Vice-Principal: Institutional Innovation, Planning & Resources Management

UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA

VICE-PRINCIPAL: INSTITUTIONAL INNOVATION, PLANNING AND RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

PEROMNES: POST LEVEL 1

 The University of Pretoria is one of South Africa’s top research-intensive universities, dedicated to producing high-quality, impactful research that addresses complex contemporary issues. It is one of the most significant producers of research and makes a major contribution to postgraduate and postdoctoral fellowship training, as well as nurturing and supporting researchers at different stages of their research careers. It is home to the largest number of National Research Foundation (NRF)-rated researchers. The University has developed infrastructure and a number of research platforms, including the Future Africa Platform, that support multi-, inter-, and transdisciplinary research across the institution. The University is continuously expanding its research partnerships and collaborations worldwide.

 The University’s nine faculties and business school offer a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes recognised internationally. It offers quality education to a cohort of approximately 55 000 students from across the diversity of the South African population and awards approximately 14% of all degrees conferred annually by public universities in South Africa.

 The University of Pretoria is committed to equality, employment equity and diversity. In pursuit of excellence and diversity, the University of Pretoria invites applications for the position of Professor and Vice-Principal: Institutional Innovation, Planning and Resources Management.

 JOB PURPOSE

The Vice-Principal: Institutional Innovation, Planning and Resources Management is responsible for providing strategic leadership, coordination, and oversight of the University’s institutional planning, innovation, institutional performance, financial sustainability, and optimal resource allocation. The incumbent will also provide leadership in aligning the UP’s long-term strategy, academic priorities, operational plans, and resource utilisation in support of the University’s mission as a leading research-intensive institution. The Vice-Principal will also support the Vice-Chancellor and Principal in the leadership and management of the University as well as strategic leadership and direction in the following directorates: Institutional Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, all innovation initiatives of the institution and the resources allocation of the University as well as other appropriate functions as may be assigned to this portfolio, in pursuance of the vision and mission of the University of Pretoria.

It is the prerogative of the Vice-Chancellor and Principal to determine the portfolios of the members of the Executive, and the University reserves the right to change the portfolio responsibilities of Vice-Principals from time to time in line with new strategic priorities and operational requirements.The responsibilities of the Vice-Principal: Institutional Innovation, Planning and Resources Management, amongst others is to:

  RESPONSIBILITIES:

Strategic Leadership: Institutional Planning and Strategy

• Assist the Vice-Chancellor & Principal with the development of the institution’s strategic plan and manage the implementation thereof.
• Provide executive leadership in the formulation, articulation, implementation, and periodic review of the University’s long-term strategic plan, institutional operating plans, and strategic frameworks.
• Translate strategic priorities into measurable objectives, milestones, and deliverables across faculties and support divisions.
• Guide scenario planning and long-range forecasting to support institutional resilience and adaptability.
• Manage and monitor the implementation of institutional planning through the following: Institutional Research, Data Management Services, Quality Enhancement, Academic Planning, and Annual Performance Planning.
• Lead institutional annual performance plans (APPs), including quarterly and mid-term reports.
• Lead the strategic planning processes (analysis, strategy formulation, strategy execution and evaluation

Strategic Foresight, Innovation, and Institutional Positioning

 Provide executive leadership in institutional foresight, horizon scanning, and long-term trend analysis to anticipate shifts in higher education, funding models, technology, labour markets, and student demand.

• Lead structured future-focused planning processes, including scenario development and stress-testing, to inform strategic and resource decisions.
• Guide innovation in planning, resource models, and institutional operating approaches to enhance agility and competitiveness (e.g., Transdisciplinary structures & proper digitalisation roll-out).
• Support Executive Management and Council in positioning the University of Pretoria strategically within the national, continental, and global higher education ecosystem.
• Advise Executive Management on reputation-related strategic risks and interventions
• Provide strategic oversight of institutional sustainability and environmental responsibility initiatives.
• Ensure sustainability considerations are embedded in infrastructure planning, resource allocation, and long-term strategy.

