JOB AD | Director-general: Free State Provincial Government

The Free State Provincial Government (FSPG) is looking for a qualified candidate to fill the following position:

Director-general: FSPG

Reference: DG

Employment term: Five-year contract

Centre: Bloemfontein (Free State Office of the Premier)

Salary:

R2,259,984 (Senior Management Service/SMS Level 16) — all-inclusive remuneration package per annum PLUS a 10% non-pensionable head of department allowance. 

The remuneration package consists of a basic salary, the government’s contribution to the Government Employees Pension Fund and a flexible portion, which may be structured in terms of applicable rules and may include a 13th cheque, motor car allowance, homeowner’s allowance and medical aid assistance. 

Requirements:

• Postgraduate qualification at NQF level 8 as recognised by the South African Qualifications Authority (Saqa).
• Ten years’ senior management experience.

Knowledge:

• Knowledge of the latest advances in public management theory and practice;
• Advanced knowledge of modern systems of governance and administration;
• Knowledge of the policies of the government of the day;
• Knowledge of global, regional and social affairs impacting on the provincial government of the Free State;
• Knowledge of global, regional and local political, economic and social affairs impacting on the provincial government of the Free State;
• Knowledge of constitutional, legal and institutional arrangements governing the South African public sector;
• Knowledge of intergovernmental and international relations; and
• Knowledge of communications, media management, public relations, public participation and public education.

Skills:

• In-house advisory and consulting skills;
• Strong conceptual, interpretative and formulation skills;
• Strong leadership skills with specific reference to the ability to display thorough leadership in context;
• Team-building and strong interpersonal skills;
• Excellent communication skills;
• Outstanding planning, organising and people management skills;
• Ability to multitask, deal with ambiguity and manage under rapidly changing and pressurised circumstances;
• Persuading and influencing skills; and
• Conflict management skills. 

Duties:

• Strategic management, guidance and advice in respect of the rendering of efficient and cost-effective, transparent and responsive public administration, including:
  • Professionally supporting the executive (premier and cabinet) in respect of high-level policies, strategies and provincial strategic stakeholder engagement;
  • Ensuring the provincial executive’s policy development, strategic planning, programme and project implementation initiatives are informed by appropriate and reliable strategic management information;
  • Providing executive governance support services; and
  • Taking responsibility for intergovernmental relations, intra-government co-operation and the co-ordination of actions and legislation of departments.
• Provide strategic management for the Free State province, including:
  • Functions of, and organisational arrangements in, the public service;
  • Employment and other personnel practices, including the promotion of broad representativity and human resources management and training in the public service;
  • The salaries and other conditions of service of officers and employees;
  • Labour relations in the public service;
  • Information management and information technology in the public service;
  • Public service transformation and reform; and
  • Reporting to the premier on a regular basis on the activities of the department and on matters of substantial importance to the administration.
• Provide people management services to the department, including:
  • Participating in the recruitment of employees in the numbers and grades appropriate to ensure the achievement of the department’s Strategic Plan;
  • Motivating, training and guiding employees within the department to achieve and maintain excellence in service delivery;
  • Actively managing the performance, evaluation and rewarding of employees within the department;
  • Monitoring information capacity building within the department;
  • Ensuring involvement in the compilation of a workforce plan for the department;
  • Promoting sound labour relations within the department; and
  • Actively managing and promoting the maintenance of discipline within the department.
• Provide financial management services to the department, including:
  • Managing participation in the budgeting process at departmental level and at branch level;
  • Ensuring the preparation of the Annual and Adjustment Budgets for the department;
  • Assuming direct accountability for the efficient, economic and effective control and management of the department’s budget and expenditure;
  • Assuming direct accountability for ensuring that the correct tender and procurement procedures are adhered to in respect of purchases for the department;
  • Reporting to the premier and relevant oversight role players/committees on all aspects of the department’s finances;
  • Diligently performing all duties assigned to the post of director-general;
  • Assuming overall accountability for the management, maintenance and safekeeping of the departmental assets; and
  • Ensuring that full and proper records of the financial affairs of the department are kept in accordance with any prescribed norms and standards.

Applications:

Applications must be submitted on the prescribed Z83 form, obtainable from any public service department or online via the “Quick Links” section of the home page of the department of public service & administration (DPSA) website. The Z83 form must be completed in full and signed by the applicant. All applications must be accompanied by a comprehensive CV. 

Only shortlisted candidates will be required to submit certified copies of qualifications and other related documents. (It is the applicant’s responsibility to have foreign qualifications evaluated by Saqa.)

Applications, addressed to Mr M Silwana, office manager: office of the director-general of the Office of the Premier, Free State, must be marked for the attention of Ms Matshidiso Modisapudi.

Applications can be submitted via:

• Hand-delivery: Room 446, OR Tambo House, St Andrew Street, Bloemfontein, 9301.
• Email: matshidiso.modisapudi@fspremier.gov.za

The closing date for applications is 4pm on April 22 2025.

Enquiries: Ms Limakatso Nqoko, acting chief director: Corporate Reform of the Office of the Premier, Free State. Call 063 688 6685 or email limakatso.nqoko@fspremier.gov.za

Note:

• The FSPG is an equal opportunity affirmative action employer. It is the FSPG’s intention to promote representativity (race, gender and disability) in the province through the filling of this post and candidates whose appointment, promotion or transfer will promote representativity will receive preference. Applications from persons with disabilities are welcomed.
• Applications must be submitted on or before the closing date.
• Correspondence will be limited to shortlisted candidates only. If you have not been contacted within four months of the closing date of this advertisement, please accept that your application was unsuccessful.
• All shortlisted candidates will be subjected to personnel suitability checks.
• All shortlisted candidates for SMS posts will be subjected to a technical exercise that intends to test relevant technical elements of the job, the logistics of which will be communicated by the department.
• Nominated candidates must attend a generic managerial competency assessment (in compliance with the DPSA directive on the implementation of competency-based assessments). The competency assessment will test generic managerial competencies using the mandated DPSA SMS competency assessment tools.
• Potential applicants for posts in the SMS, as well as existing SMS members who will progress to higher levels within the SMS, are expected to successfully complete the compulsory pre-entry certificate for the Nyukela Public Service SMS programme, which took effect on April 1 2020. No applicant will be appointed in the absence of this certificate. Individual applicants are expected to pay for the course. The duration of the course is 120 hours. Visit the National School of Government’s website for full details. 
• This appointment is subject to the signing of an employment contract, not exceeding a term of five years, a security clearance of top secret, a competency assessment and an annual performance agreement. The successful candidate will be required to disclose their financial interests in accordance with the prescribed regulations.

This article was sponsored by the Free State Provincial Government.