Dean: Faculty of Education

Stellenbosch University (SU) invites applications from visionary, values-driven, and collaborative academic leaders for the position of Dean: Faculty of Education.

As a globally connected, research-intensive institution, SU advances knowledge in service of society and aspires to be Africa's leading research-intensive university and Africa's first Top 100 global university — globally recognised for excellence, inclusivity, and innovation.

Guided by Vision 2040 and the Strategy Plan 2026–2030, SU pursues academic excellence, purposeful partnerships, and a transformative student experience that equips graduates to navigate and shape a complex, rapidly changing world. Central to this ambition is the capacity to respond to the pressing challenges of our time — inequality, climate change, artificial intelligence and technological disruption, and social cohesion — through research that has real societal and economic impact, and through interdisciplinary collaboration that transcends traditional boundaries.

The Faculty of Education's vision is to be "acknowledged and respected unequivocally as a leading and engaged research-driven education faculty." The Faculty occupies a uniquely positioned role at the interface of higher education, the schooling sector, and broader society. Its mandate spans initial teacher education, in-service professional development, educational psychology, curriculum studies, education policy studies and interdisciplinary educational research — all of which are essential to addressing the systemic challenges facing South African and African education. The Faculty is expected to engage not only with the schooling sector but with the full architecture of higher education, contributing to policy, system-level reform, and the development of an educational ecosystem that is inclusive, equitable, and future-ready.

In a rapidly evolving landscape shaped by artificial intelligence, intellectual property considerations, curriculum transformation, and the internationalisation of higher education, the Faculty requires a Dean with a stellar publication and research profile, and the intellectual and systemic leadership to position Education as a field of genuine scholarly consequence. Internationalisation is of particular strategic importance, both as a vehicle for addressing critical skills gaps in teacher education and as a means of building the global networks and collaborative research relationships that will define the Faculty's standing. The incumbent will bring a compelling vision for inclusivity, a commitment to interdisciplinary engagement, and the capacity to lead a faculty that is research-rich, externally engaged, and deeply relevant to the societies it serves.

Visit the Faculty's website for further information.

Duties:

The Dean assumes overarching responsibility for:

• Overall executive management of the Faculty, as well as providing visionary leadership aligned with the institutional strategy and culture.
• Guiding the Faculty in the areas of teaching and learning, research, innovation, internationalisation and social impact.
• Overseeing the financial management of the Faculty and managing resources, including facilities.
• Providing leadership and management with regard to student matters, with a deliberate agenda to drive student success and the development of graduate attributes through meaningful academic and co-curricular engagement.
• Providing strategic, ethical, and people-centred leadership and management of staff, cultivating an enabling, inclusive, and accountable organisational culture where academic and professional staff are supported to flourish, collaborate, and realise their full potential.
• Taking initiative for and managing marketing, student recruitment and fundraising within the Faculty.
• Securing research funding opportunities and identifying and developing third-, fourth-, and fifth-stream income to strengthen the Faculty's financial sustainability and research capacity.
• Promoting research excellence, research translation, the establishment of externally funded Chairs, and supporting the recruitment and retention of talent as part of research capacity building.
• Promoting interdisciplinary excellence and transdisciplinary research with other faculties, schools and research entities.
• Championing the Faculty's engagement with contemporary challenges in education — including artificial intelligence, intellectual property, and curriculum transformation — and ensuring the Faculty's programmes and research remain at the forefront of these developments.
• Liaising externally to establish and maintain multi-level partnerships and collaborations with academic and other relevant stakeholders nationally and internationally, including global higher education partners, the schooling sector, education authorities, the teaching profession, and other professional and community stakeholders.
• Driving the Faculty's internationalisation agenda, with particular attention to addressing critical skills gaps in teacher education and strengthening the Faculty's global research and teaching profile.
• Providing intellectual and systemic leadership that positions the Faculty as a credible voice across the full education ecosystem, including higher education, the schooling sector, professional bodies, and national and international policy fora.
• Taking full responsibility for and driving the Faculty's transformation agenda, promoting diversity and inclusivity within the Faculty.
• Sharing responsibility for leadership and management of the University as a whole.

Requirements:

• Appointable as Professor (or Associate Professor) in one of the departments within the Faculty of Education, in accordance with SU’s academic appointment criteria.
• Proven innovative and dynamic strategic academic leadership.
• Appropriate management experience at faculty and institutional level, including experience in managing substantial budgets.
• A proven scholarly track record with a strong publication record and the capacity to lead and inspire a research-rich faculty, as well as, a proven and demonstrated experience in teaching and learning, including postgraduate supervision.
• Sound knowledge, insight and vision pertaining to the education sector as a whole, including higher education, the schooling sector, and the interface between them.
• Demonstrated understanding of and engagement with contemporary challenges in education, including artificial intelligence, intellectual property, and curriculum transformation and its impact on knowledge, learning and pedagogy.
• Future-facing and adaptive leadership capabilities, with a proven ability to lead change management and transformation within complex and diverse environments.
• Demonstrated capacity for external engagement, systemic and intellectual leadership, and relationship-building with a diverse range of stakeholders across the education ecosystem nationally.
• A demonstrated ability to unlock research funding opportunities and a proven track record in sourcing and securing external funding.
• Sound interpersonal and communication skills, including conflict resolution.
• The ability to function effectively within a multilingual and multicultural environment, in accordance with the University's language policy.
• National and/or international recognition in the field of education.

Recommendations:

• A relevant professional teaching qualification and/or background in teacher education.
• Current or prior NRF-Rated researcher.
• Evidence of engagement with and contribution to the strengthening of alignment between school education, curriculum, and higher education.
• Demonstrated engagement with international higher education networks, partnerships, or research collaborations.

As part of the interview process, provisionally shortlisted candidates will be expected to deliver a short presentation to the Senior Appointments Committee. The topic of the presentation will be shared with the provisionally shortlisted candidates. Applicants on the final shortlist will be required to present to a joint meeting of the Faculty board and Institutional Forum.

Term of Office: The appointment is for a five (5) year fixed term with the possibility of reappointment for a further term. A fallback option to the successful candidate’s academic department exists.

Commencement of duties: 01 January 2027 or as soon as possible thereafter

Closing date: 01 June 2026

Enquiries regarding this post: Mrs Mienke du Preez at mienke@sun.ac.za

Enquiries regarding remuneration/ benefits, as well as technical assistance with the electronic application process: Human Resources Client Services Centre on 021 808 2753, or at sun-e-hr@sun.ac.za

Completed applications, comprising the documentation as set out below, must be sent via email to adsmanager@sun.ac.za before the closing date. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Documentation details (PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOUR APPLICATION INCLUDES ALL OF THE DOCUMENTS LISTED BELOW):

1. A covering letter indicating how you meet the requirements.
2. A comprehensive curriculum vitae.
3. A document in which candidates outline their vision for the Faculty’s future and how they envisage their role therein.
4. Details regarding present occupation, remuneration package and citizenship.
5. A copy of your ID document.
6. Certified copies of qualifications and certificates.
7. Details of at least five referees.
8. An indication of the earliest date on which duties can be assumed.