Vice-Principal: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Education

Faculty: Executive

Department: Executive Remuneration

UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA 

VICE-PRINCIPAL: RESEARCH, INNOVATION AND POSTGRADUATE EDUCATION   

PEROMNES POST LEVEL 1

The University of Pretoria is one of South Africa’s top impact-driven, research-intensive universities, dedicated to producing high-quality, impactful research that addresses complex contemporary issues. It is one of the most significant producers of research and makes a major contribution to postgraduate and postdoctoral fellowship training, as well as nurturing and supporting researchers at different stages of their research careers. It is home to the largest number of National Research Foundation (NRF)-rated researchers. The University has developed the infrastructure and a number of research platforms, including the Future Africa Platform, which support multi-, inter- and transdisciplinary research across the institution. The University is continuously expanding impactful research partnerships and collaborations worldwide.

The University’s nine faculties and business school offer a wide range of internationally recognised undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. It offers quality education to a cohort of approximately 56 000 students from across the diversity of the South African population and awards approximately 14% of all degrees conferred annually by public universities in South Africa.

The University of Pretoria is committed to equality, employment equity and diversity. In pursuit of excellence and diversity, the University of Pretoria invites applications for the position of Professor and Vice-Principal: Research, Innovation, and Postgraduate Education.

JOB PURPOSE

The Vice-Principal: Research, Innovation & Postgraduate Education (The Vice-Principal) provides visionary leadership and strategic oversight across critical areas to shape and elevate the University of Pretoria (UP) into a leading, impact-driven, research-intensive university.  The Vice-Principal works across and beyond the University to build new partnerships and generate collaborative opportunities that will increase research impact and support the development of the next generation of outstanding young researchers, in line with the strategic goals and objectives of the University of Pretoria. 

The Vice-Principal provides strategic leadership in advancing the University’s research, innovation, and postgraduate education agenda, in alignment with national priorities and Thrive UP2038. This role is also responsible for promoting research excellence and innovation by strengthening research capacity, increasing high-impact outputs, fostering inter- and transdisciplinary collaboration, facilitate the commercialisation of research, drive postgraduate success through the development of high-quality Master’s and Doctoral programmes, improved supervision, and enhanced student support systems to increase enrolment and throughput.

The Vice-Principal also provides leadership in strengthening internationalisation and strategic partnerships by building global academic and research networks that enhance the University's international profile and competitiveness. 

It is the prerogative of the Vice-Chancellor and Principal to determine the portfolios of the members of the Executive, and the University reserves the right to change the portfolio responsibilities of Vice-Principals from time to time in line with new strategic priorities and operational requirements.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

The responsibilities of the Vice-Principal: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Education, amongst others, are to:

Strategic Leadership and Management

• Lead and drive excellence across research, innovation, postgraduate education, and global partnerships, and ensure alignment with the institutional strategic vision, contributing to national higher education priorities and the university’s global positioning.
• Lead the development of integrated, forward-looking strategic plans that align UP’s research, innovation, and postgraduate efforts with the institution’s overarching goals and the broader higher education landscape.
• Develop and implement the University’s research strategy, driving high-impact, interdisciplinary research across all faculties and disciplines, aligned with UP’s vision to be a research leader.
• Develop and champion the university’s long-term research and innovation strategy, ensuring that it aligns with national development priorities, global trends, and UP’s overall mission to be a leading impact-driven, research-intensive institution.
• Lead the strategic development of high-quality, globally competitive postgraduate programs that align with research priorities and meet the needs of students, employers, and global standards.
• Lead UP’s internationalisation strategy, ensuring the development and strengthening of strategic academic partnerships with world-leading universities and research institutions.

Strategic Leadership for Research and Innovation

• Foster a research culture that prioritises excellence, impact, and relevance, encouraging cutting-edge research that addresses both local and global challenges, especially in the areas of science, technology, health, and sustainable development.
• Position UP as a hub for innovation by supporting entrepreneurial endeavours, facilitating technology transfer, and promoting partnerships with industry, government, and the private sector.
• Develop a compelling research vision for UP that aligns with national priorities and global trends in higher education, science, and technology. This vision must inspire Faculty, students, and external stakeholders to engage in research that is both innovative and impactful.
• Position UP as a leader in specific research niches where it can make significant contributions to the global knowledge economy.
• Oversee the development of robust technology transfer mechanisms to facilitate the commercialisation of UP’s intellectual property (IP), patents, and inventions into market-ready products or services.
• Support the development and implementation of a strategy around business start-ups and the commercialisation of IP.

