Latest Jobs at University of the Witwatersrand

Department Description        

• The University’s student housing programme comprises 6 400 beds in 18 student residences (styled as “living and learning centres”) as well as accommodation for more than 300 visiting and permanent staff and their families, within and adjacent to the Braamfontein and Park town campuses. The Campus Housing & Residence Life (CHRL) Division receives no University or state funding, so ongoing financial viability is a major priority, and the generation of substantial third-stream income is therefore essential. The University wishes to appoint an Operations Manager within CHRL unit.

Brief Description        
Some of the duties of the incumbent will include:

• Overseeing the development of a long & short-term maintenance plan for all Wits residences and directing the regular (planned) maintenance of all residential buildings and related indoor and outdoor facilities (including dining halls, sports facilities and the like). 
• Together with the Director: CHRL and the Residence Finance Manager conceptualizes possibilities for the ongoing physical development of existing and new residences in line with the University’s strategic thrusts in a cost-effective and efficient manner, and revising the type of occupancy/usage of existing residential buildings as necessary.
• Through the Managers ensures the effective and efficient utilisation of human resources and oversees the performance management of staff that have direct reporting lines which includes several a managers
• Developing and maintaining a staffing plan (including the upskilling, training and development of existing operational staff) to ensure excellent service delivery and continuity of operations.
• Formulating standard procedures for dealing with a range of regularly occurring types of crises related to the care of students, housing facilities and services.
• Develops and strengthens co-operative relationships with all the relevant University support departments that render a direct service to the residences
• Chairs the Occupational Health & Safety Committees within CHRL and ensures the development and management of appropriate health & safety systems and risk management strategies to mitigate risks to the University.
• Prepares and delivers operational reports to the CHRL Senior Management Team to support the Director and the Finance Manager in preparing reports for CHRL to higher structures of the University.                         
• Regularly reviewing operational and developmental needs related to residential and hospitality services & facilities within a constantly changing academic, social and economic environment.
• Directing and coordinating the implementation of strategic plans through the creation of master plans for development within each major area of operations, with clearly defined goals.
• Evaluating and assessing University housing occupancy retention and rejection trends and using such insights to determine/ amend residence admission criteria to ensure optimal occupancy at all times.
• Assessing incidents of student misconduct to determine appropriate courses of action - e.g. referral to the Legal Office or internal action within the division (reprimand, caution or financial penalty), and chairing internal student disciplinary hearings.
• Establishes close working relationships with external accommodation providers to ensure a virtually seamless transition between on-campus and off-campus housing for students who are required to make way for new generations of junior undergraduates in line with the University’s commitments to the provision of on-campus housing for most new first-year undergraduates requiring accommodation.
• Conducting residence-related disciplinary enquiries in accordance with the Rules for Student Discipline. 

This senior management post carries wide-ranging responsibility and considerable authority within a very complex environment.  The successful candidate must therefore meet the following minimum job requirements:

• A postgraduate degree in relevant field
• 10 years in a management role and 5 year experience in a relevant Student Affairs environment
• Be a good communicator with highly developed organisational and planning skills
• Extensive experience of, and insight into, student residence operations
• Experience in strategic, financial, facilities, events and staff management
• A strong commitment to education and the welfare of students and staff.

Closing date: 29 May 2020

To apply:

• Please submit a covering letter clearly indicating which post you are applying for, a detailed CV with names, addresses, contact numbers, e-mail addresses of 3 referees, Certified copies of your degree/diplomas, South African ID and/or copy of passport if not a South African citizen, via i-Recruitment https://irec.wits.ac.za

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Department Description        
Call for applications for the position of GCRO Executive Director.

• The Gauteng City-Region Observatory (GCRO) is a partnership between the University of Johannesburg (UJ), the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (Wits), the Gauteng Provincial Government and organised local government. Since its formation in 2008 the GCRO has established itself as an important voice within the field of urban studies both in South Africa and internationally. With Gauteng accommodating almost a quarter of South Africa’s population and one of the most important economies on the continent, the GCRO has championed the value of thinking regionally about the province’s urban settlements. The GCRO is positioned at the interface of government (provincial and local) and academia, with a mandate to provide independent policy support and ongoing academic research on the processes that are shaping the Gauteng City-Region (GCR).
• The GCRO is now in its third five-year planning cycle and has funding and Board approval for a range of research priorities. GCRO has grown to include 16 research staff and 3 administrative staff, besides the Executive Director.

Brief Description        
The GCRO is seeking to appoint a high-calibre researcher and manager to be the Executive Director and to lead the GCRO

• Reporting to the GCRO Board, the Executive Director will be expected, inter alia, to
• Oversee the execution and delivery of GCRO’s mandate and projects. This entails being responsible for ensuring high quality and impact of GCRO’s research processes and outputs on a wide variety of topics using both qualitative and quantitative methods;
• Manage an active and productive relationship with GCRO’s partner universities, and provincial and local government;
• Provide strategic leadership in the further growth and development of the organisation;
• Manage the day-to-day operations of the GCRO including finances, staff and human resources, in accordance with the policies adopted by the board, and in line with the Public Finance Management Act and rules governing the host institutions (Wits and UJ);
• Harness and support the existing capacities of research staff members in further developing their research and academic profiles;
• Act as the public face of the GCRO and maintain existing local and international partnerships while also forging new ones;

Applications will be accepted from candidates who:    

• Have a Doctorate in a relevant field, or a commensurate track record of accomplishment and leadership in research-related domains;
• Have a substantial track record in research and publishing in fields that overlap with GCRO’s thematic interests;
• Are comfortable with academic, applied and policy-relevant research, and a proven ability to work constructively with partners in government,   academia and civil society;
• Have the ability to lead and manage a skilled group of researchers working on multiple projects simultaneously;
• Have a distinguished track record of leadership, organisational management, administration and financial management. 

 
Appointment

• This appointment will be on contract with an attractive remuneration package. Conditions of service that apply will be revealed to the successful Candidate at the time of appointment. GCRO reserves the right not to make an appointment. 

Contact: Applications and enquiries should be emailed to Melinda Swift, [email protected] (phone +27-82-563-8992).
        
Closing date:  30 June 2020

• To apply, please submit a covering letter, as well as a detailed CV with names, addresses, contact numbers and e-mail addresses of 3 referees; certified copies of degrees/diplomas (certified copies should not be older than 3 months).
• Short listed applicants may be required to do a presentation and submit a one-page statement in addition to an interview.