Job Description

The Principal Deal Originator is responsible for formulating and executing the strategic objectives of the business in collaboration with the Head Coverage, whilst being accountable for deal origination, building and owning client and partnerships and developing projects for the DBSA, ultimately leading to bankable deals.

Key Responsibilities

KEY PERFORMANCE AREAS

1. Deal Origination


Lead the development and execution of origination strategies and sector initiatives to drive infrastructure investment. Identify, prioritise, and manage key client relationships to maximize revenue and strategic impact. Build and maintain a robust pipeline of high-quality investment opportunities through proactive business development and deep sector expertise. Collaborate with project preparation and transaction teams to ensure successful deal structuring and closure. Navigate and resolve partnership challenges, staying informed on market products and competitor offerings. Leverage political, sectoral, and regional insights to inform strategies and broaden business opportunities. Foster strong networks with internal and external stakeholders to position the bank as a leader in infrastructure finance. Lead competitor and market analysis to inform strategic decision-making and maintain competitive advantage. Drive new business development, including fee-generating projects, ensuring consistent deal flow and bankability. Provide leadership, mentorship, and expert guidance to junior team members and represent deals at executive committees and boards. Prepare and provide documentation/reports for EXCO and Board(s) decision-making where applicable. Present at deal Committees where applicable, as and when required.

2. Business Development


Drive business development to establish DBSA as the preferred lender, investor, and partner. Lead the drafting, approval and execution of strategies to build a strong pipeline of projects. Identify and originate viable projects by facilitating preparation, scoping, feasibility studies, and business plans to close deals. Develop approaches to secure concessional funding for infrastructure projects across Africa. Expand client base in target countries, fostering long-term relationships. Design and implement targeted marketing strategies to capitalise on growth opportunities for DBSA.

3. Relationship Management and Stakeholder Relations


Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, global and regional private businesses, banking and multilateral partners and government officials to further develop specific investment opportunities. Facilitate continuous communication with clients/ projects that the DBSA has funded to adequately support the Division's monitoring function. Network and maintain relationships with key internal and external stakeholders to develop specific investment opportunities further. Identify clients' pain points and coordinate DBSA's solution offerings to address them Undertake other tasks as assigned by the line manager, from time to time.

Key Measurements of Outputs



Value and number of new business deals originated

Value and number of project approvals, commitments, and disbursements.

Value of infrastructure catalysed.

Value of projects prepared and committed for DBSA approval.

Value of funds under management secured (Infrastructure Delivery business).

Quality of investment book (e.g., NPL ratio).

Number of transactions that are committed for DBSA funding to black-owned entities (50% shareholding and above).

Number of jobs created or "to be created" by projects - Direct and Indirect jobs.

Quality of signed agreements/mandates.

Clean Audit.

KEY INTERNAL LIAISON RELATIONSHIPS (The list is not exhaustive)

Divisional Executives and Unit Heads

DBSA Committees, e.g., Deal screen, Investment Committees, Asset/Liability Committee

Origination, Transacting, IDD, Project Preparation, Risk, Treasury & Finance

KEY EXTERNAL LIAISON RELATIONSHIPS (The list is not exhaustive)

National Government

Provincial Government

Local Government

Knowledge partners - Universities, think tanks, local/international organisations

Investment partners - commercial, DFIs

SMMEs

Sovereigns

Service providers - e.g. EPCs, advisors, O&Ms

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

Minimum Requirements:



A postgraduate qualification or equivalent in Business (such as an MBA) or Finance (CA or CFA), or Engineering, or Economics.

A minimum of 10 years of experience in infrastructure project financing, structured finance or corporate lending, preferably in a development bank, commercial bank or financial institution focusing on infrastructure.

Experience in securing infrastructure investment deals in relevant sectors/geographies in SA and/or Africa.

Experience in leading, initiating and developing new business strategies and opportunities to create a pipeline of development impact projects, ensuring deal flow and bankability.

Proven track record in originating, structuring and closing large-scale infrastructure deals.

Experience in securing deals of appropriate size for the sectors and geographies in question.

Strong networks and relations with clients, global and regional private investors and banks to identify and source viable projects/investments.

Successful track record in leading project teams with high-level stakeholders and qualified professionals.

Comprehensive knowledge of the complex financial and regulatory environments across Africa.

In-depth knowledge and understanding of the infrastructure market, financial markets and the macro landscape.

Demonstrable experience in identifying client challenges and playing an active part in developing/structuring innovative solutions.

Experienced communicator and negotiator (expertise at senior level).

Strong negotiation skills with the ability to close deals.

Proven experience in working with senior stakeholders in highly political environments in South Africa and the rest of Africa.

