Impact Area Manager: Functional Building Infrastructure | Remuneration: Market Related. Availability: Immediately | Permanent Employment

Our client is a leading scientific and technology research organization that researches, develops, localizes, and diffuses technologies to accelerate socio-economic prosperity in South Africa.

About the job:
Our client has a vacancy for an Impact Area Manager in the Functional Building Infrastructure
impact area, within the Smart Places cluster. The purpose of the job is to drive strategic impact
within the industry and/or service areas. The incumbent will be responsible for leading Research,
Development and Innovation (RD&I), service delivery and industry programs, as well as drive the
business development of the Impact Area in collaboration with the Business Development and
Commercialization portfolios. This position is based in Pretoria.

Key responsibilities:
? Contribute to strategic investment goal setting and development of an RD&I strategy;
? Provide and coordinate the strategic leadership within the Impact Area;
? Develop and implement a research, development, and innovation (RD&I) strategy for the
impact area;
? Develop, provide and motivate capacity to deliver on the cluster’s strategy;
? Develop and implement a business plan for operations, sustainable growth, impact and
robustness of area;
? Deliver on all Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) of the area and ensure that all outputs are
achieved, including transformation, profit and loss, quality, health, safety, and environment
as per agreed targets;
? In collaboration with the business development and commercialization portfolio:
o Drive the transfer of technology and solutions to industry/user environment;
o Package technologies for commercialization and/or develop an investment-ready
business through financial modeling, market, assessment and business plan
development;
? Establish and service strategic alliances according to RD&I strategy;
? Ensure high-quality SET expertise and the development of appropriate SET capacity and
capabilities,
? Ensure staff development, strategic HCD to advance individual staff through their research
careers, ensuring alignment with the industrial development focus;
? Ensure that research groups remain industry and stakeholder relevant to national and
international standing;
? Ensure the financial sustainability of the impact area;
SS-F-HR-363 REV07 Advert template Impact Area Manager
? Implement and comply with appropriate financial and business systems requirements,
including operational approvals;
? Promote a culture of science, engineering, and technology (SET) excellence and provide
RD&I leadership in multiple disciplines;
? Assume leadership in the provision of technical solutions to client’s needs;
? Engage with clients and industry partners to develop long-term relationships.

Qualifications, skills, and experience:
? A Doctoral degree in architectural engineering, material science or related field with at least
eight years’ experience in strategic leadership and/or business management at a senior
the level within the RDI sector;
? Minimum of eight years’ experience in the relevant RDI domain;
? Solid track record of:
o Engaging with the target sector on a strategic level;
o Sound experience in managing a team of multi-disciplinary professions;
o Broad understanding of relevant technologies and their potential impact on
competitiveness;
o SET capability building track record (HCD, R&D rigor and R&D infrastructure);
? Ability to understand, integrate, and provide technical leadership across all domains of the
impact area;
? Ability to provide thought leadership and high-level conceptualization;
? Excellent people management skills;
? Insight in science, engineering and technology of the impact area to provide guidance on
RD&I direction;
? Business development and financial acumen;
? Excellent communication and presentation skills;
? Conflict management skills;
? Decisiveness and action orientation;
? Project and programme management skills;
? Strategic leadership and complexity management;
? An understanding and knowledge of the research to market ‘innovation’ value chain.

PLEASE NOTE THAT FEEDBACK WILL BE GIVEN TO SHORTLISTED CANDIDATES ONLY.