City of Ekurhuleni Vacancy 2025-2026

Apply for the Senior Specialist: Operations – City of Ekurhuleni Vacancy 2025-2026. With strong leadership, transport planning.

Overview: Leading Ekurhuleni’s IRPTN Operational Excellence

The City of Ekurhuleni is seeking a driven, experienced professional to fill the role of Senior Specialist: Operations – IRPTN (TRFL19564). This is a fixed-term senior management contract with a significant responsibility: overseeing and steering the operations of the Integrated Rapid Public Transport Network (IRPTN).

The appointment offers a competitive total cost to company package, and the chance to be part of transforming public transport in one of Gauteng’s key metros. If you are passionate about public transport, systems, efficiency, leadership, and making public service count — this role may be for you.

Role Essentials: What This Position Entails

As Senior Specialist: Operations – IRPTN, you will have a central position in ensuring the bus network operates smoothly and aligns with broader strategic objectives. Your work will be critical in integrating quality, safety, scheduling, and customer-focused service into daily operations.

Location, Timing & Contract Details

Location: City of Ekurhuleni
Closing Date for Applications: 28 May 2026
Contract Type: Fixed term
Remuneration Range: R1,300,792 to R1,700,258 Total Cost to Company (TCC)

Required Qualifications & Experience

To be considered, you should have:

Educational Background
- A BSc in Engineering or an equivalent NQF Level 7 qualification in Transportation Engineering or Transportation Planning.
Licensing
- A valid driver’s licence.
Work Experience
- At least 5 years of experience in senior management (public or private sector).
- Of those, at least 2 years working specifically in passenger transportation operations or a related environment where service operations, scheduling, fleet or transit services are involved.

Core Responsibilities: What You Will Do

In this role, your tasks will include but are not limited to:

Managing and overseeing all aspects of IRPTN bus operations: planning, execution, monitoring.
Defining strategic and operational planning objectives aligned with the business plan and key performance areas.
Setting up governance, risk management, and procedure frameworks to ensure accountability and effective service delivery.
Advising the division head on interpreting relevant policies, identifying transport or public-transport trends, and ensuring compliance.
Leading multiple functional teams, coordinating with other units such as Quality Control, Station & Security Management.
Ensuring teams meet performance targets, optimize productivity, and adhere to work plans.
Managing coordination and communication across departments and divisions in the IRPTN unit, ensuring clarity of information flow.
Evaluating operations data, statistical information, trending, and translating them into actionable management reports.
Compiling bus operations reports and analyses, including budget-related and cost/efficiency reviews.

Skills & Competencies: What You Need to Bring

To succeed in this role, the following skills and traits are essential:

Strong leadership: ability to inspire, guide, and coordinate across different teams.
Analytical skills: reading operations data, extracting meaning, making decisions based on measurable performance.
Strategic thinking: setting long-term and short-term operational goals in line with municipal transport strategy.
Risk & Governance orientation: ensuring compliance with laws, policies, safety and security protocols.
Communication skills: clear articulation with internal teams, external stakeholders, divisional heads.
Planning and organizing: handling multiple projects, deadlines, route planning, resource allocation.
Problem-solving: quickly responding to disruptions, adjusting plans, optimizing operations under pressure.
Integration mindset: ensuring alignment with Quality Control, Security, Station Management, and other divisions.

What is IRPTN & Why This Role Matters

The IRPTN (Integrated Rapid Public Transport Network) is Ekurhuleni’s vision for modern, efficient, reliable public transport. It aims to tie together buses, feeder routes, stations, safety, scheduling, and commuter experience into a cohesive network.

This role is critical because operational excellence is what commuters experience daily. Delays, overcrowding, safety, scheduling gaps — these issues affect people’s lives. A Senior Specialist in operations helps solve those, making public transport more dependable, safe, and usable.

Understanding IRPTN’s responsibilities, including its bus rapid transit (“Harambee”) phases, feeder systems, fare collection, bus lane infrastructure and integration with other transport modes, will give the holder of this position a big impact.

