Career Opportunities at University of the Free State

Duties and responsibilities: 

• Deliver engaging and innovative teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, including executive education programs.
• Conduct high-impact research recognised nationally and internationally in business management with specialisation in agribusiness.
• Participate (for Associate Professor)/lead and participate (for Professor) in interdisciplinary research projects and initiatives.
• Supervise to completion of master’s and PhD students.
• Participate (for Associate Professor)/play a key role (for Professor) in curriculum development and programme enhancement for formal and executive education programmes.
•  Engage with industry leaders and foster strong connections between the Business School and the business community, including providing consultancy work on behalf of the Business School.
• Generate third-stream income on behalf of the Business School through contract research, consultancy, and funding supporting learning and teaching.
• Contribute to the Business school's strategic vision and leadership.

Inherent requirements:

Associate Professor

• A PhD on NQF Level 10 in Business Management with a strong focus on specialisation in Agribusiness.
• Proven record of teaching at undergraduate and/or postgraduate level. 
• Experience as external examiner for postgraduate students.
• Proven experience in the presentation of research papers at national conferences, where there is evidence of peer review of papers.
• Acted as an editorial board member of high-quality national scholarly journals.
• Proven national recognition for specialist expertise and research leadership in a specific scientific area of scholarship.
• Proven experience in the supervision of graduated master’s degree students.
• Proven expertise of practice experience in business management with a focus on agribusiness.
• Demonstrated ability for third-stream income generation.
• A proven research record of relevant publications in high-quality accredited national and international journals.
• An NRF rating of C3 or equivalent status.
• Served as a member of a national scholarly society OR a national committee or agency concerned with research at higher education levels OR showed evidence of service as an active member of an international equivalent.

Professor

• A PhD on NQF Level 10 in Business Management with a strong focus on specialisation in Agribusiness.
• Experience as external examiner for master’s-degree and doctoral students.
• Acted as editorial board member of high-quality international/ISI/IBSS journals.
• A significant research portfolio demonstrated by a sustained research record in the last 8 years.
• A research record of relevant publications in high-quality national and international accredited journals.
• Proven international recognition for specialist expertise and research in Business Management with a strong focus on specialisation in Agribusiness (for example, regularly reviews international/WoS/Scopus (Q1 and Q2) journals).
• Demonstrated successful supervision of graduated master’s-degree and preferably graduated doctoral students.
• Proven expertise of practice experience in business management with a focus on agribusiness.
• Demonstrated ability for third-stream income generation.
• Proven experience in delivering keynote addresses at national scholarly conferences.
• Demonstrate potential in wider public engagement and dissemination of research.
• Served as a member of a national or international scholarly society, committee, or agency concerned with research at higher education levels.
• An NRF rating of C1 or C2 or equivalent status.

Recommendations:

• A minimum of three (3) years of relevant practice experience in Agribusiness management.
• Proven lecturing experience in the Higher Education environment.
• An in-depth knowledge of agricultural economics and business.
• A track record in engaging with the agribusiness industry.
• Expertise in agribusiness finance and quantitative methods.
• Ability to communicate research results to clientele groups.
• Proven skills in data analysis using IBM SPSS, AMOS, PLS.

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Duties and responsibilities

Strategic Planning:

• Lead the strategic planning, monitoring and evaluation of the Institutional Student Governance Office’s (ISGO) strategic goals in line with the vision, mission and values of the Division Student Affairs (DSA) and the UFS.
• Oversee the integrated reporting of ISGO on all three campuses.
• Lead engagements with the Institutional Student Representative Council (ISRC) and the entire student body on all three campuses.
• Ensure participation of the Student Representative Council (SRC) in all relevant UFS forums.
• Lead the management of risks within Student Governance.
• Provide a strategic oversight of the programmes and activities of the ISRC.
• Create strategies for addressing the underlying issues that may be driving student protests.
• Participate in the development of DSA strategy as directed by the Executive Director.
• Engage Student Life to facilitate Leadership training and related capacitation programmes.  

Financial Management:

• Direct the overall budget and financial management of ISGO.
• Manage allocation of budgets to sub-units of the ISGO.
• Ensure intentional spending of all allocated funds in alignment with UFS goals and to advance DSA goals.

Project Management:

• Identify new opportunities in respect of student needs, conceptualize relevant programmes and direct the implementation in line with divisional goals.
• Lead the architecture of strategic projects within IGSO.
• Oversee the monitoring and evaluation of strategic projects’ impact.
• Oversee the implementation and strengthening of systems that promote a culture of accountability and integrity at the UFS, with a special focus on Student Leaders.
• Ensure, in consultation with the Executive Director, the planning and smooth running of SRC elections.

Policy Development:

• Identify policy gaps for development within Student Governance and review existing policies for alignment.
• Lead and review the development, and ensure compliance with consultative processes and the submission to relevant approval structures.
• Ensure implementation of policies within the ISGO environment.
• Guide and provide strategic leadership within ISGO as a core part of the Student Affairs Senior Leadership Group.
• Represent ISGO in relevant Institutional committees.
• Represent the Executive Director in various institutional committees when delegated.
• Ensure ISRC constitution and related ISGO policies are reviewed when the policy term ends.

Personnel Management:

• Lead human resources processes, in collaboration with Human Resources, concerning personnel in ISGO.
• Provide strategic leadership to attract and retain sufficiently qualified and competent staff.
• Oversee the enhancement of teamwork and departmental coherence.
• Oversee the implementation of the staff Performance Management Programme.
• Oversee the efficient management of leave processes.
• Oversee efficient and effective administration of Student Affairs financial resources.
• Oversee the adherence of university procurement procedures within ISGO.
• Oversee the implementation of processes aligned to achieve employment equity targets in Student Affairs.
• Oversee continuous development of ISGO staff.

Protest Management and Resolution:

• Act as a liaison between the administration and student groups to reach a consensus and peaceful resolution.
• Work with campus security to maintain order and manage potential risks during the protests.
• Monitor social media and other communication channels to stay updated on the progress of protests, to respond to student concerns and advise the Executive Director: Student Affairs.
• Develop communication plans to inform students, faculty members, and the public about the protests and any related activities or news.
• Facilitate discussions and other forms of debate to promote conversation and dialogue rather than violence.
• Work with university leaders and faculty members to identify potential solutions to the challenges that students are protesting about.
• Advise, through the Executive Director, university executive management on potential protests and solutions thereof.

Inherent Job Requirements

• A Master’s degree on NQF Level 9.
• A minimum of eight (8) years relevant experience in areas indicated in the duties and responsibilities, of which five (5) years must have been in a managerial and strategic leadership position.
• Experience in strategic and operational planning and execution.
• Experience in a university or similar environment.

Recommendations

• Experience in and sound knowledge of Student Governance.
• Ability to think strategically and engage strategic frameworks.
• Demonstrated administrative experience.
• A firm understanding of the challenges in the higher education sector in South Africa.
• Background in higher education and student Governance structures.