Job Openings at University of the Witwatersrand

The main purpose of this position/job is: 

• To assist the Deputy Director: Commercial Services by taking delegated responsibility for the operational, contractual, and commercial management of the relationship between the University and its Service Providers and Retail Operators across designated areas, ensuring financial sustainability, governance compliance, and value-driven service delivery, while delivering a high-quality service that supports the University’s academic activities, support staff, and students.

Brief Description        
Finance & Commercial Performance

• Take operational accountability for the financial performance and cost sustainability of Dining Hall operations in line with the approved Commercial Services strategy.
• Draft, implement, and control multi-site Dining Hall budgets, including forecasting, variance analysis, and corrective action planning
• Exercise delegated authority over operational expenditure, labour deployment, and resource optimisation
• Drive commercial controls including portion control, waste minimisation, productivity optimisation, and cost recovery measures
• Lead the operational execution of approved Dining Hall commercial plans, ensuring alignment to pricing models, meal structures, and service frameworks
• Develop and implement financial risk mitigation and contingency plans to protect service continuity and budget integrity

Customers & Stakeholder Value

• Ensure Dining Hall services deliver consistent, reliable, and value-driven service that supports the University’s academic programme and student experience
• Balance service quality with commercial sustainability and operational efficiency
• Act as the senior operational interface for students, residence management, internal departments, and service providers
• Resolve escalated service delivery, contractual,and operational issues with authority and accountability
• Implement service improvement initiatives aligned to Commercial Services customer experience objectives

Business Processes, Contracts & Commercial Governance

• Exercise delegated responsibility for the contractual and commercial performance management of Dining Hall service providers, ensuring compliance with approved SLAs, pricing structures, and performance standards.
• Lead operational input into procurement and sourcing processes for Dining Hall services, including service specifications, Tender Working Committee inputs, and contract implementation.
• Formulate, implement, and monitor the Dining Halls Operational and Commercial Execution Plan to ensure consistent, high-quality, and value-driven service delivery.
• Take operational responsibility for catering and food service activities within the Dining Halls, ensuring effective coordination of kitchen and service operations.
• Ensure compliance with food safety legislation, OHSA, institutional policies, and governance requirements, including the implementation of risk assessments and Food Safety Management Systems.
• Develop, implement, and maintain standard operating procedures, policies, and service guidelines applicable to Dining Hall operations
• Drive operational innovation and technology adoption to improve efficiency, data accuracy,and service performance.

People Management/Growth

• Lead and manage multi-disciplinary Dining Hall operational teams across multiple sites, ensuring consistent service delivery and operational control
• Take accountability for labour planning, payroll inputs, attendance management, rostering, and productivity optimisation in line with operational and budget
• requirements.
• Manage labour relations within a unionised environment, including grievance handling and disciplinary processes, in accordance with institutional policies and labour legislation.
• Drive performance management, skills development, training, and succession planning to build operational capability and leadership depth
• Ensure effective workforce deployment across extended and peak service cycles
• Embed a culture of accountability, service excellence, safety compliance, and commercial awareness within Dining Hall operations

Ad-Hoc Duties

• Support, facilitate, and assist with the implementation of new innovations, initiatives, and service delivery improvements within Dining Hall operations
• Remain informed of industry trends, best practice, and emerging innovations relevant to food service and institutional catering
• Support and participate in effective change management initiatives aligned to operational and commercial objectives.
• Identify and implement opportunities for increased operational efficiency and continuous improvement
• Contribute innovative ideas and solutions that enhance service quality, efficiency, and commercial sustainability

Required  Academic Qualification/s (and Professional Registration/Trade where applicable):

• Grade 12 
• Food Service/Hotel Management Degree
• 5 years’ experience in diverse Catering Operations, covering kitchen, culinary, and service operations within high-volume environments.
• Valid Driver’s License (Code 08 or 10)

Technical Competencies

• Contract and SLA Management
• Monitoring of pricing structures, meal management, and consumption controls
• Budget accountability exceeding a defined annual financial threshold
• Food Preparation, Culinary Services and Service Operations
• Oversight of multiple Dining Halls and/or high-volume food service operations
• Participation in procurement processes, including specifications, evaluations, and supplier engagement
• Management of operations within a Unionized Labor environment
• Application of innovation and technology in food service operations (systems, equipment, process improvement)
• Payroll processes and operations, including timekeeping, roster management, payroll inputs, and labor cost control

Compliance/Statutory Requirements (Knowledge, Understanding and or Training)

• Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) 
• HACCP
• Foodstuff, Cosmetics & Disinfectant Act
• Any other relevant legislation, regulations, or standards.

Closing Date: 27 January 2026

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Main Purpose:

• Define and maintain the university’s Business Capability Model, including:
• Teaching & Learning
• Research & Innovation
• Student Lifecycle Management
• Academic Administration
• Community Engagement

Translate the University Strategic Plan (e.g. teaching & learning, research, community engagement, internationalization) into actionable business capabilities and initiatives.

• Ensure alignment between Council, Senate, Executive Management, faculties, and professional services.
• Act as the bridge between business leadership and Enterprise / Solution Architects.
• Ensure technology initiatives are driven by business outcomes, not tools.
• Support and promote compliance with processes a7 procedures, policies, acts and regulations.
• Ensure that the blue print of the University that provides the common understanding is in place. Also to ensure that all the ICT and business decisions adhere to university wide drivers and priorities.
• Provide optimal functioning of Information Technology application software and infrastructure by understanding the business strategy and putting in place a full analysis business impact across domains, functions, and industries, then monitoring and governing the implementation. 
• This employee is expected to provide the overview of University’s capabilities before any change is recommended.

