Openings at North West University

Introduction

• Join the Climate change, human rights and sustainable development law nexus Research Niche under the Mentorship/Supervision of Prof M Barnard as a Fulltime Postdoctoral Fellow at the Faculty of Law, North-West University, South Africa

Job description

Niche Field: 

• Climate change law, Climate change mitigation, Climate change adaptation, International/National human rights law, Sustainable development law, Environmental, Social and Governance, Energy sector reform as specific climate change mitigation and/or adaptation measures

Minimum requirements

• LLD/PHD in Environmental law. Minimum of 2 peer-reviewed and accredited published academic journal articles or book chapters

Apply by: 31 May 2026

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Job description

PURPOSE OF THE POSITION

• This Research Associate Professor position is expected to make a significant contribution to all activities of the research unit (AGoPA) and play a significant role within their profession or discipline.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Teaching

• Teaching research methodology subjects in post graduate courses, short learning programmes and workshops.
• Initiation and development of subject material.

Development and Supervisor

• The preparation and delivery of lectures and seminars on research methodology of higher degrees.
• Supervision of postgraduate students engaged in course work.
• Supervision of honours/ Masters and Doctoral research reports.
• Leadership of research teams. This may require a high level of administrative work.

Research

• Supervision of postgraduate students.
• The conduct of own research projects.
• Writing Grant Proposals.
• Seeking funding for research projects.
• Networking and actively seeking for national and international collaborative research projects.
• Collaboration in multi-and interdisciplinary projects.
• Leading research teams.

Community Engagement

• Leading and applying research projects are integrated with local and broader national community projects.

Minimum requirements

• A PhD (NQF level 10) in Public Management or International Relations or Political Sciences.
• A minimum of five (5) years’ senior lecturing experience in a higher education environment.
• A minimum of five (5) years’ experience in relevant research projects.
• A minimum of five (5) years’ experience as post graduate supervisor.

KEY FUNCTIONAL/ TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES:

• Computer literacy in MS Office (Word, Excel and PowerPoint), email and internet.
• Knowledge of research methodology and research field.
• Effective time-management skills.
• Effective communication skills.
• Demonstration of language proficiency to function optimally in the various functionally multilingual environments of the NWU.

BEHAVIORAL COMPETENCIES

• The ability to function well individually and as part of a team/subject group.
• Good analytical abilities and innovative thinking, as well as ability to be self-driven.
• The ability to solve problems independently.
• Good Time-management and problem-solving skills.
• Good interpersonal relations and a client-service orientation.
• The ability to function well individually and as part of a team/subject group.

Apply by: 1 December 2025

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Job description

PURPOSE OF THE POSITION

• Appointing an Associate Professor/Senior Lecturer/Lecturer to contribute towards undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, practice supervision of students and research supervision of postgraduate students in subject group Social Work.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Teaching and learning, including higher degree supervision

• Engaged teaching and learning on both under-and-postgraduate levels: Develop study material, facilitate contact sessions, internal and external moderation and assessment.

Research and innovation

• Engaged research: Supervision of post graduate students; internal and external examination of post graduate research dissertations and/or theses; participation in the applicable research entity and publication of articles.
• Independent research and sharing expertise with diverse communities of practice and enquiry.

Social responsiveness and industry involvement

• Maintain involvement in community service as a scholarly practice. Execute activities by which discipline-based skills and knowledge are made relevant to the community.

Academic leadership, management, and administration

• Participate in faculty and school committees.

Minimum requirements

• Registered as a Social Worker with the SACSSP.

In addition to the above:

Associate Professor:

• A PhD in Social Work (NQF level 10).
• A minimum of four (4) years’ teaching and learning experience in blended contact sessions with university students and teaching research concepts to students.
• A minimum of four (4) years’ research and innovation experience with a stable publication record and supervision of postgraduate students towards graduation.
• A minimum of four (4) years’ generic Social Work practice experience – direct practice and/or Social Work supervisory/managerial.

Senior Lecturer:

• A master’s degree in Social Work (NQF level 9).
• A minimum of three (3) years’ teaching and learning experience in blended contact sessions with university students and teaching research concepts to students.
• A minimum of two (3) years’ research and innovation experience with at least two publications and supervision of at least one M student to graduation.
• A minimum of three (3) years’ generic Social Work practice experience – direct practice and/or Social Work supervisory/managerial.

Lecturer:

• A master’s degree in Social Work (NQF level 9).
• A minimum of two (2) years’ teaching and learning experience in blended contact sessions with university students and teaching research concepts to students.
• A minimum of two (2) years’ research and innovation experience working towards finding a research focus and starting to be involved in student supervision.
• A minimum of two (2) years’ generic Social Work practice experience – direct practice and/or Social Work supervisory/managerial. 