Resource Planning, Allocation and Management

• Providing strategic direction through integrated planning and resource allocation to ensure the achievement of the strategic objectives of UP.
• Lead the development and oversight of integrated resource planning frameworks encompassing financial, human, infrastructure, space, and digital resources.
• Provide executive leadership in the development and implementation of an integrated resource planning and management framework covering financial, human, infrastructure, space, digital, and academic resources.
• Ensure that resource planning is explicitly linked to institutional strategy, academic priorities, enrolment plans, research growth, transformation objectives, and student success outcomes.
• Lead the design, review, and refinement of transparent and equitable resource allocation models that balance sustainability, performance, redress, and strategic investment.
• Oversee the prioritisation and allocation of resources across faculties and support divisions, ensuring optimal utilisation, efficiency, and impact.
• Promote responsible stewardship, accountability, and value-for-money in the use of institutional and public resources.
• Support institutional agility by enabling the reallocation or reprioritisation of resources in response to emerging risks, opportunities, or changes in the higher education environment.

Financial Sustainability and Stewardship

• Provide strategic leadership in ensuring the long-term financial sustainability of the University within a constrained and evolving higher education funding environment.
• Contribute to the development and oversight of multi-year financial strategies, medium-term expenditure frameworks, and long-range financial forecasts aligned to institutional priorities.
• Work closely with the Executive Director: Finance & Business Initiatives and executive leadership to align budgeting processes, financial plans, and resource allocation with the University’s strategic objectives.
• Support and guide revenue diversification initiatives, including enrolment-driven income optimisation, third-stream income, partnerships, and strategic investments.
• Support informed decision-making by providing financial analyses, scenario modelling, and risk assessments to the Executive, Council, and relevant committees in liaison with the Executive Director-Finance and Business Initiatives.
• Promote a culture of financial sustainability, transparency, and shared accountability across the University.

Governance, Risk and Compliance

• Provide executive leadership in strengthening portfolio governance systems to support effective oversight, accountability, and strategic decision-making.
• Support Council, Senate, Council committees, and Executive structures through the provision of high-quality strategic analyses, planning reports, and institutional performance insights.
• Lead and coordinate strategic risk management processes in the portfolio, including the identification, assessment, mitigation, and monitoring of the risks (strategic, financial, operational, reputational, and compliance-related).
• Provide portfolio leadership in alignment between institutional strategy, governance frameworks, policies, and delegated authority structures.
• Ensure that risk considerations are fully integrated into institutional planning, innovation resource allocation, and major investment decisions.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Data Analysis and Integrity, Institutional Performance Management, and HEMIS

 Provide executive leadership in the design, implementation, and continuous refinement of comprehensive institutional monitoring and evaluation (M&E) frameworks to track strategy execution, policy implementation, programme effectiveness, and institutional impact.

• Oversee the development and maintenance of an integrated institutional performance management system, including strategic KPIs, scorecards, dashboards, and performance reports for Executive, Senate, and Council
• Provide executive oversight of institutional data governance, quality assurance, analytics, and reporting frameworks.
• Align Higher Education Management Information System (HEMIS) data with enrolment planning, funding and subsidy optimisation, resource allocation, academic planning, and institutional performance reporting.
• Strengthen institutional analytical capability through advanced data analytics, scenario modelling, forecasting, and predictive analysis.
• Strengthen institutional analytical capability through advanced data analytics, scenario modelling, forecasting, and predictive analysis.

Strategic Oversight of Infrastructure, Capital, Space, Digital and Enrolment Planning

 Provide strategic leadership and executive oversight of the University’s long-term infrastructure, capital investment, space utilisation, and digital transformation strategies.

• Guide the development and regular review of multi-year capital and infrastructure master plans aligned with the University’s strategic objectives, academic mission, and growth trajectory in liaison with the Chief Operating Officer.
• Provide strategic oversight of digital planning to support teaching and learning innovation, research enablement, administrative efficiency, data integration, and institutional agility in liaison with the Vice-Principal: Academic
• Provide strategic oversight of enrolment planning frameworks to ensure alignment with institutional capacity, funding models, and workforce availability.
• Ensure that infrastructure and digital investments directly support academic excellence, research growth, student success, transformation, environmental sustainability, and institutional competitiveness.

