Kernexperts - Oproep voor sollicitaties

Job Description

Alinea International, in partnership with Proman, is preparing a proposal for an upcoming technical assistance project supporting the European Union's cooperation with South Africa on local government, climate resilience, and the just energy transition.

The anticipated project, the "Bridging Inequalities for Greener Municipalities" Programme, will be implemented on behalf of the Delegation of the European Union to South Africa, in close coordination with the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) and the Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent (MISA). The technical assistance component will support four pre-selected South African municipalities - one each in KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, and Limpopo (the Strategic North-South Corridor) - to transition toward inclusive, low-carbon, and climate-resilient service delivery systems.

The assignment is anticipated to start in October 2026 and run for up to 48 months. The team will be based at MISA's offices in Centurion, with regular missions to each of the four selected municipalities and a limited home-based allocation. The contract is part of a broader programme that also includes two grant components and a final investment facilitation component.

This open call is part of Alinea's proactive efforts to identify qualified consultants who can contribute to the proposal and subsequent project implementation. Selected candidates may be considered for one of three Key Expert roles, subject to project award.

The team will be based at MISA's offices at Letaba House, Riverside Office Park, Centurion. Each Key Expert is expected to spend approximately 60 working days per year in each of the four selected municipalities. A limited home-based allocation is available (up to 160 days for KE1, and up to 120 days for KE2 and KE3 over the duration of the contract). The home-based location will be confirmed in the offer.

This initiative aims to

• Enhance the performance, effectiveness, and resilience of selected municipalities, including governance, financial planning, integrated planning, and service delivery.
• Facilitate municipal-level green investments by developing bankable, pipeline-ready project concepts in water, energy, waste management, and sanitation - one in each of the four selected municipalities.
• Increase inclusive and gender-sensitive resilience and response capacity to climate change, supported by civic engagement, civil society participation, and awareness of green social and economic opportunities.
• Support South Africa's Just Energy Transition (JET) agenda and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
• Mainstream gender equality, social inclusion, disability sensitivity, and digital and nature-based approaches across all interventions.

Key Expert Roles

We are currently seeking to fill three Key Expert positions for this assignment. Each plays a distinct and essential role in delivery. Candidates are encouraged to identify the role for which they are the strongest fit and to highlight relevant experience accordingly in their cover letter and CV.

KE1 | Team Leader - approximately 880 working days over 48 months

The Team Leader will provide overall leadership and coordination of the technical assistance team, ensuring high-quality delivery across the three specific objectives. The role includes leading the engagement with COGTA, MISA, the EU Delegation, the four selected municipalities, and the wider stakeholder ecosystem, as well as supervising non-key experts and coordinating with the grant and investment facilitation components of the broader programme.

Required Profile - Team Leader (KE1)

• Master's degree in engineering or a related field. A Bachelor's degree with an additional 5 years of relevant professional experience is also acceptable.
• Proven knowledge of the South African local government sector and environmental affairs legislation.
• Fluency in English.
• Minimum 10 years of general professional experience in urban planning and similar fields, acquired after qualification.
• At least 2 Team Leader assignments of minimum 12 months each, on EU-funded projects or projects financed by other international development partners.
• At least 6 years' experience in strategic planning and/or financing for municipalities in middle-income countries comparable to South Africa.
• An accredited certificate in project management is an asset.
• Experience in public-sector management in a management position is an asset.

KE2 | Development Financing Expert - approximately 820 working days over 48 months

The Development Financing Expert will provide specialist financial and investment expertise to support municipalities in preparing bankable proposals, structuring sustainable financing approaches, and engaging with Development Finance Institutions (DFIs), commercial banks, and other investors. The role will also lead matchmaking sessions, risk and pricing analysis, and the development of public-private partnership (PPP) frameworks for green infrastructure projects.

Required Profile - Development Financing Expert (KE2)

• Master's degree in finance, investment banking, or economics. A Bachelor's degree with an additional 5 years of relevant professional experience is also acceptable.
• Proven technical finance expertise and understanding of South African municipalities' financial and legislative environment.
• Fluency in English.
• Minimum 8 years of general professional experience in finance, investment banking, or economics, acquired after qualification.
• At least two long-term assignments (minimum 12 months each) providing technical expertise on developing bankable water, energy, or waste projects.
• At least eight experiences delivering trainings or facilitating workshops related to development financing of bankable projects in water, energy, sanitation, or waste management.
• At least 3 years' experience on risk analysis and assessment (public, commercial, financial, non-financial), rating methodology, risk pricing for finance products and structures, risk management and portfolio approaches for self-sustainable finance solutions, risk tranching/layering/waterfall mechanisms, and risk mitigation versus risk-sharing.
• Minimum 5 years' experience in financial management with a focus on Green Project Finance and Public-Private Partnerships.
• Four long-term assignments leading projects in quasi-green financing of water, energy, sanitation, or waste management in the private and/or public sector are considered an asset.

KE3 | Environmental Expert - approximately 820 working days over 48 months

The Environmental Expert will provide technical leadership on the environmental dimensions of the assignment, including climate resilience, renewable energy, sustainable water and waste management, and gender- and inclusion-sensitive environmental programming. The role will work closely with municipalities to advance pre-feasibility and feasibility studies, pilot digital and smart service solutions with nature-based approaches, and support the four target projects from identification to bankability.

Required Profile - Environmental Expert (KE3)

• Master's degree in environmental studies or urban development. A Bachelor's degree with an additional 5 years of relevant professional experience is also acceptable.
• Fluency in English.
• Minimum 6 years of professional experience in drafting and implementing plans focused on climate-resilient and sustainable urban environments, renewable energies, disaster risk reduction, or resilience enhancement.
• At least one long-term assignment with development finance institutions on water, energy, sustainable waste management, or sanitation projects from concept stage to bankability.
• At least one experience implementing an environmental project with a gender, social inclusion, and stakeholder engagement focus in a lower/middle-income country comparable to South Africa.
• At least one short-term assignment of minimum 12 months in implementing a project on solid waste disposal and treatment, water supply and sanitation networks, or renewable energies in a lower/middle-income country comparable to South Africa.
• Proven knowledge of the South African legislative environment for local government is considered an asset.

Key Areas of Expertise

Across the three Key Expert roles, we are particularly interested in candidates with experience in one or more of the following areas:

• South African local government, COGTA / MISA institutional architecture, and the Integrated Urban Development Framework (IUDF), District Development Model (DDM), and Smart Cities Framework.
• Municipal strategic planning, long-term financial planning, infrastructure investment programming, and integrated development planning.
• Just Energy Transition (JET-IP), Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), climate adaptation, and disaster risk reduction.
• Green project finance, blended finance, EU EFSD+ and Global Gateway frameworks, and engagement with Development Finance Institutions (DBSA, AfDB, World Bank, EIB).
• Water, energy, waste management, and sanitation projects - from pre-feasibility through to financial close.
• Digital, smart, and nature-based service delivery solutions, including e-governance and local revenue mobilisation.
• Gender-responsive budgeting, social inclusion, disability sensitivity, and civil society engagement.
• EU development cooperation frameworks (PRAG, NDICI, Team Europe), EU-funded programme management, and stakeholder coordination with EU Delegations.