ADDED ADVANTAGE & PREFERENCE:

• A PhD in Social Work (NQF level 10) – Senior Lecturer.       

KEY FUNCTIONAL/TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES:

• Ability and experience to work from an evidence-based approach in Social Work.
• Excellent communication skills (verbally and written).
• Demonstration of language proficiency to function optimally in the various multilingual environments of the NWU.
• Computer literacy (Microsoft office, e-mails, power point, software for data analysis.
• Ability to use e-media for teaching, studying and communication.

KEY BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES:

• The ability to work well independently as well as in a team.
• Good time management and ability to work well under pressure.

Apply by: 1 December 2025

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Job description

PURPOSE OF THE POSITION

• The School of Languages at the NWU (Potchefstroom Campus) has one vacancy for a Junior Lecturer in the vibrant and dynamic field of Academic Literacy. The incumbent will be lecturing ALDE (English).

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Teaching and Learning

• Take responsibility for a full teaching load for ALDE/A111 and 122 (and carry out related duties, i.e. marking, guided development of assessments and learning materials). Keep class discipline and adhere to all the requirements for the administration of ALDE/A111 and 122 as required by the NWU rules and policy.

Research

• Contribute towards the research output of the Sub-school for Literacy Studies.
• Academic Leadership and administration
• Filling organisational, administrative and management tasks and duties in service of the university, as and when they arise.
• Community Engagement
• Involvement in community engagement projects.

Occupational Health and Safety

• Cooperate with management, OHS officials and colleagues to help everyone meet the legal requirements, whilst upholding and maintaining general occupational health and safety standards and practices.

Minimum requirements

• An honours degree (NQF Level 8) in English / Linguistics / Applied linguistics or related field.
• A minimum of one (1) year lecturing, tutoring or teaching experience.
• A minimum of one (1) year experiencing working on a Learning Management System (LMS) system.

KEY FUNCTIONAL/ TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES:

• Fundamental knowledge of key issues in Academic Literacy.
• Excellent English language and communication skills.
• Excellent level of computer literacy and LMS development.
• Computer skills, including MS Office, internet and email.
• Knowledge of new and innovative teaching methods: e-learning, multimedia and classroom practice.

KEY BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES:

• Good interpersonal skills.
• Professional work ethic.
• Student support experience (for example SI facilitation, tutoring, peer mentoring)
• Ability and willingness to work with a variety of colleagues and students.
• Passionate about language teaching and learning

Apply by: 30 November 2025

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Job description

PURPOSE OF THE POSITION 

• To provide strategic and operational leadership for the full student academic lifecycle within the Faculty—spanning applications, admissions, registrations, timetables, assessment administration, records, undergraduate and postgraduate administration, so that academic delivery is compliant, efficient, student-centred and aligned to University policies (A- and F-Rules), Council on Higher Education (CHE) requirements, and faculty priorities.
• The role serves as the primary nexus between the Registrar’s function and the Executive Deanery, ensuring governance, quality assurance, risk management, and stewardship across faculty administrative processes.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Operational Efficiency

• Overseeing and managing the core activities related to undergraduate and postgraduate administration at the faculty level.
• This position operates in a strategic management role and advisory position.

Strategic Planning and Oversight 

• Overseeing and managing the faculty committee structures, as well as compliance, and quality enhancement.

Logistical Services  

• Overseeing and managing the core activities related to timetables and assessment administration at the faculty level.

Yearbooks

• Consultation processes with respective role-players.  Approval of yearbooks by applicable committee structures prior to submission.

Governance and Compliance

• Coordinate quality processes including the compilation of the quality manual for the faculty. Oversee best practices in the faculty.

OHS (Occupational Health and Safety)

• Adhering to legal requirements under health and safety law.

Leadership and stakeholder engagement

• People management 

Minimum requirements

• An honours degree in Business Management / Higher Education / Administration or related field (NQF Level 8).
• A minimum of five (5) years’ proficient experience in the higher education sector.
• A minimum of five (5) years’ experience in the management of student life cycle administrative support systems and processes.
• A minimum of five (5) years’ administrative processes experience.

KEY FUNCTIONAL/ TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES:

• Proven operational knowledge of the management and operations of general academic functions at a higher education level.
• Excellent writing and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstration of language proficiency to function optimally in the various multilingual environments of the NWU.
• Knowledgeable on A- and F-Rules, HEQSF alignment, CHE/SAQA requirements, POPIA, and assessment policies; have the skills to apply these to applications, admissions, registrations, curriculum control, yearbooks, undergrad- and postgraduate administration.
• Have the technical competency to make data driven decisions.

 BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES

• Accountability and ownership – Set clear deadlines, tracks actions to closure, escalates risks early, and execution of decisions supported by evidence.
• Stakeholder-centered communication – Tailors messages for academics, students, and executives; clear and professional communication; follows up promptly and diplomatically.
• Decision making under pressure – Weighs policy, risk, and student impact quickly; chooses compliant, practical options during disruptions.
• Continuous improvement mindset – Identify bottlenecks, uses data to refine SOPs, and embeds lessons learned after each cycle.
• Has the ability to implement a disciplined process of choosing direction, allocating scarce resources, and learning fast so that the faculty achieves its goals despite constraints and disruptions.
• Strong problem solving and analytical skills with a high level of integrity and results orientated.

Apply by: 25 November 2025

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Job description

PURPOSE OF THE POSITION:

• The Educational Developer advances quality teaching and learning through curriculum development, teaching enhancement initiatives, academic professional development, and strategic faculty partnerships and collaborations.
• The role involves active collaboration with faculties, external regulatory bodies, and academic support units to design and implement innovative and responsive educational solutions aligned with NWU's strategic priorities.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Curriculum Programme, development and design:

• Provide strategic and operational support for the development of new qualifications aligned with institutional goals and national priorities.
• Contribute to the review and enhancement of existing qualifications, ensuring academic coherence, relevance, and responsiveness.
• Ensure regulatory compliance through alignment with institutional policies, Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework (HEQSF), and accreditation requirements (e.g., CHE, DHET, SAQA).

 Teaching Enhancement:

• Coordinate and facilitate the Induction Programme for Academics to support onboarding and capacity development.
• Drive awards and recognition initiatives that celebrate teaching excellence and innovation.
• Manage and implement Continuous Professional Learning (CPL) offerings for academic staff.
• Advocate and support digital and blended learning strategies, including the integration of educational technologies.
• Provide ongoing faculty support through workshops, consultations, and collaborative projects.

Teaching and Programme Evaluation:

• Support Institutional and External Programme Evaluation (IPE/EPE) processes to ensure quality assurance and continuous improvement.
• Facilitate teaching evaluations, including the analysis and reporting of student feedback to inform pedagogical improvement.

 Scholarship and professional development:

• Engage in ongoing professional development to enhance expertise in teaching and learning in higher education, including participation in formal and informal learning opportunities.
• Pursue academic qualifications or advanced studies relevant to teaching and learning in higher education to support role effectiveness and scholarly credibility.
• Contribute to the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) through research, conference participation, publications, or other scholarly outputs that advance knowledge and practice in the field.
• Maintain professional engagement with national and international networks and communities of practice to remain informed of emerging trends, innovations, and best practices in higher education.

Ad hoc responsibilities:

• Participate in ad hoc projects or committees that align with strategic institutional initiatives or address emergent academic development and faculty needs.

Occupational Health and Safety:

• Comply with and promote OHS protocols and procedures, contributing to a safe and healthy working environment.

Minimum requirements

• A Master’s degree (NQF level 9) in Instructional Design / Curriculum Studies or related field.
• A minimum of 3 years’ working experience in Higher Education Teaching and Learning.

RECOMMENDATIONS / ADDED ADVANTAGES:

• A Postgraduate Certificate / Postgraduate Diploma (NQF level 8) in Education, Higher Education, Technology or Curriculum Design/Development.
• A minimum of 3 years’ experience in curriculum and programme design.

KEY FUNCTIONAL/ TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES:

• Expertise in curriculum design, instructional design, and digital pedagogy.
• Understanding of South African higher education policy and regulatory environments.
• Excellent theoretical foundations in educational theories, instructional methods and teaching strategies.
• Competency in data literacy.
• Strong project management, facilitation, and collaboration skills.
• Ability to work effectively across diverse academic disciplines and institutional functions.

BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES:

• Good interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to participate in team project within the Centre, directorates and Faculties
• Project and time management skills
• Emotional intelligence.

