Open Vacancies at HSRC

Minimum requirements:

• A strong interest in Behavioural Science including Human Behaviour Change, Decision-making research, and Human centred design.
• Applicants must be in possession of a Master’s degree in a field of human and social sciences, and should be registered for, about to register for, or be completing their PhD with a registered South African University;
• Sound knowledge of data management and qualitative and quantitative analysis skills will be very advantageous;
• A sound academic record;
• A valid driver’s licence
• Experience in the preparation of research reports and manuscripts for publication, whilst having peer reviewed articles in recognized journals will be advantageous;
• Experience in communicating research findings at conferences;
• Fluency in English and isiZulu is preferred. 
• Curiosity, enthusiasm and interest in a research career that includes working with statistics and data analysis;
• Ability to work independently and in a team environment, good communication and leadership skills are required;
• Proficiency in or working experience with some or all of the following programmes: Atlas T, NVIVO, MS Access, Excel, Word, SPSS, STATA;
• Ability to work accurately, independently and in a team 
• Ability to work to strict deadlines and attention to detail 
• Applicants will be required to take a practical skills assessment test as part of the interview process. 

Duties & Responsibilities

Key responsibilities:  

• Working as required on all aspects of the CCBR which includes research projects, dissemination of results at various fora, and stakeholder engagements;
• Writing reports, fact sheets and policy briefs as required;
• Making demonstrable progress towards the achievement of a Doctoral degree;
• Producing peer reviewed research articles that appear in accredited journals;
• Writing up research results for workshops/conferences/presentations;
• Assisting with the writing of grant applications
• Developing own personal academic competencies through formal and informal training activities;
• Compilation of all specific duties and deliverables assigned in an individual performance-based contract.

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Minimum Requirements

• A Ph.D. degree in either the social sciences and humanities, or a related field in a relevant subject pertinent to the study of Africa.
• A strong publication record, including books, book chapters and scientific journal articles, several of which must be in international peer-reviewed journals. Conference presentations, opinion pieces and populist writings will not count towards this requirement.
• Fifteen years of collective experience in senior research leadership, people management, stakeholder relations and business management, of which five years should be on the Director or equivalent level, e., at the Associate professor or Professor level.
• Fluency in written and spoken English.

Additional requirements

• Proven ability to mobilise sustainable sources of external funding.
• Good networking skills and experience in working with senior
• Research interests and experience in working on the study of
• A sound grounding and competencies in quantitative and/or qualitative research
• Proven record of leading multidisciplinary research teams and managing budgets.
• Proven record of implementing strategic reforms and institutional transformation imperatives.
• Ability to work well under pressure and deliver to tight deadlines.

Beneficial commendations that will be an added advantage to the application include:

• Fluency in more than one of the major languages spoken on the
• Established networks on the Continent.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Promote knowledge and understanding of Africa through research;
• Perform strategic analysis of the implementation plans for the effective pursuit of the stated African agenda;
• Produce and disseminate information on African affairs and give effective policy advice and implementation support to the South African government’s focus areas in relation to other African governments and intergovernmental organisations;
• Provide institutional coordination and strategic direction on the African research agenda;
• Convene policy dialogues on contemporary questions affecting Africa and its people;
• Facilitate training and mentorship for emerging scholars;
• Foster collaboration with leading social scientists and humanities scholars, policymakers, and practitioners on the Continent, including the establishment and maintenance of strategic partnership arrangements;
• Provide leadership to the AISA team, including sourcing and allocating resources to ensure successful implementation of and performance on the AISA mandate.
• The Executive Head of AISA will drive the strategy, role and structural arrangements, within a clearly articulated organising principle for AISA.  The successful candidate is expected to provide strategic support to the overall management and organisational (i.e. corporate) decision-making process as a member of the HSRC Executive Committee to ensure that the HSRC meets its mandate. The successful incumbent will be an accomplished academic with intellectual and personal integrity, with a mission to serve the Institute and build it to realise its full potential. The role requires hands-on management and leadership of exceptional quality to assert AISA’s role and potential impact internally and externally.

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Minimum Requirements

• A relevant Ph.D. qualification and experience in the social, natural or economic sciences with practical experience;
• Experience in research environment in the context of Africa region, and publications in the peer-reviewed journals i.e. accredited;
• Emerging researcher in the areas of Agenda 2063, AU protocols i.e. Lome Declaration and SADC frameworks i.e. STI protocol, including intersectional challenges in Africa’s development;
• Demonstratable ability to develop creative ways of producing and/or communicating research outputs;
• Proven experience of having conducted/implemented in-depth research in other African countries;
• Ability to contribute to the Institute’s strategic objectives e.g., debate on changing landscapes within National System of Innovation and regional economic communities (REC) in Africa;
• Experience in quantitative and qualitative research approaches and the ability to undertake advanced statistical analysis using appropriate/relevant software;

Duties & Responsibilities

• The candidate is expected to contribute to proposals, co-publish journal articles and book chapters in a scientific manner i.e. accredited and open access (where possible);
• Ability to plan deliverables to enhance the Institute’s performance profile and conduct policy relevant and engaged research;
• Collaborating with other colleagues, should be able contribute to the existing or new research projects, engage with stakeholders involved in projects; demonstrate ability to creatively disseminate research evidence or collaborate with strategic partnerships unit to deliver consultative programs within and outside South Africa’s borders; understanding of regional economic, social and political nuances is an expectation;
• The candidate is expected to travel to the countries of strategic importance and relevance as part of the data collection process for the research projects – this will be part of advancing mutual co-delivery with strategic partners where necessary, as well as delivering on public engagement with scholars, researchers, and policymakers.
• The preferred candidate should be versatile and able to fit in a fast-paced and diverse environment;
• Co-develop and/or be able to work on Artificial Intelligence research and policy gaps in Africa, use of technology and innovation to respond to climate change in Africa. The incumbent is not limited to perform in the aforementioned areas, it will be crucial to think beyond areas of specialisation;  
• It is anticipated that the appointed candidate will also endeavour to create an enabling environment for emerging researchers and identify opportunities for AISA research outcomes to be applied through collaboration on the continent.