Stakeholder Engagement, Market Research, Analytics and Human Resources Management

 Provide strategic leadership in structured, continuous engagement with key internal stakeholders, including Council, Council committees, Executive management, Deans, Heads of Departments, senior professional staff, and organised structures, to ensure a shared understanding of institutional priorities, risks, and trade-offs.

• Facilitate integrated and cross-functional planning processes that align academic strategy, financial planning, enrolment management, infrastructure development, digital transformation, and human resources planning across the University.
• Act as a strategic integrator between planning, finance, and Human Resources to ensure workforce implications are fully embedded in institutional strategy, resource allocation, and performance management
• Provide strategic oversight of institutional research, market analysis, and competitive intelligence to inform academic positioning and growth opportunities.
• Lead the integration of workforce planning with institutional strategy, financial modelling, and enrolment planning to ensure sustainable staffing models.
• Provide strategic oversight of organisational design, capacity planning, and role optimisation in support of institutional effectiveness in liaison with the Executive Director: People and Culture

 MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• A relevant doctoral degree
• A total of ten (10) years of proven experience in a senior leadership role and managing an executive portfolio of three or more functions.
• At least two (2) years of proven track record of managing a complex portfolio of three (3) or more functions, such as institutional innovation, strategic planning and resources management in a medium to large organisation.
• At least five (5) years of proven experience in the following:
• Strategic planning and implementation;
• Resource mobilisation and management of resources and managing complex budgets;
• A proven track record of successful fundraising and leadership of fundraising initiatives;
• Working knowledge of Higher Education Management Information Systems (HEMIS); and
• Extensive senior leadership experience in a complex organisation, preferably within higher education.
• Deep understanding of the South African higher education policy and funding frameworks (including Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) and HEMIS) and University governance structures.
• An established scholar with both national and international standing.
• Extensive experience in stakeholder engagement across academia, industry, and government.
• The candidate should qualify for appointment as a full professor at the University of Pretoria.

ADDED ADVANTAGES AND PREFERENCES

• A doctoral degree and a postgraduate qualification in either Engineering, Strategic Management or Business Administration.
• At least ten (10 years) of proven experience in the following:
• Senior executive leadership experience within a large and complex organisation, preferably in a research-intensive higher education institution, with demonstrated responsibility for strategy, planning, and resource allocation.
• Proven experience in institutional planning and strategy formulation, including the integration of long-term strategic plans with academic priorities, operational plans, and performance frameworks.
• Demonstrated experience in financial sustainability and resource optimisation, including budgeting, financial modelling, scenario planning, and aligning resources with institutional priorities.
• Experience in performance management, monitoring and evaluation, including the development and oversight of institutional performance indicators and reporting systems.
• Proven track record in leading organisational innovation and effectiveness initiatives within a medium or large organisation.

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES (SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND BEHAVIOURAL ATTRIBUTES)

• Knowledge of the South African higher education system, including the roles and interrelationships of the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), Council on Higher Education(CHE), South African Qualifications Authority(SAQA), National Research Foundation(NRF), National Treasury, and other regulatory and funding bodies.
• Understanding of the DHET funding framework, subsidy mechanisms, block grants, earmarked grants, and the financial implications of enrolment planning.
• Knowledge of HEMIS definitions, reporting requirements, audit processes, and funding linkages.
• Advanced knowledge of strategic planning methodologies, including: long-term and rolling strategic planning; scenario planning and stress-testing; theory of change and results-based planning.
• Knowledge of resource allocation methodologies, including performance-informed budgeting and prioritisation framework.
• Knowledge of financial risk, sustainability indicators, and investment trade-offs (without assuming the Finance Executive’s operational functions).

• Knowledge of institutional research, analytics, or data-informed decision-making in a complex organisation.

