Vacancies at The National Student Financial Aid Scheme(NSFAS)

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Provide internal support to the Executive and stakeholders

• Provide general legal advice and guidance to the Board Members on their rights, duties, responsibilities, obligations and powers in line with Corporate Governance prescripts and good practice.
• Advise and guide the Board Executive Committee (EXCO) and management Committee (MANCO) to ensure compliance with all legislation relevant to the nature of the NSFAS operations.
• Review legal agreements and provide legal advice when required.
• Implement and maintain effective risk management and control programs.
• Conduct legal compliance regulatory risk analysis and create the compliance register.

Supervise and manage the Board and Committee activities

• Attend Board and Sub-Committee meetings.
• Maintain statutory records and registers.
• Manage all Board correspondence by collating information and writing Board reports.
• Communicate Board decisions to relevant stakeholders.
• Provide advise with regard to statutory services and requirements.

Manage Board and Executive communications and ensure implementation of unit requirements

• Draft the annual Board calendar in consultation with the Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer and ensure it is presented and approved the Board each year.
• Schedule all Board and Sub-Committee meetings based on statutory requirements as and when required.
• Schedule all Executive Board meetings monthly.
• Schedule other quarterly Board meetings as and when required by the Committee.
• Manage and oversee the calendar of Committee members.
• Link the annual Board calendar to reporting times as per PFMA, 1999 as well as to the management of other issues of a strategic nature at the Board level.
• Implement and maintain procedures where relevant.
• Develop and review of Board, Committee and secretarial policies and procedures as well as all other governance frameworks that regulate the functioning of powers of the Board, Committees and Management Committees.

Perform Board Committee and Sub-Committee administration

• Arrange for external training / briefing sessions as well as induction for new Board and Sub-Committee members.
• Draft and update Board and Sub-Committee Charters, Codes, Policies and Terms of Reference.
• Design the workplan for each Board Sub-Committee at the beginning of the year to ensure compliance with relevant statutory requirements and the terms of reference deliverables.
• Ensure the workplan is reviewed and approved by the Committee.
• Organise and prepare agendas and meeting packs.
• Ensure minutes are taken for Committee meetings.
• Ensure resolutions and actionable items are accurately recorded and followed.
• Compile meeting packs for the Board and its Sub-Committees.
• Coordinate and monitor the implementation of Board resolutions.
• Issue appointment letters to the newly appointed Board co-opted members and Board Sub-Committee members.
• Follow up on matters arising from previous meetings to ensure that they have been actioned and given feedback to the Board.
• Compile a record of Board member remuneration based on meetings attended by members, and hourly and day rates of Board members.
• Complete the individual pay form and send to the Board members for signature.
• Send the signed individual pay forms for approval and payment.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

Minimum Requirements:

• NQF Level 9 in Public Administration
• NQF Level 8 in Law, LLB or CGISA Qualification (Board level)
• Knowledge of governance, risk, and organisational performance management principles.
• Demonstrated experience supporting a Board and its committees, including policy formulation, legal compliance, and strategic governance support.
• Deep knowledge of PFMA, Treasury Regulations, King IV, and other applicable public sector governance frameworks.
• Proven success in managing organisational change, governance turnaround, and complex stakeholder environments.
• Understanding of the South African Higher Education landscape
• Working knowledge of governance, risk, and performance management principles.
• Minimum of 10 years’ experience in public or private sector governance, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership or Company Secretary role within a Schedule 3A public entity or similar institution.
• Proven experience in corporate governance advisory and support to Boards and Board Committees.
• In-depth knowledge of relevant legislative and regulatory frameworks, including the:
• Public Finance Management Act (PFMA),
• National Treasury Regulations,
• Company law
• Government prescripts, and
• King IV Code on Corporate Governance.
• Extensive knowledge of corporate law, contract law, and governance policy development.
• Experience in legal drafting, interpretation of legislation, and contract management in a public entity or regulated environment.
• Sound understanding of Company Secretarial practices and administration, including Board protocol, minute-taking, declarations, and compliance registers.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, with strong document management and reporting capability.
• Strong interpersonal skills with exceptional written and verbal communication abilities, particularly in formal, legal, and governance contexts.

