Executive Dean at North West University

PEROMNES GRADE: P3
POSITION NUMBERS: N000724                           

FIXED-TERM APPOINTMENT               

Purpose of the position:

• As the executive leader and accountable manager, to transform and to position the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences as a unitary faculty of superior academic excellence with a commitment to social justice within a unitary NWU

Minimum Requirements:

• PhD in relevant scientific discipline
• 5 years’ experience in professional leadership (Senior Management)
• Membership of appropriate academic and professional networks
• Professional registration where applicable

Other competency requirements:

• Thorough knowledge of the RSA Higher Education system
• 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
• Aptitude in managing the research-innovation value chain

Core Responsibilities:
Strategy development

• Develop faculty strategy, implement the NWU strategy in the faculty, taking account of its multi-campus nature and national imperatives
• Co-determine and be jointly accountable for the successful implementation of the NWU Teaching and Learning strategy and the Research and Innovation strategy
• Co-determine, develop and be jointly accountable for successful implementation of the overall NWU strategy

People development and management

• Academics of superior standing, scholarship and performance
• Superior faculty management staff in key positions to lead and implement best people and task management practices
• Support staff effectiveness joint accountability
• Best practice staff development and performance management practices joint accountability
• People profile (staff and students in every mode of delivery) joint accountability

Teaching and Learning

• Lead and direct teaching and learning practices, processes and competencies that achieve academic excellence as well as teaching and learning innovation
• Support the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning to promote teaching and learning innovation
• Continuous curriculum renewal delivering socially responsive and programmes that are congruent with national imperatives
• Lead and direct effective academic planning to deliver flagship programmes that provide competitive advantage to the NWU
• Lead and direct effective enrolment planning to ensure optimal enrolment levels in various academic fields, qualification levels and modes of delivery
• Aligned academic programmes and aligned modes of delivery on all campuses
• Lead quality assurance of academic programmes to ensure academic standards and the quality of the student learning experience
• Professional qualifications to meet minimum standards set by professional bodies

Direct the integration of research outputs into teaching and learning to enhance professional qualifications and graduate employability

• Ensure preparation of students for post-graduate research programmes where relevant
• Financially strengthening, third-stream revenue that consistently enhances the financial sustainability
• Consistent achievement of superior teaching and learning metrics 

Research and Innovation

• Establish and maintain a research environment and support infrastructure enabling world-class research
• Implement inter- and trans-disciplinary research that differentiates the NWU nationally and internationally
• Lead, direct and participate in national and international collaboration addressing NWU niche research areas
• Ensure research outputs and quality of notable international profile and impact
• Lead and direct flagship research entities that provide competitive advantage to the NWU
• Clustering research and innovation appropriately around agreed research themes focusing on national and international imperatives
• Lead and direct fundamental research, applied research, research in application, curiosity-driven research, blue skies research and directed research
• Facilitate differentiation and third-stream revenue generation through innovation and commercialisation

Community Engagement

• Lead and direct community engagement initiatives that are integrated with teaching and learning as well as research
• Community engagement initiatives joint accountability

 
External Strategic Relationships

• Funding, professional recognition, academic development, employment, research opportunity realisation through effective local and international relationships with peers, higher education institutions, research community, industry, professional bodies and the community
• NWU Brand positioning and promotion joint accountability through effective relationships with national and local government, the community, industry, students, parents and alumni and other stakeholders

Management and Leadership

• Faculty composition (structure, staffing), effectiveness and efficiency

Schools and Research entities (sub-units) team composition and effectiveness joint accountability

• Joint accountability with leadership team for management effectiveness of the institution
• Joint accountability with own team for faculty effectiveness, including governance and management arrangements
• Stakeholder relationship development and effectiveness
• Corporate governance conformance, reporting and risk management
• Budgeting, cost mana systems design, utilisation, effectiveness and efficiency
• Personal effectiveness, wholeness and development
• Values-based behaviour leadgement and cost-effectiveness

Management and Leadership

• Faculty composition (structure, staffing), effectiveness and efficiency
• Schools and Research entities (sub-units) team composition and effectiveness joint accountability
• Joint accountability with leadership team for management effectiveness of the institution
• Joint accountability with own team for faculty effectiveness, including governance and management arrangements
• Stakeholder relationship development and effectiveness
• Corporate governance conformance, reporting and risk management
• Budgeting, cost management and cost-effectiveness
• Faculty processes and systems design, utilisation, effectiveness and efficiency
• Personal effectiveness, wholeness and development
• Values-based behaviour leadership and personal compliance