Apply by: 28 November 2025

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Job description

PURPOSE OF THE POSITION:

• Manages a large scale of IT solutions that integrate across the business. Manage the planning of the requirement development process, determining priority for implementations across business areas.
• Responsible for the systematic and methodical investigation, analysis and documentation of all or part of an integrated business areas in terms of business functions and processes, and the information they use across solutions. Identifies and examines business needs, determining timely and effective solutions for business functions and processes.
• Solutions often include system development, consisting of process improvement and alignment, organisational change or strategic planning and policy development and ensure best practice.
• Ensures that all stakeholders have a shared understanding of the solution and how it will be implemented and manages the change of implementation.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Stakeholder Engagement

• Acts as a bridge between and across the business and IT teams.
• Build long-term relationships with stakeholders across multiple business areas, including senior management where needed.
• Influence and explain technical details to a non-technical stakeholder in a persuasive and convincing manner.

Implement Cost-Effective Solutions

• Determine if internal or external solutions exist and whether new solutions are feasible.
• Formulates, evaluates, designs and documents the underlying business solution architecture, conducts feasibility and risk assessments, writes proposals, and creates functional requirements for new solutions and processes according to approved standards and methodologies

Business Optimisation

• Review impacted business processes and work with business stakeholders to identify and make business process improvements that result in cost savings, higher quality, increased efficiencies, lower risk, and shorter cycle times

Documentation

• Establish comprehensive and applicable documentation throughout the solution implementation, addressing proposals, requirements, and business processes and flows, test and implementation plan
• Conducts post-implementation review.

Change Management

• Works with stakeholders and associated business units to reduce resistance and the effect of change.
• Involved in the preparation of change management plans, defining change management duties and creating an understanding across business areas when implementing new solutions.

Quality Assurance

• Establish acceptance criteria, effective testing plans and methods to satisfy the quality, success and auditability of any solution implemented.
• Conducts reviews.

Resource Management

• Optimal management of internal and external resources within cross-pollination teams in the development and implementation of business solutions.
• Accountable for project deliverables and decisions made by him/herself and subordinates.
• Responsible for the cost-effective use of the budget allocated to the project.

Cybersecurity

• Cybersecurity compliance

Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) (no more than 5%)

• Under health and safety law, each employee has the duty to take care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by the former’s actions or omissions at work. Therefore, each employee must co-operate with management, OHS officials and colleagues to help everyone meet their legal requirements, whilst upholding and maintaining general occupational health and safety standards and practices

Minimum requirement

• A three-year bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field (NQF Level 7)

DESIRABLE PROFESSIONAL STATUS:

• BA and BPM certification
• Certificates in project management
• Registration with the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA).

EXPERIENCE

• 5 years’ experience in all aspects of solution development (requirements, analysis, design, development, testing, implementation, deployment, support, documentation).
• 2-5 years ‘experience in working and managing Online Collaboration Platforms / Systems
• 2-5 years’ experience in Knowledge of industry standards and best practices in solution architecture and design

KEY FUNCTIONAL/ TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES:

• Experience in the delivery of large scale and complex solutions.
• Experience in Business Process Modelling is recommended.
• Manage solution implementations using approved methodologies, SDLC and best practice concept.
• Working experience of data migration and integration tools.
• Conceptual knowledge of information technologies (e.g., relational databases, query tools, Java, JavaScript, UML, KAFKA and SOA, etc.) and methodologies (Agile/Scrum, Waterfall, Iterative development, TOGAF, Quality assurance principles).
• Must be able to work on simultaneous projects, across different environments and to meet multiple deadlines.
• Ability to understand business concepts and evaluate the impact of business changes on systems.
• Ability to learn new applications
• Knowledge of Higher education processes is recommended
• Microsoft Office Solutions such 365, Teams, Cloud, Exchange, Office Suites etc
• High-level Aptitude of Project Management at Technical, Human, Managerial, Reporting and Coordination Levels
• Hands-on experience and leadership in building and managing relationships with stakeholders, SLAs, OLAs, OLUs, SOPs, Contracts etc
• An All-rounder Technocratic and Strategic Thinker with an Above-average Technology-understanding in areas such as Hardware, Software, Networking, Storage, Telephony, Internet, Help-Desk Services and Service Delivery & Operations Support IT Structures/Dimensions, an IT Solutionist, et

BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES

• Stable, adaptable with high stress tolerance in a mature way
• Sound analytical, problem-solving, interpretive and presentation skills
• Required to challenge ideas, brainstorm with the team, come up with ideas on your own and in the group, develop proof-of-concepts and take projects from the start to finish and support them afterwards
• Rigorous and organised attitude to work; flexible in a rapidly changing environment with ability to multi-task on a continuous basis and think on your feet
• Strong mentoring/coaching skills
• Strong communication skills - both written and verbal - with the ability to engage with both internal and external stakeholders
• Team player with strong technical leadership and negotiation skills are essential
• The ability to work independently with little guidance to research and formulate a solution to a problem

Apply by: 30 November 2025