DIRECTOR

Director of the Knowledge Hub for Rural Development - Two year contract appointment (renewable)

Purpose:

The University is one of the major research institutions in South Africa, with an international reputation in many fields. Based on the University's long-standing research and teaching activities in the greater Bushbuckridge region of Mpumalanga, we have established the Wits Knowledge Hub for Rural Development centred at the Wits Rural Facility (WRF). This project is supported by the Department of Science and Technology and aims to stimulate and facilitate research output in a form that provides a knowledge or evidence base for rural development policy and strategy. The project is designed to build on the already high quality and relevant research emerging from Wits' activities at the WRF in areas such as public health, water and the environment, population demography and school development.  A new post to be known as the Director of the Knowledge Hub for Rural Development has been created to assist the University in achieving these goals.

Key responsibilities:

Reporting to a Deputy Vice-Chancellor, the Director will be responsible for: ● Overall day-to-day management of the Knowledge Hub including management of HR and finance functions in accordance with the University’s policies; ● advising the appropriate university structures on the implementation of its plans and decisions on rural development issues; ● facilitating academic engagements related to the Wits Rural Facility; ● Leading the fundraising strategy and activities for the Knowledge Hub; ● Developing and finessing the research evidence emerging from the Knowledge Hub as a basis for policy on rural development and interfacing with local and provincial authorities in communicating such evidence; ●  Commissioning research and managing quality assurance of research outputs; ● acting as the public face of the Knowledge Hub.

Requirements:

Applicants will be required to: ● hold at least a Masters degree but a PhD degree will be a strong recommendation; ● have several years of research/research management experience; ● must have a high level of interpersonal skills with an ability to work with diverse groups, including a range of academics and government and /or provincial administration authorities. ●knowledge of local and international funding agencies and funding programmes  ●cross-culture negotiation, communication and networking abilitie ●high level financial and people management skills ●knowledge of and experience in the higher education sector and its schallenges challenges,

This is a senior level appointment with a commensurate salary and the usual medical aid and pension benefits. The appointment will be for an initial period of two years, which could be extended to five years depending on the performance of the incumbent and availability of funding.

To apply, please submit a curriculum vitae, the names and electronic contact details of four referees and a motivation not exceeding two pages to Mr Yule Banda, on yule.banda@wits.ac.za or by post to University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Central HR Office, Private Bag 3,  Wits, 2050.

For discussion or further information on this position, please contact the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Academic, Prof Yunus Ballim, on yunus.ballim@wits.ac.za

The closing date for applications will be 22 June 2012. 

Please note that correspondence will only be entered into with shortlisted candidates.