5 Leadership jobs in Edenvale

Thought Leadership Executive

Location: Midrand
Type: Permanent

Inspire the profession. Shape the future of competency and curriculum standards.
Lead national thought leadership across education, training, and professional regulation.

About the Role

This senior role leads the design, development, and continuous improvement of the professional competency framework, curricula, assessments, and lifelong learning programmes across the accountancy profession. You will set the strategy for thought leadership—spanning education, training, development, and assessment—while ensuring alignment with global standards and local regulatory requirements.

You’ll guide research, innovation, and digital transformation initiatives (including 4IR) that keep professional pathways current and future-ready. The remit includes stewardship of accreditation frameworks, course material development, and evidence-based policy that shapes the profession’s next decade.

Who the Client Is

This opportunity is with a respected South African professional institute known for its strong governance, national footprint, and impact on the accountancy profession. The organisation partners with universities, employers, regulators, and global bodies to uphold professional standards and enable credible career pathways across accounting, auditing, business advisory, and taxation.

What You’ll Do

• Lead the ongoing development and improvement of the competency framework, career pathways, and skills audit tools across accounting, auditing, business advisory, and taxation.

• Own curriculum strategy and annual updates for full, bridging, and modular courses; coordinate expert panels to ensure contemporary content.

• Set and oversee assessment strategy (competency-based, professional evaluation, RPL) and associated instruments, moderation, and QA processes.

• Drive accreditation policies and workshops for tertiary institutions, ATCs, and service providers; benchmark against IFAC, IAESB, PAFA, SAQA, FASSET, ETQA, IASB, OCTO and related standards.

• Lead research and innovation programmes, including technology trends impacting the profession and 4IR initiatives with internal IT and external partners.

• Shape thought leadership outputs—reports, position papers, and recommendations—informing board strategy and sector policy.

• Manage budgets, procurement adherence, and reporting for the thought leadership and COFE portfolios.

• Build collaborative relationships with PAOs, regulators, academia, and industry to advance professional standards.

What You Bring

• Master’s degree in an education-related discipline; a professional accountancy qualification and SAIPA membership advantageous.

• 10+ years in academia or professional education with proven curriculum design, standards setting, and proposal writing.

• Deep understanding of the professional accountancy landscape and financial sector; strong research and innovation capability.

• Skilled in project leadership, stakeholder engagement, policy development, and quality assurance.

• Clear, inclusive communication and the ability to influence at executive and board levels.

• High integrity, strategic judgment, systems thinking, and comfort with extended hours during peak cycles.

What Success Looks Like

• A future-fit, globally benchmarked competency framework embedded across pathways and programmes.

• Accredited, quality-assured curricula and assessments that improve learner outcomes and employer confidence.

• Measurable innovation pipeline (new modules, digital delivery, 4IR pilots) adopted by stakeholders.

• Strong partnerships with universities, PAOs, and regulators that accelerate rationalisation and regulatory alignment.

• Timely, data-driven thought leadership reports informing strategy, policy, and sector debates.

• Portfolio delivered on time, on budget, and audit-ready under QMS/QA requirements.

#hiring #edge #kestria

Overview

Business Segment: Group Functions

Location: ZA, GP, Johannesburg, 30 Baker Street

Design and implement assigned initiatives as a member of the Leadership Practice team with facilitation, research, design, implementation, coordination, communication, and monitoring of organisation-wide, scoped solutions and maintain standards, policies, toolboxes and procedures to contribute to delivery of the goals of the Group Leadership Practice.

