Director: Executive Support

Requirements

• NQF Level 7 in Public Administration / Public Management / Political Science / Business Administration qualifications.
• Nyukela Certificate for entry into SMS (Senior Management Service) from the National School of Government submitted prior to appointment.
• A minimum of 5 years of experience at a middle / senior managerial level in executive support / governance / administration.
• Demonstrable experience in PFMA/Treasury Regulations compliance, secretariat services, and intergovernmental coordination.
• Code 8/10.

Duties

• Coordinate and quality-assure HOD briefings, submissions, memos and related correspondences.
• Manage end-to-end meeting logistics, that is, scheduling, agenda setting, document packs, minute-taking, and resolutions tracking.
• Operate a decision-tracking system, log directives, allocate actions, monitor progress and produce weekly exception reports.
• Standardise templates and procedures for executive documents (Cabinet/MEC submissions, minutes, reports).
• Provide research and synthesis on policy, legislation and programme issues to support HOD decisions.
• Maintain secure, organised records and a central repository for executive correspondence and decisions.
• Embed PFMA, Treasury Regulations, DPSA directives, POPIA, MISS/MPSS, and applicable provincial frameworks in office processes.
• Run quarterly compliance reviews on submissions, delegations, records and decision logs, remediate gaps and report assurances.
• Coordinate responses to audit findings (GAS/AGSA), track management action plans, and verify closure evidence.
• Maintain the HOD Delegations of Authority register, ensure alignment to financial and administrative delegations.
• Identify executive office risks, keep a risk register and implement control measures including confidentiality and information security.
• Facilitate policy/procedure updates and compliance training for executive office staff and document custodians.
• Maintain an integrated HOD calendar linking strategic priorities, statutory deadlines and stakeholder engagements.
• Operate an executive workflow dashboard-incoming/outgoing items, due dates, dependencies and bottleneck alerts.
• Coordinate quarterly performance reviews with Strategy/M&E, compile executive performance packs and insights.
• Synchronise HOD directives with programme plans and operational cycles, escalate slippage and propose recovery actions.
• Implement service standards for turnaround times on submissions, queries and approvals and monitor compliance.
• Produce monthly performance and workload analytics for the Office of the HOD (volumes, turnaround, quality scores).
• Manage protocols and channels between the HOD and MEC/EXCO, Office of the Premier, Treasury, DPSA, and sector departments.
• Coordinate executive meeting packs (MEC briefings, clusters, FORUMs), ensuring completeness and strategic alignment.
• Track undertakings from intergovernmental forums, drive inter-departmental cooperation to close actions on time.
• Prepare stakeholder engagement plans, briefs, and follow-up matrices and ensure issues are resolved and feedback loops closed.
• Maintain a stakeholder risk and issues log, advise the HOD on emerging sensitivities and mitigation options.
• Produce concise, outcome- focused communiqués and post-engagement reports for executive audiences.
• Implement and monitor a secure records management system for executive documents, aligned to POPIA and MISS/MPSS.
• Establish classification, retention, and disposal schedules, audit compliance and correct deviations.
• Oversee the drafting, formatting, and clearance of executive correspondence to ensure consistency with corporate identity.
• Operate version control and approvals workflow for briefs, speeches, media responses and communiqués.
• Maintain an executive knowledge base: policies, cabinet decisions, provincial priorities, sector insights, and precedents.
• Introduce digital tools/workflows (e.g., document trackers) and train staff to improve accuracy and turnaround.
• Perform strategic and operational planning.
• Manage stakeholder relationships.
• Oversee the administrative support functions Perform people management functions.
• Perform financial management functions.
• Perform asset management functions.

How to apply

New to the Z83 form? Read the application guide.

Enquiries

Notes from the department

• Application form (Z83) should be accompanied by a recently updated CV.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be required to bring their originally certifies copies of their qualifications, ID and drivers licence.
• Failure to submit all the requested documents will result in the application not being considered.
• All shortlisted candidates for SMS posts will be subjected to a technical exercise and interview.
• Following the technical exercise and interview, a maximum of three (3) SMS candidates will undergo psychometric assessments to assess cognitive capabilities, behavioural preferences, emotional intelligence, and integrity.
• Correspondence will be limited to short-listed candidates only.
• If you have not been contacted within three (3) months after the closing date please accept that your application was unsuccessful.
• Kindly note that: successful candidates will be subjected to a security clearance in terms of a criminal record check, verifications of qualifications.
• All short-listed candidates may be subjected to a technical exercise that intends to test relevant technical elements of the job, for which the logistics will be communicated by the department.
• All shortlisted candidates, including SMS, shall undertake two pre- entry assessments.
• One must be a practical exercise, and the other must be an Integrity (Ethical Conduct) Assessment.
• Selection panels shall score both technical exercises as an additional criterion in the interview process.