Vice-Dean: Research, Postgraduate Studies and Internationalisation (Post Level 5) at University of the Free State

Duties and responsibilities

• Identify and develop current and future research flagships of the faculty.
• Participate in all aspects of the core business of the faculty, but with specific reference to postgraduate students and research.
• Take co-responsibility with the Dean to ensure the achievement of the mission of all faculty-based programmes and innovative initiatives.
• Take co-responsibility with the Dean to provide effective and appropriate research direction and to develop and implement the strategic mission of the faculty, within the broader University context, with a focus on postgraduate students, innovation and research.
• Take responsibility in securing strategic collaboration and third-stream income relating to postgraduate bursaries and research, including the large equipment strategy of the faculty.
• Take co-responsibility with the Dean in investigating and driving new funding opportunities for postgraduate students and research in the faculty
• Take co-responsibility with the Dean to over-see financial management and financial sustainability of research and postgraduate activities of the faculty.
• Chair the Higher Degrees and Research Committee of the Faculty.
• Take responsibility for all activities linked to postgraduate thesis and dissertation submissions and examinations of the faculty.
• Participate in community service pertaining to the postgraduate students and research portfolio.
• Participate in committees both at faculty and university level.
• Take responsibility for all activities linked to engaged scholarship and internalisation of the faculty.

Inherent Job Requirements

• A Doctoral degree on NQF Level 10 within any of the disciplines of the faculty.
• Experience on management level.
• Proven experience in forming networks and linkages with industry.
• Proven experience with supervision of master's and PhD students.
• Proven evidence of publishing in peer-reviewed journals.
• NRF-rated scientist/eligible to apply for NRF-rating.
• Appointed at the level of an Associate Professor or full Professor.
• Proven record of research grant applications, innovation, management, and experience in third-stream income generation.
• Superior knowledge of research methodology, postgraduate student support, and management of postgraduate programmes and processes.
• Proven international recognition for specialist expertise and research leadership in a particular area of academic scholarship (e.g., regularly serves as a reviewer for international/ISI/IBSS journals).

Recommendations

• ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Established leadership and team-building capacity.
• Demonstrated ability to negotiate, collaborate, communicate and facilitate in complex environments.
• Knowledgeable about the functioning of the Executive Committee of a faculty.
• Analytical problem-solving skills with impeccable attention to detail.
• Ability to set an overall research and innovation strategy and drive process improvement.
• Evidence of inter-faculty and inter-department collaborations.