Strategic Leadership for Postgraduate Education

• Lead the strategic direction of UP’s postgraduate education, ensuring that the postgraduate programs are globally competitive, flexible, and aligned with the needs of the research and professional world.
• Develop and promote competitive research fellowships, postdoctoral programs, and scholarships to attract top researchers from across the globe to UP.
• Implement structured mentorship programs to guide and support early-career researchers and postgraduate students, creating a research talent pipeline that ensures UP’s long-term research excellence.
• Implement programs aimed at developing postgraduate research students into future leaders in academia, industry, and government. This includes research skills development, mentoring, and capacity-building initiatives for PhD students and postdoctoral fellows.

Strategic Leadership of Internationalisation and Strategic Partnerships

• Lead UP’s internationalisation strategy, ensuring the development and strengthening of strategic academic partnerships with world-leading universities and research institutions.
• Position UP as a global player in the research ecosystem by establishing strategic international partnerships with top-tier universities, research institutions, and industry leaders.
• Strengthen UP’s role in global research networks such as the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA), the World Universities Network (WUN), and other international consortia that promote research collaboration.
• Establish joint research programs with leading international universities that allow UP researchers to engage in international exchange programs, contributing to global knowledge transfer and bringing new perspectives to UP’s research endeavours.
• Forge strategic partnerships with international universities to recruit renowned research professors, visiting scholars, and global thought leaders who can elevate UP’s research capabilities.

Strategic Leadership of Library Services

• Provide strategic leadership and oversight of Library Services to ensure alignment with the University’s vision, research, innovation, undergraduate and postgraduate education priorities.
• Ensure Library Services effectively support research, innovation, undergraduate and postgraduate education through access to high?quality scholarly resources, research data management services, bibliometrics, open access initiatives, and evolving digital scholarship platforms.
• Oversee the development and delivery of library programmes that enhance postgraduate student success, researcher capability, information literacy, and research impact, including training in academic writing, citation management, and responsible research practices.
• Drive innovation in Library Services through the adoption of digital technologies, e?resources, knowledge management systems, and emerging trends in academic libraries to enhance access, usability, and service excellence.
• Provide oversight on sustainable funding, budgeting, and resource allocation for Library Services, ensuring cost?effective acquisition of information resources and optimal utilisation of physical, digital, and human resources.
• Foster strong collaboration between Library Services, academic faculties, research entities, and external partners to support interdisciplinary research, postgraduate education, and national and international knowledge networks.

Strategic Leadership of Institutional Research Planning 

• Monitor the progress of the University’s Strategic Plan by regularly assessing whether the institution is meeting its short-term and long-term research and postgraduate education objectives, including tracking research, innovation, and postgraduate education outcomes that align with UP’s vision and mission.
• Define and track institutional key performance indicators related to academic performance, research output, student success, internationalisation, and operational efficiency, including graduation rates, research funding, and international collaborations.
• Implement systems for tracking research performance and ensuring that UP maintains its status as a research-intensive university.
• Monitor compliance with higher education regulations, research ethics, financial standards, and legal requirements set by national and international regulatory bodies.

Oversight of Future Africa and Innovation Africa 

• Oversee and guide Innovation Africa and Future Africa as strategic platforms for research excellence, innovation, partnerships, and postgraduate development across Africa and internationally.
• Provide strategic leadership and governance oversight of Future Africa as a continental and global platform for interdisciplinary engagement and thought leadership.
• Position Future Africa as a convening hub for national, regional and international scholarship, fostering dialogue on societal challenges and solutions.
• Provide strategic leadership on interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research programmes hosted through Future Africa, aligned with institutional and continental priorities.
• Provide executive oversight of Innovation Africa as a central platform for innovation and knowledge translation.
• Strengthen industry, government, and community partnerships to support co?creation, commercialisation, and policy?relevant innovations at Innovation Africa.

