Director: Institutional Research and Planning (P5) (Five-year contract)

Purpose

The position provides strategic leadership and management for institutional planning, institutional research, business intelligence, enrolment and academic planning, performance monitoring, and policy analysis to support evidence-based decision-making and institutional effectiveness. The Office serves as a strategic advisory and institutional intelligence capability within the Office of the Vice-Chancellor and Principal, translating institutional data, research and foresight into actionable intelligence for planning and decision-making. The Director leads university-wide planning and institutional effectiveness processes, provides reliable management information and strategic intelligence to executive leadership and governance structures, and ensures compliance with national higher education planning, HEMIS and reporting requirements.

Minimum Requirements

• A relevant master’s degree (NQF 9) in Higher Education, Public Administration, Economics, Statistics, Data Science, Social Sciences, Planning, Business Administration, or a related discipline.
• 6 - 8 years' relevant experience in a higher education institutional planning, institutional research, management information, strategy or related environment.
• At least 5 years' management or strategic leadership experience.
• Demonstrated experience in strategic and institutional planning, including enrolment and/or academic planning.
• Demonstrated experience with HEMIS, DHET planning and statutory reporting processes.
• Experience in institutional performance monitoring, institutional research and the analysis of large quantitative and qualitative datasets.
• Experience in business intelligence, dashboards or management information systems for executive decision support.
• Experience preparing executive-level reports and working with university governance structures.
• Experience in policy analysis, benchmarking and leading institutional change or improvement initiatives.

Recommended requirements

• A relevant Doctorate (NQF10) in Higher Education, Public Administration, Economics, Statistics, Data Science, Social Sciences, Planning, Business Administration, or related discipline.

Job functions

• Lead and coordinate the University’s strategic and institutional planning processes, including the development, implementation, monitoring and review of the Strategic Plan and Annual Performance Plan,
• Coordinate institutional planning, environmental scanning, strategic foresight, scenario analysis and the preparation of strategic planning and performance reports.
• Provide strategic leadership and institutional oversight of HEMIS reporting, institutional research, business intelligence, data analytics and institutional data governance,
• Coordinate and monitor Institutional Performance planning, and prepare relevant reports to top management,
• Liaise with the Department of Higher Education and Training, and other relevant stakeholders. as and when required,
• Monitor and analyse higher education policy and sector developments and provide strategic advice on their implications for the University, including coordinating institutional planning and policy responses where required,
• Provide leadership for institutional data governance, data quality, common definitions, stewardship and the development of authoritative institutional information,
• Manage Quality Assurance and Risk Management for the Office,
• Provide relevant reports to top management and external stakeholders,
• Manage the Human and Financial Resources of the Institutional Planning office,
• Lead institutional enrolment and academic planning, including analysis of enrolment demand, student success, institutional size and shape, and the Programme and Qualification Mix, in collaboration with relevant academic and governance structures.

Enquiries can be made via email at spurecruit@spu.ac.za

Assumption of duties: As mutually agreed to upon acceptance of the appointment. The University reserves the right not to make an appointment. This position may be subjected to assessments. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted by the university.

Women and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Note: Sol Plaatje University (SPU) is dedicated to meeting its Employment Equity targets.