Why Work Here: Key Benefits of the Role

Here are the advantages of stepping into this senior operations role:

High remuneration reflecting senior level responsibility.
Leadership exposure in public transport transformation.
Opportunity to shape daily commuter experience and public service.
Strategic influence over planning, risk, policy, and operations.
Chance to work in large-scale transit infrastructure and governance.
Experience that enhances your profile for future executive roles.
Developing cross-functional coordination skills across operations, quality control, security and more.
Opportunity to improve safety, reliability, and accessibility for many commuters.
Exposure to data-driven decision making and performance metrics.
Work with public sector legislation, compliance, and policy frameworks.
Being part of a project with social impact: connecting people, improving mobility.
Chance to mentor and build operational teams.
Real-time challenges that deepen your problem-solving abilities.
Visibility within municipal transport planning and service delivery.
Stable fixed-term contract with a clearly defined scope.
Working with cutting-edge transport systems, schedules, and infrastructure.
Broad stakeholder interaction (government, community, security, scheduling).
Opportunity to make a difference in environmental and commuter welfare through efficient operations.

What Success Looks Like

If you excel in this position, you will likely:

See improvements in service reliability, fewer delays, higher commuter satisfaction.
See cost-savings through optimized scheduling and better resource allocation.
Ensure compliance with regulatory and safety standards with fewer non-conformances.
Build strong, high-performing teams across divisions.
Produce clear, timely, and insightful reports to management.
Support the rollout of new routes or extensions under IRPTN phases.

Challenges You Should Be Prepared For

This role is demanding. Some realities include:

Managing under pressure: transport disruptions, infrastructure constraints, commuter expectations.
Dealing with multiple stakeholders with differing priorities (municipal, operators, security, compliance bodies).
Ensuring safety, governance, and quality amidst operational demand.
Maintaining work-life balance given the scale and public visibility of the role.
Adapting as IRPTN expands, routes change, infrastructure is built, policy shifts.

Application Insights & Process

Candidates will be asked to sign a performance contract in line with Council requirements.
Applicants may need to validate the level (NQF) of their qualifications.
If you don’t hear back within six weeks after the application closing date, assume your application was unsuccessful.
Employment equity principles apply, meaning designated groups are considered to ensure fair representation.

22 Benefits of Being Senior Specialist: Operations – IRPTN

Here are 22 benefits you can expect if appointed in this role:

Competitive Salary Package — compensation reflecting the responsibilities and expertise required.
Executive Visibility — work at a level where decisions impact city-wide transport service.
Strategic Influence — set the direction for operations and planning of IRPTN.
Professional Growth — sharpen advanced skills in leadership, planning, transport management.
High Stake Responsibility — real accountability in service delivery and governance.
Cross-disciplinary Collaboration — interact with quality, station management, security, scheduling, etc.
Data-Driven Decision Making — use operations data to guide improvements and reports.
Policy & Regulatory Exposure — deepen knowledge of public transport legislation and policy.
Impact on Commuters’ Lives — better reliability and safety for daily users of transport.
Risk Management Expertise — build and oversee risk frameworks for safe operations.
Operational Efficiency Gains — opportunities to optimize schedules, resources, and outputs.
Team Leadership — lead, mentor, inspire teams across functions.
Public Sector Credibility — being part of municipal service adds to your leadership profile.
Experiencing Innovation — be part of implementing modern transit systems like BRT, fare systems, monitoring.
High Visibility Reporting — present operational and budget reports to senior decision makers.
Stakeholder Management Experience — working with operators, government entities, security, communities.
Long-Term Career Pathways — credibility gained for future senior or executive roles.
Contribution to Urban Mobility Goals — helping the city progress towards integrated, affordable transport.
Access to Resources and Infrastructure — working with systems, stations, scheduling tools, infrastructure projects.
Learning Environment — continuous improvement and adaptation with evolving IRPTN phases.
Job Satisfaction from Public Service — knowing your work helps people move safely, reliably.
Potential for Legacy — being part of establishing or evolving major transit systems that last.

Tips for a Strong Application

To give your application the best chance:

Ensure your qualifications are clearly stated and, where needed, verified for NQF equivalence.
Highlight any experience in passenger transport operations — scheduling, safety, monitoring, fleet management.
Showcase leadership or management roles, particularly in operational settings.
Use evidence: statistics, past performance results, improvements you managed.
Demonstrate your understanding of public transport challenges: safety, risk, integration, user experience.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Show your ability to collaborate across departments and with stakeholders.

