Project Administrator

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is a leading scientific and technology research organisation that research, develops, localises and diffuses technologies to accelerate socio-economic prosperity in South Africa. The organisation's work contributes to industrial development and supports a capable state. The CSIR has a vacancy for a Programme Administrator in the

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is a leading scientific and technology research organisation that research, develops, localises and diffuses technologies to accelerate socio-economic prosperity in South Africa. The organisation's work contributes to industrial development and supports a capable state.

Programme Administrator : Critical Minerals Programme

Three-year contract, subject to yearly renewal

About The Job

The CSIR has a vacancy for Programme Administrator in the Mining Cluster.

The Mining cluster is seeking a Programme Administrator to join its mining cluster team, the successful incumbent will provide core operational, administrative, and financial-tracking support to the R60 Million, 3-year TIA Critical Minerals Programme Management Office (PMO). Reporting to the Programme Manager, the incumbent manages daily PMO workflows, coordinates multi-tiered governance meetings (Steering Committee, Advisory Board, and Judging Panels), compiles PFMA financial drawdown packs, tracks SMME grant records, maintains project data repositories, and serves as the primary administrative liaison for programme stakeholders. The position is based in Pretoria.

This position reports to Programme Manager: Critical Minerals Programme.

For more info about the cluster, please visit https://www.csir.co.za/future-production-mining.

Key Responsibilities

Multi-tier governance & secretariat administration

• Schedule and coordinate meetings for the Steering Committee, Advisory Board, Technical Teams, and SMME Judging Panels;
• Compile and distribute meeting packs, agendas, and technical presentation decks at least 5 business days prior to meetings;
• Accurately record and distribute minutes, decision registers, and action tracking logs within 5 business days of meetings.

Financial Tracking

• Assist the Programme Manager with tracking monthly budget and expenses against approved budget line items under PFMA rules.
• Collate verified timesheets, expense receipts, vendor invoices, and milestone/progress reports.
• Track invoice routing through CSIR finance systems to ensure vendor and SMME payments are disbursed within agreed turnaround times.

Document Control & Digital Platform Maintenance

• Establish, organise, and maintain secure digital document repositories (SharePoint Portal) for all technical, administrative and governance files;
• Support the population and regular updating of data inputs for the Live Stakeholder Reporting Dashboard;
• Maintain up-to-date registries of signed Master Collaboration Agreements (MCAs), non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), and SMME grant contracts.

SMME Competition & Event Logistics Management

• Provide administrative coordination for CAMP events: stakeholder engagements, SMME open calls, hackathons, pitch days, and demo days;
• Manage application intake, assist with the redacting/anonymising of proposal submissions for the competition's double-blind review protocol, and maintain applicant logs;
• Coordinate venue bookings, catering, travel, accommodation, and logistics for national events and stakeholder workshops.

Stakeholder Communication & General PMO Support

• Act as the primary administrative helpdesk for programme inquiries from government, mining houses, universities, and SMME applicants.
• Screen, log, and route project queries to the Programme Manager or BD Practitioner, following up through to full resolution.
• Perform general office administration, travel bookings, stationery procurement, and asset management for PMO personnel.

Qualifications, Skills And Experience

• A National Diploma (NQ