Manager: JET Communications (JET PMU)

Background
The African Climate Foundation (ACF) is the first and only African-led climate change re-granting organisation on the continent. Through a combination of grant making, fellowships, transformational research, technical assistance, coalition building and advocacy the ACF seeks to support interventions at the nexus of climate change, and development that have the greatest potential to deliver long-term socio-economic transformation and inclusive development.

The JET PMU

The JET PMU operates as a high-impact delivery unit, driving the Just Energy Transition (JET) through strategic coordination, agile execution, and results-driven implementation. Focused on accelerating project pipelines, mobilising resources, problem solving and fostering collaboration, the PMU bridges policy and action.

About the role

As part of the MOU signed between the African Climate Foundation (ACF) and the Just Energy Transition Projects Management Unit (JET PMU); the ACF agreed to provide resources to the JET PMU to enable the JET PMU to fulfil its mandate pursuant to the JET PMU’s terms of reference. This includes the secondment of technical experts across all relevant disciplines to support the agenda of the JET PMU.

South Africa's just energy transition is one of the most complex, contested, and consequential policy programmes in the country. It involves dozens of institutions, and a story that needs to be told with precision and courage — to Cabinet, to international investors, to coal communities, and to the public.

The JET PMU needs a communications leader who can own that story — someone who combines deep strategic intelligence with the craft to translate technical and political complexity into compelling, credible public narratives. This is not a media management role. It is a strategic advisory role with a communications mandate.

The Manager: JET Communications leads the strategic communications function of the JET PMU — from narrative architecture and executive briefing, to media intelligence, stakeholder engagement, and event strategy.

The role operates at the most senior level of the JET PMU's external engagement. The incumbent will be expected to develop deep competency in JET content and strategic context quickly, and to act as a public spokesperson for the JET PMU at national and international forums when required.

This is not a role for someone who executes communications programmes designed by others. The incumbent will design the strategic narrative, own the institutional voice, advise the Head: JET PMU on positioning and risk, and be accountable for the quality and coherence of everything the JET PMU says publicly.

This role will be seconded to the JET PMU and will work under the direction of the Head: JET PMU.

Key Deliverables:

Strategic Positioning & Narrative Intelligence

• Monitor macro-economic and geopolitical landscapes to predict shifts in stakeholder sentiment and advise the Head: JET PMU on pre-emptive strategic pivots.
• Own the JET PMU’s "Master Narrative," ensuring that technical energy milestones are translated into a compelling strategic case for international investment.
• Lead the high-level response to institutional threats, serving as the primary liaison for briefing Government Steering Committees and International Partners during crises.

Strategic Content Architecture

• Design and implement the institutional "Master JET Narrative and Key Messaging Framework" that dictates the technical and political tone for all JET PMU outputs.
• Exercise final oversight and approval of high-impact content (e.g., Annual Reports, Investment Briefs, and Opinion Pieces) to ensure strict alignment with the JET IP.
• Oversee the content development processes used by the Analyst: JET Communications and external providers, ensuring factually accurate, professionally presented, and legally compliant deliverables.

Strategic Event Stewardship

• Determine the strategic necessity of PMU participation at national and international summits (e.g., Davos, COP) to ensure maximum institutional influence.
• Design the thematic agendas for PMU-led workshops and seminars, ensuring that dialogue is structured to resolve policy bottlenecks and move stakeholders toward consensus.
• Govern the execution of event strategies, holding specialists and vendors accountable for high-fidelity logistics and participant experience.

Media Intelligence & Impact Evaluation

• Interpret media monitoring data to identify macro-trends and political risks, providing the Head: JET PMU with "Intelligence Briefs" rather than simple clipping reports.
• Conduct structured evaluations of the effectiveness of the PMU’s strategic positioning, using data to recommend institutional pivots in narrative or engagement strategy.
• Track and report on the strategic milestones of the communications function to ensure workstreams are delivering on the JET PMU mandate.

Ministerial & Executive Briefing Preparation

• Lead the development of comprehensive briefing notes, "Q&A" cards, and high-level presentations for the Head: JET PMU and Cabinet Ministers for use in Parliament, the IMC, and international missions.
• Oversee the translation of complex energy and finance data into simplified, persuasive visual narratives for executive decision-makers.
• Ensure all ministerial-level materials are pressure-tested for political sensitivity and evidence-based accuracy.

Functional Leadership and Function Coordination

• Act as the primary point of coordination for the Communications function, responsible for directing the tasks and deliverables of other Independent Contractors to maintain alignment with JET PMU objectives.
• Proactively identify delivery risks and implement remediation strategies to ensure communications function continuity.

Who we are looking for

This is a rare profile. We are looking for a senior communications strategist who has operated at the interface of government, international affairs, and complex technical subject matter — and who can move comfortably between writing a ministerial brief and advising the Head of a national programme on how to position South Africa's energy transition to a room full of international investors.

Strategic communications leadership

• You have at least 10 years of experience in senior strategic communications roles — in government, a major institution, an international organisation, or a high-stakes private sector context. You have owned institutional narratives, managed reputational crises, and advised executives. You understand the difference between communications that inform and communications that move people.

Political and technical fluency

• You can engage with the substance of South Africa's energy transition — the policy, the financing structures, the stakeholder dynamics — with sufficient depth to advise on how it should be communicated, not just how it has been communicated by others. Experience in energy, climate, finance, or public policy is important. You will not be given a script; you will be expected to develop one.

Relationships and standing

• You have the professional standing to engage with authority at Director-General and Ministerial level, with international investors and MDB representatives, and with trade unions and civil society — and to be taken seriously in all of those rooms. This requires demonstrated seniority, not just ambition.

Spokesperson capability

• You are comfortable as a public face. You can represent an institution's position in a media interview, on a panel, or in a high-stakes stakeholder meeting — under pressure, with incomplete information, and with the judgment to know what to say and what not to. Experience as a public spokesperson in a complex or politically sensitive context is a significant advantage.

Intelligence, not just craft

• The best communications at this level require strategic intelligence — the ability to read the room, anticipate how a message will land across very different audiences, and identify risks before they become crises. We are looking for someone who thinks like a strategist and communicates like a practitioner.

Commitment to the 'Just' in Just Energy Transition

• South Africa's energy transition has profound social dimensions — for coal workers, affected communities, and the country's most vulnerable citizens. The incumbent must be able to communicate about these dimensions with authenticity and understanding, not just institutional polish.

Qualifications

• A Master's degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, Public Policy, International Relations, or a related field. Equivalent professional experience and demonstrated track record at senior level will be considered alongside formal qualifications.

Start date: Position available immediately

Location: South Africa - Office in Rosebank, Johannesburg

Contract duration: 12 months, consisting of 2 x 6-month renewable contracts

Closing date: 20 March 2026

For further information about the ACF, visit www.africanclimatefoundation.org.

Should you not hear back from us by 30 April 2026, please consider your application to be unsuccessful.

The ACF strives to be an equitable organisation with a team which reflects the diversity of Africa.

In compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), The ACF assures all applicants that any personal information provided during the recruitment process will be treated with the utmost confidentiality and used solely for recruitment purposes. Your privacy and data security are of paramount importance to us. By applying for this position, you consent to the collection, processing, and storage of your personal information for recruitment-related activities only. The ACF is committed to safeguarding your privacy and maintaining the trust you place in us.