Campus Academic Head Position

Closing date: 28 February 2025

Our client in education is looking to recruit a dynamic and experienced Campus Academic Head to lead and manage academic operations at their institution. The ideal candidate will hold a Master’s degree (Doctorate preferred) and bring at least 7 years of relevant experience, including 5 years in academic management within a tertiary environment. This role demands strong leadership, collaboration, and people skills, along with a deep understanding of private higher education and effective teaching strategies. If you are enthusiastic about nurturing academic excellence and driving student success, we invite you to apply for this exciting opportunity.

Permanent position

Location: Johannesburg (Parktown)

Working conditions: On-Site

Salary between R40K and R45K per month CtC

Minimum Requirements:

The successful applicant will meet the following requirements:

• Minimum of a relevant Master’s degree is a prerequisite, a Doctorate is preferred.
• A minimum of 7 years’ working experience in the relevant field, which should include at least 5 years’ experience in academic management within a tertiary environment.
• Proven leadership and collaboration skills.

Ideal Competencies:

The successful applicant will have the following competencies:

• Have a sound understanding of the private Higher Education environment.
• Have a critical understanding of the most effective teaching, learning and strategies, including how to select and use teaching approaches to create opportunities for students to achieve their potential.
• Excellent ability to guide and collaborate with staff with timely, accurate and constructive input, feedback and development that promotes overall progress.
• Strong people skills and team player.
• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving ability.
• Digital literacy and knowledge of learning management systems.

Duties:

Professional Leadership:

• Initiate the process of recruitment of full-time academic staff and independent contractors on campus in conjunction with the respective Programme Coordinator.
• Ensure that new staff are trained efficiently to understand their role, processes, policies and procedures.
• Responsible for the line management of Head Lecturers, Lecturers and Tutors at the campus. Within this, see to the clear communication of roles and responsibilities of each academic team member.
• Supervise all learning and teaching activities throughout the campus.
• Oversee the implementation of learning and teaching strategies and quality assurance procedures.
• Supervise and coordinate all academic affairs and ensure a high level of excellence as regards academic activities on a daily basis.
• Manage collaboration among teaching teams, i.e., head lecturers, lecturers, and tutors.
• Supervise the schedule of duties of all academic staff in collaboration with the campus and Student Support Centre administrative teams.
• Ensure the compliance of students and academic staff to policies, rules, and regulations.

Performance Management and Assessment:

• Manage the implementation of the performance plan with the Head: Teaching, Programme Coordinators, Head Lecturers, Lecturers, and Tutors.
• Ensure scheduling is in place and attended by Lecturers/Tutors.
• Ensure that the stipulated curriculum is available and fully implemented.
• Ensure the effective performance of all academic staff.
• Oversee and monitor the adequate planning of teaching plans by the Lecturers.
• Ensure equity of academic delivery across all sites of delivery, by liaising with other Campus Academic Heads and the Programme Coordinators.
• Ensure that the academic standard of the is of the highest quality and excellence.
• Regularly appraise the Lecturers, Librarian and Guidance Counsellors and submit reports to the Head: Teaching and the Campus Head.
• Conduct regular formal classroom visits for both lectures and tutorials.
• Facilitate greater student success via an ongoing analysis of academic results, reporting on and addressing areas of risk, and implementing early academic intervention measures.
• Ensure the improvement of student retention rates through the management of student support interventions and strategies to improve student perseverance/resilience.
• Monitor and measure the effectiveness of academic support interventions on an ongoing basis.
• Be held accountable for compliance with the policies and procedures of the Institution.
• Build and promote an active community of best academic practices on campus.
• Handle student disputes and complaints.
• Handle Lecturer and Tutor queries.

Administration Management:

• Coordinate the activities of all academic staff on campus and Student Support Centres relating to their performance and yielding good academic results.
• Maintain and update all records pertaining to academic activities.
• Ensure that all academic staff update their knowledge and keep abreast of developments in their respective discipline through active participation in skills development in the Academic Community, 1^st Tuesdays, seminars, workshops, and conferences.
• Responsible for deploying human resources effectively to meet specific objectives in line with the organisation’s objectives.
• Ensure that all materials required for the smooth operation of academic activities are available and used efficiently.

Communication and Relationship Management:

• To ensure that constructive working relationships are formed between staff and students.
• Responsible for coordinating orientation activities, ensuring the smooth transition of new students into the system.
• To provide feedback to the HOD: Learning, Teaching & Assessment required on the performance management of academic staff.
• Communicate directly with parents as required.
• Provide monthly reports to the Head: Teaching on key responsibility areas.

Lecturing:

• Lecture (Preferably Head Lecturer) one module.
• Supervise Postgraduate students.

Research & Scholarship:

• Promote a culture of scholarship on campus and report to the Executive Academic Head on the research points achieved and qualifications completed by the permanent academic staff and independent contractors.
• Plan, manage and review the research target deliverables on campus, and make the necessary adjustments throughout the year to ensure that the required research outputs are achieved.
• Contribute to research output by achieving the prescribed annual research output unit/s target.

Institutional Committees:

The Campus Academic Heads will serve on the following committees (but not limited to):

• Academic Executive Committee (AEC)
• Community Engagement Committee