Career Vacancies at University of Pretoria/Universiteit van Pretoria

RESPONSIBILITIES:

The successful candidate’s responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

Operational training management:

• Refine and optimise the annual ITS training plan;
• Design, develop, and deliver training programmes and individual classes; and present instructor-led and online training sessions;
• Develop and deliver new courses for new and existing ITS solution, including all course materials, exercises, and skills evaluations;
• Review training materials and documentation and keep them up to date;
• Create and communicate training schedules in consultation with Management;
• Establish and maintain a database to track training participants’ status and results;
• Create and administer training event feedback mechanisms. Analyse results, make recommendations for training improvement, and integrate changes in curriculum and/or courses;
• Communicate software problems and issues to software development and support teams;
• Make recommendations for service improvement plans, and ensure actions are followed through to completion in a timely manner;
• Assist the Deputy Director: IT Strategic Support and Client Service to advance the University’s strategic objectives through IT initiatives and operational activities;

People management:

• Effectively manage staff to delivering IT training service to users;
• Ensure that individual performance measures/agreements are in place;
• Coach and mentor staff to achieve agreed performance target,s and develop a training and skills development plan for staff;
• Conduct performance reviews with staff as per the Performance Management Policy;
• Engage in regular team meetings with staff;
• Communication and teamwork:
• Be an ambassador for IT, working across the business to provide communication on IT matters and build relationships with other teams to ensure dialogue between departments;
• Build and maintain strong and productive relationship with stakeholders;
• Collaborate with the HR and other training departments on training matters;
• Communicate to senior ITS management about discrepancies in the current training standard offered and the user needs.;
• Advise end users on any identified training gaps, and play an active role in relevant ITS projects;

Training planning:

• Coordinate ITS staff training, including determining needs and objectives, obtaining quotes, obtaining, approval and procuring the training;
• Create, administer, analyse, and report on end user needs assessments and skills assessments;
• Develop and coordinate an overall training curriculum for end users of all levels;
• Assess, recommend, and purchase courseware packages (as and when needed), and support development of appropriate courseware tools;
• Participate in identification and recruitment of instructors and external course providers for specialised training needs;
• Conduct research into computer-based training products and services in support of development and purchasing efforts;
• Provide asset management for the IT Training Section, in consultation with the Finance Department;

Information security management and governance:

• Co-operate in compilation, testing and execution of the information governance and disaster recovery controls;
• Document processes, procedures, policies, standards, and the application of best practice in the IT Training Section;
• Collaborate in the cyber security awareness activities of ITS;
• Establish and maintain a compliant environment through the conformance to legislation and UP rules;
• Ensure compliance with health and safety policies and procedures to maintain a safe workplace.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

• Relevant Bachelor’s degree/BTech Degree/NQF level 7 qualification;
• Three years’ experience in:
• Staff development;
• IT training;
• Adult learning principles, methodologies, and course design techniques;
• Managing staff.;
• Train the Trainer certificate;
• Microsoft Office certification;
• ITIL certification;
• A valid drivers’ licence.

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES 

Knowledge of:

• The various administrative tasks that are associated with training and development;
• Trends in ICT;
• Enterprise and desktop applications;
• How adults acquire and use knowledge, skills and attitudes. Understanding the individual differences in learning;
• Policy drafting;
• Training need analysis;          
• Various applications and hardware used by the University;

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RESPONSIBILITIES:

It will be expected of the successful candidates to:

• Teach undergraduate and postgraduate modules in the Department;
• Supervise final year undergraduate project students and postgraduate Honours, Masters and PhD students;
• Conduct research as a member of a research group in the Department and publish in leading accredited journals;
• Raise and manage additional funding from national and international funding agencies and industry to support the activities of the relevant research group;
• Expand existing research programmes or initiate new research programmes;
• Perform assigned departmental duties (e.g. of an administrative nature).

