Head of Division at University of Cape Town

Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

08 Feb, 26

Salary

0.0

Posted On

10 Nov, 25

Experience

5 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Public Health Medicine, Leadership, Teaching, Research, Training, Management, Scholarship, Mentoring, Communication, Interpersonal Skills, Conflict Management, Teamwork, Partnership Building, Social Responsiveness, Diversity, Transformation, Equity

Industry

Research Services

Description

UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN & THE WESTERN CAPE GOVERNMENT HEAD OF DIVISION: PUBLIC HEALTH MEDICINE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH FACULTY OF HEALTH SCIENCES The University of Cape Town and the Department of Health and Wellness of the Western Cape Government invite applications for the above position in the School/Department of Public Health linked to the Chief Directorate: Strategy and Health Support. The successful incumbent will head the Division of Public Health Medicine, which provides public health support to the Health Intelligence Directorate and other Divisions of the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness. The Faculty of Health Sciences’ vision is to be a centre of excellence in health sciences that is locally relevant and globally competitive. The Faculty is the top-rated Faculty of Health Sciences on the African continent and the School of Public Health has a strong international reputation, consistently ranking among the top 100 public health institutions globally. It is frequently the highest-ranked South African and African university in public health rankings. UCT's School of Public Health is known for its excellence in teaching, research, and service, with a particular focus on addressing public health issues relevant to South Africa. The School has a strong interdisciplinary orientation to population health. The Division runs a training programme for registrars in Public Health Medicine and oversees a range of teaching in public health at the undergraduate level, as well as supporting a wide range of research and community engagement activities in public health. The successful candidate: Will be expected to provide leadership and actively participate in the Public Health Medicine service, undergraduate and postgraduate teaching (including convening the MMED in Public Health Medicine), training and research. Will be expected to provide technical support to the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness in the management and delivery of health services. Will be expected to manage the Division, its resources and academic performance. Will contribute to collective leadership within the School of Public Health. Should be in a position to demonstrate leadership in the field of public health and should have a record of scholarship and experience in the areas of Public Health Medicine service delivery, teaching, training and research. Will have insight into the challenges and opportunities for advancing health and health care in South Africa and Africa. Should be committed to promoting population health approaches to teaching, research and service, drawing on the full range of disciplines and skills that contribute to public health objectives. Will be expected to be a productive academic, mentoring and developing staff and students, driving research to an international standard and overseeing undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and training. Will demonstrate social responsiveness through outreach, policy, health systems development and engagement with other stakeholders including government and civil society organisations. Will be expected to attract and develop staff of quality and provide leadership with regard to issues of diversity, transformation and equity. Requirements: Registered as a specialist in Public Health Medicine or hold a qualification that is registerable with the HPCSA as a specialist in Public Health Medicine. A PhD in public health or equivalent. 5 years’ experience in the specialty following registration as a specialist. Evidence of experience in academic leadership in public health, involving teaching, programme/course convenership and/or research. Experience in management of staffing and budgets in an academic or similar environment Experience in registrar training and assessment. Experience in successful postgraduate student supervision and assessment. Research experience in public health, including conference presentation, publication and research fundraising. A strong understanding of the academic discipline of Public Health Medicine. In-depth understanding of the public health challenges facing South Africa and the service requirements for Public Health Medicine across the health system. Experience in the areas of public health service delivery, teaching, training and research. Experience in mentorship and role modeling for students and trainees in public health. Evidence of teamwork and building effective partnerships with internal and external stakeholders. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills including evidence of effective conflict management. Advantages: Hold a qualification in health sciences education. Hold an NRF rating. Teaching and/or research experience in Environmental Health. For detailed information on this post, please view the job description attached. This is a permanent full-time position and is on the establishment of the University of Cape Town under the Joint Agreement with the Western Cape Government. The annual remuneration package, including benefits, is appropriate to the academic and clinical level of Associate Professor/Professor and Head of Clinical Department. To apply, click the "apply" button to create a candidate profile and to submit your application. Please complete/attach the following to your profile before submitting your application: Motivational letter that speaks to the requirements of the position Curriculum Vitae (CV) Three referee names which must include their title and name, position details, relationship to you, their e-mail address and telephone number Highest qualification ID/Passport An application which does not comply with the above requirements will be regarded as incomplete. Shortlisted candidates may be required to undergo competency and pre-placement-medical assessments. References may be requested by UCT at any stage of the selection process. Any enquiries for the position to be addressed to Ms Tracy Moore at tracy.moore@uct.ac.za or 021 650 4505. Closing date: 11 January 2026 WCG website: https://www.westerncape.gov.za/dept/health Faculty website: https://health.uct.ac.za Reference number: ID 1221 UCT is a designated employer and is committed to the pursuit of excellence, diversity and redress in achieving its equity targets in accordance with the Employment Equity Plan of the University and its Employment Equity goals and targets. Preference will be given to candidates from the under-represented designated groups. Our Employment Equity Policy is available at https://uct.ac.za/media/9482.UCT reserves the right not to appoint.

Responsibilities

The successful candidate will lead the Division of Public Health Medicine, providing public health support and managing resources and academic performance. They will also contribute to teaching, training, and research while engaging with stakeholders to advance health care in South Africa.