Conclusion: A Role That Shapes Public Transport’s Future

The Senior Specialist: Operations – IRPTN (TRFL19564) is not just a job — it’s a chance to be central in transforming public transport in Ekurhuleni. It positions you where operational strategy, governance, leadership, and public service intersect.

If you meet the requirements, accept responsibility for big outcomes, and want to lead change, this role offers a rare platform: influencing urban mobility, safety, service reliability, and the daily journeys of thousands of people.

For those passionate about transport, public infrastructure, and making a real difference — this could be your next big career move.

How to Stand Out as a Candidate for the Senior Specialist: Operations – IRPTN Role

Landing a position as a Senior Specialist: Operations – IRPTN with the City of Ekurhuleni requires more than just meeting the minimum qualifications. This is a strategic leadership role that demands operational insight, managerial confidence, and the ability to deliver high-impact results in a complex, fast-moving transport environment.
Here’s how to position yourself as a top contender for this prestigious post.

1. Demonstrate Real-World Experience in Transport Operations

The ideal candidate doesn’t just understand transport systems — they’ve lived them. Showcase specific projects where you successfully managed or optimized passenger transport operations, improved efficiency, or resolved logistical challenges. Use measurable results — such as improved route reliability or cost savings — to highlight your effectiveness.

2. Highlight Strategic Leadership Skills

This position requires vision. Demonstrate how you’ve guided teams through organizational change, introduced innovative processes, or implemented new technologies to streamline public transport systems. Recruiters look for leaders who can translate long-term strategies into tangible, daily results.

3. Show Mastery of Policy and Governance

Since the role involves interpreting and applying local government legislation and transport policy, emphasize your familiarity with frameworks such as the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA), Public Transport Strategy, and relevant Integrated Rapid Public Transport Network (IRPTN) policies.
Candidates who can balance regulatory compliance with operational flexibility stand out immediately.

4. Communicate a Problem-Solving Mindset

Public transport systems often face unexpected challenges — from technical glitches to commuter complaints. Describe situations where your quick thinking, data-driven approach, and collaboration led to practical solutions. A structured problem-solving ability is one of the most valued traits for this role.

5. Showcase Data and Reporting Expertise

Ekurhuleni’s IRPTN operations rely heavily on accurate reporting and performance metrics. Highlight your proficiency in turning raw data into actionable insights. If you’ve used analytics tools, transport modeling software, or CRM systems to improve decision-making, make sure that experience shines in your application.

6. Exhibit Strong Communication and Stakeholder Engagement

This position involves constant interaction — with government departments, transport contractors, engineers, and community representatives. Show how your interpersonal and negotiation skills have helped maintain strong relationships and resolve conflicts effectively. The ability to communicate clearly, both in reports and meetings, is a key differentiator.

7. Emphasize Continuous Learning and Innovation

Transport technology evolves rapidly. Demonstrating that you stay updated — whether through certifications, workshops, or industry research — shows your commitment to excellence. Highlight any training in smart mobility, transport analytics, or sustainable transport systems to underline your forward-thinking mindset.

8. Reflect the City’s Values and Mission

The City of Ekurhuleni is committed to service delivery excellence, public accountability, and urban innovation. Align your application with these values by emphasizing how your leadership style promotes transparency, teamwork, and community impact.
Show that you don’t just want the job — you want to be part of a transformation that makes the city’s transport system safer, smarter, and more accessible for everyone.

9. Tailor Your CV and Cover Letter

Generic applications rarely succeed for senior roles. Personalize your CV to reflect the exact skills mentioned in the job description — from governance and reporting to risk management and operations planning. A targeted cover letter that connects your achievements with the City’s strategic goals can make a lasting impression.

10. Prepare for a Performance-Based Interview

Since the successful candidate will sign a performance contract, expect interview questions that focus on measurable outcomes. Be ready to discuss how you’ve previously improved KPIs, enhanced service quality, or managed multimillion-rand budgets. Support your responses with clear examples and outcomes.