Project Finance / Infrastructure Advisory Senior Manager

Management Level

Senior Manager Job Description & Summary

At PwC, our people in deals focus on providing strategic advice and support to clients in areas such as mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, and restructuring. They help clients navigate complex transactions and maximise value in their business deals.

Those in corporate finance at PwC will provide strategic financial advice and solutions to help clients navigate complex business transactions and optimise their capital structure. You will analyse financial data, conduct due diligence, and assist in mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures. Growing as a strategic advisor, you leverage your influence, expertise, and network to deliver quality results. You motivate and coach others, coming together to solve complex problems. As you increase in autonomy, you apply sound judgment, recognising when to take action and when to escalate. You are expected to solve through complexity, ask thoughtful questions, and clearly communicate how things fit together. Your ability to develop and sustain high performing, diverse, and inclusive teams, and your commitment to excellence, contributes to the success of our Firm.

Examples of the skills, knowledge, and experiences you need to lead and deliver value at this level include but are not limited to:

• Craft and convey clear, impactful and engaging messages that tell a holistic story.
• Apply systems thinking to identify underlying problems and/or opportunities.
• Validate outcomes with clients, share alternative perspectives, and act on client feedback.
• Direct the team through complexity, demonstrating composure through ambiguous, challenging and uncertain situations.
• Deepen and evolve your expertise with a focus on staying relevant.
• Initiate open and honest coaching conversations at all levels.
• Make difficult decisions and take action to resolve issues hindering team effectiveness.
• Model and reinforce professional and technical standards (e.g. refer to specific PwC tax and audit guidance), the Firm's code of conduct, and independence requirements.

Role Summary:

PwC Corporate Finance is a leading corporate finance advisory business in South Africa and is currently experiencing strong growth in its project finance division, driven by long term client relationships and a strong senior team. In order to take full advantage of the existing growth opportunities, we are seeking an experienced, motivated and commercially minded Senior Manager to join the team and play a key role in the managing and execution of project finance and infrastructure transactions, as well as the origination of new transactions and opportunities.

The successful candidate will be expected to lead multiple engagements, manage and coach junior team members (who in turn are responsible for day-to-day transaction execution, financial modelling and analysis), build and strengthen client relationships, and provide high-quality advice to clients. The role requires a high degree of independence, strong technical capability and a genuine interest in the infrastructure sector.

Qualifications /Certifications required:

• CA(SA), CFA, MBA, or finance-related bachelor’s degree
• Financial modelling certification beneficial

Experience required:

· 6-10 years project finance experience

· Strong experience in project finance advisory, infrastructure transactions, debt raising, refinancing and/or PPP transactions

· Experience across energy, water, and transport sectors

· Proven experience in leading transaction workstreams and managing client relationships

· Experience in mentoring and supervising junior team members

Responsibilities of role:

The successful candidate will have an execution-focused project finance dealmaker role within the team and be responsible for the following activities on a day-to-day basis:

Transaction Leadership and Project Management

• Lead multiple project finance and infrastructure engagements simultaneously, ensuring delivery against timelines, quality standards and commercial objectives;
• Take ownership of transaction execution across financing, refinancing, buy-side, sell-side and strategic advisory mandates;
• Manage multidisciplinary teams, including clients, lenders, investors, legal advisers, technical advisers, model auditors and other stakeholders;
• Oversee project plans, workstreams, deliverables and internal coordination to ensure efficient execution; and
• Provide strategic advice to clients throughout transaction processes.

Financial Modelling

• Build and oversee the development, review and enhancement of complex financial models in line with market best practice;
• Review the translation of project agreements, financing terms and commercial assumptions into robust financial models;
• Evaluate scenarios, sensitivities and key risk considerations to support client decision-making;
• Oversee interactions with model auditors and ensure structural integrity, tax and accounting compliance; and
• Provide quality reviews on modelling outputs and transaction analyses prepared by junior team members.

Project Finance

• Advise clients on limited recourse funding structures and bankability considerations;
• Support and lead financing processes for infrastructure projects, including debt raising, lender engagement and negotiation support;
• Support and lead the preparation of relevant marketing materials including information memoranda and teasers, as well as lender presentations and other financing materials;
• Support negotiation of term sheets, finance documents and key commercial agreements;
• Demonstrate strong knowledge of infrastructure sectors and contribute to development of sector specialisation; and
• Advise on public-private partnerships and related infrastructure procurement structures / processes where relevant.

Infrastructure mergers and acquisitions

• Lead the preparation and review of key transaction documentation, including teasers, information memoranda, management presentations, bid documentation and investment committee papers;
• Support clients on acquisition, disposal and strategic review mandates in the infrastructure sector; and
• Manage due diligence processes and coordinate input from relevant internal and external stakeholders.

Client relationships and business development

• Lead or contribute significantly to proposal development, pricing discussions and internal approval processes;
• Support origination efforts, including identifying prospects, developing client ideas and participating in pitches, and evaluating opportunities with the senior team members; and
• Build and maintain strong client relationships and act as a trusted day-to-day adviser. Team Contribution
• Coach, mentor and develop associates and managers within the team;
• Review work prepared by junior team members and provide clear, constructive feedback; and
• Contribute to team capability building, knowledge sharing and a high-performance team culture.

Skill sets required:

• Advanced Excel skills;
• Financial modelling skills;
• Awareness of AI capabilities and a drive for improving efficiency;
• Excellent interpersonal and client relationship skills;
• Problem solving capabilities;
• Demonstrated transaction execution skills;
• Attention to detail and an ability to perform critical self-review of outputs;
• A desire to build on commercial and industry knowledge;

· Negotiation skills; · Excellent verbal and written communication skills are essential, including the ability to write succinct, well-structured reports and client communications;

• Passion for the development of South Africa and the African continent;
• A well-organised and self-directed individual who can relate to people at all levels of an organisation;
• Proven ability to multitask and ensure effective delivery of the priorities to meet targets and objectives (strong time management skills);