CORE PURPOSE OF JOB

To provide strategic and operational leadership in developing, strengthening and sustaining the University's innovation ecosystem, enabling diverse pathways for the co-creation, exchange, translation, application and uptake of knowledge, research and creative ideas to generate societal, economic, environmental and institutional value, in alignment with the University's strategic direction.

KEY PERFORMANCE AREAS

• Strategic innovation leadership: Develop, implement, monitor and adapt institutional innovation strategies; build a coherent, inclusive, humanising and Africa-centred innovation ecosystem.

• Knowledge mobilisation and innovation translation: Enable multiple pathways for knowledge co-creation, exchange, translation, application and uptake, including commercial and non-commercial pathways; connect research, teaching, engagement and partnerships.

• Innovation ecosystems and partnerships: Strengthen mutually beneficial networks with industry, government, communities, civil society and innovation organisations, locally, nationally and internationally.

• Intellectual property and commercialisation: Provide strategic oversight of IP identification, protection, management, licensing and technology transfer, ensuring compliance with relevant legislation and institutional policy in collaboration with Legal Services and other specialists.

• Entrepreneurship and venture development: Support staff and student entrepreneurship, incubation, acceleration, spin-offs, start-ups, venture readiness and innovation financing pathways.

• Impact, sustainability and innovation culture: Advance technological, social, policy, community-engaged and sustainability innovation; develop innovation capabilities, responsible experimentation, learning and evidence of impact.

• Innovation Entities and Chairs: Lead, coordinate and exercise appropriate oversight of Innovation Entities, Innovation Chairs and associated platforms reporting through the Directorate; support their development, performance, sustainability and governance. Participate in boards, corporate or other governance arrangements only where formally designated.

• Directorate management and stewardship: Lead people, programmes and operations; oversee budgets, planning, performance, risk, compliance and resource mobilisation, working with Finance, Legal Services and relevant governance structures.

• Contractual governance, regulatory compliance and risk management: Provide strategic oversight of contractual governance supporting research, innovation and partnership activities across the RII portfolio, including effective processes for drafting, reviewing, negotiating and finalising relevant agreements. Promote compliance with legislation, funder conditions and University policies, safeguard institutional interests and manage associated risks in close collaboration with Research Management (RSM), Legal Services and other relevant stakeholders.

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Strategic and Systems Leadership: Ability to set strategic direction, exercise sound judgement, lead institutional change and strengthen interconnected innovation ecosystems through adaptive, collaborative leadership.

• Humanising, Responsible and Africa-centred Innovation: Commitment to ethical, inclusive and sustainability-oriented innovation, engaging diverse knowledge systems and exercising sound judgement to advance meaningful societal impact.

• Innovation and Knowledge Mobilisation: Ability to enable diverse pathways for knowledge co-creation, exchange, translation, application and uptake, including commercial and non-commercial contributions to societal value.

• Research, Technological and Social Innovation: Understanding of research and innovation processes and ability to advance technological, entrepreneurial, social, community-engaged, policy and sustainability-oriented innovation across disciplines and knowledge systems.

• Innovation Ecosystems and Strategic Partnerships: Ability to establish and sustain mutually beneficial relationships across academia, industry, government, communities and civil society, with effective executive communication, influence, negotiation and boundary-spanning collaboration.

• Intellectual Property, Commercialisation and Entrepreneurship: Sound understanding of intellectual property management, technology transfer, commercialisation, venture development and innovation financing, supported by analytical, negotiation and commercial judgement.

• Contractual, Regulatory and Risk Management: Ability to exercise sound contractual, financial and regulatory judgement, oversee contractual governance and compliance, manage institutional risks, and collaborate effectively with Research Management (RSM), Legal Services and other stakeholders.

• Organisational Leadership and Institutional Governance: Ability to lead multidisciplinary teams, Innovation Entities, Innovation Chairs and complex programmes; build institutional capabilities; manage performance; and steward resources and governance.

REQUIREMENTS

Required minimum education:

• Master's degree (NQF level 9) in Science, Engineering or Technology (SET), or a closely related discipline with a substantive SET foundation.

Required minimum experience:

• A minimum of eight (8) years' relevant professional experience in research, innovation, knowledge mobilisation or related knowledge-intensive environments, demonstrating an understanding of the processes, partnerships and pathways through which knowledge and research contribute to innovation and societal value.
• This must include at least five (5) years' experience in senior management or strategic leadership roles, with demonstrable responsibility for leading people, programmes, resources or complex multi-stakeholder initiatives.

Required Knowledge:

• A sound understanding of the research, innovation and knowledge-to-impact value chain, encompassing knowledge generation and validation, innovation opportunity identification and evaluation, knowledge mobilisation, and commercial and non-commercial pathways for translation, application and uptake. This should be complemented by working knowledge of the South African National System of Innovation and relevant intellectual property, commercialisation, partnership and governance frameworks.