Professional Officer: TRSA at NRF National Research Foundation

National Research Foundation; Pretoria; On-site; ZAR 30 000 - 60 000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a Professional Officer for Thematic Research Support and Advancement. This role involves leading grant administration, engaging with stakeholders, and providing mentorship to colleagues. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in research administration and project management, with a deep understanding of the South African Higher Education System. If you're passionate about advancing research and innovation, this is an exciting opportunity to make a significant impact in the field.

Qualifications

• 3-5 years of relevant experience in research and development.
• Strong skills in project management and financial management.

Responsibilities

• Lead drafting of call documents and coordinate review meetings.
• Oversee grant administration activities and monitor performance against KPIs.

Skills

Research Administration

Project Management

Stakeholder Management

Financial Management

Monitoring and Evaluation

Education

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

Job description

Position Summary:
The National Research Foundation (NRF) seeks to appoint a Professional Officer: Thematic Research Support and Advancement within the Research, Innovation and Impact Support and Advancement (RIISA) division.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Lead the drafting of call documents, coordinate and participate in review and evaluation meetings, consolidate outcomes, communicate results to the research community, and provide quality feedback to applicants.
2. Maintain a reliable, updated, informative, and user-friendly database of high-quality reviewers for the department.
3. Oversee end-to-end grant administration activities, including call provisioning, proposal screening, review, evaluation, grants awarding, releasing, and expenditure monitoring. Administer grant awards, releases, and budget adjustments.
4. Proactively and reactively communicate with applicants and institutions.
5. Monitor and evaluate funding instrument data quality and finances, and report accordingly.
6. Assist with reconciling and managing cost centre reports.
7. Monitor departmental performance against KPIs, and implement interventions as necessary on a quarterly and annual basis.
8. Evaluate and report on funded projects' performance, initiating interventions to ensure achievement of outputs, outcomes, and impacts.
9. Engage with stakeholders to support the delivery of expected results.
10. Provide leadership, mentorship, support, and guidance to colleagues within and across departments.

Minimum Qualifications:

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

Minimum Experience:

• 3-5 years of relevant experience, including research and development, research administration, project management, stakeholder management, financial management, and other listed skills.

Knowledge:

• Understanding of the South African Higher Education System and National System of Innovation.
• Familiarity with HRD strategies, policies, legislation, and regulations related to research and postgraduate education.
• Knowledge of monitoring and evaluation frameworks for research.

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