• Minimum qualifications: Degree in Behavioural Science / Social Science.
• Experience required:
• Minimum 7 - 8 years experience in a consulting environment or HR generalist role, of which at least 3 years included direct consultation with clients or support of Organisational Development functions, with evidence to the contribution of the People & Culture practice.
• 3 - 4 years Project Management experience is preferable.
• Prior experience in conducting research and consolidating data and insights to contribute to the design and development of organisation-wide solution options that target behavioural change in line with Standard Bank Group Leadership Effectiveness, Team Effectiveness and Culture objectives and aspirations.
• Experience in designing, planning and monitoring assigned initiatives to promote effective implementation and optimise impact of Leadership Practice initiatives.
• Ability to develop solution deployment plans, logistics and relevant documentation to ensure the effective facilitation of Leadership Practice solutions, engaging with the Senior Manager, Leadership Practice and Head, Leadership Practice where appropriate.
• Pro-actively engage with key stakeholders to test and adjust assigned solutions, incorporating feedback, and agree on adjustments and roll out plan.
• Experience in leading the implementation of targeted Leadership Practice solutions and actively engage with the appropriate cross-functional team(s) to ensure that initiatives are effectively rolled out.
• Monitor progress and impact metrics of assigned initiatives in collaboration with the Diagnostics & Monitoring Lead and P&C (People & Culture) stakeholders to identify possible issues or opportunities for improvement and support data-led decision-making and program planning.
• Ability to build engaging and easy-to-understand presentations and communications on request, using appropriate tools and technology, to illustrate trends and insights and facilitate impactful communication of complex information.
• Monitor and update Leadership Practice toolboxes, policies, methodologies and frameworks as assigned and ensure that the current version is at hand to contribute to consistent application of best practice across SBG.
• Comply with relevant statutory and regulatory requirements, policies, governance, processes and procedures and report risks identified to optimise compliance and contribute to risk mitigation and clean audits.
• Keep abreast with emerging trends, research and best practice across Leadership Practice disciplines to contribute to team debate and enhance personal knowledge and growth.

This is more than a role. It’s a catalyst.

African Parks is reimagining conservation at scale. In partnership with governments and communities, we manage 23 protected areas across 13 countries, spanning over 20 million hectares of Africa’s most vital landscapes. With an ambitious target of 30 parks by 2030, we are scaling fast — restoring ecosystems, protecting biodiversity, creating livelihoods, and delivering hope for future generations.

To achieve this, we must invest in the people who make our mission possible: rangers, park managers, ecologists, and community teams. Leadership, learning, and culture are not just HR concepts — they are the heartbeat of an organization that spans borders, languages, and diverse cultural contexts.

We are seeking a Specialist: Leadership, Learning and Culture — a designer, a facilitator, and a culture-builder who can equip our leaders, grow our talent, and nurture a shared sense of purpose across Africa.

This is not a routine learning role. It’s an opportunity to:

• Shape leaders of the future: Design and deliver programmes that strengthen the leadership pipeline, ensuring every manager is equipped to inspire, guide, and protect.
• Enable learning at scale: Build pathways that provide technical, behavioural, and leadership skills — accessible from headquarters to the most remote park outpost.
• Embed culture: Champion initiatives that bring our values to life, uniting diverse teams around a common mission and fostering inclusion and belonging.
• Be a trusted advisor: Provide insights and interventions that help managers navigate complex people challenges with confidence and care.
• Leave a legacy of capability: Put in place frameworks, curricula, and cultural anchors that endure well beyond your tenure.

This is the kind of role that rarely exists: the creativity of a learning designer, the influence of a culture shaper, and the chance to tie your expertise to a mission that protects people, wildlife, and planet.

This is more than a role. It’s a catalyst.

African Parks is reimagining conservation at scale. In partnership with governments and communities, we manage 23 protected areas across 13 countries, spanning over 20 million hectares of Africa’s most vital landscapes. With an ambitious target of 30 parks by 2030, we are scaling fast — restoring ecosystems, protecting biodiversity, creating livelihoods, and delivering hope for future generations.

To achieve this, we must invest in the people who make our mission possible : rangers, park managers, ecologists, and community teams. Leadership, learning, and culture are not just HR concepts — they are the heartbeat of an organization that spans borders, languages, and diverse cultural contexts.

We are seeking a Specialist : Leadership, Learning and Culture — a designer, a facilitator, and a culture-builder who can equip our leaders, grow our talent, and nurture a shared sense of purpose across Africa.

Why This Role Is Extraordinary

This is not a routine learning role. It’s an opportunity to :

• Shape leaders of the future : Design and deliver programmes that strengthen the leadership pipeline, ensuring every manager is equipped to inspire, guide, and protect.
• Enable learning at scale : Build pathways that provide technical, behavioural, and leadership skills — accessible from headquarters to the most remote park outpost.
• Embed culture : Champion initiatives that bring our values to life, uniting diverse teams around a common mission and fostering inclusion and belonging.
• Be a trusted advisor : Provide insights and interventions that help managers navigate complex people challenges with confidence and care.
• Leave a legacy of capability : Put in place frameworks, curricula, and cultural anchors that endure well beyond your tenure.

This is the kind of role that rarely exists : the creativity of a learning designer, the influence of a culture shaper, and the chance to tie your expertise to a mission that protects people, wildlife, and planet.