Deputy-Vice Chancellor: Engagement and Transformation at Nelson Mandela University

Deputy-Vice Chancellor: Engagement and Transformation

Department: Office of the Vice Chancellor

South Campus

Five-year fixed-term contract position

Core purpose of job: 

Reporting directly to the Vice-Chancellor, the core purpose of this job is to provide intellectual and strategic leadership, and oversee the Engagement and Transformation portfolio in support of the vision and strategic objectives of the University. This portfolio has a substantive coordination and facilitative function; interwoven with faculties, entities and other business units across the institution.

The incumbent is a member of the executive of the university and actively supports the Vice-Chancellor (VC) in the strategic leadership and management of the university by leading and participating in university-wide decision-making processes towards achieving the strategic objectives of the institution in line with Vision 2020 and beyond.

Key performance areas and main responsibilities:

• Strategic leadership and management of the Engagement and Transformation portfolio
• Advancing the praxes of an engaged, transformative university that is locally responsive, nationally active, regionally alive, and globally aware
• Aligning engagement and transformation with the vision and strategic priorities of the University; including oversight of the institutional transformation plan and the engagement strategy and philosophy
• Articulating engagement and transformation as an institutional orientation that supports the aspiration of excellence in research, learning and teaching
• Anchoring, conceptually and programmatically, the strategic goals of engagement and transformation within and beyond the University
• Embedding engagement and transformation across the University portfolios for socio-economic impact and in the interest of the public good
• Leading creative and innovative engagement and transformation projects that position Nelson Mandela University strategically within the national and global higher education sector
• Cultivating a culture of scholarship as an intellectual resource base that supports the engagement and transformation approaches and programmes of the University
• Management financial and other resources in the portfolio
• Management of human resources of the portfolio, including human resources development, effectiveness and performance.

Core competencies:

• Strategic orientation
• Transformative and transformational leadership
• Change leadership
• Relationship/network building skills
• Resources stewardship and management (including Financial Management)
• Excellent people management skills
• Proven attributes of transparency, integrity and teamwork
• Well-developed communication skills
• Decision-making
• Ethical leadership and corporate citizenship.

In addition, the incumbent should have the following knowledge, skills and attributes:

• An acute appreciation of engagement and transformation discourse within the South African higher education system; inclusive of theory, policy and praxis
• Multi-dimensional experience as an engaged scholar
• Ability to make agile, dynamic, progressive and wide-ranging set of intellectual and policy contributions to the university and the field of higher education studies
• Proficient knowledge and experience of engagement and transformation within the public sector in general, and the South African Higher Education landscape in particular
• Senior leadership experience in the field of transformation in the South African university sector
• Deep familiarity with critical studies in higher education transformation; and critical university studies
• Ability to disseminate research findings through scholarly papers in reputable journals and conduct presentations at national and international levels
• High-level public sector experience and civil society credibility on engagement and transformation.

In order to be considered for appointment to this post, candidates must have:

• A minimum qualification of at least a relevant PhD or equivalent degree.
• Minimum of 10 years’ experience in Senior management and an executive role in a University, or comparative environment
• An acute knowledge of engagement and transformation within the South African higher education sector; inclusive of theory, policy and praxis
• Experience in critical studies in higher education transformation; and critical university studies
• Experience in disseminating research findings through scholarly papers in reputable journals and conduct presentations at national and international levels.

All shortlisted candidates will be required to undergo psychometric assessments. Furthermore, it is expected that all shortlisted candidates will:

• Give express permission to undergo verification of qualifications, publications, credit and criminal records as well as any other verification deemed appropriate by the University
• Deliver a 15-minute presentation, the topic of which will be communicated timeously
• Provide details of at least two individuals who are capable of providing professional references.