Academic Head of Department (contract appointment: five years, with the possibility of serving a second term) at University of the Free State

Duties and responsibilities:

• Provide formal teaching for undergraduate as well as post-graduate programmes.  
• Act as a supervisor for postgraduate students.
• Ensure active involvement in research.  
• Active involvement in curriculum development relating to Curriculum Studies and/or Higher Education.
• Plan and execute teaching and research strategies continuously.
• Organise and coordinate general administrative duties.
• Mentor and motivate staff.
• Manage finances (e.g., annual budgeting, allocation of funds) of the department.
• Provide academic leadership by creating and executing strategies to establish the school as a leader in the discipline vis-à-vis competing international entities.
• Responsible for directing the academic debate in the department.
• Responsible for influencing the department's overall climate and culture.
• Responsible for energising everybody in the department and beyond.
• Responsible for shaping the future of the department.
• Contribute to the overall leadership in the faculty.
• Responsible for frequent and continuous planning and execution of plans, general organising and coordinating of staff, students and activities, mentoring and motivating staff, structuring, and exercising overall control. 
• Create an atmosphere of consensus among staff.
• Effective internal and external communication.
• Participate and be involved actively in faculty management     structures, attending meetings, leading project teams, representing the school and faculty, and fulfilling the roles of liaison officer and marketer, when necessary. 
• Participate and be involved actively  in applicable UFS management structures, e.g., Senate.
• Initiate, formulate and implement a visionary academic strategy for the school that is aligned with and supportive of the guiding strategic documents of the UFS and faculty.
• Ensure the provision of top-quality, research-informed facilitation of learning at all levels of teaching in the department.
• Ensure relevance of content, material and presentation in all modules.
• Ensure the enhancement of student experiences and their continuous engagement in academic debates.
• Ensure that adequate rules and regulations are in place to optimally deliver high-quality teaching and learning programmes on both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
• Adhere to all the rules and regulations of the UFS, faculty and department.
• Ensure quality and timely feedback on student work.
• Ensure proper and quality-driven academic advice and support to all under- and postgraduate students in the department.
• Ensure the revisiting and development of fresh learning programmes that will help to position the department as a leader in the fraternity.
• Create and maintain a visionary research strategy for the department.
• Create and maintain an environment that encourages research, leading to strong and active research habits and a culture of inquiry.
• Ensure that every academic staff member is engaged in quality-driven and discipline-specific research.
• Ensure that postgraduate students are recruited to broaden the research base of the department and ethical requirements are met.
• Guide and support senior academics towards acquiring NRF ratings.
• Ensure active engagement with the faculty research committee and the UFS Directorate of Research Development in order to ensure sustainable financial support for departmental research initiatives.
• Plan and implement a fair and reasonable dispensation regarding the workload of staff members in the department.
• Plan and implement a clear and reasonable career path for every staff member in the department, taking account of the strategic plans of the University, faculty and department.
• Implement appropriate mentoring interventions where and whenever it is needed.
• Manage staff performance in accordance with existing university policies and procedures.
• Responsible for recruitment and selection of scholars in the case of vacancies and/or specific strategic needs, whenever strategic repositioning requires expansion of academic endeavours.
• Create and maintain a scholarship-friendly environment in the department.
• Plan and oversee effective and relevant staff development.
• Responsible for financial management culminating annual budgeting, financial planning, allocation of funds and financial control.
• Adhere to the UFS's financial policies and procedures.
• Encourage and actively support academic staff members to apply for external research and other grants.

 
Inherent Job Requirements:

• A relevant PhD in Education with specialisation in Curriculum Studies and/or Higher Education Studies.
• Applicants should already be appointed at Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor /Professor Level.
• A minimum of two (2) years’ proven experience in leadership of teaching and learning, research and/or engaged scholarship within an academic department or faculty as either a discipline coordinator, programme director, subject head, etc.
• A minimum of five (5) years’ relevant working experience in a higher education environment.
• Proven experience in supervision of graduated master’s and/or doctoral students.
• Proven recent research record of publications in national and international accredited journals.
• Proven experience in engaged scholarship.
• Candidates should submit a declaration of intent which outlines their vision for the Headship of the Department

Competencies
Key Competencies:
  Results Orientated: 

•  The ability to cope with a frequently changing environment and to adapt to evolving situations. The ability to be reliable, responsible, dependable and to fulfil obligations.
•  The ability to be reliable, responsible, dependable and to fulfil obligations.
•   Strategic Thinking: 
•  The ability to focus on details, work towards perfection, and approach work in a neat and organised manner.
•  The ability to plan work and to follow plans.

  Business Acumen:

•  Proficient in using MS Office.
•  Good research and writing skills.
•  Experience in academic and/or research leadership

  Leading: 

•  The ability to lead, take charge of situations, and offer opinions and directions to others.
•  The ability to be cooperative with others, display a good-natured attitude, and encourage people to work together
•  Knowledge and use of inclusive participatory pedagogies.

  Building Coalitions:

•  The ability to negotiate, sell, influence and to persuade others.
•  The ability to make decisions through consultation, collaboration, and working with close supervision.
•  Good interpersonal and communication skills