Professor of Sociology
University of the Free State Department of Sociology
South Africa

Faculty of the Humanities
Department of Sociology

Senior Lecturer / Associate Professor / Professor and Academic Head of Sociology

KINDLY TAKE NOTE: Applications may only be submitted online through the official UFS vacancy website: http://www.ufs.ac.za/templates/vacancies. Applications submitted through any other platform will not be considered. 

Please ensure that all relevant documentation is attached to your application. INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. Please note:  Combine all the below documents as one document (PDF or Word), when uploading it on the online applications system. 

• A detailed curriculum vitae and cover letter (please note that the first three (3) referees on your CV will be contacted with regard to reference checking);
• Certified copies (not older than 3 months) of all academic records;
• Certified copies (not older than 3 months) of qualifications (please provide the SAQA accreditation in the case of foreign qualifications);
• A certified copy (not older than 3 months) of your identity document (ID);
• Proof of registration with a Professional Body (if applicable);
• A copy of your driver’s license (if applicable).


Duties and responsibilities: 

• Contribute towards creating a strong academic identity for the Department of Sociology. 
• Teach and assess undergraduate and postgraduate modules in Sociology.
• Provide study guidance and supervision to final year and postgraduate students.
• Initiate and conduct high-level research and sustain quality research outputs.
• Active participation and involvement in applicable UFS management structures.
• Build an effective team of scholars.
• Contribute to programme development and curriculum review within the Department and Faculty.
• Participate in community engagement initiatives.
• Recruit senior students for postgraduate studies.
• Perform organisational and administrative duties.
• Introduce and teach in a specific Sociology specialisation that can contribute to the Faculty's academic streams.


Additional duties applicable to the role of the Academic Head of Department: 

• Provide academic leadership by creating and executing strategies to establish the department as a leader in the discipline vis-à-vis competing international entities.
• The Academic Head of Department is directly responsible for:
   o Directing the academic debate in the department;
   o Influencing the department’s overall climate and culture;
   o Energising everybody in the department and beyond; and 
   o Shaping the future of the department.
• Contribute to the overall leadership in the faculty.
• Responsible for frequent and continuous planning and execution of plans, general organising and coordinating of staff, students and activities, mentoring and motivating staff, structuring, and exercising overall control.
• Create an atmosphere of consensus among staff.
• Responsible for effective internal and external communication.
• The Academic Head of Department is pivotal in linking the department’s staff and students with the University’s management and administration through communication, negotiation and consultation.
• Active participation and involvement in faculty management structures, attending meetings, leading project teams, representing the department and faculty, and fulfilling the roles of liaison officer and marketer, when necessary.
• Active participation and involvement in applicable UFS management structures, e.g. Senate
• Initiate, formulate and implement a visionary academic strategy for the department that is aligned with and supportive to the guiding strategic documents of the UFS and faculty.
• Ensure –
   o The provision of top-quality, research-informed facilitation of learning at all levels of teaching in the department;
   o Relevance of content, material and presentation in all modules;
   o The enhancement of student experiences and their continuous engagement in academic debates;
   o Adequate rules and regulations are in place to optimally deliver high-quality teaching and learning programmes on both undergraduate and postgraduate levels;
   o Adherence to all the rules and regulations of the UFS, faculty and department.
   o Quality and timely feedback on student work;
   o Proper and quality-driven academic advice and support to all under-and-postgraduate students in the department; and 
   o The revisiting and development of fresh learning programmes that will help to position the department as a leader in the fraternity.
• Create and maintain a – 
   o Visionary research strategy for the department; and
   o Environment that encourages research, leading to strong and active research habits and a culture of inquiry.
• Ensure that – 
   o Every academic staff member  is engaged in quality driven and discipline specific research;
   o Postgraduate students are recruited to broaden the research base of the department; and
   o Ethical requirements are met.
• Guide and support Senior Academics towards acquiring NRF ratings.
• Engage actively with the faculty research committee and the UFS Directorate of Research Development in order to ensure sustainable financial support for departmental research initiatives.
• Build and effective team of scholars through:
   o Planning and implementing a fair and reasonable dispensation regarding the workload of staff members in the department;
   o Planning and implementing a clear and reasonable career path for every staff member in the department, taking account of the strategic plans of the University, faculty and department;
   o Appropriate mentoring interventions where and whenever it is needed;
   o Managing staff performance in accordance with existing university policies and procedures;
   o Recruitment and selection of scholars in the case of vacancies and/or specific strategic needs, whenever strategic repositioning requires expansion of academic endeavours;
   o Creating and maintaining a scholarship-friendly environment in the department; and 
   o Planning an overseeing effective and relevant staff development.
• Ultimate responsibility in terms of financial management which culminates:
   o Annual budgeting;
   o Financial planning;
   o Allocation of funds; and
   o Financial control.
   o Adherence to the UFS’s financial policies and procedures.
• Encourage and actively support academic staff members to apply for external research and other grants.

