Director: Researcher Development (Post Level 5) Free State

University of the Free State is actively recruiting for a Director: Researcher Development (Post Level 5) position in Free State. This is an excellent opportunity for professionals in the Education / Teaching sector looking to advance their careers.

• Experience Level: Not Specified • Educational Background: PhD or equivalent • Industry Focus: Education / Teaching • Location Preference: in Free State

Educators in Director: Researcher Development (Post Level 5) positions shape future generations. This role is fundamental to South Africa's educational development and social progress.

This role in Education / Teaching offers valuable career progression opportunities aligned with your experience level and professional aspirations.

When applying for this Director: Researcher Development (Post Level 5) position, ensure your CV highlights: • Relevant experience matching the Not Specified requirement • Educational qualifications in line with PhD • Specific achievements in the Education / Teaching field • Any certifications or specialized training

The Education / Teaching sector in South Africa continues to show strong demand for skilled professionals. This position represents a valuable opportunity in the current job market.

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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.