Executive Head of Department, Professor / Associate Professor at Stellenbosch University

Duties/Pligte        
Over the past ten years, the Centre of Health Professions Education, now the Department of Health Professions Education (DHPE), has demonstrated significant growth in   terms of academic and scholarly outputs while continuing to provide a service to the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) with regard to Faculty development, digital technologies, simulation and language communication. 

The post of the Executive Head of the Department will become vacant by the end of 2024 and we are now seeking the services of an individual who can not only build on 

the current upward trajectory, but also enable the DHPE to extend its reach in terms of health professions education within the FMHS, across South and sub-Saharan Africa 

and elsewhere in the world. 

Job Requirements/Pos Vereistes        
General:

• Leading the DHPE in an innovative, inspirational, person-centred manner in the interest of building the standing and stature of the Department;
• Providing strong leadership towards the development and achievement of the Department's strategies, while also contributing to the development and achievement of 
•           University and Faculty strategies within the context of being a research-led university in Africa;
• Being recognised and serving as an authority in the field of higher or health professions education, with a strong external research profile as appropriate to the discipline;
• Maintaining high-level scholarly activity and keeping up to date with developments in the field as necessary to carry out the duties of the post;
• Maintaining their own continuing professional development;
• Integrating the Faculty values into all appropriate aspects of the job, respecting the dignity and diversity of all members of the Faculty community and its partners.

Research, innovation and impact:

• Pursuing, developing and leading research, innovation and impact at a benchmarked level, including national and international collaborations;
• Developing strategic direction within their own research area while providing over-arching leadership to staff in the Department in terms of their own research;
• Promoting the integration of their own research area with other research interests within and outside the Faculty;
• Maintaining a high quality record of regular and original research publications;
• Attracting research income on an individual and collaborative basis, to the field or discipline, to underpin high quality research activity;
• Providing high quality postgraduate supervision and attracting research students to the Centre;
• Participating in knowledge transfer activities.

Teaching:

• Undertaking research-led teaching in the M Phil in HPE; and regularly collecting, and responding to, student feedback;
• Supervising postgraduate students at PhD and Master's level;
• Contributing at a leadership level to Faculty policy and practice in teaching;
• Playing a significant role in the design, development and planning of modules and programmes within the subject area as required;
• Playing a significant role in the review of modules and programmes, and in quality assurance and enhancement as required;
• Developing innovative approaches to learning, teaching and assessment as appropriate;
• Providing timely feedback on assessments.

Faculty development:

• Actively contributing to the development, planning and implementation of activities within the DHPE;
• Being available to consult with staff within the FMHS on matters related to teaching, learning, and assessment;
• Mentoring and encouraging scholarly and educational leadership activities, including scholarship of teaching and learning.

Recommendation/Aanbeveling        

• Experience at management level, and of leading a large team;
• PhD in health professions education, or higher education;
• At least five year's experience of working within a tertiary institution;
• Proven national and international standing in health professions education;
• Proven track record of research in health professions education with a research profile commensurate with the level of associate or full professor;
• Existing networks and collaborations in health professions, or higher education in Africa or beyond;
• Sound experience in postgraduate supervision at both master's and doctoral level;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. 

Recommendations:

• A health sciences qualification;
• Experience of grant writing;
• Knowledge of an additional official South African language.