Specialist: Planning, Performance & Reporting (Project Management)

Position Reports to:    Portfolio Manager: Programme Management         

Division:                        Strategy Enab & Modernisation

Location:                       Head Office (Pretoria)

Advert Closing Date:  16 August 2026

About the Position

This position is a senior-level specialist role with organisational and enterprise-wide impact, responsible for driving integrated planning, performance monitoring and reporting across programmes, projects and the unit strategically and operationally. The role ensures that unit business plans are aligned to the Annual Performance Plan and broader organisational priorities, while providing oversight of delivery progress, risks, variances, resource utilisation and performance trends.

A critical impact of the role is the ability to collect, analyse and interpret complex data, transforming it into clear, reliable and actionable information for senior executive decision-makers. Through evidence-based reporting, enterprise project management insight and performance analysis, the incumbent enables informed strategic and tactical decisions, supports governance and accountability, and contributes to improved organisational delivery, service excellence and continuous improvement across SARS.

Job Purpose

To coordinate the unit’s planning, performance monitoring and reporting by developing the business plan, aligning operational plans with the Annual Performance Plan, and tracking progress across all programmes and projects.

Education and Experience

Minimum Qualification & Experience Required

Bachelor's Degree / Advanced Diploma (NQF 7) in Information Technology, Business Management, Project Management or related discipline with 8 - 10 years' experience in a project management environment, of which 3 - 4 years at an Operational Specialist level.

OR

Alternative Qualifications & Experience Required

Senior Certificate/ Matric (NQF 4) with 15 years’ experience in a project management environment, of which 3 - 4 years at an Operational Specialist level.

Additional Technical Competencies:

GOC Confidential refers to sensitive or commercial information where unauthorized disclosure may harm the security or national interests of the Republic, prejudice international relations, cause financial loss to an entity, or negatively affect an entity’s relationships with its clients, competitors, contractors or suppliers. This includes, for example, taxpayer information.

Job Outputs:

• Continuously liaise with various stakeholders in order to ensure the establishment consolidated business plan for the unit.


• Monitor the unit's plans in line with SARS’ annual plan.


• Liaise closely with management to ensure the most appropriate plans are implemented to meet delivery of operational and service excellence.


• Analyse the data and evaluate performance of the business units against plans.


• Identify and report on variances against cost, quality, scope, time and delivery risk and ensure compliance against set criteria. 


• Make recommendations about improvements (eg to systems, procedures, policies and practices, methodologies and ways of working).


• Contribute to the optimum utilisation of organisational resources (capacity planning and reporting).


• Develop project management planning, performance and reporting practices of the unit in alignment with enterprise activities, the Project and Portfolio Framework (PPF) and other organisational Frameworks. Ensure tactical implementation.


• Draw on own technical or professional expertise, knowledge and experience to identify and recommend tactical solutions to problems and practices.


• Integrate information, compare, analyse and produce reports to identify trends, discrepancies and inconsistencies for decision making purposes.


• Ensure opportunities are capitalised on, and project and unit risks are minimised.


• Act as custodian of the Project and Portfolio Management Information System.


• Optimise goal achievement through tactical strategy implementation and optimisation of practises, processes and systems across an internal value chain.


• Plan and report on unit's outputs, identify possible deviations and problems which may affect outputs and develop and implement alternative plans.


• Plan for value-added, continuous practice and system improvements to deliver on objectives.


• Translate top-down policy, apply modification in relation to own practice area and communicate impact to relevant stakeholders.

Governance

• Develop and /or align governance and compliance policies for own practice area to identify and manage risk exposure liability.

People

• Integrate new knowledge and transfer skills attained through formal and informal learning opportunities in the execution of your job.


• Provide specialist know-how, support, advice and practice thought leadership in area of expertise.

Finance

• Implement and monitor financial control, management of costs and corporate governance in area of specialisation.

Client

• Develop and ensure implementation of a practice that builds service delivery excellence and encourages others to provide exceptional stakeholder service.


• Participate in the specialist practice community and contribute positively to organisation knowledge management.


• Provide authoritative, specialist expertise and advice to internal and external stakeholders.

Compliance Competency

GOC Confidential - Grade of Clearance: a) sensitive info (b) commercial info, the disclosure of which may cause financial loss to an entity or may prejudice an entity in its relations with its clients, competitors, contractors and suppliers.

Employment Equity

The Employment Equity policy of SARS will be considered as part of the recruitment and selection process and Persons with Disabilities are encouraged to apply. Successful candidates will be required to undertake an oath of secrecy, pre-employment screening, case study, pre-assessment, psychometric assessment and or vetting, and a declaration of private interest. The appointment is also subject to appropriate reference(s) and security clearance where applicable.