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

Lecturer:

• A BEng degree in Civil Engineering from a university of which the undergraduate programme is recognised by the Washington accord or is recognised by ECSA to be equivalent;
• A Masters’ degree in Civil Engineering that follows on the previous qualification;
• Teaching or industry related experience;
• 1 Publication (peer reviewed article or peer reviewed conference paper) or
• Book chapter(s), recognized articles outputs or industry recognized outputs in a commensurate field.

Senior Lecturer:

• Same as for Lecturer, plus;
• A PhD degree in Civil Engineering that follows on the previous qualification;
• At least three years tertiary education experience or three years industry experience with some involvement in tertiary education;
• At least 2 articles published in DHET accredited journals or a DHET accredited book;
• At least 2 other publication outputs (peer reviewed conference paper(s) / book chapter(s) / industry recognized outputs in a commensurate field;
• Supervision / co-supervision of Master’s students to completion or proven management experience in industry.

Associate Professor:

• Same as for Senior Lecturer, plus;
• At least 6 years tertiary education experience or 6 years industry experience with some involvement in tertiary education;
• Experience in curriculum / strategy development and innovation;
• Evidence of sustained publications output;
• Majority of recent publications should be in WoS / Scopus / IBSS journals (past 7 years);
• Evidence of at least 3 research Master’s OR 6 coursework Master’s mini-dissertations successfully completed (supervised or co-supervised);
• Evidence of Doctoral student supervision;
• Evidence of conducting reviewer duties for journals and/or conferences.

ADDED ADVANTAGES AND PREFERENCES:

• Evidence of teaching excellence;
• Preference will be given to candidates who have teaching and research expertise that complement the Department’s needs;
• Related industry work or consulting experience;
• Candidates registered or registerable as Professional Engineer with ECSA;
• NRF rating or have applied for one.

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RESPONSIBILITIES:

It will be expected of the successful candidate to:

• Teach core chemical engineering science and applied science (e.g. reaction engineering, transfer phenomena, particulate engineering, principles of management in chemical engineering, process synthesis and analysis, materials science and engineering, etc.) at undergraduate and postgraduate levels in the Department;
• Supervise final year undergraduate project students and postgraduate students (Honours, Masters and PhD) applying chemical engineering principles in sustainable environment and water utilisation, advanced and applied materials, sustainable and efficient energy processes;
• Lead a research unit focusing on the application of concept of chemical engineering principles in materials chemistry and engineering, sustainable environment and water utilisation processes, sustainable and efficient energy processes, and advanced and applied materials and publish in leading accredited journals in the field;
• Raise and manage additional funding from national and international funding agencies and industry to support his/her research activities and that of the group/unit he/she associates within the Department;
• Expand existing research programmes or initiate new research programmes in sustainable environment and water utilisation, advanced and applied materials, sustainable and efficient energy processes;
• Perform assigned departmental duties (e.g. of an administrative nature).

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

Senior Lecturer

• A BEng/BSc (Eng.) degree in Chemical Engineering or closely related discipline (e.g. BSc/BScEng in Industrial Chemistry or Process Engineering/Technology) from a university of which the undergraduate programme is registrable with ECSA or its equivalent;
• A Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering or closely related discipline with a focus on core chemical engineering science, that follows on the previous qualification;
• A PhD degree in in Chemical Engineering or closely related discipline with a focus on core chemical engineering science, that follows on the previous qualification;
• Expertise and research experience in the application of chemical engineering principles  in sustainable environment and waste utilisation, advanced and applied materials, sustainable and efficient energy processes;
• At least 3 years of post-PhD experience in academia or industry
• A record of previous undergraduate and postgraduate teaching experience, including supervision of Masters and Doctoral students (at least 1 PhD candidate and at least 3 MEng/MSc candidates (on-going or completed as a main supervisor or a co-supervisor);
• A significant and nationally-recognised research record supported by publications in high quality peer reviewed journals;

ADDED ADVANTAGES AND PREFERENCES:

• Evidence of teaching experience in tertiary academic institution;
• Preference will be given to candidates who have teaching and research expertise that complement the Department’s needs (e.g. application of chemical engineering principles in advanced and applied materials, sustainable environment and water utilisation, efficient and sustainable energy, and sustainable process/process design);
• Related industry work or consulting experience;
• Candidates registered or registerable as Professional Engineer with ECSA or its equivalent;
• NRF rating/equivalent or have applied for one.