• Technical understanding of integrated planning frameworks linking to academic strategy, enrolment management, financial sustainability, infrastructure, space planning and workforce planning.
• Technical knowledge of university financial structures, including: Income streams (subsidies, tuition fees, third-stream income, endowments) and cost drivers and cost allocation models.
• Technical knowledge of institutional research functions and methodologies.
• Understanding of market research techniques relevant to higher education, including: student demand and enrolment forecasting; labour market and skills demand analysis and programme viability and portfolio analysis.
• Understanding of data governance principles, including:  data quality, integrity, and assurance, ethical use of data and information, and data privacy and protection obligations.
• Excellent relationship management, negotiation, problem-solving, planning, organisational and analytical skills.
• Excellent communication, presentation and facilitation skills.
• Advanced computer and related information technology skills.

• Excellent conceptual and strategic thinking abilities
• Excellent decision-making and risk management skills.
• Excellent negotiation skills.
• High-level research, conceptual and analytical skills, including experience in undertaking data analysis and the ability to conduct environmental, economic and evaluation studies,
• Ability to facilitate strategic planning sessions and develop meaningful measures for business objectives.
• Ability to identify, assess, and mitigate strategic, financial, and institutional risks.
• Ability to operate effectively within complex governance and regulatory environments.

   REMUNERATION AND APPOINTMENT

The annual remuneration package will be commensurate with the incumbent’s level of appointment, as determined by UP policy guidelines. UP subscribes to the BESTMED and UMVUZO medical aid schemes, and the employer contributes 50% of the applicable monthly premium.

 Vice-Principals are appointed for a term of five (5) years and are eligible for reappointment for one further consecutive term, subject to performance. External candidates will be considered for a permanent academic appointment in an appropriate academic department within the University.

 APPLICATION PROCESS

All applications must be submitted electronically via the Careers@UP link on the University website. All supporting documentation listed below must be attached to the application at the time of submission. Applicants are required to read the Regulations and Procedure for the Appointment of Vice-Principals prior to submitting their application. Candidates will be required to confirm in writing their acceptance of the applicable appointment Regulation and Procedure and to submit this confirmation with their application. The Regulation and Procedure is available on the link below:

https://www1.up.ac.za/cs/sf/UPPR017483

 By submitting an application, applicants acknowledge and consent to the appointment process as set out in the University’s regulations and procedures

 Applications must be accompanied by the following supporting documents that must be attached electronically to the application:

• A full curriculum vitae
• An abbreviated curriculum vitae
• Certified copies of qualifications and identity document
• A self-evaluation by the applicant of their suitability for appointment in the position
• Applicant’s vision for the portfolio
• Names and contact details of at least three (3) referees who can attest to the candidate’s stature as well as leadership qualities (applicants should note that the University also reserves the right to appoint and consult its own referees)

 Applications must be submitted by 12H00 noon on 30 April 2026.

 CLOSING DATE: 30 April 2026 at 12H00.

Applications that are incomplete, do not meet the minimum requirements, or are received after the closing date and time will not be considered.

Shortlisted candidates will be required to prepare a presentation. The topic and further details will only be provided to the shortlisted candidates.

All shortlisted candidates will be required to participate in relevant competencies and psychometric assessments as part of the selection process.

Please note that the University may extend the closing date and undertake further recruitment initiatives.

ENQUIRIES

Jeovitah Chimhamhiwa, Tel: 012 420 6149, email: [email protected], for enquiries regarding the application process.

Nicolaas Wagner, Tel: 012 420 4091, email: [email protected], for role-related enquiries.

Should you not hear from the University of Pretoria by 30 September 2026, please accept that your application has been unsuccessful.

The University of Pretoria is committed to equality, employment equity and diversity.

In accordance with the University’s Employment Equity Plan and its Employment Equity goals and targets, preference may be given, but not limited to, candidates from under-represented designated groups.

By applying for this vacancy, the candidates consent to undergo verification of personal credentials and related information, including, but not limited to, qualifications, criminal record (including sexual offences), credit record, and current and historic disciplinary proceedings, as part of the selection process.

The University reserves the right not to make an appointment or to re-advertise the position if suitable candidates are not identified.