Career Vacancies at University of the Free State

Duties and responsibilities:

• In consultation with the Academic Head of Physics undertake the following:
• Manage the curriculum processes of the department.
• Develop new learning programs in consultation with stakeholders.
• Ensure frequent and continuous development and management of the operational plan of the Programme.
• Provide general leadership in the Programme and ensure academic coherence across all the various modules of the programme.
• Ensure that the activities of the Programme are undertaken in accordance with the governance, policy, and regulatory frameworks of the University.
• Assume responsibility for the academic quality of the Programme.
• Manage the academic administration of the Programme.
• Ensure scholarship of high quality.
• Manage matters relating to teaching, learning, and students in the Programme.
• Conduct own research.
• Provide academic advice in terms of academic inquiries, amendments of yearbooks, schedules, timetables, etc. related to the Programme.
• Serve on the marketing committee of the faculty as necessary.
• Assist with marketing pamphlets or any suitable marketing material, etc. for the purpose of needs assessment and correlation of subject content with professional precepts.

Inherent Job Requirements:

• PhD degree on NQF Level 10. 
• Any full-time, permanent member of the academic staff of the Department of Physics at the University of the Free State (UFS).

Recommendations:

• Exposure to programme development and academic advisory services will be an advantage.

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Duties and responsibilities

Strategic Leadership and Fundraising Development:

• Expand the university’s international fundraising footprint, with a focus on high-impact relationships in different global regions. 
• Build and steward relationships with multilateral agencies, embassies, and development aid organisations to unlock funding opportunities for key university projects. 
• Build a culture of philanthropy within the UFS community and provide executive-level leadership on fundraising campaigns and donor engagement initiatives.
• Develop and manage comprehensive fundraising plans to secure philanthropic investments for strategic university priorities, including research, infrastructure, scholarships, and community engagement.
• Cultivate and steward High Net Worth Individuals (HNWIs), foundations, corporate donors, and government funding agencies.
• Support the establishment and growth of regular giving programmes.
• Develop donor pipelines through prospect research and alumni engagement.
• Lead the drafting of grant proposals, funding applications, and donor reports that communicate institutional impact and vision.
• Ensure that communication, marketing, and recruitment initiatives align with and support fundraising and advancement goals.
• Build strategic partnerships with corporate, governmental, and multilateral stakeholders to secure long-term investment and collaboration.
• Represent the University at national and international forums to advocate for higher education funding and strategic alliances.

Alumni engagement and Global Network Building: 

• Lead the University of the Free State’s alumni engagement strategy, strengthening relationships with alumni. 
• Support the expansion of alumni chapters, providing networks that benefit both alumni and current students. 
• Cultivate alumni as volunteers, mentors, and ambassadors for the university, ensuring they contribute time, talent, and treasure to the institution. 

Communication, Marketing and Branding:

• Provide strategic oversight of the University’s marketing and communication functions to build brand awareness and promote UFS as a globally competitive institution.
• Direct the development of impactful content across multiple platforms, including digital media, publications, and institutional campaigns.
• Ensure consistent messaging that enhances the institution’s visibility and reputation among internal and external stakeholders, including donors and alumni.
• Align communication strategies with student recruitment, advancement, and institutional objectives.

Student Recruitment:

• Guide the strategic direction of student recruitment, ensuring that marketing and communication efforts support enrolment targets and transformation goals.
• Integrate recruitment messaging into broader advancement efforts to attract diverse, high-performing students locally and internationally.
• Monitor market trends and demographic shifts to refine recruitment strategies and promote the UFS brand in priority regions.

Operational and Financial Management:

• Oversee budget planning and financial reporting, ensuring compliance with donor intent, grant agreements and ethical fundraising principles. 
• Collaborate with finance, legal, and governance structures to ensure transparency and accountability in all advancement activities. 

Inherent requirements

• A postgraduate qualification in higher education, public administration/relations, business, communications, marketing, international relations/development, or a related field.
• A minimum of five (5) years of progressive leadership experience in major gifts, global fundraising, and resource mobilisation, preferably in the higher education sector (eight (8) years of experience is preferred). 
• A minimum of five (5) years of experience in higher education (eight (8) years of experience is preferred).
• Demonstrable success in leading major fundraising campaigns and securing high-level donor commitments.

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Duties and responsibilities:

• Develop and ensure implementation of service standards for technical security services.
• Monitor and evaluate multiple contractors' performance, enforce service levels, and address non-compliance.
• Oversee contract renewals and cost-benefit analysis to ensure the sustainability of technical security infrastructure for all long-term contracts.
• Align contract planning with institutional annual funding and strategic priorities.
• Develop project briefs and technical scopes, including the approval of project planning before execution.
• Lead and coordinate the development of business cases relating to technical security services.
• Manage Technical Security projects through the full lifecycle: initiation, planning, execution, monitoring & control, and closure.
• Develop and manage security system design and installation projects from concept to commissioning.
• Develop and draft technical specifications, drawings, and enforce technical specifications and compliance checklists for all security systems.
• Establish requirements for security systems, viz, video surveillance, motion detection, facial recognition, CCTV cameras, etc., to ensure installation and operation.
• Ensure the integration of security systems, technologies and the activation of Artificial Intelligence capability across the institution’s security infrastructure.
• Manage server infrastructure, network, data archiving and monitor infrastructure systems health.
• Develop and enforce access control policies aligned with university risk profiles and operational needs.
• Conduct routine audits and maintain servers and workstations, ensuring uptime and data integrity and provide engineering solutions.
• Approve card applications and manage access profile requests in accordance with departmental requirements and authorisation levels.
• Provides inputs towards the budgeting process, assumptions and forecasts aligned with operational needs.
• Manage staff in accordance with the UFS HR policies.
• Manage procurement processes for the Technical Security Services section.

Inherent requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree or an advanced diploma/BTech degree/postgraduate certificate on NQF Level 7 or a three (3) year National Diploma on NQF Level 6 in Electrical or Electronics Engineering.
• Valid PSIRA Grade B registration (attach a copy) or undertaking to obtain the registration within six (6) months after appointment.
• A valid code 8 driver’s licence (attach a copy).
• Minimum of four (4) years’ relevant working experience relating to the duties and responsibilities.

Recommendations:

• Higher education sector experience.
• Avigilon and any other recognised CCTV cameras certification (attach proof).
• Project Management certificate (attach proof).
• Registration with a professional body such as Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA)(attach proof).
• Impro certification (IXP400 & Impro Portal)(attach proof).
• Knowledge in conducting physical security assessments.
• Knowledge of intruder and fire alarm systems.
• Knowledge of electric fence installations and maintenance.
• Knowledge of Access Control systems.