Fresh Jobs at Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)

About the job:

• The CSIR has a vacancy for a Financial Manager: Statutory Compliance and Risk Management. The successful incumbent will effectively lead and direct CSIR financial governance, compliance and risk management initiatives, including, audit management, financial risk management, financial policies, financial legislative compliance. 
• The incumbent will be overall accountable for the achievement of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and the leadership and development of the CSIR Statutory Compliance and Risk Management team. This position is based in Pretoria.

Key responsibilities:

Finance Strategy:

• Develop a targeted CSIR finance strategy and operational plan to enable CSIR strategy.
• Lead and direct CSIR financial planning to achieve financial targets within the required timeframes, including setting financial KPIs, overseeing the annual internal and MTEF budget process, providing financial input into the CSIR Shareholders Compact, updating financial forecasts throughout the year.
• Provide expert advice on financial governance, risk and compliance to support strategic decision making.
• Lead and manage CSIR financial governance risk and compliance initiatives.
• Represent the Finance portfolio at CSIR Exco and Opco meetings and present financial governance, risk and compliance matters.
• Ensure shared financial governance, risk and compliance knowledge across the CSIR by providing direction on the training requirements and training material for financial and non-financial staff on relevant policies, procedures, business applications and business processes.
• Review and improve business processes to improve the internal control environment and communicate changes to assist the organisation with continued compliance of policies, procedures and legislation.
• Expert advisor on National Treasury, PFMA, International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and other applicable financial legislation

CSIR financial reporting and analysis:

• Accurate and timely preparation of annual CSIR audited financial statements.
• Distribution of annual audited annual CSIR financial statements to relevant stakeholders, within required timeframes

Governance, risk and compliance:

• Regularly review PFMA / National Treasury instructions and amendments and changes to the reporting framework and other applicable financial legislation
• Advise CSIR leadership and management of changes to legislative requirements that will have an operational impact on the business environment in the short and long term.
• Keep abreast with changes to the relevant accounting framework and standards and reporting requirements by stakeholders, liaise with the external auditors or experts, advise management of the possible impact on systems, processes, CSIR policies and the annual financial statements disclosure as a result of these changes and assist with implementation process to ensure reporting is aligned and complies.
• Co-ordinates the implementation of relevant CSIR financial policies, procedures, and guidelines to ensure financial compliance and good governance.
• Regularly review and recommend appropriate financial policy amendments to ensure relevance based on legislative changes or operational requirements to CSIR leadership.
• Support the Group Manager: Finance to develop and maintain an effective and efficient financial internal control environment to ensure accurate and reliable financial information and high governance standards in line with legislation and CSIR policies.
• Ensure that the financial reporting framework is adhered to.
• Co-ordinate identification and communication of financial risks and mitigating controls for input into the CSIR organisational risk register.
• Co-ordinate implementation of improved procedures, processes, and guideline to mitigate the financial risks and ensure good governance and financial compliance.
• Ensure the induction and training of CSIR staff on governance, policies, business processes and financial systems.
• Prepare and request resolutions to be approved by the Accounting Authority (CSIR Board) or CSIR Executive.

Strategic stakeholder management and reporting:

• Build trusted relationships with internal and external strategic stakeholders, such as National Treasury, DST, SARS, investment banks, auditors, technical experts, through active engagement and continuous communication to ensure a common understanding of requirements, deadlines and timely resolution of any issues that could impact negatively on compliance to statutory or other requirements and to represent the CSIR at stakeholder forums / planning committees, etc. relevant to financial governance, risk and compliance matters.
• Key contact person for strategic stakeholders for any requests or matters of concern.
• Assist and advise internal and external to ensure an understanding of the business environment, legal framework, business processes and solutions and the impact of changes to legislation on the organisation’s finance function.
• Department of Science and Innovation (DSI): timely submission of annual and quarterly performance, PFMA and other ad hoc reporting required.
• National Treasury (NT): timely submission of annual ENE/MTEF budget reports, provide financial input into shareholders compact, and other ad hoc reporting required.
• South African Revenue Services (SARS): timely submission of applicable statutory returns.
• Subsidiaries, Joint ventures, and Associates of the CSIR: oversight on legislative requirements with regards to CSIR Group structure and oversight of the preparation of annual statements for all subsidiaries.

