DIRECTOR

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

DIRECTOR – TRANSNET CENTRE OF SYSTEMS ENGINEERING

(5 YEAR FULL TIME CONTRACT POSITION)

Applications are invited for the Director of the Transnet Centre of Systems Engineering (TCSE) hosted by the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment (FEBE) within the University of the Witwatersrand that has a strong team of dedicated staff, excellent facilities, and offers a large range of undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes. The appointee will have strong links with the School of Mechanical, Industrial and Aeronautical Engineering and other Schools within FEBE.

Context of Position:

. The TCSE embraces the following functions:

• co-operating and work-shopping with Transnet leadership to offer synergistic, university-based guidance for possible new directions and perspectives;
• identifying and coordinating fundamental and applied research and development in Thematic Areas of interest to Transnet;
• fostering and improving graduate and post-graduate education and human capacity in Systems Engineering and other disciplines relevant to Transnet's needs;
• becoming the main contact point (the “one stop shop” concept) through which the transfer of knowledge and expertise is enabled via channels that are developed by means of local and overseas networking/linkages with industry, HEI's and research organizations;
• developing an integrated knowledge repository to service the needs of Transnet over a wide range of parameters; and
• developing technology advancement to serve the needs of Transnet into the future.

The Director is responsible for the operational component of the TCSE, and will work cooperatively with a Systems Professor who leads the TCSE academic structure in parallel.

Qualifications:

A four year engineering degree or equivalent is required at minimum, with further post graduate technical and/or management studies being advantageous.

Required Attributes and Duties of Position:

The incumbent will drive, manage and support ongoing collaborative links within Transnet, and aligned with a variety of academic stakeholders, other experts and project managers as appropriate. These role players will work together to identify, implement and conduct Thematic Areas in the context of, inter alia:- technology systems, logistical systems and human resource based initiatives to support Transnet (e.g. Workforce Planning; Energy and Transport).  

The Director will be a fully committed team player who is a well-proven practitioner with excellent networking skills and expertise in the management of people, networks and projects. He/she should be a strategic thinker who possesses the analytical abilities to crystallize solutions within a complex environment, while commanding the respect of stakeholders, providing leadership and delivering on defined outputs. He/she will need to uphold the vision, mission, aims and objectives of the TCSE, to apply operating protocols and approved policies and procedures as stipulated by governance structures (including a Main Board and Advisory Panel) – thus ensuring effective and efficient financial, human and operational management and controls.

He/she will manage a small team comprising administrative support, a Chief Technology/Systems Officer and a Senior Manager Programmes to give respectively, tactical direction and implementation, to projects within the Thematic Areas and also the development of Competencies (e.g. Human Resources and a Skills Base; Channels of Knowledge Transfer), using contract Project Leaders as appropriate.  The incumbent will be required to work closely with the Systems Professor and staff in pursuit of continuous innovation and practical problem-solving of systems-related challenges in both the longer- and shorter term.

Minimum experience:

The successful incumbent would have worked for a minimum of 5 years in a senior/executive management capacity, with substantial exposure to and involvement in, systems approaches to resolve organizational problems and issues. He/she would possess proven experience in leading a group of people in a goal oriented way and the ability to successfully network with a range of stakeholders. Familiarity with operating at the interface between academia and the private sector at senior levels would be advantageous.

Enquiries: Professor E A Moss, Head: School of Mechanical, Industrial and Aeronautical Engineering. Email; edward.moss@wits.ac.za

For more information visit: http://www.wits.ac.za/ebe

Closing date: 11 May 2012