Director: Water Resource Planning and Management

About the role

The Department of Water and Sanitation is hiring a Director: Water Resource Planning and Management in Limpopo-Olifants Catchment Management Agency Division: Water Resource Planning and Management, based in Polokwane. This is a permanent post, paying R1,317,384 a year. How to apply: All applications to be submitted online on the following link: https://erecruitment.dws.gov.za/ Reference number to quote: LOCMA 25 Closing date: 20 November 2026 Use the new Z83 form and attach a detailed CV. Note: The Limpopo-Olifants Catchment Management Agency is a Public Water Resource Management Agency, established in line with the provisions of the National Water Act, 1998 (Act no 36 of 1998) (NWA) and National Water Policy for South Africa. It is an entity of the National Department of Water and Sanitation. Employees appointed in the CMA have similar employment terms and conditions to those of employees appointed in terms of the Public Service Act, though not employed in terms of the Public Service Act.

Responsibilities

• The incumbent will be responsible for developing the catchment strategy, programmes and planning.
• Provide strategic direction on the development of the catchment management strategy, including ensuring the development and updating of the Catchment Management Strategy, providing input into the planning documents of other relevant institutions, participating in the planning processes of LOCMA, coordinating the water allocation reform programme from a LOCMA perspective, and ensuring that specialist comments are made on biomonitoring reports and water use license applications (WULA) submitted by water users.
• Manage the implementation of measures for the protection and conservation of water resources within the catchment area, including developing a catchment-level water resource protection and conservation plan, conducting catchment condition and water resource risk assessments, establishing partnerships and catchment management forums, escalating serious or persistent non-compliance to the appropriate enforcement authority, and implementing pollution prevention and control measures.
• Manage and monitor water quality and quantity within LOCMA, including developing and implementing the Water Quality Monitoring Plan and the River Eco-status Monitoring Programme (REMP) in the water management area, ensuring the development, access and implementation of applicable information management systems, ensuring the operation of decision support systems (computer modelling) that provide information to inform river systems planning and operations, and partaking in trans-boundary water management matters to ensure the implementation of LOCMA's responsibilities in terms of treaties.
• Monitor the implementation of resource quality objectives, including ensuring the collection, management, archiving and dissemination of all hydrological, geohydrological, water quality and biota-related information by relevant components, reviewing reports based on the collected and collated data, participating in reserve determination studies, ensuring the assessment of compliance with resource quality objectives, the ecological reserve and international obligations, and ensuring the production and dissemination of quarterly and annual water resource quality status reports (integrating quality, quantity and aquatic biota).
• Provide strategic leadership and business planning, including operational, finance, supply chain and human resource planning and reporting, as well as human resource development and performance management.

Requirements

• A relevant NQF level 7 qualification in Engineering, Hydrology, Geohydrology, Natural Sciences, Environmental Sciences or a related water resource field.
• 5 years of experience at a middle/senior managerial level.
• 5 years' functional experience in catchment management strategy, programmes and planning.
• Successful completion of the Pre-entry Certificate for the Senior Management Service (SMS) as endorsed by the National School of Government.
• Knowledge of the Public Finance Management Act.
• Knowledge of Treasury Rules and Regulations for procurement.
• Knowledge of financial management.
• Knowledge of water resource management disciplines, including water quality, water quantity, groundwater and aquatic ecosystem monitoring.
• Knowledge of project management.
• Knowledge of hydrological science.
• Problem solving and analysis.
• Strategic capability and leadership.
• Understanding of programme and project management.