Major civil contractor seeks Executive. Oversee large-scale NAD 500+ Million construction projects. Seeking an Entrepreneurial person who is strong with finances. Must be the type of person who likes to run an organisation in a professional way using best practices.

What the person must be able to do:

This role is in the Roads and Construction Sector. As such, the person must be able to execute all job tasks in a Civil Engineering and Roads Construction context. This is an executive management role with P&L responsibility. The person must be able to implement large-scale public works projects with values exceeding NAD 500 Million. The person must be highly entrepreneurial and also be able to understand financials and be sufficiently mature and seasoned to make financial decisions. Some financial decisions are in the range of hundreds of millions of NAD. The person must have sufficient fiduciary acumen and responsibility to make such large decisions.

  • Executive leadership to ensure that Value is added to the overall company business strategic plan
  • Oversee the implementation of Medium to Large-Scale Civil Engineering Infrastructure Construction, Rehabilitation and Maintenance Projects  of which currently the  road construction, rehabilitation and maintenance are the focus area
  • Establish a project best practices centre of excellence
  • Instil international project management best practices in the organisation
  • Ensure all projects are delivered on time, within budget, according to specification, and with acceptable profitability
  • Oversee quality of projects delivered
  • Implement marketing plans and strategies to grow projects book value
  • Ensure tenders and PPP documents are completed to maximise chances of a successful award
  • Optimise project portfolio to maximise profitability whilst minimising risk
  • Establish and Manage a network of reliable suppliers and subcontractors
  • Development and implement revenue management systems to ensure prudent financial controls
  • Compile and manage large-scale financial budgets
  • Implement strong procurement and spending controls
  • Implement procurement frameworks
  • Oversee large value contract negotiations
  • Implement and optimise IT systems for business process automation

Key Job Deliverables:

  • Successful Project Delivery
    • On Time
    • According to specification
    • Within Budget
    • Acceptable Profit Levels
    • Acceptable Risk Levels
  • Optimised and maximised order book
  • Effective risk management strategic framework
  • Effective and prudent financial controls
  • Effective and proven contractor network
  • Effective and prudent financial and capital management
  • Effective and efficient IT systems which automate manual administration
  • Strong Performance Management advocator and implementer

Background work experience

  • 10+ years experience in Civil engineering or Construction management
  • 5+ years experience in roads construction and rehabilitation
  • At least 5 years experience in Programme and Portfolio Management of Large NAD 500+ Million Projects
  • Strong preference for Project Management qualification or certification
  • At least 3 years experience in a strategic role similar to this role
  • BSc Civil Engineering
  • Strong preference for Accredited Engineering Council registration or equivalent
  • Strong preference for MBA or equivalent
  • Strong preference for formal Strategic Management qualification (Can be part of MBA)


Type of Person

Qualify In

  • Strategic long-term thinker
  • Seasoned individual with extensive “School of Hard Knocks” experience
  • Exceptional and proven business acumen and track record
  • Used to managing large complex portfolios
  • Exceptionally strong emotional intelligence and people skills
  • Empathy
  • Structured thinker
  • Systems thinker strongly advantageous
  • Effective administrator and administration manager
  • Exceptional financial acumen
  • Exceptional legal and contracts acumen
  • Wise and prudent person
  • Strong Drive – Proactive Self Starter
  • Enjoys motivating and inspiring a team to greatness
  • Relationship person
  • Customer service orientated
  • Positive ambitious person
  • Action and activity orientated
  • Entrepreneurial
  • Level headed and calm
  • Handles pressure well
  • Not afraid to take unpopular BUT business justified decisions

Qualify Out

  • Abrasive
  • Emotionally cold
  • Focuses on numbers and forgets about people
  • Introverted – Not a people person
  • Strongly risk averse
  • Wants to be spoon fed
  • Likes to sit behind a desk
  • Enjoys Admin
  • Lethargic
  • Confined to Analysis-Paralysis

Personality Profile:

  • High Driver
  • Moderate to High Expressive
  • Moderate to High Administrative
  • Moderate Analytical Advantageous
  • Balances Risk and Reward. Prudent Decision Maker

Personality Summary:

You will be highly driven, and even forceful. You will be exceptionally results orientated. You will be the type of person who does not tolerate substandard performance. You also don’t take excuses. You expect your team to perform and do what needs to be done. You are a person who will do what needs to be done to ensure results are achieved, even if the decision is unpopular. You will be highly strategic, even a bit of a futurist. You will have the ability to spot key trends and align opportunities to those trends.

You will be a people person, and will be good at motivating and inspiring a team. You will understand the subtle nuances of persuading using leadership, rather than being a dictator. You will be exceptionally good at reading people and reading body language.

You will be exceptionally strong at administration. You will have a neat desk, and a neat home. You will be highly organised and very good at ensuring effective process. You will be able to structure an organisation to work effectively without introducing senseless bureaucracy.

It will be strongly advantageous if you are also analytical. You will be very strong at analysing data to come up with appropriate courses of action. You will be comfortable using facts and financial information to make the correct decision.

Benefits of this Role:

  • Large and Challenging Portfolio
  • Opportunity to make your mark
  • Organisation has incredible growth prospects in Namibia and Pan Africa
  • Build something amazing

Reports to: CEO

Location: Windhoek, Namibia

Salary: Negotiable. Dependent on experience and proven past track record.

Type: Permanent

Start: ASAP

Reference: DT 86

Jobs like this don’t come around that often, so make sure you apply now.

Call Dave Lucas at 011 655 7391

Email: j86 @ dawningtruth.co.za  (Please email your CV before calling us.)

[Referral Program: If you refer a suitably qualified candidate for this role, and they get placed through us, we will give you a Samsung Galaxy]