Head of Department (HOD)- EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES

Shape the Future of Emerging Technology Education

We are seeking a dynamic, innovative and results-driven academic leader to join our Faculty of Information Technology as Head of Department: Emerging Technologies.

The successful candidate will provide strategic, academic and operational leadership across the Department of Emerging Technologies, overseeing programmes and modules delivered through both contact and distance learning modalities.

This is an exciting opportunity for an accomplished academic leader who is passionate about emerging technologies, curriculum innovation, academic excellence and student success. The HOD will play a key role in positioning the department at the forefront of technological and educational advancement.

Key Responsibilities

The successful candidate will be responsible for:

• Providing strategic leadership across teaching, learning, research and community engagement.
• Leading the academic and operational management of the Department of Emerging Technologies.
• Driving curriculum innovation to ensure programmes remain academically rigorous, future-focused and aligned with industry requirements.
• Overseeing academic quality assurance, assessments, moderation and academic standards across contact and distance learning.
• Managing and developing academic and support staff across campuses and learning platforms.
• Teaching approximately 12–15 hours per week and maintaining meaningful engagement with students.
• Developing and implementing strategies aimed at improving student success, throughput and retention.
• Leading the development of innovative teaching and learning materials incorporating current and emerging technological trends.
• Promoting innovative teaching methodologies, including online, blended and technology-enabled learning.
• Supporting research, scholarship and postgraduate research supervision within the department.
• Managing staff performance, professional development, mentoring and continuous upskilling.
• Building strong relationships with industry stakeholders, professional bodies, regulatory organisations and alumni.
• Supporting the development and delivery of executive education programmes aligned with industry needs.
• Managing departmental budgets and resources to ensure efficient and sustainable programme delivery.
• Contributing to faculty strategic planning, governance, risk management and institutional growth.
• Supporting internationalisation initiatives and strengthening the department's reputation locally and globally.

Minimum Requirements

Candidates should possess:

• A Master’s degree in a relevant field.
• A PhD, or significant progress towards a PhD, in an emerging technology-related discipline will be highly advantageous.
• A minimum of five (5) years’ experience in higher education, with significant exposure to academic leadership and management.
• Demonstrated expertise within emerging technology disciplines such as Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Cybersecurity or related fields.
• A proven record of research, scholarship and academic publications.
• Experience in curriculum development, academic quality assurance, assessment and moderation.
• Experience working across contact and/or distance learning environments.
• Demonstrated ability to lecture approximately 12–15 hours per week.
• Experience in managing, mentoring and developing academic staff.
• Demonstrated contributions towards improving student success and retention.
• The ability to supervise postgraduate research.
• Strong knowledge of current and future trends within technology and higher education.
• Professional registration with relevant industry or professional bodies, where applicable.
• The ability and willingness to be based at a national campus and contribute directly to academic and operational delivery.
• The capability to design and deliver executive education programmes that respond to industry requirements.

The Ideal Candidate

We are looking for an academic leader who is:

• Visionary and forward-thinking, with a passion for technology and education.
• An inspirational and values-driven leader with high levels of integrity.
• Results-orientated, decisive and solutions-focused.
• An excellent written and verbal communicator.
• Collaborative and able to lead high-performing, multidisciplinary teams.
• Innovative, adaptable and knowledgeable about global trends in emerging technologies.
• Highly organised and capable of managing multiple priorities.
• Committed to academic excellence, student success and continuous improvement.

Why Join Us?

This role provides an exciting opportunity to influence the future direction of emerging technology education, develop academics and future technology professionals, strengthen industry partnerships, and drive innovation across a diverse academic portfolio.

If you are passionate about shaping the next generation of technology professionals and have the academic leadership experience to take an Emerging Technologies department forward, we would like to hear from you.

Pay: From R45 000,00 per month

Work Location: In person