Assistant Manager

job Description

Job description: Position Code
HRD-GL/09-034: Program
Kuyakhanya: Employment Type
Contractual (close-ended until June 30, 2026): Job Grade
Assistant Manager
Reporting To: Site Project Director
Location: Port Shepstone, South Africa

JOb Purpose
Responsible for building and maintaining high-level relationships with provincial and national stakeholders that are critical to the success and scale of IRD programmes in South Africa, including the Kuyakhanya programme. These include representatives from the Department of Basic Education (DBE), Department of Health (DoH), Department of Social Development (DSD), other government and municipal representatives, technical experts, local funders, and potential multi-sectoral collaborators. The role ensures alignment with government priorities, enables policy dialogue, and secures strategic collaboration and resource mobilization to strengthen integrated service delivery for IRD programmes in South Africa.

Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Stakeholder Engagement
-Cultivate and sustain trusted relationships with representatives of the Department of Basic Education (DBE), Department of Health (DoH), Department of Social Development (DSD), other government and municipal representatives, technical experts, local funders, and potential multi-sectoral collaborators.
Lead stakeholder mapping exercises and develop influence strategies to align programmatic goals with national and provincial development agendas.
-Represent IRD SA programmes at national policy forums, technical working groups, strategic roundtables, and intersectoral platforms to enhance visibility and engagement.

Partnership Development & Management
-Identify, assess, and engage key institutional partners including academic institutions, funders, multilateral bodies, and NGOs aligned with IRD’s vision.
-Develop and maintain formal partnership mechanisms including MoUs, partnership agreements, and joint work plans and data-sharing agreements where applicable.
-Support the formalization and operationalization of multi-sectoral partnerships across health, education, and social services.

Policy Alignment & Government Collaboration:
-Facilitate ongoing alignment of the programme’s implementation framework with relevant government policy, planning, and delivery mechanisms (e.g., for Kuyakhanya = Nurturing Care Framework, Thrive by Five Index, ECD 2030 Strategy).
-Support the integration of programmatic tools, data, and learnings into government systems and planning cycles as and when appropriate.
-Co-develop policy briefs, presentations, and knowledge products to share insights and influence decision-makers.

Program Representation & Advocacy:
-Represent the programme at high-level engagements, local donor meetings, technical convenings, and advocacy events as required.
-Support the Site Project Director in preparing for external engagements, drafting speeches, talking points, and strategic communications for key audiences.
-Build recognition of the programme as a model for community-driven, integrated service delivery across relevant stakeholders.

Monitoring, Learning, and Reporting
-Contribute to the development of stakeholder engagement plans, reflection processes, and partnership reviews.
-Provide strategic input to MEL frameworks to ensure stakeholder outcomes are tracked and reported.
-Work closely with communications and MEL teams to translate stakeholder learnings into actionable recommendations and knowledge outputs.

Qualifications and Experience

Required Qualification
-Master’s degree in public health, education, public policy, international development, or a related field.

Required Experience
-Minimum 4-5 years of relevant experience, including at least 3 years of working with national or provincial government stakeholders.
-Demonstrated experience engaging with senior-level representatives in the DBE, DoH, or similar departments.
-Strong knowledge of South Africa’s policy and institutional landscape related to early childhood development, mental health, public health, maternal and child health, and/or community systems strengthening.

Required Skills
-Strategic Relationship Builder: Skilled at establishing and maintaining senior-level partnerships across sectors.
-Policy Fluent: Deep understanding of relevant policy frameworks and government planning cycles.
-Persuasive Communicator: Able to develop compelling narratives and briefs for varied audiences.
-Collaborative Leader: Thrives in cross-functional teams and multi-stakeholder settings.
-Systems Thinker: Recognizes interdependencies between health, education, and social systems and navigates complexity with agility.
-Political Acumen: Sensitive to context, power dynamics, and institutional relationships.
-Interpersonal Excellence: Exceptional interpersonal, negotiation, and diplomacy skills, with a high degree of cultural and contextual awareness.