Technical Advisor – Employment Support through Skills Development (Just Transition)

About the Role

Solar installers. Household electricians. Electric vehicle technicians. These are the emerging green jobs of South Africa’s just transition. Young people can only step into them if the qualifications exist, the lecturers are ready to teach them and employers are willing to take students on.

Closing that gap is the job. GIZ is looking for a Technical Advisor to help young people move from training into work through the Career Path Development for Employment (CPD4E) project. You will be based at the GIZ offices in Hatfield, Pretoria, on a contract until 31 August 2028, with possible extension.

Across the whole project, addressing the disadvantages girls and young women face is a priority. The work has two parts. One is training that gives graduates the skills the labour market needs. The other is self-employment and labour market support in low-carbon sectors, especially for girls and young women.

What We Are Looking For

You must have:

• A graduate university qualification in Engineering-related studies, Education or Business.
• 8 years’ relevant working experience.
• Experience and knowledge of the South African QCTO and SETA system.
• Experience and knowledge of the South African TVET ecosystem and training system.
• Knowledge of qualification design and instructional design processes.
• An understanding of skills supply and demand.
• An understanding of skills requirements and growth areas in the South African economy.
• The ability to work with many stakeholders, especially in private and public sector partnerships in skills development.
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to break big deliverables into manageable plans with realistic tasks.
• Excellent writing and communication skills, and fluency in English.
• Strong interpersonal and intercultural skills.
• Microsoft Office, MS Teams, Outlook and SharePoint skills.
• A valid driving licence.
• Readiness to travel nationally and internationally and to work flexible hours.

You enjoy designing new interventions with others and building lasting projects and partnerships. You are a dynamic, independent team player. You are self-driven, quick to learn, flexible and highly motivated, and you work in a structured, methodical way.

It will count in your favour if you have:

• Familiarity with TETA, MQA, CHIETA, EWSETA or MerSETA.
• An understanding of the renewable energy value chain.
• Knowledge of the South African energy environment and the renewable energy agenda.
• Knowledge of and experience with the principles and standards of contracts and tenders in the public and private sectors.
• Experience in international development cooperation.

What You Will Be Doing

You will plan and deliver both parts of the work, achieve their targets, and monitor and report on progress on time.

Developing Green Skills

Your focus will be new green occupations: Solar Photovoltaics, Energy Efficiency, Household Electrician and New Electric Vehicles. You will work out what the qualifications need to contain, oversee their development, support the QCTO process and shape how the programmes are taught, from curriculum to lesson plans to lecturer preparation. You will coordinate training for TVET staff, teachers and in-company trainers, and bring training providers together so that what works can be scaled.

Connecting Training to Employment

Your closest partners will be the TVET Colleges starting new JET programmes. You will help them set up facilities, develop their lecturers and find host employers for students. You may not deliver the training yourself, but you will find the experts who can. The goal is always the same: student placement and jobs.

Managing Partnerships and Delivery

You will work with experts, policymakers, government, NGOs, the private sector and other projects within GIZ and beyond. You will help identify what government institutions and NGOs need, and represent the project at national and international platforms.

You will also keep delivery on track. You will contribute to the design and terms of reference for project activities, and guide the contractors, consultants and grant recipients who deliver them, including through site visits and quality checks. You will contribute to action plans, budgets and financial reporting to GIZ standards.

Working with GIZ

CPD4E improves the employment prospects of young people in a sustainable, increasingly decarbonised economy. GIZ implements it on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), co-financed by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and the European Union.

GIZ is a signatory to the Diversity Charter and is committed to fair, transparent recruitment. Candidates are chosen on qualifications, competencies, experience and potential, and every employee is respected, valued and supported. Applications are welcome from suitably qualified candidates of every gender, gender identity, nationality, ethnic or social origin, race, religion or belief, disability, age and sexual orientation, and every other aspect of identity. Applications from people with disabilities and from underrepresented groups are particularly encouraged.

How to Apply

Please submit:

• A motivation letter of no more than 1 page, explaining why you should be the preferred candidate and the value you will bring to the work of CPD4E.
• A detailed CV of no more than 4 pages, indicating your nationality.
• A copy of your South African ID as proof of eligibility to work in South Africa.

Applications without a motivation letter will not be considered. Only shortlisted candidates who meet the requirements will be contacted.

Contract period: until 31 August 2028, with possible extension
Closing date: 28 October 2026