Deputy Director : School of Communication (PD00012) at North West University

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Strategy Development:

• Co-determine the School Teaching and Learning Plan and joint accountability with the School Director for the implementation thereof
• Jointly accountable for the successful implementation of the NWU Teaching and Learning plan
• Translate the School Teaching and Learning Plan into a campus implementation plan and operationalise.

Operational Management:

• Manage the day-to-day operational delivery, work allocation, performance and quality ensuring alignment with the faculty plan
• Co- determine School annual strategic plan, joint accountability with School Director for planning the operationalisation of the academic offering of the school.

Teaching and Learning, including Higher Degree Supervision:

• Implement faculty teaching and learning practices and processes on campus and drive alignment within the School in terms of programmes and modes of delivery.
• Improve the design of the School qualifications / curriculum / programmes to ensure shortfalls are addressed against external and internal programme evaluations and reviews
• Devise and implement improvement plans post programme reviews
• Innovative use of technology and all media, optimum levels of standardisation of delivery for undergraduate programmes, quality assurance and a rich diverse learning experience, joint accountability
• Implement continuous qualification, curriculum and programme alignment in relation to faculty plan, NWU academic standards and assessments framework
• Implement systems or processes to monitor and pro-actively identify at risk students and risk modules that would impact student success
• Determine strategies to improve student success and maximise opportunities to secure Government grants based on undergraduate throughput and student success
• Implement and oversee a secure environment for assessment and moderation
• Participate in enrolment planning to ensure optimal enrolment as per faculty plan
• Actively manage the registration of students, joint accountability with the Director Student Academic Administration
• Direct academic integrity matters and termination of studies due to poor academic performance on Campus
• Joint accountability to achieve the integration of research outputs into teaching and learning to enhance professional qualifications and graduate employability.

Student Relations:

• Liaise with students and parents, build relationships and resolve escalations
• Joint accountability for active marketing of the School to improve students’ identification and association with the School and its operation. 

External Relationships: Social Responsiveness and Industry Involvement:

• Collaborate and build effective relationships for success model delivery
• Liaise with regional, industry, statutory and professional regulatory bodies
• In consultation with the School Director, position and promote the School and ultimately the NWU Brand, through effective marketing and communication, relationships with local government, the community, industry, students, parents and alumni and other stakeholders
• In consultation with the School Director promote internationalisation and commercialisation.

Academic Leadership, Management and Administration:

• Faculty effectiveness and efficiency inclusive of infrastructure and facilities, joint accountability
• Programme and Research entities effectiveness, joint accountability
• Joint accountability with leadership team for management effectiveness of the School.
• Stakeholder relationship development and effectiveness
• Corporate governance conformance, reporting and risk management
• Cost management and cost-effectiveness
• Processes and systems design, implementation, effectiveness and efficiency
• Personal effectiveness, wholeness and development
• Values-based behaviour leadership and personal compliance.

Risk and compliance management:

• Risk management
• Compliance and Business Continuity

Financial management:

• Implementing and participating in an integrated risk- and compliance management model with a focus on business continuity and disaster recovery strategies.
• Plan, organise, control, monitor and evaluate the financial resources in your organisation unit, in alignment with the NWU financial policy and guidelines, in order to achieve the overall objectives of the unit as set out in the strategy and the APP for the organisation unit/entity.

People management:

• Create an enabling leadership culture by developing a shared direction, shared values and alignment and commitment to transform the organisational culture; Foster a participative and developmental leadership style; improve team cohesion, synergy and effectiveness.
• Develop a Strategic Workforce Plan that builds proportions of African and People with disabilities and implement the Plan.
• Arrange and implement culture improvement interventions, establish a baseline, receive a report and feedback and implement; actively remove engagement barriers.

Minimum requirements

• A MA/PhD in a relevant discipline (NQF Level 9/10).
• A minimum of three (3) years' significant experience in higher education
• A minimum of three (3) years' middle management experience
• Accreditation and/or membership of appropriate academic and professional networks.
• Professional registration where applicable.

KEY FUNCTIONAL/TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES:

• Thorough knowledge of the RSA Higher Education system
• Acceptable knowledge of student life cycle and matters pertaining to academic standards and qualifications
• Well-developed information and communication technology proficiency
• Acceptable management accountancy proficiency
• Acceptable contract development and management proficiency
• Acceptable knowledge of approaches to student access and support and curriculum design and delivery within the applicable academic fields.

Behavioural Competencies:

• Strong communication skills both verbal and written
• Language skills in order to function optimally in the different multilingual environments of the NWU
• Good interpersonal relations
• The ability to work with large groups of people
• The ability to accommodate multiculturalism.