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RESPONSIBILITIES:

The successful candidate’s responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

Operational management:

• Refine and optimise the ITS Helpdesk human resource and capacity plan;
• Review and maintain ITS Helpdesk documentation;
• Coordinate and communicate service outages internal to ITS;
• Establish and maintain an escalation process;
• Create and administer ITS customer feedback mechanisms. Analyse results and make recommenda­tions for service improvement;
• Stay up-to-date with technology developments and trends;
• Provide management reporting on ITS Helpdesk services performance;
• Make recommendations for service improvement plans, and ensure actions are followed through to completion in a timely manner;
• Assist the Manager: End User Computing and Service Management to advance the University’s strategic objectives through ITS initiatives and operational activities;

Service excellence and management:

• Identify, define, manage, monitor and report on the services and service levels required to provide support through the ITS Helpdesk environment and services;
• Provide ongoing maintenance of the dynamic Service Catalogue;
• Ensure relevant ITS Helpdesk Service Level Agreements (SLAs) are in place, managed, monitored and reported on and communicated to end users;
• Coordinate the identification and resolution of service incidents, requests and problems, and where required escalate to and co-ordinate resolution with third-party suppliers;
• Identify and manage service improvement opportunities. Ensure continuous service improvement is embedded in the culture and working practices of the ITS Helpdesk;
• Identify and manage the ITS Helpdesk services and subordinate processes, including request fulfilment, access management, event management, incident management and problem management. Ensure all service management process are documented, maintained and adhered to;
• Manage and maintain the access rights to systems and information where these have been delegated to the ITS Helpdesk;
• Coordinate the activities of third-party service providers and suppliers. Monitor their performance against their SLAs and help resolve underlying problems;
• Identify and manage the interests of, and relationships with, internal and external stakeholders in the Service Desk environment to ensure their on-going commitment. Agree and publish the Service Desk objectives with these stakeholders and report on performance in respect of those objectives;

Collaboration:

• Be an ambassador for ITS, working across the University to provide communication on ITS matters and build relationships with other teams to ensure dialogue between departments;
• Build and maintain strong and productive relationship with internal and external ITS stakeholders;
• Communicate to senior ITS management about discrepancies on any IT services offered and the end user requirements;
• Have oversight on end-user advise services;
• Prepare, document, update and regularly test ITS Helpdesk continuity plans with the relevant ITS stakeholders and ensure coordination with overall Business Continuity plan;

People management:

• Manage Service Desk agents in delivering a speedy and efficient service to end users;
• Ensure that individual performance measures/agreements are in place;
• Coach and mentor staff to achieve the agreed performance targets and develop a training and skills development plan for staff;
• Conduct quarterly performance reviews with staff as well as regular team meetings;

Asset and financial management:

• Assess and recommend necessary tools to support development and maintenance of ITS Helpdesk services;
• Participate in identification of ITS technical products, and conduct research into ITS Helpdesk products and services;
• Provide asset management for the ITS Helpdesk in consultation with the ITS Finance team;
• Assist in the planning, compilation, management and execution of the ITS Helpdesk budget;

Governance and compliance:

