Director: Teaching and Learning
Position summary
Introduction
Job description
The Director: Teaching and Learning will provide strategic leadership and management of the University Teaching and Learning Office (UTLO), working collaboratively with College leadership, College Deans of Teaching and Learning, academic staff and relevant institutional structures and committees to advance the University’s teaching and learning strategy and strengthen educational quality and student success.
The Director will lead the development, implementation and evaluation of institutional priorities relating to teaching excellence, student success, digital learning and innovation, curriculum transformation, quality promotion and assurance, and academic monitoring and support. The incumbent will provide strategic advice to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning and Executive Management on emerging developments, challenges and opportunities in higher education, ensuring that institutional responses are informed by evidence, research and sectoral developments.
The Director will provide strategic oversight of the UTLO portfolio, ensuring effective coordination and integration of its units, programmes and activities. This will include leading the development and implementation of institutional teaching and learning strategies, policies and frameworks; promoting alignment with national higher education priorities and quality assurance requirements; and fostering a culture of evidence-informed practice, innovation and continuous improvement. The incumbent will oversee academic development, digital learning, quality promotion and assurance, institutional teaching and learning projects, research, grant funding and staff development, ensuring that these activities contribute to the University's strategic objectives.
The Director will provide institutional leadership for academic monitoring and support, clarifying and strengthening the UTLO's role in coordinating, monitoring and evaluating interventions aimed at improving student retention, progression, throughput and success. Working with Colleges and relevant academic and professional support structures, the incumbent will oversee the development of institutional monitoring frameworks, indicators, reporting mechanisms and early-identification systems to identify students at academic risk and inform timely, targeted interventions. The Director will promote the use of student performance data and other relevant evidence to evaluate the effectiveness of academic support initiatives, identify systemic barriers to student success and guide improvements in teaching, learning and student support. Responsibility for implementing academic interventions will be exercised collaboratively with the relevant Colleges and institutional stakeholders.
The Director will build and maintain strategic relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including College leadership, academic staff, students and student representatives, government and regulatory bodies, funding agencies, professional and accreditation bodies, research collaborators, educational technology partners, and national and international higher education networks. The incumbent will represent the University in relevant forums and partnerships, facilitate collaboration and knowledge exchange, and contribute to strengthening the University's profile and leadership in teaching and learning nationally and internationally.
The Director will oversee resource management, operational planning and organisational development across the UTLO portfolio, including budgeting, resource allocation, staffing, procurement, infrastructure and organisational change. As Risk Champion for the Division, the Director will lead the identification, assessment, mitigation and monitoring of strategic and operational risks, ensuring that appropriate controls and risk management practices are embedded across the portfolio and aligned with University governance requirements.
The incumbent will report to the Deputy-Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning Division.
Minimum requirements
- A Doctoral Degree (PhD) in Higher Education Studies, Curriculum Studies or a relevant field, with a substantial research profile.
- At least 10 years' experience within a higher education environment, of which at least 5 years must have been at senior leadership or management level in teaching and learning, academic development, educational leadership or a related field.
The successful candidate will demonstrate:
- In-depth knowledge of higher education teaching and learning, curriculum transformation and academic development.
- Strong strategic leadership, organisational management and change management capabilities.
- Sound knowledge of the South African higher education policy, regulatory, governance, quality assurance and accreditation environment.
- Knowledge of digital learning, educational technology and emerging trends in higher education.
- Strong strategic planning, policy development, research and evidence-based decision-making skills.
- Financial, resource and risk management capability.
- Strong stakeholder engagement, partnership development and people leadership skills.
- Understanding of institutional transformation, social justice and student success.
PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES
- The successful candidate will be a visionary and strategic thinker with strong communication, interpersonal and diplomatic skills.
- The candidate should demonstrate collaborative leadership, integrity, resilience, adaptability, sound judgement and the ability to manage complexity, inspire others and drive innovation and continuous improvement.
- NRF rating or significant research recognition and a strong publication record.
- Experience as a Dean, Deputy Dean or equivalent senior academic leader.
- Proven experience in institutional strategy, large-scale change and digital transformation.
- Experience with institutional audits, reviews, quality assurance and accreditation processes.
- Experience managing complex portfolios, budgets and high-performing teams.
- Demonstrated senior-level stakeholder engagement and national/international teaching and learning networks.
- Recognition as a thought leader in higher education.
- Experience in institutional risk management and/or serving as a Risk Champion.
- Multilingual capabilities
The job profile, which contains advantages, leadership credentials and personal attributes for appointment can be obtained from Mr. Nqobizizwe Mthembu on e-mail: MthembuN26@ukzn.ac.za.
The closing date for receipt of applications is 17 November 2026
Short-listed candidates may be expected to do a presentation on a specific topic.
All applicants are required to apply online on Career Portal, https://ukzn.ci.hr/applicant/index.php.
Kindly note that the University of KwaZulu-Natal (“the University”) is required to process any Personal Information (as defined by the Protection of Personal Act, 2013 “POPIA”) submitted by candidates when applying for positions at the University. The provision of the Personal Information is a requirement in terms of the University’s recruitment and selection process. The retention of any personal information is as a consequence of the University being bound by legislative requirements and / or good governance practices as well as record keeping for statistical purposes. The University will endeavour to ensure that the appropriate security measures are in place and implemented for both electronic and paper-based formats that are used for processing of the personal information recorded through this recruitment and selection process.
The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) is committed to meeting the objectives of Employment Equity to improve representivity within the Institution. Preference will be given to applicants from designated groups in accordance with our Employment Equity Plan.
- Please do not send us copies of your degree and other certificates. We will request certified copies if you are short listed for interview.
- Please read the advertisement carefully. We do not consider applicants who do not meet the minimum requirements.
- The University is committed to Employment Equity.
- The University reserves the right not to fill a vacancy.
- Should you not hear from us within six weeks of the closing date, please assume you are unsuccessful
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