Financial Management and Administration:

• Financial management.
• Request and obtain inputs from the unit Financial Managers to prepare and submit the monthly VAT returns for the CSIR to SARS in accordance with the statutory deadline.
• Obtain inputs and documentation and prepare and submit information for SARS VAT reviews and liaise with SARS on any queries. Identify and inform management of any risks identified during this process and provide recommendations on actions to mitigate the risk.
• Manage the department budget to ensure planned activities are incurred within budget.
• Finance service support
• Support divisional finance managers and management teams to expedite and resolve financial queries from internal and external stakeholders effectively and in a customer-oriented manner.
• Responsible to deliver all financial Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), within the Statutory Compliance and Rosk Management portfolio.
• Develop and implement relevant KRAs and KPIs within the Finance department to drive delivery of agreed service levels and the achieve the finance strategy.

Oversight of CSIR/ Auditor General Audits:

• Plan and manage an efficient annual audit process with the Auditor General (AG)/Internal Auditors
• Prepare and assist, by providing system and process descriptions and other information requirements, on internal audit requests/reports and annual/specific external audits to comply with the stated objectives of the audit and financial requirements and to assist the auditors in meeting the set deadlines. Where areas of weaknesses are reported, review, provide management comment and implement corrective action as agreed.
• Lead the implementation of corrective action from internal and external audit findings to improve control environment.
• Embed the CSIR vision, mission and values within the Finance team

Culture, leadership and people management:

• Guide and assist HRM’s on cross-cutting matters impacting their area of responsibility (risk and compliance, etc.).
• Create a culture of customer service and continuous improvement.

Qualifications, skills and experience:

• A Chartered Accountant CA (SA) with at least ten years’ experience of which five years’ must be in Public Entities or State-owned Enterprises. This includes:
• A combination of Private and Public sector experience.
• In depth knowledge and working experience of reporting in accordance with IFRS
• Financial reporting in accordance with legislative requirements in a state-owned enterprise will be beneficial.
• Working experience with VAT legislation
• Working experience on a financial ERP solution
• Dealing with various internal and external stakeholders such as auditors, bankers, etc.
• Sound understanding of financial legislation applicable to state owned entities;
• Working knowledge of financial business systems, trends and integration point.

What’s in it for you?

The CSIR offers:

• Flexible hybrid work arrangement.
• 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: 29 October 2025

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About the job:

• The CSIR has a vacancy for an Executive Manager in the Next Generation Enterprises and Institutions Cluster within the Smart Society Division.
• The incumbent will be responsible for the provision of strategic leadership to the cluster, including strategy development and implementation, capacity development, business development and financial sustainability, performance management, operations management, stakeholder relationship management and governance.
• This position is based in Pretoria and will report to the  Divisional Group Executive: Smart Society.

Key responsibilities:

• Lead and provide strategic direction to the cluster;
• Lead the research, development, localisation, and commercialisation of technologies and knowledge solutions from a sound scientific and technological base;
• Drive alignment of the cluster strategy with the trends, needs and opportunities of the relevant public and private sectors, including ICT, financial services, resource industries, health, government departments, telecommunications, etc.;
• Utilise market insights to inform scientific and technological development, and take products and innovations to the market;
• Drive strategic investment of parliamentary grant to leverage further income from strategic partners;
• Implement strategies that will enable the development and deployment of 4IR technologies and other ICT innovations including, but not limited to, AI, IoT, DLT, LLM, XR, etc
• Lead the management of high-end cyberinfrastructure systems including SANReN, CHPC, DIRISA
• Ensure that cluster operations are managed effectively, and that there is timely and accurate reporting;
• Maintain a balanced portfolio of research, development and commercialisation per divisional priorities and organisational vision;
• Drive collaboration with partners in the national system of innovation, and leading relevant strategic partners globally;
• Account for the financially sustainability, profit and loss of the cluster;
• Ensure cluster compliance with all organisational policies and relevant legislation;
• Accountable for people development, succession planning and transformation;
• Foster a culture of collaboration within and between divisions;
• Account for cluster quality, health, safety and impact.
• Act as a role model, embrace and live the CSIR values

