• Full Time
  • Cape Town, South Africa

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme

Organization: National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS)
Location: Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
Employment Type: Full-time
Qualification: Bachelor’s Degree (NQF Level 8)
Experience: 10 years (5 years in management)
Job Field: Project Management

NSFAS is a public entity that reports to the Department of Higher Education and Training, offering academic bursaries to South African citizens pursuing studies at any of the 26 public universities and 50 public TVET colleges across the country.

Position Overview:

The Senior Manager for Applications and Appeals Support will ensure the efficient and effective evaluation of bursary applications and related appeals. This role involves managing people, processes, budgets, projects, and technology to enhance service delivery in alignment with NSFAS funding criteria.

Key Responsibilities:

Policy, Systems & Procedure Development:

  • Review, develop, and manage NSFAS policies, guidelines, and procedures that impact the applications support unit.
  • Ensure frameworks for application and appeals evaluations are in place, ensuring data integrity and compliance.
  • Align business requirements for applications and appeals with evaluation rules and procedures.

Core Strategic Objectives Development:

  • Develop operational strategies and plans for the applications support unit.
  • Manage the budget and resources assigned to the unit to ensure exceptional student experiences.

People Management & Ethical Leadership:

  • Lead the recruitment, coaching, and performance management of unit managers, team leaders, and senior specialists.
  • Address disciplinary matters related to performance and conduct issues within the subunits.

Stakeholder Management & Relationships:

  • Collaborate with internal stakeholders to optimize evaluation processes and enhance student experience.
  • Manage external service providers related to applications systems and document management.

Project Management & Leadership:

  • Oversee projects supporting the application strategy and evaluate project performance for return on investment.
  • Ensure budget forecast and manage expenditures in alignment with applications support activities.

Risk, Compliance, Monitoring & Evaluation:

  • Maintain a risk register in collaboration with the NSFAS risk unit.
  • Monitor compliance, internal audit controls, and report on performance and compliance needs.

Information & Knowledge Management:

  • Collaborate with stakeholders to manage and analyze data from various sources to inform decisions and improve processes.

Reporting & Accountability:

  • Provide regular updates on strategic KPIs, unit operational progress, risk management, audit compliance, and student support issues.

Desired Skills and Experience:

Minimum Requirements:

  • Education: NQF Level 8 in Commercial or Management Sciences fields
  • Experience: 10 years of experience, including 5 years in management and student application support.
  • Technical Skills: Computer literacy (MS Package Suite), experience in public sector compliance, and data analysis.
  • Knowledge: Understanding of the Higher Education sector, NSFAS Act, PFMA, and NCA.
  • Other Requirements: Valid driver’s license.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • NQF Level 9 in Commercial or Management Sciences fields.

Skills and Competencies:

  • Strong Presentation and Analytical Thinking skills.
  • Excellent Problem-Solving, Decision-Making, and Negotiation skills.
  • Proficiency in People Management and collaboration with both internal and external stakeholders.

This role offers a dynamic opportunity for a skilled leader to manage and improve NSFAS’s student funding evaluation processes.

Cape Town
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