Stakeholder Engagement and Management

• Establish strategic partnerships with key industry players in sectors such as technology, healthcare, engineering, and finance to develop collaborative research projects, technology transfer, and commercialisation of innovative ideas emerging from UP.
• Develop and nurture strong industry partnerships to support research, innovation, employability of graduates, and mutual growth in academic and corporate ventures.
• Strengthen relationships with national, regional, and local government officials to ensure that UP’s strategic goals align with government priorities and receive the support necessary to drive policy, funding, and legislative change.
• Build strategic international partnerships with leading universities and research institutions in key regions to facilitate joint research, student exchanges, Faculty collaboration, and global innovation initiatives.
• Position UP as a global player in higher education by forming strategic relationships with international universities, research institutions, global consortia, and multinational organisations that align with the University’s goals and elevate its global stature.

Human Resources, Operational and Financial Management

• Develop a comprehensive talent acquisition strategy specifically for research, innovation, and postgraduate education staff (academic researchers, PhD supervisors, postdocs, and innovation officers).
• Develop a research and innovation-specific workforce planning report that identifies current and future staffing needs within the research, innovation, and postgraduate education sectors. This should forecast talent gaps based on emerging research priorities and technological developments, allowing for proactive hiring and development strategies.
• Implement targeted skills development programs for postgraduate students, focusing on both research-specific skills such as research methodologies, data analysis and transferable skills that include communication, leadership, and project management.
• Provide effective financial oversight for research grants, innovation funds, and other external funding streams to ensure proper management, accountability, and compliance.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS 

• PhD (Doctoral degree) in a relevant discipline.
• A total of ten (10) years of relevant experience in a research-intensive environment, of which at least five (5) years must have been at a senior or executive management level in a higher education environment.
• At least five years (5) of strategic leadership experience in:
  • Managing complex budgets and research infrastructure; 
  • Extensive stakeholder engagement across academia, industry, and government; and
  • Leading research in a research-intensive institution.
• A proven track record in impactful scholarly productivity (peer-reviewed journals) and postgraduate supervision.
• A proven track record in driving research excellence, innovation projects and postgraduate academic programmes.
• Deep understanding of postgraduate supervision systems, research training pipelines and postgraduate student success strategies.
• Extensive knowledge of national and international research policies development and implementation at a strategic level.
• A proven track record of securing large research grants (national and international), industry-funded research and leading extensive research programmes and initiatives. 
• Proven experience in leading technology transfer, industry partnerships,  patents, spin-off companies, and innovation hubs/incubators.
• Proven experience in managing research funding structures, grant management, and intellectual property (IP).
• Experience with digital transformation in research (e.g., use of AI, big data, or digital research platforms).
• Proven experience in institutional rankings, benchmarking, research performance metrics and exposure to global ranking systems (QS, Times Higher Education, etc).
• Proven experience and success in leading cross-faculty or transdisciplinary programmes.
• Established relationships/networks with government departments, regulatory bodies, industry partners and international partners.
• The candidate must qualify for appointment as a full professor at the University of Pretoria.

ADDED ADVANTAGES AND PREFERENCES

• A postgraduate qualification in management, or strategic management, or research administration.
• A qualification in the STEM disciplines.
• Proven experience working in research ecosystems, innovation, commercialisation, and technology transfer and knowledge hubs.
• Expertise in budget management, resource allocation, and financial planning for academic, research, and postgraduate education within a university.
• NRF rating.
• Registration with a relevant professional body.

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES (SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND BEHAVIOURAL ATTRIBUTES)