Qualifications, skills and experience:

• A Master’s degree in Electrical/Electronics/Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or relevant fields with at least ten years’ experience in RDI.
• A Doctoral degree in the relevant fields would be advantageous.
• A proven track record of technology commercialisation and senior leadership in a research and technology organisation (RTO).
• Proven track record of securing financially large R&D contracts
• Business Management and Leadership Training/Certification would be advantageous.
• Experience of strong people management and organisational development skills;
• Evidence of high level stakeholder management, in the relevant sectors.
• Excellent communicator with strong presentation skills;
• Leadership of diverse RD&I teams;
• Strategy development and implementation;
• Ability to understand, integrate, and provide technical leadership across many domains;
• Ability to provide thought leadership and high level conceptualisation;
• Ability to work independently as well as in teams;
• Human Capital Development implementation and capacity development;
• Business development and financial acumen;
• Project and programme management skills;
• Conflict management skills;
• An understanding of the research to market ‘innovation’ value chain;
• Organisational knowledge and awareness.

What’s in it for you?

The CSIR offers:

• Flexible hybrid work arrangement;
• 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:  6 November 2025

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About the job:

• The CSIR has a vacancy for a Business Development Manager within the Smart Places Cluster of the Smart Society Division. The incumbent will be accountable for securing the total revenue, diversification of income streams, and for meeting targets per revenue stream for the cluster.
• He/she will be accountable for clearly defining business development and commercialisation priorities in alignment with the CSIR vision, strategy and relevant market needs, collecting market and business intelligence to ensure all cluster programmes and projects are relevant to the user environment, and for transferring CSIR technologies to the market.
• This position is based in Pretoria.

Key responsibilities:

• In collaboration with the Business Development & Commercialisation Divisional Executive, lead the business development strategy for the Smart Places cluster.
• Be accountable for securing the revenue targets and diversification of income streams of the cluster.
• Facilitate strategic investment of parliamentary grant to leverage further income from industry and other funding sources.
• Be accountable for a robust, balanced pipeline of business leads per cluster targets.
• Be accountable for market/business intelligence to inform the cluster’s RDI agenda, facilitate development of technologies for current and future competitiveness and ensure collaboration with industry and relevant parties locally and internationally.
• Lead and maintain in-depth stakeholder engagement in industry and the public sector at large.
• Lead technical teams in client interactions.
• Be accountable for all key client relationships, represent client interests and be responsible for client satisfaction.
• Write business plans, develop financial models and undertake techno-economics feasibility studies for related projects
• Provide intelligence on emerging trends and funding mechanisms/ vehicle for engineering and science research
• Lead development of strategic and investments, and resources mobilisation for commercialisation of research outputs.

Qualifications, skills and experience:

• A degree in engineering, science or business in a relevant domain with at least five years’ business development experience in industry, research, development innovation (RDI) or leading research and technology organisations (RTO).
• MBA or post graduate degree in Engineering, Science  or Commerce is an added advantage.
• Experience in any of the following domains is desired: Engineering, Infrastructure, Urban & Regional Planning, Environmental Sciences & Ecosystems, Climate Change, Sustainability, Energy Management, or Water Management.
• In-depth understanding and/ or experience in engineering or science sector will be an added advantage.
• Previous experience from Development Finance Institutions (DFIs), Private Equity Firms, Venture Capital, will be an added advantage
• Relevant industry experience, demonstrated experience of people management, project management and organisational development, will be an added advantage.
• Proven track record of securing funding from different streams viz. international funding bodies, private sector, government, etc.
• Excellent communicator with strong business acumen.
• Evidence of high-level stakeholder management and industry-related, government and/or international networks.
• Excellent communicator with strong, demonstrable business acumen; and
• Demonstrated experience of strong people management and organisational development skills.

Closing date: 31 October 2025