeconomic factors impacting municipalities and local infrastructure investment across South Africa and the region.

Client & Stakeholder Relationship Management

• Build and maintain long-term, trust-based relationships with key municipal clients, government stakeholders, development partners, and private sector participants involved in local infrastructure development.
• Engage early with municipalities and project sponsors to shape viable, bankable infrastructure concepts and accelerate project development and progression.
• Navigate complex stakeholder environments including all spheres of government, state-owned entities, development finance institutions, private investors, and communities to align interests, influence policy and planning outcomes, and drive impactful municipal infrastructure delivery.
• Position DBSA as the preferred development finance partner for municipalities in delivering sustainable, inclusive, and resilient infrastructure solutions.

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 Municipalities Cluster, leveraging technology to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
• Foster 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 strategy execution.
• 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 municipal origination targets, including the value and volume of municipal infrastructure project approvals, funding commitments, and disbursements.
• Performance of the municipal portfolio, measured through indicators such as Non-Performing Loan (NPL) ratio, asset quality, and sustainability of municipal financial health.
• Delivery on development impact targets within the municipal sector, including the value of infrastructure catalysed, number of municipalities supported, and alignment with national and local development priorities.
• Number and value of municipal projects prepared for DBSA approval, including funding secured under management for project preparation and implementation.
• Client service excellence, measured through client satisfaction ratings, execution of annual client engagement plans for priority municipalities, and the establishment of strategic partnerships to enhance DBSA’s market positioning and drive municipal deal flow.
• Effective leadership and team performance, including talent development, succession planning, and performance management aligned to the Bank’s municipal strategy and objectives.

Expertise & Technical Competencies    
Minimum Qualifications

• A postgraduate qualification (Honours, Master’s, or equivalent) in Public Finance, Engineering, Urban Planning, Development Finance, Economics, Infrastructure Development, or a related field relevant to municipal infrastructure and local government investment.

Minimum Experience

• Minimum of 12 years’ experience in development finance, public infrastructure investment, municipal finance, or related sectors, with at least 5 years in senior management or leadership role.
• Proven track record in originating, structuring, and closing large-scale municipal infrastructure or public-sector investment projects.
• Deep understanding of financial instruments and structures relevant to municipalities, including project finance, blended finance, grants, and public-private partnerships (PPPs).
• Strategic planning and leadership expertise, with a demonstrated ability to align infrastructure investment with national, provincial, and local development strategies.
• Solid knowledge of the municipal infrastructure landscape, public finance frameworks, and macroeconomic dynamics in South Africa and across the African continent.
• Strong stakeholder and relationship management skills, with an established network across local government, national departments, development partners, and the private sector.
• Experience in municipal client engagement and co-creating infrastructure solutions, with a proven ability to navigate complex, multi-stakeholder environments.
• Exceptional negotiation and communication skills, with experience influencing and closing infrastructure deals at executive, political, and board levels.
• Proven ability to operate in politically sensitive environments, engaging senior municipal and government stakeholders across diverse regional and cultural contexts.
• Demonstrated ability to produce high-quality reports, briefing documents, and presentations for Executive Management, Boards, and high-level policy forums.
• Strong leadership skills with a track record of managing and developing high-performing teams, including mentoring and succession planning.
• Sound understanding of South Africa’s intergovernmental fiscal system, infrastructure financing challenges, and socio-economic development priorities across the country and region.

Desirable Requirements

• Professional Certifications (Preferred/Advantageous):
• Project Management Professional
• ECSA registration (for engineers)
• Masters in Development Finance.
• Leadership Programme such as a General or Advanced Management Programme.

Deadline:18th December,2025