Executive Support Specialist CEO

The Road Accident Fund’s mission is to provide timely and equitable assistance to those affected by motor vehicle accidents through the provision of appropriate social benefits to ensure financial relief and recovery for qualifying individuals.

Purpose of the Job: The Executive Support Specialist to CEO provides strategic support to the CEO by overseeing and coordinating the execution of key strategic imperatives aimed at stabilizing and strengthening the RAF’s business environment. The incumbent serves as the CEO’s trusted advisor by de-risking high-stakes decisions to enable high-quality and timely decision-making, and ensuring that the CEO’s priorities are embedded, measured, and consistently delivered across the organization. The role enables the CEO in achieving strategic clarity, operational discipline, and the realization of envisioned operational excellence by translating strategic intent into executable plans, driving enterprise alignment, and ensuring disciplined follow through across all divisions and functions.

Minimum Job Requirements: Qualifications and Experience:

• • Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management or Administration related qualification.
  • Post graduate Business Management or Administration related qualification.
  • Master’s in business administration is highly advantageous.
  • Experience: At least 12-15 years’ relevant experience in business management /business development/executive advisory of which 7 (seven) years must have been at a general/senior/executive management level.
  • Demonstrated experience operating at senior leadership or C-suite advisory level.
  • Proven track record in strategic planning, enterprise performance analysis and organizational transformation.
  • Experience in cross-functional leadership and oversight over diverse business areas.
  • Experience in leading organizations through transitions.
  • Experience in fund or financial services management.
  • Experience in engaging Boards, Regulators, or Public-sector stakeholders
  • Public Sector experience is advantageous.

Technical and Behavioural Competencies Required:

• • Strategic Capability
  • Results Orientation
  • Business and Financial Acumen
  • Compliance and Governance
  • Leadership Agility
  • Resilience
  • Communication
  • Working with People
  • Employee Engagement
  • Ethics and Values
  • Change Management
  • Coaching and Mentoring
  • Conflict Management 
  • Critical and Innovative Thinking 
  • Direction Setting 
  • Facilitation and Presentation Skills
  • Policy Conceptualization and Formulation 
  • Programme/Project Management
  • Service Delivery Innovation
  • Stakeholder Development and Relations 
  • Reporting 
  • Advanced knowledge of Business Modeling.

Specialist knowledge in business re-engineering

• • Advanced knowledge of PFMA
  • Advanced knowledge of Treasury regulations Thorough understanding of corporate governance frameworks and guidelines
  • Understanding of the levels of government and their relationships
  • Advanced project management skills

Key Performance Areas

• • Input (methods used)
  • Output (expected results)
  • Strategic Advisory & Insight
  • High-stakes decisions de-risked through scenario analysis, due diligence, and data validation
  • Provide the CEO with expert analysis on complex organizational challenges, risks, and opportunities
  • Translate broad strategic priorities into actionable recommendations
  • Conduct market, sector, regulatory, benchmarking to inform executive decision-making • Maintain a forward-looking view on trends, regulatory developments, and business risks • Strategic advisory function effectively executed

Organizational Stabilization & Business Environment Strengthening

• • Lead and support strategic imperatives aimed at stabilizing the organization, strengthening operational discipline, and improving business resilience
  • Implementation of targeted stabilization initiatives (financial, operational, governance)
  • Strengthened systems, processes, and internal controls in priority areas
  • Documented impact of stabilization efforts through measurable indicators
  • Stabilizing and strengthening the environment

Executive Decision Support

• • Critically analyse business cases, board submissions, performance reports, and proposals, providing concise recommendations
  • Prepare executive briefing notes, position papers and board-level summaries
  • Structure strategic options, clearly articulating trade-offs, risk exposure, financial implications, and stakeholder impact
  • Ensure the CEO’s decisions are supported by robust evidence, scenario planning, and risk assessment • Executive support provided

Stakeholder Alignment and Executive Interface

• • Prepare the CEO for high-level engagements with the Board, Executive Committee, regulators, government departments (e.g., DOT), and key external stakeholders
  • Facilitate alignment between the CEO’s office and executive leadership to ensure coherence in strategic messaging and priorities
  • Representing the CEO at external forums, industry platforms, and strategic engagements where delegated
  • Maintain central coordination of strategic engagements to optimize executive impact and organisational representation
  • Act as a liaison between the CEO’s office and external stakeholders, ensuring aligned calendars and central coordination thereof
  • Stakeholder alignment achieved
  • Organizational Intelligence and Performance Insight
  • Provide the CEO with insight on team effectiveness, and cross-functional collaboration
  • Identify barriers to organizational performance and propose solutions
  • Maintain an understanding of emerging issues and cross functional alignment
  • Insight effectively provided

Strategic Projects and CEO Initiatives

• • Develop dashboards and insights for CEO/Exco review; highlight issues, trends, and opportunities
  • Lead and oversee strategic projects and alignment across divisions and departments
  • Monitor progress on strategic initiatives and escalate key issues or risks
  • Lead or co-ordinate strategic projects on behalf of the CEO
  • Support cross-functional task teams to drive enterprise-wide initiatives
  • Provide project oversight, issue resolution, and progress tracking
  • Strategic projects and initiatives effectively executed

Financial Control

Key Internal Influencers

• • Members of EXCO, Board

Key External Influencers

• • Government Departments (National and Provincial), all agencies reporting to DoT, Portfolio Committees.
  • The list of tasks/duties and responsibilities contained in this document is not necessarily exhaustive, and the employer is entitled to instruct the employee to carry out additional duties or responsibilities, which may fall reasonably within the ambit of the job profile, or in accordance with operational requirements.

The Road Accident Fund subscribes to the principles of employment equity and preference will be given to People with Disabilities.

Applicants who have not received any correspondence from us within six weeks from the closing date can consider themselves unsuccessful.

Security Vetting shall be conducted on all prospective employees.

It is the applicants’ responsibility to have foreign qualification evaluated by the South African Qualification Authority (SAQA) and to provide proof of such evaluation.