SCIENTIST MANAGER (GRADE A – B) REF NO: 3/2/1/2022/646 
Directorate: Plant Health
SALARY : R912 048 – R1 704 492 per annum, (Salary will be in accordance with the OSD requirements)
CENTRE : Gauteng (Pretoria)

REQUIREMENTS : Applicants must be in possession of a Grade 12 Certificate and a Master of Science (MSc) or relevant qualification in Plant Pathology, Nematology, Entomology. (NQF Level 9). A valid driver’s licence. Compulsory registration with the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP) as a Professional Natural Scientist (submit proof of registration of application for registration if shortlisted). Minimum of 6 years post qualification natural scientific experience. Job related knowledge: International agreements, conventions and bilateral agreements. National and International trade. Pest Risk Analysis. Plant pest surveillance and response. Pest eradication and control. Relevant phytosanitary legislation and regulations. Related legislation (interpretation, drafting). Departmental and Directorate Organisational structure and functions. Insight of relevant technical field of application. Scientific methodology. Departmental initiatives. Export programs standards and requirements. Import requirements and programs. Work related policies and procedures. Financial legislation, policies and procedures and other legal compliance. Provisioning Administrative System, policies and procedures. Personnel management. Disciplinary code. Personnel evaluation system. Problem solving techniques. Effective communication. Meeting procedures. Negotiating principles. Computer knowledge (use of software) and scientific applications. Auditing procedures. Relevant industries structures. Programme and project management. Research and development. Technical report writing. Creating high performance culture. Professional judgement. Data analysis. Policy development analysis. Scientific presentation. Mentoring. Job related skills: Strategic capability and leadership skills, Decision making skills, Team leadership skills, Creativity skills, Financial management skills, Customer focus and responsiveness skills, Communication skills (verbal and written), Computer literacy, Networking skills, Planning, organising and execution skills, Conflict management skills. People management skills, Change management skills, Problem solving analysis skills, Ability to communicate well and interact with people at different levels. Planning skills, Management and organising skills, Creativity skills, Interpersonal skills, Problem solving skills, Interpretation skills, Analytical skills, listening skills, Report writing. The ability to drive. Willingness to travel and work irregular hours.

DUTIES : Ensure the development and implementation of policies, systems and procedures. Develop and maintain Early Warning System (EWS), scientific standards and standard operating procedures (SOPS), service levels according to organizational objectives. Conduct policy audits to monitor and ensure pest management is in compliance with national and international plant health measures and standards and organizational goals. Visit Inspection Services (IS) Inspectors and other role players to audit running surveillance and pest control actions to ensure or amend viability. Update protocols and plans against newest available information. Ensure the development of training material (presentations / manuals) with regard to the execution of early warning systems for specific pests. Facilitation of innovative proposals in relation to EWS. Review and recommend or approve specific scientific projects for the division. Provide strategic leadership and direction. Align projects to organizational strategies. Provide support and advice to industry and stakeholders. Develop and maintain relationships and collaborations. Coordinate early warning systems operational procedures and actions through colleagues of the Directorate: Inspection Services (DIS), Directorate: Food Import and Export Standards (DFIES) and other role players. Arrange, chair and attend pest specific or commodity specific steering committees, workshops and meetings with current and future role players to enhance role player participation and pest awareness of current projects. Review scientific documents. Lead, coordinate and develop scientific models and regulatory frameworks. Manage and ensure that pest-initiated pant health risk assessments (PRA), surveillance and pest control are conducted, on international accepted standards. Coordinate PRA processes and priorities. Evaluate draft pest import conditions and work programs. Evaluate and / or audit import regulatory systems. Provide regulatory advice and inputs to draft legislation pertaining to plant health and biosecurity. Drafting of pest survey protocols, contingency plans and eradication programs to establish early warning systems for identified pests including the management and maintenance of established early warning systems regarding plant health biosecurity. Provide and customize effective scientific early warning system models to prevent and respond to the incursions of exotic pests. Establish and maintain the drafting of early warning system policies, through pest survey protocols, contingency plans and eradication programs for specific pests on a scientific and international accepted level. Evaluate surveillance programs results and ratify, monitor and disseminate data. Ensure the design the scientific methodology. Research and development. Ensure the development of publishable scientific documents according to the relevant SOPS regarding, PRAs surveillance and eradication actions, results and way forward. Publish PRAs, survey results and control actions. Maintain information regarding early warning systems in an information data base. To transfer relevant data to a national database, evaluate and improve on the data base. Financial management. Allocate, monitor, control expenditure according to the budget to ensure efficient cash flow management. Manage the commercial value add at the discipline related programmes and projects. Asset management. People management. Manage the development, motivation and utilization of human resources for the discipline to ensure competent knowledge base for the continued success of scientific services according to organisational needs and requirements. Manage staff key performance areas by setting and monitoring performance standards and taking actions to correct deviations to achieve departmental objectives. Governance. Allocate, control, monitor and report on all resources. Compile risk logs and manages significant risk according to sound risk management practice and organizational requirements. Manage and implement knowledge sharing initiatives in support of individual development objectives. Continuously monitor the exchange and protection of information between operations and individuals to ensure effective knowledge management according to departmental objectives. Facilitate and liaise with structures / stakeholders on scientific matters.