• Partake in critical ITS Cyber and Information Security prevention activities;
• Identify changing trends related to security issues and coordinate and manage resolution of threats identified by users;
• Advise users of threats and how to prevent threats;
• Effect the necessary steps to contain threats, as part of a virtual team for ITS Security;
• Work with ITS management to maintain and update the relevant policies;
• Help to identify and monitor risks as well as governance and compliance requirements related to the ITS Helpdesk environment. Help to specify and implement appropriate mitigation and/or control measures;
• Ensure compliance with all relevant legislation and regulation with special emphasis on IT Service Management, Information Security, Business Continuity, Protection of Personal Information Act, Occupational Health and Safety Act, Council for the Built Environment Act, Labour Relations Act and Health and Safety. Monitor and report on compliance.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

• Relevant Bachelor’s degree/BTech/Advanced Diploma/NQF level 7 qualification; with
• A total of four years’ experience in:
• IT Service Management;
• Supervising or leading of a service desk environment;
• Workstation support.

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES 

Knowledge of:

• IT services support;
• ITIL aligned service management;
• Drafting policies and procedures;
• Project management;
• Student computing support in higher education;

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RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Education Consultant will be required to work on and contribute to Education Innovation initiatives, as well as in the designated Faculty with regards to:

• providing strategic leadership and change management for curriculum, teaching, learning and assessment to advance teaching and learning in the faculty;
• collaborating with staff in Education Innovation and the designated Faculty to create, implement, monitor and evaluate curriculum, teaching, assessment and learning platforms, systems and policies for the University as they affect hybrid teaching and learning, particularly in contact environments;
• engaging directly and building relationships with Faculties, Departments, Teaching and Learning Committees and individual academics;
• providing initial and continuing professional development for curriculum development, teaching and assessment, as well as tutoring;
• conducting research as an individual, in a community of practice or in collaboration with academics to stay abreast of trends in all aspects of academic development, as well as contributing to the development of knowledge in these fields through the scholarship of teaching and learning; and providing support to the Faculty of Health Sciences by promoting a culture of continuous change, improvement and innovation.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

• Relevant Master’s degree;
• Preference will be given to qualifying candidates with a Postgraduate Diploma in Higher Education Studies or Academic Development;
• Five (5) years of higher education or training-related experience;
• Three (3) years’ experience in institutional initiatives for the academic development of students and lecturers;
• Expertise in blended and online learning;
• Experience in using the affordances of technology to promote teaching and learning;
• Proven experience in the development and application of innovative teaching and learning strategies;
• Experience in working with a Learning Management System.

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES (SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND BEHAVIOURAL ATTRIBUTES):

• Leading change and general project management capabilities;
• Experience in education practice and education technology;
• Insight into the functioning and structures of a faculty;
• Experience in education consultancy in higher education and project management;
• Language proficiency and negotiation skills;
• Experience in coordinating and facilitating training intervention and rendering support to academic staff;
• Expertise in identifying, analysing, planning and supporting lecturers with regard to possibilities of flexi-learning environments;
• Up-to-date knowledge of current trends and future scenarios for higher education with consideration given to important innovations, including the potential of technology changes for teaching, learning and assessment;
• Thorough insight into educational theories and educational processes in higher education.

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KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

The incumbent will be responsible for the following but not limited to:

• Developing, implementing, facilitating and monitoring a wide range of training and awareness activities for the strategic achievement of the UP-Transformation plan and objectives;
• Developing and enabling an inclusive, diverse and transformed learning environment;
• Facilitating the conceptualisation and implementation of programmes and interventions for students at the university including, but not limited to, gender diversity and gender-based violence;
• Conducting advocacy, campaigns and strategic communications on transformation, inclusivity and diversity;
• Engaging stakeholders in the University community to address student issues of inclusivity by building capacity and creating a support network of peers;
• Engaging with students to encourage the infusion of inclusive language and behaviour in contact areas;
• Supporting Transformation and Change Committees through management of the Transformation Agenda across faculties;
• Drafting reports on University transformation progress to internal forums and external stakeholders such as Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), and SETA;
• Identifying policies, procedures and processes that need to be updated to ensure they are as inclusive as possible;

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

• Honours Degree in Industrial Psychology, Human Resources Management, Social Sciences or any other relevant field;

A total of 3 years’ experience as follows:

• Experience in advocacy and facilitation of transformation, diversity and social justice projects and initiatives;
• Experience in implementing student capacity building programs in the education sector;
• Experience in building the capacity of students to influence change;
• Experience in project co-ordination, management and implementation.
• A valid drivers licence.

