Strategic Lead: Democracy, Governance and Citizenship at Human Sciences Research Council (HRSC)

Minimum Requirements    

• A PhD Degree in Social Sciences or related disciplines (NQF 10)
• At least ten (10) years’ experience in managing and leading senior research teams with demonstrable impact outcomes;
• At least 5 years’ experience at a strategic and senior management level in an academic environment or research institution e.g. Associate Professor or Professor Level;
• An academic leader with an impressive and strong publishing record of at least 30 peer reviewed publications (books, books chapters, journal articles) of which several must be international and first or sole authored;
• Above average grant proposal writing skills along with a verifiable record of raising large scale project funds for research;
• Additional management and leadership qualifications will be an added advantage;
• Advanced business acumen with skills in the design and management of large and complicated budgets, according to relevant financial, human and statutory requirements;
• Personal qualities that include intellectual and personal integrity, imagination, drive, and the ability to work well under pressure and meet deadlines;
• Leadership qualities that include humility, a commitment to excellence, strategic advisory experience, the ability to work as part of a management team and to capacitate more junior researchers and lead multidisciplinary teams; and
• Excellent computer literacy including a knowledge of contemporary ways of communicating research outcomes.

Duties & Responsibilities    

• Governance & Citizenship, Lead, manage and coordinate various research themes, senior researchers and teams in the areas of Democracy,
• Build visible national, continental and international research partnerships in the HSC area of specialisation that result in collaborative and multidisciplinary studies, high quality publications, evidence reviews and policy briefs;
• Coordinate and review strategic plans and opportunities for fund raising to meet agreed upon targets for the team;
• Together with the team of directors, senior research staff, and supported by the division’s business development team foster concrete plans and activities for meeting the divisional goals and targets;
• Ensure that grants obtained are strategic and focussed on public-oriented research in keeping with the HSRC’s vision;
• Provide practical leadership in the areas of quality assurance (QA), science communication, impact assessment and dissemination for research outputs along with designated staff and HSRC resources; and
• Manage the outputs of researchers in the team to ensure maximum impact of the HSRC.
• As a strategic lead, the candidate is required to be visible and engage with government entities and activities on a continuous basis; and
• Together with the Divisional Executive, spearhead formal government engagements through joint projects, partnerships, secondments, workshops and research dissemination;
• Drive and enable a relationship of trust and influence in appropriate ways amongst all levels of research staff.
• Oversee a programme of engaged science in their designated theme of responsibility with local communities and scientific groups in order to ensure that research outcomes result in innovative solutions for South Africa (and Africa’s) challenges.
• Actively forge research collaborations with Universities and Science Councils
• Ensure that each team member aligned to the designated theme of leadership is capacitated, managed, supported, mentored (if they are trainees) and motivated to ensure a high performance team that meets strategic targets;
• Actively promote and support recruitment talent management, succession planning and retention policy focus, and achieve equity targets;
• Ensure that fair conflict and consequence management takes place.
• Oversight for achieving delegated designated targets for the theme / sub division and;
• Contribution to the division’s risk profile and mitigation strategies.
• Ensure that research grants are well managed and that good relationships with collaborators and grant making organisations/institutions are maintained.

Closing Date: 24th, June 2022.