Inherent requirements:

Senior Lecturer:
• PhD on NQF level ten (10) in Sociology or cognate discipline.
• A minimum of five (5) years’ lecturing experience in Sociology at a tertiary institution.
• Proven experience in the presentation of papers/posters at national scholarly conferences.
• Proven national recognition for specialist expertise and research in a specific area of scholarship.
• An NRF rating or demonstrate potential for obtaining an NRF rating within reasonable time.
• Proven experience in supervision of graduated master’s students.
• A proven research record of relevant publications in national and international accredited journals.
• Proven experience of service as an active member of a national or international scholarly society or committee or agency concerned with research at higher education levels.

Associate Professor:
• PhD on NQF level ten (10) in Sociology or cognate discipline.
• A minimum of eight (8) years’ lecturing experience in Sociology at a tertiary institution.
• Experience as external examiner for postgraduate students.
• Proven experience in the presentation of research papers at national conferences, where there is evidence of peer review of papers.
• Act as an editorial board member of high-quality national scholarly journals.
• Proven national recognition for specialist expertise and research leadership in a specific scientific area of scholarship.
• An NRF rating of C3 or equivalent status.
• Proven experience in the supervision of graduated masters’ students.
• A proven research record of relevant publications in national and international accredited journals.
• Serve as a member of a national scholarly society OR a national committee or agency concerned with research at higher education levels, OR show evidence of service as an active member of an international equivalent.

Professor: 
• PhD on NQF level ten (10) in Sociology or cognate discipline.
• A minimum of eight (8) years’ lecturing experience in Sociology at a tertiary institution.
• Experience as external examiner for masters’ and doctoral students.
• Act as editorial board member of high-quality international/ISI/IBSS journals.
• Proven international recognition for specialist expertise and research leadership in a particular area of academic scholarship (e.g. regularly serves as a reviewer for international/ISI/IBSS journals).
• An NRF rating of C1 or C2 or equivalent status.
• Demonstrated successful supervision of graduated master's and preferably graduated doctoral students.
• Proven experience in delivering keynote addresses at national scholarly conferences.
• Serve as a member of an international scholarly society OR an international committee or agency concerned with research at higher education levels.

Required competencies:

• Business Acumen
   o A strong knowledge of- and practical experience in both quantitative and qualitative research methods.
   o Background and experience in population related issues/ demography.
   o Excellent skilled use of Microsoft Office software (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and related programmes).
• Leading 
   o Excellent management skills.
   o The ability to cooperate with others and proactively influence a wide range of diverse individuals and groups positively.
• Building Coalitions
   o Proven ability to network with stakeholders at various levels both inside and outside academia.
   o Good interpersonal and communication skills (verbal and written). 
   o The ability to function well in the university’s richly diverse working environment.
• Strategic Thinking
   o The ability to deal with several activities at a time.
   o The ability to carefully analyse information and use logic to address issues and problems at work.
• Results Orientated
   o The ability to set high standards, establish tough goals, and to work to achieve success.
   o The ability to be reliable, responsible, dependable and to fulfil obligations.

Recommendations: 

Senior Lecturer:
• Editorial board member of high-quality national/international scholarly journals.
• Experience as a departmental leader/ manager in a higher education environment.

Associate Professor and Professor:
• Experience as a departmental leader/ manager in a higher education environment

Term of office: 
• The appointment as Senior Lecturer / Associate Professor / Professor is a permanent position.  
• Five (5) years with regard to Academic Head of Department, with the possibility of reappointment for a further term.

Assumption of duties:  As soon as possible.

Closing date: 7 April 2020.

Salary: The salary scale is available on request.  

Enquiries: For enquiries, please feel free to contact 051 401 7267/9811/9814/9848 or email Recruit@ufs.ac.za

Fringe benefits: 

(Subject to specific conditions): pension scheme, medical aid scheme, group life insurance, housing allowance, leave and sick leave, service bonus and study benefits.

General: 

The University reserves the right not to fill the post. The University subscribes to and applies the principles prescribed by the Employment Equity Act. Preference will be given to candidates from the designated groups, in accordance with the principles of the aforementioned act and the employee profile of the specific department/division. 
Applications that are incomplete will not be considered. The UFS will only consider applications of candidates who meet all the inherent requirements of the position. Communication will be limited to shortlisted candidates only. Should you not be contacted within six weeks of the closing date for applications, you may assume that your application was unsuccessful.

APPLY ONLINE:

External candidates can click HERE to apply online.
UFS staff members can log onto PeopleSoft, click Self Service, Recruiting, and Careers to apply online.

If you apply for this position please say you saw it on Socioloxy