Executive Director: Transformation at The South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC)

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:

• Lead the development, implementation, and monitoring of the SAMRC’s Transformation Plan, aligned with international trends, national policies and programmes, strategic organisational priorities and good practice.
• Develop and drive the SAMRC’s social purpose strategy integrated in the organisational strategy by leading cross-functional teams to design and implement initiatives that achieve social purpose goals.
• Drive programmes and campaigns that cultivate self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and personal accountability in leaders, teams and employees.
• Serve as the organisation’s primary ambassador for social purpose, representing SAMRC at high-level Forums and Events by clearly articulating and communicating the institution’s social purpose through internal communications, branding materials, recruitment, and onboarding processes.
• Maintain systems for evaluation and monitoring of transformation initiatives, providing critical data and insights to guide institutional’ s social purpose execution and demonstrate its impact.
• Establish relevant key performance metrics and reporting framework.
• Prepare reports on transformation achievements for presentation to relevant key stakeholders including the Board.
• Provide strategic leadership and management of the Transformation Office.

KEY REQUIREMENTS INCLUDE:

• Masters degree in Business Administration, Sustainability, Public Policy, Social Sciences or related field.
• 10+ years of senior leadership experience in complex, public-facing organizations. Minimum of 5 years proven track record in developing and implementing social purpose or organisational transformation initiatives at an executive level.
•  Background in stakeholder engagement, public policy, and external communications.
• Experience in collaborating with cross-functional teams and engaging with external stakeholders.
• Formal/informal training in skills such as emotional intelligence, positive psychology, character strengths, the Enneagram, 360 reviews and so forth.

THE FOLLOWING ATTRIBUTES MAY BE ADDED ADVANTAGE:

• Degree/Diploma in a coaching field.
• Working experience in research, academic, public-sector or science-focused institutions.
• Demonstrated experience in change management especially in embedding social purpose initiatives.
• Working experience in personal and team coaching, the resolution of conflict, conflict resolution