Senior Researcher (One Post), Action Research and Development Unit, Department for Education Innovation at University of Pretoria/Universiteit van Pretoria

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Project Management

• Develop and manage comprehensive project plans aligned with strategic objectives;
• Manage own projects using platforms such as Asana or MS Project;
• Map interventions and data metrics using frameworks such as the Logical Framework, Design Thinking, or similar.

Research & Analytics

• Manage institutional research projects within higher education contexts;
• Create and manage measurement instruments for robust data collection;
• Apply data-mining and statistical techniques for descriptive and predictive analytics;
• Perform gap analyses related to systems, policies, and processes;
• Evaluate outcomes and institutional impact through monitoring and reporting;
• Develop clear, engaging visual reports using tools like Tableau or Power BI;
• Partner with Education Innovation (EI) and Institutional Research and Analytics (IRA) to embed data-driven decision-making into institutional processes.

Technology Management

• Support key research and academic technologies, including platforms such as the Power BI, Student Feedback systems and Readiness Surveys;
• Utilise research database infrastructure to support research activities (i.e. Snowflake, PSCS, Power BI);
• Assist stakeholders in utilising learning analytics dashboards effectively.

Training & Development

• Train key stakeholders on internal technologies and dashboards.
• Present findings at conferences and contribute to internal knowledge sharing.
• Collaborate across departments to promote data literacy and ensure data quality.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

• Honours degree in a Quantitative and Social Sciences Discipline;
• At least four years of experience in:
• Experience in quantitative research in a tertiary education environment or at a research entity
• Experience with data analysis programming languages (e.g., R / Python)
• Experience with data visualisation tools (e.g. Power BI)
• Experience in managing and maintaining research databases infrastructure (i.e. connection, ETL, access and reporting).