Basic Education Deputy Director: Debt, Revenue and Financial Compliance Vacancy 2026

Opportunity Overview

The Department of Basic Education is seeking a dedicated Deputy Director for Debt, Revenue, and Financial Compliance. This key role is situated within the Financial Management Services Directorate in Pretoria, forming part of the broader Finance and Administration Branch.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced financial professional to contribute to the financial integrity and compliance of a vital government department. The successful candidate will be instrumental in managing crucial financial operations, ensuring adherence to public sector financial administration standards, and mitigating financial risks.

Minimum Requirements

To be considered for this position, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Possession of an NQF level 6 qualification or an equivalent qualification recognised by SAQA in Financial Accounting, Financial Management, or Management Accounting.
• Four (4) years of relevant experience as an Assistant Director in the field of debt and revenue management.
• In-depth knowledge of the responsibilities of a Debt/Loss Control officer.
• Knowledge and understanding of public sector financial administration, specifically relating to the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) and Treasury Regulations.
• Ability to develop and apply financial policies.
• Computer literacy.
• Strong planning and organisational skills.
• Excellent communication skills (both verbal and written).
• High level of numeracy and accuracy skills.
• Proven people management and leadership skills.
• A good understanding of financial systems such as BAS, PERSAL, and other relevant computer systems.

Key Responsibilities

The successful candidate will be responsible for a range of critical financial management duties, including:

• Managing accounts receivable and revenue collection processes.
• Handling all documents and information with strict confidentiality.
• Preparing financial statements relevant to the section.
• Ensuring that all financial transactions are accurately recorded and accounted for.
• Managing the activities of the cashier’s office and banking operations.
• Managing TRC (Treasury Reference Council) payments.
• Collecting and ensuring the safekeeping of Departmental revenue.
• Ensuring the safekeeping of financial documentation in accordance with prescripts.
• Overseeing monthly reconciliations to ensure accuracy.
• Ensuring timely payment of telephone accounts.
• Establishing and maintaining strong relationships with key internal and external stakeholders.
• Ensuring that all outstanding interdepartmental receivables are diligently followed up, cleared, and reconciled.
• Responding to and resolving audit queries pertaining to the section.
• Providing effective supervision and guidance to junior staff members.
• Investigating irregular, fruitless, and wasteful expenditure, identifying potential financial risks (including fraud risks), and facilitating management actions to mitigate these identified risks.
• Testing and monitoring the level of compliance with enabling legislation such as PFMA, Treasury Regulations, and SCM, and raising findings on areas of concern relating to control weaknesses to assist and enhance process effectiveness.
• Monitoring the implementation progress of internal and external audit recommendations based on audit results.
• Attending Audit steering committee meetings.
• Coordinating, monitoring, and reporting on fruitless and wasteful expenditure registers.
• Coordinating, monitoring, and reporting on irregular expenditure registers.
• Monitoring and strengthening the control environment within the Department through planned internal control assessments of quarterly key control assessments and follow-through of all data analysis reviews.
• Managing the operational risk register.

What the Work Involves

As the Deputy Director for Debt, Revenue, and Financial Compliance, you will operate from the Department's offices in Pretoria. Your daily work will involve a strong focus on financial oversight, ensuring that all revenue is collected efficiently, accounts are meticulously managed, and financial records are accurate and up-to-date. You will be deeply involved in public sector financial administration, applying the rules of the PFMA and Treasury Regulations to all operations.

A significant part of your role will include investigating financial irregularities, identifying potential risks, and implementing controls to prevent fraud and waste. You will oversee the cashier's office, handle banking, and ensure all financial documents are secure. Regular interaction with auditors, internal teams, and external stakeholders will be essential, requiring strong communication and relationship-building skills. You will also play a key leadership role, supervising and guiding junior staff members, and participating in audit steering committee meetings to monitor the progress of audit recommendations.