Open to opportunities

Babalwa Bam

@babalwabam

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Hands-on program and project manager driving on-time, multi-stakeholder delivery and automation for measurable impact.

South Africa

Message

What I'm looking for

I’m looking for a remote or hybrid role where I can own complex programs end-to-end, collaborate with cross-functional teams and leadership, and use automation and AI to improve delivery speed, quality, and reporting clarity.

I’m a hands-on program and project manager with 10+ years owning delivery across complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives. I’m comfortable running several initiatives at once and rolling up my sleeves from planning through completion, with a clear focus on speed, quality, and accountability.

Currently at Kusini Water, I deliver two concurrent national programs and act as a bridge between delivery teams and leadership, reporting directly to the CEO and COO. I’ve delivered 9 of 10 water-system installations against the end-June 2026 target (90% on-time) while tracking the remainder toward end-July 2026.

Previously, at Youth Employment Service (YES), I led national operations, cutting delivery timeframes by 33% and clearing an 8,000-unit backlog through process redesign and a purpose-built tracking model. I bring modern workflow automation (Asana, Google Workspace, Google Apps Script) and AI-enabled execution (Claude, ChatGPT) to move projects faster, backed by strong problem-solving, coaching, and reporting automation.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Program Manager

Current

Kusini Water

May 2024 - Present (2 years 2 months)

Owned national delivery of water-entrepreneurship programs across nine provinces, reporting to the CEO and COO and driving two concurrent national programs. Delivered 9 of 10 planned installations against the end-June 2026 milestone and coordinated installation readiness, champion support, grant operations, dashboards, recruitment, and compliance.

Program Management Project Management Stakeholder Management Cross functional Coordination Compliance Documentation Data Analytics Dashboard Development Dashboards Sheets Drive SharePoint Recruitment Coaching & Mentoring Claude ChatGpt Zoom Google Classroom

Finance & Operations Lead

Decusatio

May 2023 - Apr 2024 (11 months)

Provided SME finance and operations consultancy across multiple client portfolios, acting as the primary point of contact for onboarding and ongoing account support. Managed regulatory compliance oversight and presented client status reports to management meetings.

Client Onboarding System Integration Account Support Regulatory Compliance Status Reporting

Project Lead, Task-Based Services

Afrika Tikkun Services

Oct 2023 - Dec 2023 (2 months)

Led a DTIC-funded national data-cleanup project across multiple provinces, owning scope, risk, scheduling, and budget. Implemented a bulk-SMS engagement strategy and delivered weekly executive reports while managing participant payments and timely delivery within budget.

Project Leadership Risk Management Scheduling Budget Management Bulk SMS Engagement Executive Reporting Participant Payments

Owner-Operator

Okuhle Embroidery

Oct 2022 - May 2023 (7 months)

Operated an independent machine-embroidery business end-to-end, managing orders through production to delivery. Maintained supplier management, customer communication, and production scheduling as an ongoing income source during the job search.

Small Business Operations Production Scheduling Supplier Management Customer Communications order fulfillment Delivery Management

Operations Lead, Logistics & Mobile Tools

Youth Employment Service (YES)

Sep 2019 - Oct 2022 (3 years 1 month)

Led national logistics and delivery tracking for smartphone distribution to unemployed youth, line-managing operations staff across multiple provinces. Reduced national delivery timeframes by 33% and cleared an 8,000-unit order backlog by redesigning processes and building a purpose-built Excel delivery-tracking model.

Logistics Operations Supply Chain Management Team Coordination SLA Management Supplier Relationship Management Process Redesign Quality Assurance Backlog Management

Client Engagement & CX Administrator

Youth Employment Service (YES)

Feb 2018 - Aug 2019 (1 year 6 months)

Managed client relationships and facilitated weekly alignment sessions with business development across touchpoints. Oversaw project scheduling, invoice processing, and payment management, using focus groups and landscape analysis to identify and resolve recurring customer-experience gaps.

Client Engagement Project Scheduling Invoice Processing Payment management Customer Experience (CX)Focus Groups

Project Assistant & Finance Administrator

Goethe Institute

Jan 2016 - Aug 2017 (1 year 7 months)

Coordinated stakeholder travel logistics, processed supplier invoices, and administered petty-cash reconciliations while producing weekly financial reports. Conducted community research and supported the program knowledge repository for a girls-in-science education initiative.

Travel Logistics Supplier Invoice Processing Petty Cash Reconciliation Community Research Knowledge Management Program Administration

Education

Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework

Google

Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate, Data Analytics

In progress Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate.

Udemy

Excel Advanced, Microsoft Excel

Excel Advanced coursework is in progress (Udemy).

University of South Africa (UNISA)

Bachelor of Commerce, Financial Management

Activities and societies: Completed 11 modules; conditional matric exemption; university-eligible.

Completed 132 NQF credits (Levels 5 and 6) toward a Bachelor of Commerce in Financial Management, including Financial Accounting Principles and General Management (both distinctions). Also completed coursework in Financial Management, Economics, Commercial Law, and Business Management.