Deputy-Dean: Research, Internationalisation and Postgraduate Studies at University of the Free State

Duties and responsibilities

• Provide formal teaching for undergraduate and post-graduate programmes in the Faculty of Education.  
• Act as a supervisor for postgraduate students in the relevant field.
• Engage in the Work Integrated Learning Programme of the faculty (Teaching Practice).
• Ensure active involvement in research in a relevant field of Education and publish research articles in accredited national and international journals.
• Active involvement in curriculum development relating to the relevant field of Education.
• Apply for external funding grants for research and/or teaching and learning projects.
• Mentor and support junior colleagues in the Faculty of Education.
• Contribute to leadership and administrative tasks in the faculty.
• Drive innovation efforts aligned to research-aligned domains
• Drive multi-, inter-, and transdisciplinary research recognising that innovation, internationalisation are at the heart of teaching, learning, and research.
• Identify and develop current and future research flagships of the faculty. 
• Participate and strive for excellence in all aspects of the core business of the faculty, but with specific reference to postgraduate studies, research and innovation. 
• Take co-responsibility with the Dean to provide effective and appropriate academic direction and to develop and implement the strategic mission of the faculty within the broader University context. 
• Take co-responsibility with the Dean to ensure the maintenance of all academic standards for postgraduate programmes in the faculty. 
• Take co-responsibility with the Dean to provide effective and appropriate research direction and to develop and implement the strategic mission of the faculty, within the broader university context, with a focus on postgraduate studies and research. 
• Take co-responsibility with the Dean in the management of postgraduate student-related matters.
• Support the Dean in obtaining networks, partnerships, and new growth and innovation opportunities. 
• Take co-responsibility with the Dean for securing strategic collaboration and third-stream income relating to postgraduate bursaries and research.
• Take co-responsibility with the Dean to oversee the financial management and financial sustainability of research and postgraduate activities of the faculty. 
• Provide leadership on the quality assurance of the postgraduate programme offerings on different sites and the need to shift from competition to collaboration, coherence, and regulation.
• Provide research-driven leadership in the faculty in relation to Research, Innovation, and Postgraduate Studies. 
• Participate in teaching, research, and engaged scholarship. 
• Chair the Research Committee of the faculty. 
• Chair the Higher Degrees Committee of the Faculty
• Participate in committees both at the faculty and university level. 
• Act as Dean and report to the Deputy Vice-Chancellors and Vice-Chancellor and Principal when the Dean is absent. 

Inherent Job Requirements

• A Doctoral degree on NQF Level 10 in any relevant field of Education. 
• Five years of experience at a management level (i.e., head of department/school/centre/unit).
• Proven experience with supervision of master’s and PhD students.
• Experience as an external examiner for postgraduate students. 
• Proven evidence of publishing in peer-reviewed journals. 
• Proven record of research grant applications, management, and experience in third-stream income generation. 
• Superior knowledge of research methodology, postgraduate student support, and management of postgraduate programmes and processes 
• Proven international recognition for specialist expertise and research leadership in a particular area of academic scholarship (e.g., regularly serves as a reviewer for international/ISI/IBSS journals). 
• An NRF rating or potential for rating. 
• Proven experience in co-leading or leading one or more collaborative research projects in the past 5-years.
• Eligible for appointment as an Associate or full Professor at the University of the Free State. 

Recommendations

• Established leadership and team-building capacity. 
• Demonstrated ability to negotiate, collaborate, communicate, and facilitate in complex environments. 
• Analytical problem-solving skills with impeccable attention to detail. 
• Ability to set an overall research and innovation strategy and drive process improvement.
• Established research leadership and research team-building capacity.