Research Director - Cape Town Durban and Pretoria at HSRC

Minimum Requirements    

• A PhD in Education, Economics, Sociology or in a related social sciences or humanities field;
• At least eight (8) years of research and management experience, preferably in a research institution or a university;
• Excellent writing skills in drafting briefing papers, reports, and academic publications for wider public dissemination of research findings;
• At least 20 peer-reviewed publications (books, books chapters, journal articles), of which several must be international, and several must be first or sole authored;
• Relevant quantitative and or qualitative research experience;
• Extensive experience in securing funding for research;
• Good research project management experience and the ability and enthusiasm to lead research teams in a large multidisciplinary research division;
• Intellectual leadership in a specified area, personal integrity, imagination and drive; and
• Skills in managing, mentoring and training team members.

Duties & Responsibilities    

• Identify key research areas in support of national, African and global South development agendas;
• Formulate targeted research proposals and secure funding on a sustainable basis to enable policy relevant, strategic research projects;
• Implement and manage high quality, large scale, long-term research studies with a focus on social impact;
• Deliver high-quality results and reports to budget and deadline;
• Stimulate public debate, civil society engagement, and develop communities of practice to ensure uptake of evidence to transform educational and economic outcomes;
• Produce high quality knowledge outputs through publishing in accredited refereed journals, books, and book chapters and with collaborators on the African continent;
• Ensure research impact through government and stakeholder engagement, policy briefs and research reviews;
• Communicate research findings across multiple media platforms and at academic conferences and forums; and
• Develop research skills and competencies through formal and informal training for self and others.