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES (SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND BEHAVIOURAL ATTRIBUTES):

• Good project planning and management skills;
• Good knowledge of behavioural science;
• Sound knowledge of all relevant legislation (Labour Relations Act, EE Act, Skills Development Act, etc.);
• Excellent knowledge of gender-based violence management;
• Knowledge of organisational learning and change theory;
• Ability to deal with complex issues;
• The ability to liaise and negotiate at a senior level;
• Ability to command respect and credibility and display consistently high levels of personal integrity and ethical standards;
• Ability to work with stakeholders in a matrix management environment;
• Thorough understanding of good governance;
• Good strategic and change management skills;
• Administrative management skills;
• Excellent communication skills (written and verbal) and interpersonal skills;
• Good persuasive and conflict management skills;
• Excellent counselling and team facilitation skills.

ADDED ADVANTAGES AND PREFERENCES:

• Masters’ Degree in Industrial Psychology, Human Resources Management, Social Sciences or other relevant field;

A total of 2 years’ experience as follows:

• Experience at a Higher Education institution;
• Established networks in the area of transformation or social justice;
• Experience in Curriculum design.

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RESPONSIBILITIES:

The successful candidate will be required to:

• Teach at both undergraduate and postgraduate level;
• Supervise postgraduate students;
• Conduct research and produce accredited publication outputs;
• Perform academic administration and other duties as determined by the Head of Department;
• Participate in the Department’s strategic initiatives relating to teaching, research and community engagement;
• Participate in departmental, faculty and University committees or task teams.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

LECTURER:

• A Master’s degree in Sociology or a closely related discipline relevant to the teaching of the Department;
• Significant progress with PhD studies;
• Accredited research outputs appropriate to the post level: at least one (1) publication in an accredited journal or an equivalent recognized output;
• The equivalent of two (2) years of tertiary teaching or tutoring experience. This may include block and/or temporary teaching.

SENIOR LECTURER:

• A doctoral degree in Sociology or a closely related discipline relevant to the teaching of the Department;
• At least five (5) years of tertiary teaching experience;
• Evidence of successful design and implementation of courses at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels;
• Proven supervision to completion of at least two (2) master’s students;
• Accredited research outputs appropriate to the post level: At least five (5) articles in accredited journals or equivalent recognised outputs (e.g., chapters in peer-reviewed books)  and an average of one (1) such output per year for the previous 5 years;
• At least three (3) local or international conference papers delivered;
• Proven participation in relevant professional activities.

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES (SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND BEHAVIOURAL ATTRIBUTES):

• Excellent communication and teamwork skills;
• Commitment to ongoing curriculum transformation;
• Commitment to engage with new teaching technologies and methodologies.

ADDED ADVANTAGES AND PREFERENCES:

LECTURER

• A doctoral degree in Sociology or a closely related discipline relevant to the teaching of the Department;
• Expertise in at least one of the following six fields: Sociological Theory; Identity Studies, Inequality Studies, Political Sociology, Environment and Society, and Cultural Studies;
• Evidence of experience in curriculum design and development;
• Proven participation in relevant professional activities;
• Evidence of successful implementation of courses at the undergraduate level;
• Evidence of experience in academic administration.

SENIOR LECTURER

• Expertise in at least one of the following six fields: Sociological Theory, Identity Studies, Inequality Studies, Political Sociology, Environment and Society, and Cultural Studies;
• Regional or comparative specialisation on Africa and/or the wider global South;
• Successful supervision of postgraduate students at the doctoral level;
• Evidence of experience in academic administration;
• Evidence of attracting research funding.