Contract

Mintek Fund Leader Vacancy 2026

Mintek

General / Other

Opportunity Overview

Mintek, a leading scientific, research, and development organisation, is offering an exciting opportunity for a skilled and dedicated individual to join their team as a Fund Leader. This position is a three-year fixed-term contract based in Randburg, focusing on the critical area of commercialisation investment.

The Fund Leader will play a pivotal role in securing external funding for Mintek's innovative technologies and managing the robust systems and governance required for all commercialisation-related investments. This involves ensuring that investments are strategically managed to achieve key commercial milestones and effectively transition research into marketable solutions.

Minimum Requirements

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

Qualification:
Master’s degree in Science or Engineering.
Alternatively, a PhD in a scientific or technical field.
A Business qualification (MBA) would be an advantage.
Experience:
3 to 5 years of experience directly related to technology transfer or investment fund management.
Proven experience within the technology sector.

Key Responsibilities

The Fund Leader will be responsible for a range of strategic and operational tasks, including:

Providing active stage-gating and governance for commercialisation investments to ensure effective use of funds.
Guiding technical research teams to meet clearly defined commercial milestones for projects.
Establishing and refining mandates, application criteria, and evaluation procedures for internal commercialisation funding.
Assessing local and international funding landscapes to identify new investment opportunities.
Transforming identified opportunities into high-quality proposals for externally funded de-risking initiatives.
Supporting the development of robust internal funding proposals and managing the portfolio of internal seed funds.
Leveraging internal seed funding to attract external co-investment, strategic partnerships, and DFI funding.
Driving reporting mechanisms and quarterly reviews for all commercialisation investments.
Managing large, multi-year funding programmes, including comprehensive resource and timeline planning.
Establishing and monitoring operational systems and mandates for sound governance of externally funded projects and internal seed fund investments.
Preparing professional statistical and narrative reports for internal committees and external stakeholders.
Engaging deeply with applicants pre- and post-award to ensure milestones are commercially focused.
Leading, guiding, and mentoring researchers and technical staff through the commercialisation funding landscape.

How to Apply

Applications for the Mintek Fund Leader position must be submitted online by 7 September 2026.

To apply, please visit the official application portal: https://mintek.ci.hr/applicant/index.php?controller=Listings&method=view&listingid=66fa4bae-86cb-4688-b750-7bceba2b5a52

This listing in context

What the 326 opportunities we currently hold say about this one.

Live contract posts: 64
Open to all provinces: 21
Closing within 7 days: 8

23% of the 64 live contract posts we hold ask for Postgraduate (NQF 8+). The commonest requirement is Degree (NQF 7), at 34%.

Live contract posts stay open for a median of 14 days between posting and closing date.

Calculated by SetaJobs from the 326 listings open on this site right now, and updated as they change.

What you'll need to apply

Municipalities, state-owned companies and public entities each run their own process, mostly on their own application form rather than the Z83 — use a Z83 only where this advert asks for one. Send exactly what it lists.

The employer’s own application form
Your CV
Certified copy of your ID
Certified copies of any qualifications

Full checklist for a public entity or municipality →

What a fixed-term post involves

A contract post is employment for a defined period or project. The work and the requirements are usually identical to a permanent post at the same level — the difference is the end date. Contract staff generally receive the same salary scale, sometimes with benefits paid as an allowance instead of a fund contribution.

How the selection usually runs

The screening and interview process mirrors a permanent post, and the minimum requirements are applied just as strictly.
Contract posts are often filled faster than permanent ones, because the funding is tied to a project timeline.

What you leave with

Directly relevant experience at the level you want, and internal standing when a permanent post at that level is eventually advertised.

Where this leads next

Contract renewal or extension
Continued funding for the project or post.
Permanent appointment at the same level
Competing for the post when it is advertised — contract service does not convert automatically.
A higher level elsewhere
The experience the contract gave you, which is what the next advert is asking for.

A typical route, not a guarantee — progression depends on vacancies, funding and your own performance.

Watch out for this

Confirm what happens at the end of the term before you resign from something else. A fixed-term contract ends by expiry, and that is not a dismissal you can contest.

About merSETA & this sector

merSETA covers manufacturing, engineering and related services — the home of apprenticeships that lead to Red Seal artisan status.

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