Preferred:

• Admitted Attorney
• Chartered Institute of Secretaries (CIS) membership
• LLM - Corporate Law or equivalent
• Advance Computer literacy in MS Office Suite and document management systems
• Experience in a public institution, funding organisation or banking institution
• Recognised affiliations with public governance or planning bodies such as SAPI (South African Planning Institute) or SACN (South African Cities Network)
• Experience in managing digital governance tools, ethics disclosures, whistle-blower protocols, and reporting to external oversight bodies such as AGSA, National Treasury, and Parliament, will be an advantage

go to method of application »

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Policy, Systems and Procedure Implementation

• Design, lead and drive standardisation of human resources policies, systems, business processes and procedures
• Participate in the development of organisational policies
• Consider internal and external research and benchmarking
• Implementation of policies and associated business processes and procedures

Core Strategic/Operations Objectives Implementation

• Develop and drive the implementation of the HR strategies and operational plans with management and other stakeholders
• Participate in the realisation of organisational strategy, objectives and expectations towards the student centric model.
• Develop, review and drive key performance indicators (KPIs) and operational plans of the HR department
• Accountable for the development of tools and instruments to improve high-performance culture, progressive leadership and the living our values change management campaigns
• Deliver and execute the transformation agenda that promotes diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives
• Accountable for the improvement of Talent Management practices, tools and metrices along the HR value chain of centre of expertise, HR operations and Employee Relations aspect of people management
• Maintain sound Employee Relations issues with recognised unions i.e. individual and collective bargaining and conflict management
• Drive the Human Resources strategic and operational risk assessment and risk management interventions
• Lead all aspects of HR projects development, implementation life stages and service level agreements
• Ensure credibility and confidentiality along the entire Human Resources value chain

People Management & Ethical Leadership

• Ensure the attraction, selection and orientation of applicants in line with needs and EE target
• Training and workshopping direct reports on new strategic developments in the departments
• Lead departmental teams to achieve departmental objectives and expectations
• Coaching and mentoring direct reports to deliver objectives
• Effective implementation of Organisational Performance Management System in accordance with organizational policy and procedures
• Lead and manage the individual performance contracting and review process for the Organisation and the department.
• Lead and manage all disciplinary matters of the HR department related to performance and conduct issues

Stakeholder Management & Relationships

• Establish efficiency channels and databases to resolve HR related stakeholder queries and complaints in line with HR strategy
• Collaborate with departmental executives to enable the beneficiary-centric model
• Collaborate with other departments to satisfy other priority stakeholders
• Engage stakeholders on matters of interest and influence

Project Management & Leadership

• Initiate, plan and implement projects to address identified needs as per the core business strategy
• Compile project reports on completion of the project to evaluate return on investment

Budget Optimisation

• Forecast for departmental HR administration activities and projects
• Expenditure in line with HR activities and projects

Compliance Monitoring & Evaluation

• Identify key controls and establish HR risk mitigation procedures
• Assess and improve the HR audit, risk and compliance outlook
• Monitor and lead the implementational HR audit plan
• Identify trends along audit issues and mitigate

Information & Knowledge Management

• Collaborate with stakeholders to build 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

Reporting the following:

• On departmental strategic Annual Performance Plan (KPIs) progress
• On the departmental HR operational plan and status updates
• On strategic stakeholders’ issues and interventions management
• On internal and external audit and risk

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

Minimum Requirements:

• NQF Level 8 in Human Resources, Industrial Psychology or HR related qualification
• 10 years of experience in an HR
• 5 years’ experience in a HR Executive Management position
• Knowledge of Project Management Principles
• Extensive knowledge of HR systems and applications.
• Extensive change management experience.
• Extensive understanding of Payroll, Benefits, and HR administration.
• Understanding of procedures and statutory requirements applicable to section 3(A) entities.
• Extensive knowledge of governance, risk, and organisational performance management principles.
• Extensive working knowledge and experience in strategic planning and budgeting.
• Understanding of the Higher and Further Education and Training Sector in South Africa.
• Experience in working in the Employment Equity framework.
• Extensive working knowledge of all labour laws including the Labour Relations Act, Employment and Equity.
• Knowledge of the PFMA
• Extensive experience in drafting of relevant organisational policies, procedures and legislation
• Computer literacy – Intermediate MS Package Suite

go to method of application »

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Policy, Systems and Procedure Development

• Lead in the development and management of the NSFAS policies, frameworks, guidelines, and procedures
• To maintain legal language or specifications, current working knowledge of alterations in legislation and ensure that regulatory reform is appropriately escalated and managed