Brief Description        

• Map business Artifacts 
• Organization/Actor catalog
• Driver/Goal/Objective catalog
• Role catalog
• Business Service/Function catalog
• Location catalog
• Process/Event/Control/Product catalog
• Contract/Measure catalog
• Model Business Capabilities
• Align Business Strategy with IT Strategy
• Monitor Conformance to EA Principles
• Analyse Gap between Baseline and Target Architecture
• Solve advanced and complex business problems, especially with respect to opportunities or leverage to be gained from automated information system solutions.
• Providing thought leadership in new concept development for projects, business and technology innovation and opportunities.
• Participate in Joint Application Development (JAD) sessions with Business Analysts, developer and system user representatives.
• Follow prescribed development framework in the team. (E.gTOGAF)
• Business process modelling and interpretation of institution processes and value chains applying standard methodology and Business Process Reengineering.
• Information flow and data analysis and modelling, applying standard methodology and toolset to institution information and data requirements.
• Ensure processes are adhered to.
• Attend EARG Committee to assist in decision making on requested changes
• Market EA to the entire University

Requirements: 

• Relevant degree (e.g. BCOM IT or BSc Comp Science) or equivalent combination of education and work experience in development and design
• Minimum 3 yrs experience in Architectural Domain; 5-7 yrs preferred
• Knowledge of Architecture Methodologies, Standards, Practices, Governance, Reference PatternsStrong Business/Industry knowledge and familiar with Industry IT Solutions
• TOGAF Certified preferred
• Business Architecture Certified preferred 

Closing Date: 30 January 2026 

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Brief Description        
Minimum qualifications/requirements:

• A bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification
• A minimum of five years’ relevant experience in an administrative role at tertiary level or education sector.

Key Competencies:

• Highly computer literate in MS Office, E-mail, Internet, with database experience and knowledge of ORACLE (SIMS), Sims Activity Management, HEMIS, eLearning platforms, WebMaster, Room Allocation System, and MCQ system
• Excellent communication skills (written and verbal), interpersonal and organizational skills
• High levels of initiative; ability to work independently in a pressured environment, prioritize and meet deadlines
• Accuracy and attention to detail is essential. An understanding of the higher education sector, as well as knowledge of the University’s systems and procedures
• Good interpersonal skills and a professional manner. Ability to work in a deadline driven and pressurized environment

Key Performance Areas: 

• Biological Sciences administration (registration, maintain student records, book venues, compile Biological Sciences Handbook, control all accounts for the entity)
• Faculty of Science administration (editing Faculty Rules and Syllabus Booklet, faculty timetables and prize giving)
• Academic coordination (keep accurate records of marks, enter marks on WAMS, liaise with external examiner, prepares for and coordinates exams)

Closing Date: 30 January 2026

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Required Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Science, Statistics, Economics, Business Intelligence, Marketing Analytics, Research or equivalent. Honours or Master’s highly advantageous.
• A preference for 3 years’ experience in market intelligence, commercial analytics or learning and development analytics.
• Experience within higher education, EdTech or corporate training is an advantage.

Advanced skills in:

• SQL and either Python or R for analysis and automation
• Tableau or Power BI 
• Web scraping / social listening tools and job-market data platforms (Lightcast, LinkedIn Economic Graph data, Google Trends, Meltwater, Brandwatch, etc.) 
• Proven ability to translate complex data into board-level presentations and visual stories.
• Strong commercial acumen with experience in pricing analysis, forecasting and building business cases.
• Excellent command of English.

Personal Attributes

• Intellectually curious with a passion for lifelong learning and skills development in South Africa.
• Comfortable challenging assumptions with evidence.
• Able to move seamlessly between big-picture strategy and hands-on data cleaning.

This position is graded at a D1 level as per the Patterson Job Grading System.

Closing date: 27 February 2026

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Brief Description        

• Applicants should hold a PhD in Philosophy and have experience in the management of academic programmes—for example, curriculum design and review, building external partnerships, and leading strategic growth initiatives. A strong interest in education and a research profile in ethics are also desirable.

The level of appointment (Lecturer/Senior Lecturer) will be commensurate with the candidate’s teaching and managerial experience, as well as their research profile. 

Lecturer: 

• Candidates with teaching experience, developing administrative capacity, and evidence of an emerging research profile will be considered for Lecturer.

Senior Lecturer: 

• Candidates with a significant teaching range and/or proven postgraduate supervision, clear administrative or leadership experience, and a sustained publication record will be considered for Senior Lecturer. 

The University is committed to employment equity. Preference may be given to appointable applicants from the underrepresented designated groups in terms of the relevant employment equity plans and policies of the University.

Closing Date : 15 February 2026

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Brief Description: 

• The successful incumbent will report to the Director of the WCJ and will conduct research relating to journalism, media and Africa’s development and geopolitics as outlined in the funding agreement; and conceptualise, implement, manage, and report on the activities of the project. 

Key tasks:

• Lead in the delivery of the project’s research agenda
• Lead in leveraging research outputs for the capacity building of journalists and the media
• Grow and sustain a network of journalists and media editors focused on Africa’s development in a context of geopolitical shifts
• Publish, support and report on research
• Supervise and teach at postgraduate level
• Perform general research administrative duties

Requirements:

• A master’s degree or a doctorate in Humanities or Social Sciences discipline although candidates with a doctorate or close to completing a doctoral degree are preferred. 
• Proven knowledge of Africa’s governance frameworks in relation to economic development
• Project management experience
• Evidence of published research excellence
• Experience coordinating research projects and related public-facing events
• Experience in supervising postgraduate students, at least at the Master’s degree level

Closing Date : 4th February 2026