ENQUIRIES : Mr JH Venter Tel No: (012) 319 6384
APPLICATIONS : Applications can be submitted by post to: Private Bag X833, Pretoria, 0001 or hand delivered during office hours to: 184 Jeff Masemola Street (formerly known as Jacob Mare), corner of Jeff Masemola and Paul Kruger Streets, Pretoria or to Agriculture Place, 20 Steve Biko (formerly Beatrix) Street, Arcadia, Pretoria, 0001.

NOTE : Coloured, Indian, and White Males and Coloured, Indian and White Females and Persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

CLOSING DATE : 25 November 2022 at 16:00

NOTE : The application must include only completed and signed new Z83 Form, obtainable from any Public Service Department or on the DPSA web site link: https://www.dpsa.gov.za/newsroom/psvc/ and a detailed Curriculum Vitae. Certified copies of Identity Document, Grade 12 Certificate and the highest required qualifications as well as a driver’s licence where necessary, will only be submitted by shortlisted candidates to Human Resources on or before the day of the interview date. Failure to do so will result in your application being disqualified. Foreign qualifications must be accompanied by an evaluation report issued by SAQA. It is the applicant’s responsibility to have all foreign qualifications evaluated by SAQA and to provide proof of such evaluation report (only when shortlisted). The requirements for appointment at SMS level include the successful completion of the Senior Management Pre-entry Programme as endorsed by the NSG. Prior to appointment, a candidate would be required to complete the Nyukela Programme: Pre-entry Certificate to Senior Management Services as endorsed by DPSA which is an online course, endorsed by the National School of Government (NSG). The course is available at the NSG under the name Certificate for entry into the SMS and the full details can be sourced by the following link: https://www.thensg.gov.za/training-course/sms-pre-entry-programme/. No appointment will take place without the successful completion of the pre-entry certificate and submission of proof thereof. All shortlisted candidates will be subjected to a technical exercise that intends to test relevant technical elements of the job, the logistics of which will be communicated by the Department. Following the interview and technical exercise, the selection panel will recommend candidates to attend a generic managerial competency assessment in compliance with the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) Directive on the Implementation of Competency Based Assessments. The competency assessment will be testing generic managerial competencies using the mandated DPSA SMS competency assessment tools. Applications: Please ensure that you submit your application before the closing date as no late applications will be considered. If you apply for more than 1 post, please submit separate applications for each post that you apply for. Due to the large number of applications we envisage to receive, applications will not be acknowledged. Should you not be contacted within 3 months of the closing date of the advertisement, please consider your application to be unsuccessful. Should, during any stage of the recruitment process, a moratorium be placed on the filling of posts or the Department is affected by any process such as, but not limited to, restructuring or reorganisation of posts, the Department reserves the right to cancel the recruitment process and re-advertise the post at any time in the future. Important: DALRRD is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. It is our intention to promote representivity in DALRRD through the filling of posts. The Department reserves the right not to fill a position. Shortlisted candidates will be required to be available for assessments and interviews at a date and time as determined by the Department. All shortlisted candidates will be subjected to personnel suitability checks. The successful candidate will be subjected to undergo security vetting. DALRRD will conduct reference checks which may include social media profiles of the shortlisted candidates. Applicants must declare any pending criminal, disciplinary or any other allegations or investigations against them. Should this be uncovered during / after the interview took place, the application will not be considered and in the unlikely event that the person has been appointed such appointment will be terminated. The successful candidate will be appointed subject to positive results of the security clearance process. The successful candidate will be required to enter into an employment contract and sign a performance agreement with the Department. All applicants are required to declare any conflict or perceived conflict of interest, to disclose memberships of Boards and directorships that they may be associated with.