Chief Innovation Officer - 5 Year Fixed-Term Contract

Job Advert Summary

The Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) is a talent-driven, customer-centric, and impact-focused organisation committed to advancing technology innovation that delivers meaningful socio-economic outcomes. As part of this mission, TIA seeks to attract and retain high-performing professionals who embody teamwork, innovation, agility, customer focus, accountability, and a strong commitment to creating value. These attributes are cultivated to foster a culture of excellence, collaboration, impact, and responsibility.

In fulfilling its mandate, TIA provides both financial and non-financial support to innovators and enterprises, enabling the development and commercialisation of technologies that contribute to economic growth, improve quality of life, and promote environmental sustainability.

Job Purpose

Provide executive leadership and strategic oversight of TIA’s curated innovation portfolio (TRL 3–9), ensuring the systematic sourcing, funding, development, commercialisation, and exit of high-potential innovations to maximise socio-economic and commercial impact. The role positions TIA as both an innovation enabler and catalyst, aligning investments, partnerships, and market pathways to deliver on the Decadal Plan and TIA Strategic Objectives.

Minimum Requirements

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Technology and Innovation Management, Engineering, Science, Business, Finance or related field

Experience

• Total 15 years Executive Leadership experience of which 8+ years must be at EXCO / General Manager level.
• Proven responsibility for budgets above R100m+.
• Proven leadership of multi-disciplinary teams (30+ professionals).
• Proven track record of Technology Development, Commercialisation and Capital deployment.
• Public-private ecosystem experience.
• Proven turnaround experience.
• Proven track record in driving innovation strategy, R&D, or technology commercialisation.
• Experience in public sector governance and funding environments.
• Senior executive experience in innovation funding, technology development, commercialisation, venture building or development finance.

Knowledge and Skills

• Knowledge of public sector governance frameworks and accountability requirements.
• Understanding of technology development pathways and TRL progression models.
• Knowledge of development finance and innovation funding mechanisms.
• People-centric leadership: ability to foster trust, inclusion, mentorship and psychological safety.
• Stakeholder engagement and collaboration in complex multi-stakeholder environments.
• Venture building and innovation funding models.
• Performance management and impact measurement frameworks.
• Governance, risk management and compliance oversight

Duties and Responsibilities

Financial Perspective

• Identify and curate high-potential innovation opportunities.
• Structure and approve funding mechanisms.
• Manage TRL 3–9 portfolio, setting milestones, decision rights, and performance management.
• Optimise portfolio value through technical, commercial, and market interventions.
• Monitor portfolio outcomes to maximise ROI and strategic impact.
• Translate innovation investments into market-ready solutions.
• Provide executive oversight of the Technology Development and Commercialisation.
• Guide venture development and venture-building initiatives.
• Facilitate market adoption and scaling of innovations.
• Capture lessons from exits to inform future portfolio and instrument design.
• Drive sustainable revenue generation, commercialisation outcomes, and value realisation from publicly funded innovation programmes.
• Ensure effective stewardship of public innovation capital through measurable financial returns, strategic partnerships, and innovation commercialisation initiatives.
• Responsible for leveraging public innovation funding to stimulate economic impact, attract co-investment, and support revenue-generating innovation ecosystems.

Stakeholder Management

• Build and maintain strategic partnerships with government, industry, academia, investors, and civil society.
• Engage with Board, shareholder department, and National Treasury.
• Position organisation as innovation enabler and thought leader.
• Facilitate cross-sector collaboration and joint projects.
• Ensure innovation programmes are responsive to customer and market needs.
• Integrate beneficiary insights into programme design.
• Monitor responsiveness of programmes to stakeholder expectations.
• Facilitate adoption and scaling of innovation solutions.

Internal Processes

• Embed governance, compliance, and ethical frameworks.
• Implement risk-based portfolio management.
• Uphold ethical conduct, transparency, and decision traceability.
• Provide executive reporting and accountability to CEO, Board, and shareholders.
• Oversee and optimise portfolio priorities and pipeline.
• Monitor programme progress across TRL 3–9 lifecycle.
• Address implementation challenges proactively.
• Ensure projects and programmes meet technical, commercial, and strategic objectives.
• Coordinate internal teams and delivery partners to achieve outcomes.
• Improve operational efficiencies of technology development and commercialisation portfolio.

Learning and Growth

• Lead and develop senior executives, managers, and specialist teams.
• Build organisational capability in portfolio management, commercialisation, and investment disciplines.
• Identify skills gaps and implement professional development plansPromote continuous learning and knowledge sharing.
• Encourage experimentation and application of lessons learned.
• Foster psychologically safe, accountable, and collaborative culture.
• Promote innovation-focused behaviours and creative problem-solving.
• Encourage cross-team collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Embed values supporting accountability, teamwork, and organisational excellence.