Project Development Specialist

The Project Development Specialist is responsible for providing technical support in the development of infrastructure projects from concept through feasibility by conducting research, coordinating technical studies, and ensuring required data, approvals, and documentation are prepared to enable project appraisal and further development.

**Key Responsibilities**:
Project Development and Technical Execution

- Prepare pre-feasibility and feasibility studies, including engineering designs, cost estimates, implementation models, scheduling and risk assessments.
- Develop preliminary design work, including capacity sizing, layout planning, technology selection, and constructability evaluations.
- Draft the Terms of Reference (ToR) and technical procurement specifications for external consultants, engineers, and technical advisors.
- Provide technical support in the procurement process in line with DBSA procurement governance.
- Provide technical inputs to prepare bankable feasibility data packs to enable financial modelling, investment appraisal, and structuring.
- Collect and organise documentation for regulatory, environmental, and permitting requirements.
- Track and provide updates on environmental permits, land rights, and licensing progress.

Project Research

- Conduct research to identify infrastructure development needs, policy frameworks, sector trends, and market conditions relevant to potential projects.
- Collect and analyse technical, environmental, social, financial, and regulatory information to inform early-stage project scoping and feasibility.
- Assess project alignment with national development priorities, government plans, stakeholder interests, and DBSA mandate.
- Prepare concept notes, opportunity assessments, and preliminary project profiles to support internal decision-making on whether to progress projects to the pre-feasibility stage.
- Maintain databases, sector intelligence reports, and reference benchmarks to enhance project development knowledge and inform future pipeline opportunities.
- Provide support for engagements with regulators, utilities, municipalities, and line ministries to secure required permits, licenses, environmental approvals, water use rights and grid connection approvals.

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.
- dentify 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.

**Expertise & Technical Competencies**:
Minimum Requirements

- Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering and/or in the Built Environment

Minimum Experience

- A minimum of 5 years’ experience in infrastructure project development/preparation in the built environment, public sector management, advisory service or consulting experience.
- Experience in gathering and analysing project and sector data to support feasibility and development decisions.
- Understanding of 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

- Registration with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) as a professional engineer (PrEng).

TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES

Business Acumen

- Deep understanding of commercial drivers and can make decisions based on an assessment of alternatives concerning complex business situations.
- Deep understanding of economic priorities of South Africa and Africa and how they can be implemented to meet an organisation's strategic objectives.
- Deep understanding of the need to coordinate efforts with many government entities, the private sector, community groups and individuals to ensure effective implementation of new policies and regulations.
- Takes actions to fit business strategy.
- Assesses and links short-term tasks in the context of long-term business strategies or perspectives.
- Anticipates possible responses to different initiatives.
- Understands the projected direction of the industry