Director, Researcher Development & Mentoring Programs

University of the Free State; Bloemfontein; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

University of the Free State invites applications for the Director: Researcher Development (post level 5) on a five-year contract, with the possibility of reappointment. This strategic leadership role focuses on expanding mentoring and researcher development to advance early- and mid-career academics and Vision 130.

The successful candidate will lead strategic programme design, governance, budgeting and funding initiatives, collaborating with faculties and support divisions to strengthen

Qualifications

• A PhD or equivalent Doctoral on NQF Level 10 in Human Resources, Organisational Development, Management, Higher Education or 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.

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 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.

Skills

Communication skills

Stakeholder engagement

Data analysis

Monitoring & evaluation

Digital literacy

Project management

Researcher development

Capacity development

Education

PhD or equivalent

Job description

University of the Free State invites applications for the Director: Researcher Development (post level 5) on a five-year contract, with the possibility of reappointment. This strategic leadership role focuses on expanding mentoring and researcher development to advance early- and mid-career academics and Vision 130.

The successful candidate will lead strategic programme design, governance, budgeting and funding initiatives, collaborating with faculties and support divisions to strengthen