Professional Officer: Evaluations and Imp at NRF National Research Foundation

Position Summary:

The National Research Foundation (NRF) seeks to appoint a Professional Officer: Evaluation and Impact within the Research, Innovation, and Impact Support and Advancement (RIISA) Division. Reporting to the Specialist: Evaluations and Impact Department, the incumbent will support the design, implementation, and management of evaluation processes and impact assessments for NRF research programmes, ensuring that funded research benefits society, including industry and academia.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Establish and maintain professional relationships with stakeholders to promote responsible research assessment, performance evaluation, and impact assessment.
2. Coordinate and implement end-to-end evaluation and impact assessment processes for research programmes using robust project management disciplines.
3. Assist in developing and reviewing evaluation and impact assessment frameworks.
4. Develop data collection tools such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, and case studies to capture qualitative and quantitative impact data.
5. Analyze and interpret data to identify trends, evaluate performance, and provide insights for future research improvements.
6. Review literature to benchmark and update evaluation methods.
7. Assist in preparing regular and annual reports, collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to ensure research outcomes align with impact goals and performance indicators.
8. Provide technical support and guidance to program teams on research assessment, monitoring, and evaluation strategies, aligning with industry best practices.
9. Monitor research programme progress by tracking KPIs and assessing impact goal achievement.
10. Support capacity building, including training staff and partners on responsible research assessment and M&E best practices.
11. Contribute to developing impact dissemination strategies to share evaluation findings and lessons learned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Honours Degree / Post Graduate Qualification / Professional Qualification / NQF 8

Minimum Experience:

• 3-5 years of relevant experience in research evaluation, performance monitoring, and reporting.
• Experience in research evaluation, strong communication, and organizational skills.
• Master’s degree is an advantage.
• Exposure to organizational planning, monitoring, and evaluation in public organizations.
• Experience in programme coordination within public administration or science coordination.

Desired Skills and Knowledge:

• Critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills (quantitative and qualitative).
• Knowledge of research programme monitoring and evaluation.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.
• Stakeholder relations, conflict resolution, and presentation skills.
• Programme, project planning, process, and time management skills.
• Computer literacy and data software proficiency.
• Knowledge of frameworks and best practices in research evaluation.
• Understanding of South African higher education, innovation landscape, and relevant policies and legislation.
• Familiarity with PFMA, labour law, and management best practices.

Applicants should submit a comprehensive CV via the NRF Recruitment and Selection Portal, accompanied by a motivation letter and contact details for at least three referees.