• Ability to drive the UP research strategy, implement research policies, oversee innovation ecosystems, and lead the institutional research planning initiatives.
• Ability to align research with national priorities and monitor and evaluate the research and innovation portfolio performance.
• Advanced knowledge of the South African Higher Education System: Familiarity with its structure, policies, and challenges, including the regulatory framework set by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), the Council on Higher Education (CHE), and other national bodies.
• Advanced knowledge of global trends in higher education, research funding, innovation ecosystems, and commercialisation practices.
• In-depth knowledge of national and international research policies, priority areas for innovation and research, including frameworks such as South Africa’s National Development Plan (NDP), Africa's Science, Technology, and Innovation Strategy, and UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• In-depth knowledge of research funding mechanisms, including government grants, industry-sponsored research, foundations, and international research funding organisations. 
• Knowledge and understanding of the grant lifecycle from application to post-award compliance and reporting.
• Comprehensive understanding of research commercialisation, technology transfer processes, intellectual property rights, including patents, copyrights, trademarks, and licensing. 
• Knowledge of strategies for commercialising research outputs through patents, spin-offs, or partnerships with industry.
• In-depth knowledge of stakeholder engagement strategies (internal and external) and techniques to build relationships with key partners, including industry collaborators, government agencies, alumni, donors, and international academic networks.
• Knowledge of metrics and impact assessment frameworks used to evaluate research.
•  Ability to provide strategic leadership and direction for the institution’s research and innovation agenda, postgraduate education, and translate academic outputs into innovation and commercial outcomes, while effectively managing a complex research ecosystem. 
• output, such as citation indexes, H-index, and altmetrics.
• Ability to ensure adherence to regulatory, ethical, and institutional research standards. 
• Ability to manage financial and research resources strategically, supported by data-driven decision-making.
• Ability to lead and manage change within a complex institutional environment.
• Strong commitment to transformation, diversity, equity, and inclusion within a South African higher education context. 
• Sound understanding of higher education governance, policy frameworks, and regulatory compliance.
• Ability to manage portfolio efficiency and the institutional risk related to the portfolio.
• Ability to manage staff development, staff performance management, and build a high-performing, values-driven culture.

REMUNERATION AND APPOINTMENT

The annual remuneration package will be commensurate with the incumbent's level of appointment, as determined by UP policy guidelines. UP subscribes to the BESTMED and UMVUZO medical aid schemes, and the employer contributes 50% of the applicable monthly premium.

Vice-Principals are appointed for a term of five (5) years and are eligible for reappointment for one further consecutive term, subject to performance. External candidates will be considered for a permanent academic appointment in an appropriate academic department within the University. The successful candidate is expected to commence duties on 1 June 2027.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Applications must be submitted electronically via the University’s website at www.up.ac.za. To apply, navigate to “About UP,” select “Career Opportunities,” then click on “Browse Jobs” and choose the relevant position. All supporting documentation listed below must be attached to the application at the time of submission. Applicants are required to read the Regulations and Procedure for the Appointment of Vice-Principals prior to submitting their application, and to confirm in writing that they agree to the terms outlined in the Regulation and Procedure. The Regulation and Procedure is available on the link below:

https://www1.up.ac.za/cs/sf/UPPR017483

By submitting an application, applicants acknowledge and consent to the appointment process as set out in the University’s regulations and procedures.

Applications must be accompanied by the following supporting documents that must be attached electronically to the application: 

• A full curriculum vitae
• An abbreviated curriculum vitae
• Certified copies of qualifications and identity document
• A self-evaluation by the applicant of their suitability for appointment to the position
• Applicant's vision for the portfolio
• Names and contact details of at least three (3) referees who can attest to the candidate's stature as well as leadership qualities (applicants should note that the University also reserves the right to appoint and consult its own referees)

CLOSING DATE: 31 JULY 2026

Applications that are incomplete, do not meet the minimum requirements, or are received after the closing date will not be considered.

PLEASE NOTE:

Shortlisted candidates will be required to prepare a presentation. The topic and further details will only be provided to the shortlisted candidates.

All shortlisted candidates will be required to participate in relevant competencies and psychometric assessments as part of the selection process.

Please note that the University may extend the closing date and undertake further recruitment initiatives.

ENQUIRIES 

Jeovitah Chimhamhiwa, Tel: 012 420 6149, email: [email protected], for enquiries regarding the application process.

Nicolaas Wagner, Tel: 012 420 4091, email: [email protected], for the role – related enquiries.

Should you not hear from the University of Pretoria by 30 November 2026, please accept that your application has been unsuccessful.

The University of Pretoria is committed to equality, employment equity and diversity.

In accordance with the University's Employment Equity Plan and its Employment Equity goals and targets, preference may be given to candidates from under-represented designated groups, but not limited to them.

By applying for this vacancy, candidates consent to the verification of personal credentials and related information, including, but not limited to, qualifications, criminal record (including sexual offences), credit record, and current and historical disciplinary proceedings, as part of the selection process.

The University of Pretoria reserves the right not to fill the advertised positions.