Head: Dean’s office and strategic projects

Minimum Requirements

• Degree in an appropriate discipline

• Minimum of 8 years’ relevant work experience

• Demonstrated ability to think strategically and deliver results

– Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills –

Proven ability to build and maintain stakeholder relationships

• Strong analytical, planning, and organisational skills

• Ability to work under pressure and manage competing priorities

• High levels of initiative, accountability, and professionalism

Desired Requirements

• Honours or Master’s degree in an appropriate discipline would be an advantage

• Experience within a tertiary or higher education environment

• Advanced stakeholder engagement and influencing capability

• Strong leadership and independent decision-making ability

• High level of emotional intelligence and organisational awareness

Key Responsibilities

Executive Office Leadership and Coordination

• Provide oversight of the administrative and operational functioning of the Dean’s Office, ensuring alignment with Faculty priorities and enabling effective executive decision-making

• Manage governance processes, including agenda setting, documentation, and tracking of decisions and actions

• Oversee workflow management, ensuring clarity of roles, prioritisation, and alignment of activities to strategic priorities

• Ensure quality assurance across reports, briefings, and submissions to support effective decision-making

– Identify operational risks, inefficiencies, and bottlenecks, and implement proactive solutions to enhance responsiveness and performance – Drive continuous improvement of systems, processes, and ways of working to strengthen the effectiveness of the Dean’s Office as a strategic support environment

Strategic Stakeholder Engagement

• Support and represent the Dean in engagements with internal and external stakeholders, ensuring alignment of messaging, priorities, and follow-through

• Act as a central coordination point between the Dean’s Office and Faculty stakeholders

• Lead the development of high-level reports, submissions, and briefing documents to inform and support strategic decision-making

• Oversee institutional agreements, ensuring compliance and alignment with Faculty and institutional strategic objectives

• Facilitate cross-functional collaboration across academic, research, and administrative units

• Identify and progress strategic partnership and funding opportunities

Minimum Requirements

– Degree in an appropriate discipline – Minimum of 8 years’ relevant work experience

• Demonstrated ability to think strategically and deliver results

• Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills

• Proven ability to build and maintain stakeholder relationships

• Strong analytical, planning, and organisational skills

• Ability to work under pressure and manage competing priorities

• High levels of initiative, accountability, and professionalism

Desired Requirements

• Honours or Master’s degree in an appropriate discipline would be an advantage

• Experience within a tertiary or higher education environment

• Advanced stakeholder engagement and influencing capability

• Strong leadership and independent decision-making ability

• High level of emotional intelligence and organisational awareness

Key Responsibilities

Executive Office Leadership and Coordination

• Provide oversight of the administrative and operational functioning of the Dean’s Office, ensuring alignment with Faculty priorities and enabling effective executive decision-making

• Manage governance processes, including agenda setting, documentation, and tracking of decisions and actions

• Oversee workflow management, ensuring clarity of roles, prioritisation, and alignment of activities to strategic priorities

• Ensure quality assurance across reports, briefings, and submissions to support effective decision-making

– Identify operational risks, inefficiencies, and bottlenecks, and implement proactive solutions to enhance responsiveness and performance – Drive continuous improvement of systems, processes, and ways of working to strengthen the effectiveness of the Dean’s Office as a strategic support environment

Strategic Stakeholder Engagement

• Support and represent the Dean in engagements with internal and external stakeholders, ensuring alignment of messaging, priorities, and follow-through

• Act as a central coordination point between the Dean’s Office and Faculty stakeholders

• Lead the development of high-level reports, submissions, and briefing documents to inform and support strategic decision-making

• Oversee institutional agreements, ensuring compliance and alignment with Faculty and institutional strategic objectives

• Facilitate cross-functional collaboration across academic, research, and administrative units

• Identify and progress strategic partnership and funding opportunities

Strategic Project and Programme Delivery

• Identify, scope, and drive strategic projects aligned to Faculty priorities, in consultation with Faculty leadership

• Translate strategic objectives into structured initiatives with clear deliverables and timelines

• Oversee implementation of key Faculty initiatives and monitor progress against milestones

• Manage project risks, dependencies, and resource allocation effectively

• Provide direction to project teams, ensuring accountability, coordination, and delivery

• Continuously enhance project frameworks, tools, and delivery methodologies

Detailed Description

Job Requirements

Additional Details

How To Apply

Closing date: 21 May 2026

Please submit your application using the following I-Recruitment link: www.wits.ac.za/vacancies or for internal applicants https://irec.wits.ac.za

Completion of the test questions on the iRec online application are compulsory.

Documents to be submitted with your application:

• A cover letter motivating your suitability for the post

• Detailed and up to date CV

• Names, telephone numbers and e-mail addresses of three recent referees,

• ID (or passport and permit)

• Copies of qualification certificates

Please note:

Only applications via the website will be considered for shortlisting. An interview will form part of the selection process.

NB: The University will seek confidential referee reports for all shortlisted candidates. At least one referee must be the candidate’s current or most recent immediate supervisor or line manager. No appointment will be made without the receipt and satisfactory consideration of the required referee reports.

By applying for this post the Applicant acknowledges that their personal information will be processed by the University. The Applicant, by their conduct in proceeding with an application for this position, gives their consent to the processing of their personal information as required by the University’s Recruitment, Selection and Appointment Policy. Such processing includes logging their information on the University’s recruitment systems, conducting necessary background and reference checks including disciplinary and/or criminal records, and disclosing their personal information to university employees identified to take part in the selection and recruitment process. The Applicant consents to any processing of their personal information as may be required. The confidentiality of the Applicant’s personal information will be maintained.

The University is committed to employment equity. Preference will be given to appointable applicants from the designated South African groups in terms of the relevant employment equity plans and policies of the University. The University retains the right not to make an appointment, to re-advertise, and to verify all information provided by candidates. Please note that correspondence will only be entered into with shortlisted candidates

Minimum Salary

Maximum Salary

Currency

Amount of Travel

Work At Home