Senior Manager Applications And Appeals Support at The National Student Financial Aid Scheme

POSITION OVERVIEW:

• To ensure optimum service delivery and implementation of the NSFAS student funding criteria through the management of people, processes, budgets, projects and technology that enable effective and efficient evaluation of bursary applications and related appeals.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Policy, Systems & Procedure Development
• Participate in the review, development and management of the NSFAS policy(ies), guidelines, and procedures that impact application support in line with the student-centric model
• Core Strategic Objectives Development
• Development of the applications support unit operational strategy, and operational plans for the effective and efficient running of the unit.
• Ensure framework is in place for applications and application-related appeals.
• Ensure framework is in place to ensure applications and applications related appeals comply with internal data integrity standards and protocols.
• Develop business requirements for application and application related appeal evaluation and ensure there is alignment with rules and procedures for evaluation.
• Ensure processes are in place to support document management for efficient funding decisions.
• Ensure framework is in place for management of all exceptions in the application and application related appeal evaluation process.
• Plan and efficiently manage the budget allocation and resources assigned to the unit for the benefit of exceptional student experience
• People Management & Ethical Leadership
• Manage the recruitment and selection of unit vacancies in line with EE targets
• Lead applications support programmes to relevant subunits employees for implementation
• Lead and manage the unit managers, team leaders and senior specialists to achieve the set and agreed programmes
• Direct, inspire, coach and mentor managers, team leaders and senior specialists’ leaders to deliver quality programmes in line with NSFAS Values
• Lead and manage the individual performance of managers, team leaders and senior specialists contracting and review process for subunits
• Lead and manage all disciplinary matters of subunits related to performance and conduct issues
• Stakeholder Management & Relationships
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to optimize the evaluation process for the benefits student/ learner’s applicant experience.
• Lead our external stakeholders service level agreements in connection with outsourced work relating to student’s applications systems, repositories and document/records management
• Project Management & Leadership
• Oversee the projects to address identified needs as per the application support strategy
• Analyse and interpret project reports on completion of the project to evaluate return on investment and to inform decision-making in the unit
• Budget optimisation
• Budget forecast for application support unit plans, activities and projects
• Manage expenditure in line with applications support activities and projects
• Collaborate in the management of payment of applications support service providers in line with institutions’ verified registration details.
• Risk, Compliance, Monitoring and Evaluation
• Identify and maintain a risk register in collaboration with the NSFAS risk unit.
• Periodically report on status of risks, internal audit controls as well as compliance for improvements over time.
• Monitor compliance of section and direct reports with compliance needs of the APP service unit plans.
• Submit performance and compliance reports timeously and to required standards.
• Develop and comprehensive report system for the unit that considers all operational aspects.
• Manage risk within the Business Operations unit
• Provide regular management reports on the applications and evaluation processes.
• Information & Knowledge Management
• Collaborate with stakeholders to build internal systems that enable the management of data obtained from different sources
• Collaborate with stakeholders to use their experience, education and understanding to obtain knowledge from this information
• Reporting & Accountability
• On unit strategic KPIs progress
• On the unit operational plan progress
• On strategic stakeholders’ issues and interventions management
• On internal and external audit and risk
• On any other work in the mandate of the ongoing student support unit

DESIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
Minimum requirements:

• NQF Level 8 in Commercial or Management Sciences fields
• Computer literacy – Intermediate MS Package Suite
• Driver’s License
• 10 years minimum experience, 5 years at management level and student application support environment.
• Experience in key business processes, funding and evaluation and proven/demonstrated ability in operational processes.
• Experience with public sector legal requirements, and compliance environment.
• Experience in data analysis of key problem areas to assist in root cause analysis.
• Knowledge of the Higher Education sector, the NSFAS Act, NCA and the PFMA

Preferred

• NQF Level 9 plus in Commercial or Management Sciences

Skill and Competencies:

• Presentation Skills
• Analytical thinking
• Problem-solving skills
• Decision-making skills
• Negotiation skills
• People Management