DEPUTY VICE CHANCELLOR: RESEARCH, INNOVATION AND INTERNATIONALISATION (1 Post)(5-year fixed-term contract appointment)

A Doctoral degree Sunday T imes, 6 Sep 2026 | At least ten (10) years’ experience in executive/senior management (the position of Dean and Head of Academic Department is regarded as senior management) at an institution of higher learning An established research track record with NRF rating and/ or other indication of international stature and/or appointment at the professorial level Demonstrate a track record of supervising postgraduate students Evidence of attracting grant funding, raising money for research and initiating international research collaborations Advanced knowledge, insight and strategic execution capabilities in the development of the innovation, technology transfer and commercialisation ecosystem Has an understanding of developments in the higher education arena locally in South Africa, and further afield Understands institutional cultural transformation and organizational alignment Can think strategically and operationalise this into plans and projects and align budgets accordingly Superior interpersonal skills and must be able to operate at all levels of the organisation Strategic leadership and people management skills Technical/ professional knowledge and skill Strategic and visionary leadership Resource management People management including performance management Building strategic alliances and partnerships Personal impact, stature and credibility Emotional intelligence and political sensitivity Management of complexity and ambiguity Management of transformation and change management Quality assurance and risk management Corporate governance Health and safety management Decision-making and problem solving Communication and presentation skills Action orientated Team player

(KPAs) Strategy development and execution for the following key portfolios of the academic project: o Research; o Innovation; o Internationalisation Establishing an enabling environment with state of the art facilities and equipment to support the Research, Innovation and Internationalisation portfolios of the academic project Sunday T imes, 6 Sep 2026 | Ensure the implementation of quality assurance standards/measures to meet both internally set standards and the requirements of external bodies for portfolios reporting to this role Policy and procedure development and implementation aligned to the SMU mission, vision, values and strategic objectives Managing intellectual property, contracts, licensing agreements and commercialisation opportunities Exploring alternative funding opportunities for the core activities of research, innovation and internationalisation at the university Human resource management in that s/he is responsible for: o The development and regular review of structures for its appropriateness to assist the university in achieving its strategic objectives in research, innovation and internationalisation o Attracting high quality academic/research employees Internalize an institutional and performance culture at SMU that supports the implementation of the university mission, vision, values and strategic priorities Re-engineer academic business processes to improve effectiveness and efficiency in research, innovation and internationalisation Lead and inspire staff and provide clear direction through a period of transition Manage transformation to ensure the internalization of an organisational and performance culture that supports the strategic imperatives of SMU Stakeholder relations management and partnerships Risk management SHE Management (section 16 (2) responsibilities assigned by OHS Act) Perform budget/financial, asset management, annual staffing and operating budget and capex Monitoring, evaluation and reporting Contribute to the overall development of SMU and actively improve institutional culture ………………………………………...………………………………………………………………………………………………......

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