New Vacancies at University of the Western Cape/Universiteit van Wes-Kaapland

The successful incumbent is responsible for the following Key Performance Areas:

• Strengthen the University's postgraduate programmes through association with the faculties.
• Offer workshops for supervisor development and support students through research capacity development programmes
• Develop and lead a programme of strategic support to postgraduate programme, increasing postgraduate quality, enrolment, and graduations through the postgraduate academy      Provide a one-stop service. This would be attained through streamlining internal academic processes.
• Ensure timeous coordination of scholarship / fellowship calls, submissions to the national research foundation (NRF), and internal bursary calls.
• Manage the postgraduate lifecycle to ensure an exceptional postgraduate student experience.
• Partner with faculties and divisions in facilitating the development, promotion and delivery of research skills and supervisory skills and develop programmes for students and staff in accordance with the strategic priorities of the University, according to national and international best practice.
• Partner with all key stakeholders in the university relevant to postgraduate studies including but not limited to student administration, CSSS, financial aid, etc
• Respond to Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) research capacity building, related policy documents, draft proposals, and reports.
• Undertake statutory reporting for postgraduate, as well as review and revise policies related to the portfolio. 
• Provide hands-on operational leadership to bed down a new organizational structure, which includes the design and implementation of training and workflows to accommodate the systems and strategy. 
• Responsible for ongoing recalibration of business processes, workflows, and adjustments as the various modules of the system unfold.
• Collaborating with IT Services to ensure high levels of systems availability, functionality, integrity, and efficiency. 
• Collaborating with other managers e.g., Deputy Deans etc to ensure that researchers and other stakeholders are provided with a seamless postgraduate service and understand the processes which need to be followed to access this service. 
• Conceptualizing and managing postgraduate support service events, including presentation of opportunities offered by major funders and research organisations to various audiences and through different media.
• Engaging with individual researchers (academics) in all stages of their careers on the entire spectrum of research-related support.
• Engaging with committees and programmes related to the University Research Committee.
• Maintaining and strengthening relationships with external stakeholders, such as the NRF, EU Commission, relevant government departments and audit agencies. 
• Maintaining optimal relationships with researchers and committee members
• Building and maintaining relationships with other research offices (nationally and internationally)
• Ensuring that effective communication exists with all stakeholders and that the appropriate channels are there to resolve problems as they occur.
• Monitoring the quality of support for each stakeholder and providing recommendations where change is required
• Ensuring that quality information services are consistently provided to stakeholders for all Research related services.
• Leading,motivating and managing a team of permanent staff, interns as well as ad hoc staff and consultants
• Managing the distribution of work of staff to ensure they meet the unit’s objectives and their stakeholders’ needs.
• Managing and monitoring expenditure ON NRF-related and other funding cost centres, in collaboration with the Finance team.
• Providing input into the annual budgeting process for the Funding Committees.
• Coordinating relevant reports, obtaining sign-off as required and submitting these to Government or funders.
• Reporting on activities of the Research Support and Postgraduate services cluster, in line with the Research and Postgraduate Strategy, for input into research reports or to funders.
• Communicating and driving the importance of Research and Postgraduate services with faculties and other stakeholders by playing an advocacy role.
• Providing feedback to faculties of new services available to them, and articulating the faculty needs to the relevant staff.

Minimum Requirements

Minimum Requirements (Qualification and Experience)

• A PhD Qualification at an NQF 10 or equivalent. 
• 8 – 10 years’ experience in research
• An academic with extensive experience in the management of postgraduate administration
• At least 3 to 5 years of relevant management experience.
• A sound track record of publications
• Evidence of guiding and successfully supervising postgraduate students and successful research proposal writing

Required competencies (skills, knowledge, and behavioural attributes):

• Ability to work independently and accurately under extreme pressure
• Cope with multi-tasking
• Sound Project and Financial Management Skills
• Interpret and implement legislation, regulations, policies, and guidelines
• Contribute to the academic research enterprise through skilled relationship building
• Monitoring  and  evaluation Skills 
• Demonstrable leadership, influencing and negotiation skills 
• People management including performance management
• Decision making and problem solving
• Sound Project and Financial Management Skills
• Planning and organizing
• Professional development

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The successful candidate will be responsible for, but not limited to, the following duties: 

• Making logistical arrangement for the relevant ethics committee meetings.
• Preparing and distributing the meeting pack prior to each meeting.
• Minute-taking at the meeting.
• Preparation of minutes following the meeting, as well as the coordination of any actions resulting from the meeting.
• Proactively keep track of open queries and requests for approvals. Request additional documentation as required and follow up on outstanding items where amendments re requested by the Chair.
• Advise faculty officers, Deputy Deans and other staff members on REC processes and guidelines.
• Assist the ongoing development of research ethics processes, including the introduction and implementation of new standard operating processes and policies. This will be done by offering training sessions to staff on REC processes and guidelines.
• Making logistical arrangement for other training opportunities outside of UWC, for REC members. 
• Support in the preparation of Annual Report to National Health Research Ethics Council; 
• Coordinate ongoing monitoring processes for projects throughout the lifecycle of the project. This includes the administering and arranging monitoring and ad hoc reviews of all approved projects.
• Undertake other such duties, commensurate with the role, as required by their Line Manager.
• Coordinate and update information in the University and Office Research Development databases to ensure that all research ethics-related documents and forms are up to date.

