Senior Project Development Specialist at Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA)

Job Description

• Execute technical project development from early-stage preparation through to bankable feasibility, ensuring projects meet the technical, environmental, social, regulatory, and commercial requirements for investment decision-making and financial close. The role is responsible for Project Development and Technical Execution, Due Diligence and Regulatory Compliance, Financial and Commercial Assessment Support, Bankable Feasibility Report Development, Relationship Management and Stakeholder Relations and other tasks as assigned by the line manager from time to time.

Key Responsibilities

Project Development and Technical Execution

• Provide technical inputs in the development of project development strategies to unlock infrastructure projects in South Africa, SADC and select African Countries through project preparation.
• Design projects that support the annual disbursement target and the division's strategic objectives.
• Develop detailed project development workplans and schedules covering feasibility studies, Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), technical designs, grid and geotechnical studies, and permitting processes.
• Execute projects within the scope, technical specifications, quality standards, milestones, deliverables, and resource requirements for project development activities.
• Prepare pre-feasibility and feasibility studies, including engineering designs, cost estimates, implementation models, scheduling and risk assessments.
• Draft preliminary and detailed design work, including capacity sizing, layout planning, technology selection, and constructability evaluations.
• Provide technical solutions that are aligned to appropriate technology standards, lifecycle cost considerations, operational performance requirements, and sustainability principles.
• Provide inputs into Terms of Reference (ToR) and technical procurement specifications for external consultants, engineers, and technical advisors.

Due Diligence and Regulatory Compliance

• Coordinate with relevant specialists for Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs) and associated management plans in accordance with IFC/World Bank standards, local regulatory requirements, and climate-resilient development principles.
• Engage with regulators, utilities, municipalities, and line ministries to secure required permits, licenses, environmental approvals, water use rights, grid connection approvals, etc.
• Adhere to all legislative, sector policy, and regulatory conditions that are embedded in feasibility outputs.
• Maintain a risk register covering technical, environmental, commercial and execution risks and provide risk mitigation strategies.

Financial and Commercial Assessment Support

• Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to support programme implementation, identifying funding needs for the project development.
• Provide technical inputs to prepare bankable feasibility data packs to enable financial modelling, investment appraisal, and structuring.
• Work closely with financial specialists to test project affordability, revenue models, commercial structures, and risk allocation frameworks.

Bankable Feasibility Report Development

• Consolidate all technical, environmental, social, regulatory, commercial and cost data into a bankable feasibility report suitable for due diligence, financial modelling, structuring, and investment decision-making.
• Prepare presentations and submissions for Investment Committees and transaction preparation governance structures.

Relationship Management and Stakeholder Relations

• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, global and regional private businesses, banking and multilateral partners and government officials to further develop specific investment opportunities.
• Facilitate continuous communication with clients/ projects that the DBSA has funded to adequately support the Division’s monitoring function.
• Network and maintain relationships with key internal and external stakeholders to develop specific investment opportunities further.
• Identify clients’ pain points and coordinate DBSA’s solution offerings to address them.
• Undertake other tasks as assigned by the line manager, from time to time.

Key Measurements of Outputs

• Value of bankable projects developed.
• Value and number of projects approved and committed.
• Value of infrastructure catalysed.
• Reduction in impairments through de-risking technical and commercial risk aspects of projects.
• Management of client relationships and key stakeholders.
• Quality of signed agreements/mandates.
• Clean Audit.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering and/or in the Built Environment (Civil, Construction Management or Quantity Surveying).
• Registration with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) as a professional engineer (PrEng).

Minimum Experience

• A minimum 8 years’ experience in infrastructure project development/preparation in the built environment, public sector management, advisory service or consulting experience.
• Experience in dealing with development finance institutions at the various levels of government and business.
• Demonstrated expertise in financial modelling and feasibility analysis.
• Extensive experience in structuring project finance deals.
• Successful track record in business development and stakeholder management.
• Understanding of infrastructure project development, feasibility and structuring.
• Understanding of financial modelling and project finance structuring.
• Knowledge of regulatory frameworks and industry best practices.

Desirable Requirements

• Project Management professional with one of the following qualifications: Project Management Institute (PMI), Projects in Controlled Environments (PRINCE) and South African Council for the Project and Construction Management Professions (SACPCMP).

Deadline:18th February,2026