Senior Technical Advisor: PYEI Interim Support

Why You

The Presidential Youth Employment Intervention (PYEI) was launched in 2020 to address South Africa’s youth unemployment crisis and support young people in moving successfully from learning to earning.

In its next phase, the PYEI will scale a focused national strategy aimed at reducing youth unemployment by 10–20% by 2030. This strategy is focused on improving the coherence and strategic alignment of South Africa’s Active Labour Market Programmes, while strengthening the design and impact of individual programmes.

GIZ supports the PYEI in implementing its strategy to expand income-generating opportunities and employment pathways for young people.

This role requires a dynamic and independent team player who enjoys designing and co-creating new interventions, building sustainable project and partner structures, engaging with multiple stakeholders and managing project and contract-related processes.

The role will support the delivery of a Presidency priority initiative and will involve high-level engagement with senior government, private-sector and development partner stakeholders.

What We Need From You

Qualifications

• A postgraduate university qualification at Master’s level in Development Studies, Economics, Education or Business.

Professional Experience

• 10 years’ relevant working experience.
• Experience and knowledge of youth employment strategies, including funding mechanisms for large-scale, systems-wide interventions.
• Knowledge and understanding of the South African skills development and post-school education and training system.
• An understanding of skills supply and demand principles.
• Familiarity with skills requirements and growth areas in the South African economy.
• Familiarity with outcomes-based funding instruments and approaches.
• Familiarity with SMME development strategies in the South African economy.
• The ability to engage in multiple stakeholder processes, especially those involving private and public sector collaboration in the skills development sector.
• Demonstrated experience in high-level stakeholder management, including engagement with the public and private sectors.
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to break complex deliverables into manageable plans with realistic tasks.
• The ability to work as part of a team and independently in a structured, methodical manner.
• Excellent writing and communication skills, with fluency in English.

The following will be advantageous:

• Knowledge of and experience with principles and standards of contracts and tenders with the public and private sector.
• Experience within the context of international development cooperation.

Other Knowledge and Competencies

• Strong interpersonal, intercultural and communication skills.
• A self-driven, quick-to-learn, flexible and highly motivated approach.
• Flexibility and mobility, including readiness to travel nationally and internationally, if required.
• Willingness to work flexible hours, if required.
• A valid driving licence.
• Relevant ICT skills, including Microsoft Office, MS Teams, Outlook and SharePoint.

What You Will Be Doing

The Senior Technical Advisor: PYEI Interim Support will lead the development, planning and implementation of the overall support intervention to the PYEI, including the performance of underlying project processes.

In this role, you will support youth employment and related enabling interventions across the PYEI focus areas, including inclusive hiring, growth sectors, sustainable self-employment, the informal economy, demand-led skilling and outcomes-based funding.

Technical Support and Stakeholder Engagement

• Lead the development, planning and implementation of overall support interventions to the PYEI.
• Establish and strengthen collaboration and communication channels with relevant stakeholders, including experts and policymakers across the different lever focus areas and the wider PYEI ecosystem.
• Lead engagement with the private sector on relevant lever-related interventions, including South African business representatives, industry associations, chambers and the German private sector.
• Initiate, develop, support and manage the implementation of the GIZ/PYEI cooperation across the respective outputs with different stakeholders, implementation partners and the private sector.
• Contribute to the technical design of measures, terms of reference and activities.
• Ensure quality implementation by external resources and service providers contracted through performance contracts or financing agreements.
• Take responsibility for the achievement of target indicators, as well as monitoring, reporting and knowledge management in line with reporting cycles.
• Oversee financial planning, reporting and adjustments where necessary, in line with GIZ standards, rules and regulations, in cooperation with the Project Manager and the Finance and Administration Officer.
• Represent the PYEI SFF project in targeted platforms, meetings and events nationally and internationally, as required.

Project Management and Coordination

• Lead and coordinate the preparation and implementation of project activities, including procurement and other activities required for the relevant output areas.
• Take the lead role in managing organisational and relevant project management matters.
• Consult regularly with the Component Manager and the officer responsible for contract management.
• Engage with PYEI counterparts on planning against budget and implementation objectives.
• Participate in formulating project action plans and help synchronise planning and budgeting across the lever implementation areas.
• Oversee the identification of needs of government institutions and other relevant stakeholders in relation to the key levers for support.
• Steer and manage the performance of contractors, external consultants, consulting firms and initiatives receiving finance or grant agreements.
• Lead site visits and delegation visits to priority implementation projects and partners, as required.
• Cooperate with other projects within GIZ and beyond to support sustainable and impact-oriented cooperation.
• Implement daily operational aspects related to the project.
• Perform other duties and tasks at the request of management.

PYEI SFF Project Activities

You will also support key activities under the PYEI SFF project, including:

• Developing and overseeing the implementation of innovative support projects to promote youth employability across the PYEI focus areas.
• Promoting multi-stakeholder networks for employment-oriented change projects within the public and private sector.
• Supporting work in growth focus areas, demand-led skilling, outcomes-based funding and SMME initiatives.
• Leading networking and cooperation activities between the post-school education and training sector and relevant employer organisations.
• Advising on the scaling up of existing transition-to-work approaches and related youth employment interventions.
• Providing advice to private-sector partners, including companies, chambers and associations in the green economy.
• Supporting capacity development to integrate the PYEI strategy for marginalised groups into the wider youth employment agenda.
• Developing the monitoring, evaluation, research and learning concept for the project.
• Leading GIZ support to develop a range of outcomes-based financing activities, in collaboration with the relevant PYEI lever lead.
• Leading the design and implementation of a cross-cutting PYEI learning series to disseminate employment-oriented results and experiences.
• Providing lead GIZ technical support on the skills sector reform agenda, including TVET and SETA reforms, as well as a review of funding mechanisms for the post-school education and training sector.

Additional Information

• The position will be based at the GIZ offices in Hatfield, Pretoria.
• The contract period for this position is until 31 May 2027, with a possible extension.
• At GIZ, you will be part of a global network and an environment characterised by diversity, respect and genuine equal opportunities. Gender equality promotion is a matter of course for GIZ.
• GIZ is a signatory of the Diversity Charter. Recognition, appreciation and inclusion of diversity are important to GIZ. All employees are valued, regardless of gender and gender identity, nationality, ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, social background, age or sexual orientation.
• GIZ would like to increase the proportion of employees with disabilities. Applications from people with disabilities are most welcome.

Application Process

To ensure your application can be considered, please include the following:

• A Cover Letter / Motivation Letter in PDF format, maximum 1 page, clearly detailing why you are the preferred candidate, the value you will bring to the work of the PYEI project, and how your experience on similar projects aligns with this role. Please quote the job title in the subject line as follows: Application for Senior Technical Advisor – Interim Support to the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention
• A detailed CV in PDF format, maximum 4 pages, indicating your nationality.
• Proof of eligibility to work in South Africa, being a copy of your South African ID.

Closing date for applications: 13 July 2026

Please note that applications submitted without a motivation letter cannot be considered.

Only shortlisted applicants who meet the above requirements will be contacted.