Minimum Requirements

Minimum Requirements (Qualification and Experience): 

• A relevant National Diploma at an NQF 6 or an equivalent qualification. 
• At least 3 - 5 years’ relevant experience in a higher education /research institution. 
• Experience in administration of a Research Ethics Committee.
• Proficiency in MS Office and Digital Media

Required competencies (skills, knowledge and behavioural attributes):

• An understating of NHREC requirements and standards, guidelines relevant to clinical and research ethics.
• Verbal and written communication skills. 
• High level administrative and organisational skills, including demonstrated ability to prioritise a high volume workload, work to deadlines and work independently or as part of a team. 
• Demonstrated experience and competence in the preparation of agendas and minutes, and drafting correspondence, discussions papers and reports. 
• Evidence of experience in maintaining high levels of organization of documents, minutes and maintain quick turnaround times. 
• Ability to work under pressure, take initiatives and meet deadlines.

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The successful candidate will be responsible for the following key responsibility areas:

• Facilitate learning and teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate levels in the Computer Science department.
• Conduct research and publish in one or more fields of 4IR.
• Undertake undergraduate and postgraduate supervision.
• Undertake curriculum development and assessment.
• Undertake community engagement and outreach.
• Provide academic leadership.
• Secure funding or third-stream income.
• Perform management tasks.

Minimum Requirements

For the post of Senior Lecturer, the following minimum requirements shall apply:

• PhD in Computer Science or in Computer/Electronic Engineering.
• Experience in teaching undergraduate and postgraduate Computer Science courses.
• A track record of producing quality peer-reviewed DHET-accredited publications in journals and conferences proceedings, and research in one or more of the 4IR fields.Successful postgraduate supervision at the Hons and Masters level.
• Evidence of community engagement with learning and teaching and/or research.

Added advantages for the appointment at Senior Lecturer level:

• An NRF rating.
• Evidence of an international presence in Computer Science.
• Evidence of secured research funding.
• Evidence of how own research will complement the Department’s research niche areas.
• Research or teaching experience in Immersive Technologies.
• Involved with professional and academic associations.

For the post of Lecturer, the following minimum requirements shall apply:

• MSc and registered for a PhD in Computer Science or in Computer/Electronic Engineering, with a clear plan for completion.
• Experience in teaching undergraduate and/or postgraduate Computer Science courses.
• Evidence of producing relevant high-quality peer-reviewed DHET-accredited conference proceedings and/or publications.
• Successful postgraduate research supervision at Honours level.
• A clear career development plan in at least one or more of the 4IR fields.
• Evidence of community engagement with learning and teaching and/or research.

Added advantages for the appointment at Lecturer level:

• Evidence of how own research will complement the Department’s research niche areas.
• Experience in Immersive Technologies.
• Evidence of engagement with professional and academic associations.

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The successful candidates will be responsible for the following:

• Facilitate learning and teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate levels on campus and in clinical settings;
• Conduct research and publish in appropriate high impact journals;
• Undergraduate and postgraduate supervision;
• Curriculum development, assessment and the continuous improvement of the academic programme
• Community engagement and outreach;
• Manage academic administration;

Minimum Requirements

For the post of Senior Lecturer, the following criteria shall apply:

• A BPharm, MBChB or related degree AND a PhD (Clinical Pharmacy, Pharmacology or Clinical Pharmacology), or a PharmD, or a Masters in Clinical Pharmacy and at least 5 years of clinical experience.
• Registration with the appropriate Professional Council (SAPC or HPCSA) to practice in South Africa.
• Teaching and practice experience with a student centred and innovative approach towards teaching and learning.
• A record of relevant high-quality accredited publications and experience of postgraduate research supervision.

For the post of Lecturer, the following criteria shall apply:

• A BPharm, MBChB or related degree AND a Masters degree in Clinical Pharmacy, Pharmacology or Clinical Pharmacology.
• Registration with the appropriate Professional Council (SAPC or HPCSA) to practice in South Africa.
• Teaching and practice experience with a student centred and innovative approach towards teaching and learning.
• A record of relevant publications and some experience of postgraduate supervision or mentorship.

Advantages for the appointment:

• A track record of developing research projects and securing funding would be an advantage;
• Collaborative partnerships with academic institutions, government departments, community health and/or research organisations.
• Active working experience as a pharmacist in a clinical environment.

Key competencies:

• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English.
• Teaching, training and mentoring skills in an academic and clinical environment.
• Engaging and developing undergraduate and postgraduate students.
• Planning and organising skills.
• Time and project management skills.