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University of the Free State
Director: Researcher Development (Post Level 5)University of the Free State • ZA
Director: Researcher Development (Post Level 5)

Director: Researcher Development (Post Level 5)

University of the Free State • ZA
9 days ago
Job description

Duties and responsibilities

  • Lead the strategic planning, implementation, monitoring and continuous improvement of the University's academic mentoring programmes.
  • Manage the Future Professoriate and Women's Mentoring Programme.
  • Supervise the coordinators of the Emerging Scholar Academic Programme and Staff Doctoral Programmes and coordinate the delivery of the programmes in collaboration with programme coordinators.
  • Design and develop individual support strategies to assist early- and mid-career researchers in achieving career milestones such as promotion, research funding success and NRF rating.
  • Build and maintain mentoring relationships with programme participants and coordinate mentor appointments and mentoring activities.
  • Coordinate programme budgets, financial administration and grant expenditure in accordance with institutional policies.
  • Identify funding opportunities and prepare grant proposals and funding applications.
  • Develop monitoring and evaluation systems to measure programme effectiveness and institutional impact.
  • Analyse programme data and prepare reports for university leadership, governance structures and external funders.
  • Collaborate with faculties, deans, heads of department and support divisions to identify researcher development needs and development strategies.
  • Promote the programme through presentations, stakeholder engagement, marketing initiatives and management of programme communication platforms.
  • Ensure effective governance, compliance and continuous quality improvement across all programme activities.
  • Undertake tasks and responsibilities pertinent to the portfolio determined by the DVC: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies.

Inherent Job Requirements

  • A PhD or equivalent Doctoral on NQF Level 10 in Human Resources, Organisational Development, Management, Higher Education or a related field.
  • Demonstrated experience in managing capacity development, academic development or researcher development programmes.
  • Proven project management experience, including budgeting, planning and monitoring of multiple initiatives.
  • Experience working within a higher education or research environment.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • Strong stakeholder engagement and relationship management skills.
  • Experience in monitoring and evaluation, data analysis and report writing.
  • Computer literacy, including experience with learning management systems and digital collaboration platforms.

Recommendations

  • Experience in mentoring academics or managing academic mentoring programmes.
  • Knowledge of adult learning principles and instructional design.
  • Experience in grant writing and securing external funding.
  • Strategic leadership of international academic networks
  • Knowledge of UFS institutional transformation, academic staff development and research capacity development.
  • Experience supervising professional staff and coordinating multidisciplinary teams.
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Director: Researcher Development (Post Level 5) • ZA

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