Pay
- R18 000 – R39 000 a month
Job type
- Temp to perm
Location
Cape Town, Western Cape
Full job description
3D Printing Village (3PV) — Cape Town
Location: Cape Town (Paarden Eiland), with regular travel to Pretoria and innovator sites in the Western Cape and Northern Cape Job Type: Full-time, Permanent (3-month probation) Salary: R18,000 – R25,000 per month starting, with documented progression to R39,000+ over 3 years Plus: Performance bonuses (R20,000 at month 12) and equity / profit-share conversation at month 12 review Reports to: Chief Executive Officer Start date: As soon as possible
About 3PV
3D Printing Village (3PV) is an industrial additive manufacturing hub and Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship based in Cape Town. We operate one of South Africa’s largest industrial 3D printing facilities, deliver client product design and production services across automotive, mining, medical, aerospace and hospitality sectors, and run multi-year grant-funded innovation programmes supporting grassroots entrepreneurs across the country.
We are in active execution on three multi-year grant-funded programmes with the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) and are progressing a Strategic Project Fund application with the National Empowerment Fund. The next three years will see us scale from a Cape Town hub to a national innovation engine.
The Role
The Head of Operations & Programmes is the operational and programmatic spine of our organisation. You’ll own the end-to-end delivery of our TIA grant portfolio — a Grassroots Innovation Programme supporting 40 innovators over 3 years, a Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Programme running through 2030, and a Technology Acquisition project. You’ll coordinate our internal team, our subcontracted technical specialists, and our external partner network.
You’ll work directly with the CEO — freeing him to focus on fundraising, strategic partnerships, and growth — while you make sure the programmes deliver, the reports are on time, the audits are clean, and the team is humming.
This is the most senior operational hire in the company. It comes with founder-level ownership, a clear progression path, and an equity / profit-share conversation for the right person.
What You’ll Do
- Lead end-to-end execution of our three grant-funded innovation programmes — contracting beneficiaries, managing disbursements, supporting technology and business development, reporting to the funder.
- Own programme P&L exceeding R19 million in committed grant funding across three contracts.
- Build and manage a network of subcontracted technical and business mentors who support our grassroots innovator portfolio.
- Constitute and run the Innovation Centre Steering Committee; coordinate quarterly funder reviews and annual reporting.
- Maintain the master compliance calendar across monthly, quarterly, and annual reporting cadences.
- Coordinate the company’s response to investor due diligence for our active funding round.
- Manage relationships with TIA, NEF, IDC, provincial development agencies, academic partners (UCT, CPUT, Stellenbosch, Sol Plaatje University), and sector SETAs.
- Direct functional accountability for the bookkeeper, marketing & brand lead, production & design lead, and intern cohorts.
- Maintain audit-ready financial records across all programmes (5-year audit windows).
- Build a culture of execution, integrity, innovator-centric service, and evidence-based decision-making.
Who You AreQualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, Science, Innovation Management, Development Studies, or related field.
- Postgraduate qualification (Honours, Master’s, or MBA) preferred.
- Project Management certification (PMP, Prince2, AgilePM) advantageous.
Experience
- 5+ years progressive experience in programme management, operations leadership, or innovation / enterprise development.
- At least 2 years in a senior leadership role with multi-million-Rand programme P&L accountability.
- Demonstrable experience managing grant-funded programmes — TIA, SEDA, DSI, IDC, NEF, NYDA, SAB Foundation, sector SETAs, or similar.
- Track record working with grassroots / SMME / early-stage innovators in under-resourced and rural contexts.
- Experience with M&E frameworks, KPI-based reporting, and audit-ready financial management.
- Experience scaling teams and operations across multiple provinces.
Skills
- Strong financial management — budgeting, cash flow, reconciliation, audit readiness.
- Contract and procurement management; B-BBEE, SARS, and CIPC compliance.
- M&E methodology — logframes, theories of change, KPI design.
- Familiarity with TRL framework and prototype-to-commercialisation pathways.
- Excellent written communication — board reports, funder reports, deviation requests, close-out reports.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office / Google Workspace, at least one project management tool (Asana, ClickUp, Monday), and a CRM (HubSpot, Pipedrive).
Culture Fit
Operator + builder. The kind of person who reads the contract before the meeting, runs the meeting, and walks out with a one-page action plan. Founder-grade ownership — not a corporate process gatekeeper.
You bring:
- Strategic thinking with strong execution discipline — comfortable moving between board-level and operational detail.
- Innovator-centric service orientation — empathy for grassroots founders combined with rigour on milestones.
- Decisiveness under uncertainty — willing to redirect, deviate, or close out when projects under-perform.
- High personal integrity and commitment to transparent, audit-ready operations.
- Stakeholder agility — credible with funder executives, community innovators, academic partners, and our board.
- Collaborative leadership — develops people, shares credit, holds the line on standards.
- Resilience and stamina — multiple concurrent reporting cadences with non-negotiable deadlines.
- Mission alignment with African industrialisation, transformation, and inclusive entrepreneurship development.
What We Offer
- Starting salary R18,000 – R25,000 per month CTC, with documented progression to R39,000+ over 3 years tied to performance and programme milestones.
- Performance bonuses: R20,000 once-off at month 12, subject to KPI achievement.
- Equity / profit-share conversation initiated at month 12 review for the right candidate.
- Real ownership — this is the most senior operational role in the company. You set the standards and build the team.
- Mission-driven work with national-level impact across grassroots innovation, additive manufacturing, and inclusive entrepreneurship.
- Direct CEO access and a seat at the executive table from day one.
- A clear path to a leadership role as the company scales through its next funding round.
Working Conditions
Cape Town-based (Paarden Eiland office), full-time, with regular travel (~25–30% of time) to innovator sites in the Western Cape and Northern Cape, to TIA offices in Pretoria, and to national events. The role operates on multiple concurrent reporting cadences with peak intensity around month-end and quarter-end deadlines. Some evening and weekend work expected during innovator events and milestone reviews.
How to Apply
Submit the following:
- A CV (maximum 4 pages).
- A one-page motivation letter answering: “Why 3PV?”
- Contact details of three professional referees.
Apply via Indeed or email to [hrm(@)redcupvillage.com].
Reference: RVT-HOP-2026
Shortlisted candidates will complete a 60-minute case interview structured around how they would set up a monthly KPI reporting process for 10 innovators across two provinces, and present to our executive panel. Reference checks will focus on grant-administration delivery and stakeholder management with development finance institutions.
Equal Opportunity Statement
Red Village Trading is an equal opportunity employer. Preference will be given to candidates from designated groups in line with our Employment Equity Plan. Applications from women, persons with disabilities, and candidates with grassroots-innovation lived experience are particularly encouraged.
Pay: R18 000,00 – R39 000,00 per month
Education:
- Bachelors (Preferred)
Experience:
- programme management: 5 years (Required)
- senior leadership role with multi-million-Rand : 2 years (Required)
- managing grant-funded programmes : 1 year (Preferred)
- grassroots / SMME / early-stage innovators : 1 year (Preferred)
Location:
- Cape Town, Western Cape (Required)
Work Location: In person