Expertise & Technical Competencies

TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES

a) Business Development


Takes overall lead for proactive business development at the national and international level. Initiates, reviews, and interprets competitor environment reviews and takes actions accordingly. Formulates and modifies market approaches based on competitor analyses. Leads the formulation, development and implementation of the business development strategy to generate new business opportunities in public and private sector delivery of infrastructure. Identifies and develops new markets, products and clients. Leads the participation and presentation of an organisation at investment conferences and roundtable discussions. Coordinates business activities to ensure that investment initiatives are in support of government BEE strategies, broader national and regional economic development strategies. Promote compliance and alignment with the strategic imperatives of both individual clients and the organisation of investment and development interventions. Builds capacity to coordinate, control and manage the activities and efforts required for the implementation of the plan. Builds capacity to conduct project origination exercises.

b) Business Acumen


Deep understanding of commercial drivers and can make decisions based on an assessment of alternatives concerning complex business situations. Deep understanding of economic priorities of South Africa and Africa and how they can be implemented to meet an organisation's strategic objectives. Deep understanding of the need to coordinate efforts with many government entities, the private sector, community groups and individuals to ensure effective implementation of new policies and regulations. Takes actions to fit business strategy. Assesses and links short-term tasks in the context of long-term business strategies or perspectives. Reviews own actions against the organisation's strategic plan; includes the big picture when considering possible opportunities or projects, or thinks about long-term applications of current activities. Anticipates possible responses to different initiatives. Understands the projected direction of the industry and how changes might impact the organisation.

c) Deal Origination


Utilises extensive networks with developers, sponsors and consultants in DBSA-mandated sectors to identify project preparation opportunities. Conducts project identification, conceptualisation and preliminary structuring of projects and value preposition for DBSA. Applies analytical skills to understand the technical, environmental, institutional, financial and legal components of projects to present a structure to prepare the project. Understands the regulatory and policy environments and offers advice in preparing/structuring projects. Conducts market research, business analysis and profiling to identify opportunities for infrastructure development in SA, SADC and selected African countries. Provides and grows the opportunity for DBSA equity investments. Independently structures and negotiates, and concludes engagement letters, term sheets and facility agreements.

d) Project Management


Defines, plans, and manages large and/or strategic projects, including those with a high degree of technical complexity, with impacts across the organisation and/or with national implications. Assembles and leads diverse and multi-disciplinary teams, ensuring maximum effective resource utilisation. Successfully manages substantial project budgets and reports directly to senior managers on the progress and results of projects. Identifies complex issues that need escalation and proposes appropriate corrective actions.

e) Solution Focus


Identifies broad, highly complex problems based on a multitude of factors, many of which are complex and sweeping in nature, difficult to define and often contradictory. Creates procedures to articulate the nature of problems and to identify and weigh alternate solutions. Evaluates the effectiveness of solutions using approaches tailored to the situation.

f) Financial Analysis


Serves as subject matter expert. Evaluates and determines fiscal, operational, and service impacts; analyses and evaluates legislation; and implements and evaluates statistical models in their subject areas. Demonstrates in-depth technical and administrative knowledge of the rules and regulations in the subject area and to defend analyses, testimony, and recommendations relating to a variety of issues before management and commissions.

g) Risk Management


Drives integration and standardisation of risk management processes across the organisation. Advises on the application of the organisation's risk management policies, industry best practices and constructs organisation guidelines. Analyses trends in risk management and internal control, evaluates implications, defines, and implements organisation-wide response.

h) Attention to detail


Quickly identifies relevant and irrelevant information to support accurate decision making. Maps out all the logistics and details of a situation to ensure smooth and flawless implementation. Consistently identifies all relevant details that are not obvious in complex situations. Requires the highest standards for accuracy and quality for their work. Establishes processes to ensure accuracy and quality of services delivered by the team.

i) Negotiation


Has an appreciation of cultural sensitivities and differences. Effectively employs a variety of advanced behavioural/interpersonal competencies to control the negotiation situation. Can take the lead in a variety of sensitive negotiation situations requiring high levels of tact and diplomacy. Can place a discrete negotiation situation within the context of a broader long-term relationship and is not threatened by conceding ground to protect the longer-term interests of DBSA.

j) Commercial Awareness


Deep understanding of commercial drivers and can make decisions based on an assessment of alternatives concerning complex business situations. Deep understanding of DBSA economic priorities and how they can be implemented to meet DBSA's strategic objectives. Deep understanding of DBSA's core sector role in achieving DBSA's strategic objectives. Deep understanding of the need to coordinate efforts with many government entities, the private sector, community groups and individuals to ensure effective implementation of new policies and regulations.

Required Personal Attributes

BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES

a) Achievement Orientation


Focuses on new or more effective ways of improving own work and meeting targets. Focuses on raising quality, customer satisfaction and revenues. Makes specific changes to systems and processes to improve efficiency and quality. Formulates own objectives and action plans to achieve a measurable improvement in the future.

b) Analytical Thinking


Identifies multiple elements of a problem and breaks down each of those elements in detail, showing causal relationships between them. Uses several analytical techniques to identify several solutions and weighs the value of each.

c) Conceptual thinking


Creates new concepts that are not obvious to others and not learned from previous education or experience to explain situations or resolve problems. Looks at things in a significantly novel way, breakthrough thinking.

d) Strategic and Innovative thinking


Recognises opportunities or problems emerging in patterns and trends, and their impact on the business and profitability drivers. Applies learning from previous situations and experiences. Sees underlying causality in the current situation. Applies business acumen to make sound decisions. Recognises opportunities or potential problems, before they become obvious, by seeing the connections in a range of sources of information, including insights from outside DBSA. Restates complex knowledge in a way that makes it easier for others to understand.

e) Commercial Business Acumen


Understands business fundamentals. Analyses and comprehends organisational goals and strategies. Understands tactical business fundamentals in the public sector environment and incorporates them into decision-making.

f) Teamwork


Acts to promote a friendly climate and good morale and resolves conflicts. Creates opportunities for cross-functional working. * Encourages others to network outside of their own team/department and learn from their experience.