Associate Professor / Professor and Head of Department / Director : Centre for Human Rights, Fa[...]

University of Pretoria / Universiteit van Pretoria; Pretoria; On-site; ZAR 300 000 - 400 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading academic institution in Pretoria is seeking an Associate Professor or Professor to head the Centre for Human Rights. The position involves providing strategic leadership, managing partnerships, and ensuring the financial sustainability of the Centre. Candidates should have a doctorate and significant teaching and research experience in human rights law. The role requires excellent management and fundraising skills and offers an opportunity to influence human rights education in Africa.

Qualifications

• Strong record of academic and legal administration.
• Substantial experience in curriculum development.
• Successful master’s supervision of at least 2 research master’s or 4 coursework master's mini-dissertations.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership on projects and programs.
• Maintain and ensure financial sustainability of the Centre.
• Conduct and publish research outputs.

Skills

Academic research and writing

Project planning and proposal writing

Fundraising and management competence

Knowledge of human rights in Africa

Communication skills

Proven strategic leadership skills

Interpersonal skills

Education

Doctorate in Human Rights law or a related field

Job description

Job title: Associate Professor / Professor and Head of Department / Director: Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law

Job Location: Gauteng, Pretoria

Deadline / Closing Date: November 30, 2025

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RESPONSIBILITIES

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

• Provide strategic leadership on the projects and programmes of the Centre for Human Rights, to enhance and advance human rights in Africa and globally;
• Provide managerial oversight, lead fundraising and enhance partnerships of the Centre;
• Maintain and ensure the financial sustainability of the Centre;
• Provide intellectual leadership to Centre projects;
• Ensure a transformative and inclusive institutional culture in the Centre;
• Provide strategic leadership to frame and implement the Centre’s research agenda;
• Conduct and publish research outputs in line with Faculty policy;
• Provide strategic guidance on Centre publications; Represent the Centre in high-profile events;
• Maintain and forge further collaborations with the African Union human rights system; Scope and forge new partnerships in furtherance of the mission of the Centre; Represent the Centre in international fora;
• Promote African and global research partnerships and collaborations;
• Responsible for human resource management and related activities;
• Provide leadership to the Centre’s academic programmes;
• Teach on the Centre’s post-graduate academic programmes, and human rights short courses;
• Supervise master’s and doctoral candidates and postdoctoral fellows.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• The candidate must possess the requisite qualifications and experience to be eligible for appointment as Associate Professor or Professor in the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria, the assessment of which is based on several factors, including excellence in teaching, extensive, impactful research and postgraduate supervision, community engagement, academic administration and academic citizenship.

Associate Professor

• A doctorate in Human Rights law or a related field;
• 6 years’ tertiary teaching or vocational experience, or 8 years’ post-qualification experience in the legal profession or related field, or a proportionate combination of the aforementioned experience;
• Evidence of a successful teaching practice, teaching excellence and compliance with applicable Faculty and University performance standards on teaching;
• Substantial experience in curriculum development and curriculum transformation;
• 12 accredited or peer-reviewed publication outputs, of which at least 6 must be sole-authored;
• 6 Conference papers delivered at conferences, of which 2 must be international;
• An NRF research rating, or a positive substantive peer review support, or other proof of academic standing, indicating local and some recognition in the field of expertise;
• Successful master’s supervision of at least 2 research master’s or 4 coursework master’s mini-dissertations;
• Strong record of academic and / or legal administration and academic citizenship. This could include the following:
• Participation in departmental / Faculty / University committees;
• Journal review and editing;
• Serving as external moderator or reviewer for other academic and non-academic institutions;
• Guest lectures at other academic and non-academic institutions;
• Any other engagements and activities which may broadly demonstrate academic leadership and citizenship

Professor

• A doctorate in Human Rights law or a related field;
• 8 years’ tertiary or vocational teaching experience, or 10 years’ relevant post-qualification experience in the legal profession or related field, or a proportionate combination of the aforementioned experience;
• Evidence of a successful teaching practice, teaching excellence and compliance with applicable Faculty and University performance standards on Teaching;
• Extensive Experience in curriculum development and curriculum transformation;
• 25 accredited or peer-reviewed publication outputs of which at least 12 must be sole-authored;
• 8 Conference papers delivered at conferences, of which 4 must be international;
• An NRF research rating, or a positive substantive peer review support, or other proof of academic standing, indicating local and international recognition in the field of expertise, is recommended;
• Evidence of at least 1 completed successful doctoral supervision or co-supervision, successful master’s supervision of at least 3 research master’s or 7 coursework master’s mini-dissertations, unless there are subject-specific factors that require deviation;
• Extensive record of academic and / or legal administration and academic citizenship. This could include the following:
• Participation in departmental / Faculty / University committees;
• Journal review and editing;
• Serving as external moderator or reviewer for other academic and non-academic institutions;
• Guest lectures at other academic and non-academic institutions;
• Any other engagements and activities which may broadly demonstrate academic leadership and citizenship.

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES (SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND BEHAVIOURAL ATTRIBUTES)

• Academic research and writing;
• Project planning and proposal writing;
• Liaison with internal and external stakeholders;
• Fundraising and competence in the management of these funds;
• Knowledge of human rights in Africa;
• Proven competence and experience in project planning and proposal writing;
• Appropriate Language skills;
• Communication skills;
• Proven strategic leadership skills;
• Interpersonal skills;
• Ability to resolve conflict.

ADDED ADVANTAGES AND PREFERENCES

Associate Professor

• where possible, evidence of completed successful doctoral supervision or co-supervision will be a strong recommendation unless there are subject-specific factors that require deviation;
• Other indicators of the quality and impact of the candidate’s research, which will contribute significantly to the candidate’s advantage include (but are not limited to) : Prestigious scholarly awards, fellowships and research collaborations; contribution to educational material in the field; citation by courts; membership of national and international academic bodies and invitations to present keynote lectures;
• Evidence of community and public engagement being embedded in the candidate's research and / or teaching will be a strong recommendation;
• 3 years of management experience (after doctorate);
• Proven experience and competence in successfully raising funds and managing funds;
• Experience in liaison with internal and external stakeholders, particularly within Africa;
• Competency in any of the AU languages (i.e., French, Arabic, Swahili, Portuguese).

Professor

• Other indicators of the quality and impact which will contribute significantly to the candidate’s advantage include (but are not limited to) : Prestigious scholarly awards, fellowships and research collaborations; contribution to educational material in the field; citation by courts; membership of national and international academic bodies and invitations to present keynote lectures;
• Evidence of community and public engagement being embedded in the candidate's research and / or teaching will be a recommendation;
• 3 years of management experience (after doctorate);
• Proven experience and competence in successfully raising funds and managing funds;
• Experience in liaison with internal and external stakeholders, particularly within Africa;
• Preferably a suitable NRF research rating or other evidence of international standing;
• Competency in any of the AU languages (i.e., French, Arabic, Swahili, Portuguese).

CLOSING DATE : 30 November 2025