Core Strategic & Operational Objectives

• To lead and participate in the development of the legal unit’s strategic and operational plan.
• To lead and participate in the development of the key performance indicators (KPIs) and operational plans of the unit.
• To provide legal advice and guidance to the CEO, the Board and its committees, and executive management on a variety of legal topics.
• To partner with management to devise effective and efficient defence strategies.
• To draft, solidify and/or review agreements, contracts and other legal documents affecting and impacting the organisation.
• To guide and support internal and external legal counsels and business teams to drive operational efficiencies.
• To guide and oversee the legal compliance aspects of the PAJA, PFMA, FICA, FAIS, AML/CFT, NCA, POPIA and NSFAS Act.
• To guide the legal management of responses to the media, Parliament and other oversight bodies.
• To conduct or oversee the conducting of training and dissemination of appropriate legal and compliance requirements to staff.
• To conduct legal research on the legal aspect affecting the organisation.
• To manage the co-sourced or outsourced supply of services of the unit.
• Advise the organisation on the establishment, implementation and monitoring of compliance risks.
• Drive compliance culture and conducts compliance awareness within NSFAS.
• Lead the development and implementation of the NSFAS compliance programme.

People Management & Ethical Leadership

• Manage and/or delegate participation in the recruitment and selection of unit vacancies in line with Employment Equity targets.
• Lead and manage the unit team to achieve the set and agreed programmes.
• Direct, inspire, coach and mentor subordinates to deliver quality programmes in line with NSFAS Values.
• Lead and manage the individual performance contracting and review process for subunits.
• Lead and manage all disciplinary matters of units related to performance and conduct issues.

Stakeholder Management & Relationship

• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to meet legal and compliance-related deliverables.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to ensure that reports to DHET, National Treasury, Auditor General of South Africa (AGSA) and other external stakeholders are compiled and sent timely.

Project Management & Leadership

• Manage and supervise the projects to address identified needs per legal and compliance deliverables.
• 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

• Forecast for unit core administration activities and projects.
• Expenditure in line with core activities and projects.

Risk, Compliance Monitoring & Evaluation

• Lead and manage the plans and processes that support the implementation of identified key controls and established risk mitigation procedures.
• Conduct audits and reviews of the service unit processes and improve the outcomes.
• Lead and manage the plans and processes that support the implementation of identified key controls and established risk mitigation procedures.
• Analyse and improve the audit, risk and compliance outlook.
• Adhere to forensic methodology and processes.

Information & Knowledge Management

• Collaborate with stakeholders to build 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

• Reporting on unit strategic KPIs progress, operational plan progress, strategic legal and compliance stakeholders issues and interventions management, internal and external audit and risk exposure and business improvement opportunities.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

Minimum Requirements:

• NQF Level 8, LLB or Equivalent
• Admitted Attorney or Advocate
• Certified Compliance Professional (CCP) / Compliance Institute of SA
• 10 years’ experience in legal profession of which of which 5 Years’ experience should be in a management level
• Must demonstrate a multi-disciplinary legal experience across some or all of the following:
• Sound understanding of PAJA and its application and compliance thereto
• Consumer Credit Act
• In-depth knowledge of POPI Act, and PAI Act and related legislation
• In-depth knowledge of FAIS and FIC Compliance and its related legislation
• Contract drafting, negotiation and management
• Sound understanding of government supply chain regulations and requirements
• Legal Advisory (including Labour Law) and compliance
• Regulatory Compliance (PFMA, FICA, POPIA, FAIS, AML/CFT, King)
• Contract enforcement
• Dispute management
• Drafting of regulations
• Handling responses to the media, Parliament or other oversight-type bodies
• Litigation Management & Dispute Resolution
• Track record of having provided legal opinions
• Compliance Monitoring & Assurance Reporting
• Internal Control Frameworks
• Policy Formulation & Implementation
• Executive & Senior management Stakeholder Engagement
• Leadership, Training & Capacity Building
• Computer literacy – Intermediate MS Package Suite
• Driver’s license

Preferred:

• NQF level 10 in Law, MBA legal related qualifications
• Anti-Money Laundering Certification / FICA Compliance
• Over 12 years plus experience in a legal management role
• In-depth understanding of development finance, credit, contract and labour legislations
• In depth understanding of the King Code on Governance particularly in a public entity context
• Good network with other financial services providers and structures
• Understanding of management processes in higher education institutions
• In-depth knowledge of relevant legislation applicable to Public Entities
• Exposure to union negotiations