location

Johannesburg

ABOUT THE ROLE

Harambee is looking for a dynamic, results-oriented individual to work as a Portfolio Executive to play a crucial role in shaping Harambee interactions with government entities and policymakers. A learning mindset and an attitude to continuously learn to improve will be critical for success. This individual must have great relationship management and a clientdelighting mindset, as well as a strong delivery capability to ensure we deliver on our strategic goal as Harambee; to institutionalize our solutions to employ young people in government and increase youth access to Public Employment Programs.

• Manage and orchestrate the unlocking of all demand across National, Provincial and Local Government.
• Own the strategy, solutions design and implementation of the key relationships with government entities and partners.
• Build and manage key relationships that unlock government opportunities.
• Conceptualise and implement strategic initiatives that will embed Harambee as a preferred partner in the Public Sector.
• Support funder management and reporting on strategic Government partnerships.
• Design the data insights and impact agenda for Harambee’s role in public employment programmes.
• Programmatic oversight of partnership agreements and team managing government programmes.
• Stakeholder engagement including government, business, civil society, various intermediaries.
• Enable visibility and identify linkages across various portfolios of work, and support alignment where required (matrix management).
• People leadership.
• Financial management.
• Demand management.
• Whatever else is needed to deliver results!

ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES

Government Relations Strategy:

• Develop and execute government relations strategies aligned with Harambee goals and objectives.
• Monitor legislative and regulatory developments that could impact the organization.
• Assess the potential impact of political and policy changes on the organization and develop strategies to mitigate risks or leverage opportunities.

Lobbying and Advocacy:

• Engage with government officials, legislators, and regulatory bodies to advocate for the organization’s interests.
• Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including government agencies, industry associations, and advocacy groups.
• Prepare and deliver persuasive presentations, briefings, and testimony to support the organization’s positions.

Policy Analysis and Research:

• Analyze and evaluate proposed legislation, regulations, and government policies that can impact youth unemployment.
• Conduct research to stay informed about current political and policy trends that affect the organization.
• Provide guidance and recommendations to leadership based on policy analysis.

Compliance and Reporting:

• Ensure the organization complies with all relevant laws, regulations, and reporting requirements.
• Maintain records of lobbying activities, expenditures, and contributions in accordance with organisational standards.

Stakeholder Engagement:

• Collaborate with internal teams, executives, and subject matter experts to develop a unified government relations strategy.
• Engage with external stakeholders, including trade associations, think tanks, academics and advocacy groups, to build coalitions and alliances that support the organization’s goals.

Public Affairs and Communication:

• Develop and implement communication plans to articulate the organization’s positions and achievements to government officials, the public, and other stakeholders.

Political and Regulatory Risk Management:

Assess and manage political and regulatory risks that could impact the organization’s operations or reputation.
Develop contingency plans and strategies to address potential challenges.

Budget Management:

• Manage the budget for government relations activities, including lobbying expenses, advocacy campaigns, and external partnerships.

Reporting and Metrics:

• Track and report on the effectiveness of government relations efforts, including key performance indicators (KPIs) and outcomes.
• Provide regular updates to leadership and stakeholders on legislative and regulatory developments.

Ethical and Legal Compliance:

• Adhere to ethical standards and legal requirements governing government relations, lobbying, and campaign contributions.

Crisis Management:

• Respond to crises or emergencies that have a government relations component, working to protect the organization’s interests.

Education and Training:

• Provide education and training to internal teams on government relations issues and regulations.

Continuous Learning:

• Stay updated on best practices in government relations, compliance, and advocacy.

REQUIREMENTS

Education:

• Minimum of a bachelor’s degree in business/Commerce, Public Administration,
• International Relations or equivalent.
• Masters degree in a strategy or business discipline (Advantageous).

Experience:

• Minimum 5 – 8 years’ experience managing key and complex stakeholders with dynamic demands.
• Minimum 5 – 8 years’ experience working on the delivery of projects and/or programmes within or with the government sector.
• Minimum 3 years’ experience managing teams working on complex delivery and programmes.
• Good understanding of South Africa’s political landscape (Advantageous).
• Experience managing large cross-functional teams across geographies (Advantageous).
• Demonstrated competence and passion for empowering youth and other vulnerable persons (Advantageous).
• Communication skills in other South African languages (Advantageous).
• A moderate understanding of technology platforms (Advantageous).

COMPETENCIES

• Strong communication, relationship management and interpersonal skills.
• Conceptual and analytical problem solving.
• Results-focused mindset.
• Planning and organising skills.
• Leadership and management skills.
• Ability to work across multiple streams and projects.
• Strong process implementation skills.
• Financial and business management acumen.
• Advanced proficiency in MS Office Suite.
• Ability to create understanding of complex problems.
• You may also be required to travel nationally to client sites from time to time.
• Please note although this role is hybrid, the position is Johannesburg based and based on client engagements may require the successful individual to be in the office multiple days per week.