Discipline Leader

Job description

Purpose

The Discipline Leader provides academic leadership, quality assurance, and strategic direction for a specific discipline, ensuring excellence in teaching, learning, assessment, and research. The role involves managing and developing Module Coordinators, cultivating a culture of collaboration and professional growth, and ensuring alignment with institutional quality standards and strategic goals. The Discipline Leader also drives curriculum development, innovation, and industry engagement to enhance student learning outcomes, workplace readiness, and the reputation of the School and STADIO.

Key responsibilities

Academic leadership and management

• Lead and advance the discipline’s teaching, learning, and assessment strategy in alignment with STADIO’s institutional and School-level strategic priorities.
• Collaborate with fellow discipline leaders to foster knowledge sharing, optimise institutional expertise, and ensure cohesive and integrated delivery across disciplines.
• Advise on alignment of shared modules across programmes and Schools.
• Ensure implementation of the communication and engagement matrix promoting team-based teaching.

Teaching, learning and assessment.

Ensure the best possible student experience through:

• Oversee the development, implementation, and evaluation of teaching, learning, and assessment strategies for the discipline per delivery mode, aligned to best practice.
• Ensure high quality authentic assessments in the discipline, delivered on time and in line with STADIO requirements.
• Oversee the development of class activity plans that comply with STADIO’s T&L norms.
• Oversee the collaboration between MCs and campus lecturers in the teaching teams in the discipline.
• Oversee the development of new or reviewed study material.
• Stay informed on developments in the discipline and pedagogical best practice to continually enhance modules.
• Act as internal moderator on selected modules where necessary.

Research

• Conduct research in field of expertise.
• Promote research and research publications/presentations for the discipline and monitor progress of the research plan.
• Promote the highest levels of quality, integrity and ethics in all research undertaken.
• Create a dynamic and forward-looking research environment for both staff and students.

Quality assurance

• Assure alignment of all academic activities with prescribed norms and support requests from the quality office in matters pertaining to the discipline area.
• Implement the necessary internal and external evaluation and monitoring procedures to ensure both compliance and improvement in support of STADIO’s quality assurance framework.
• Ensure student voice is incorporated into discipline-level quality assurance processes.
• Comply with data analytics, reporting, auditing, quality assurance, and risk management procedures both internal and external.

People management

• Recruit and develop new MCs (PCs; SCs) when needed, in collaboration with the HOS.
• Manage academic staff performance at module and discipline levels, including performance reviews, goal-setting, and corrective actions where needed.
• Develop and coach module coordinators (and programme coordinators, if relevant) in discipline-specific teaching, learning, assessment, and research competencies.
• Build and strengthen the discipline team through targeted professional development and capacity-building initiatives.
• Cultivate a culture of excellence and collegiality, promoting cooperation, collaboration, and respect within the discipline and across the School.
• Conduct resource planning for new/revised programmes and continued deliverables.
• Manage workload allocation amongst direct reports aligned to the STADIO norms.

New programme/module development

• Oversee (and initiate, where relevant) the development of new programmes/modules/short courses in the discipline and make recommendations on staffing requirements.
• Initiate initiatives which align with and promote the STADIO strategic direction with reference to the STADIO stripes and community engagement

Industry liaison and networking

• Ensure that discipline modules are relevant to the world-of-work and prepare students for the workplace.
• Promote participation of external moderators and guest lecturers from industry for specific modules and participate in relevant Programme stakeholder committees.
• Participate in the module stakeholder committee.
• Participate in industry/national stakeholder liaison and represent the School on relevant bodies and structures (where applicable).
• Create a public profile that builds the reputation and brand of the Institution.
• Recommend membership of discipline-specific industry bodies that would enhance STADIO brand and reputation and provide graduates with a competitive advantage.

Module coordination

Act as module coordinator for at least one module.

Skills and competencies

Qualifications

A Master’s degree in the discipline, unless the discipline is offered in a NQF level 9 qualification, in which case the discipline leader must have an appropriate NQF level 10 qualification.

Experience

• Five years of teaching experience in a relevant higher education environment.
• Proven experience in leading and motivating an academic team.
• Strong academic record and standing in the discipline which may be evidenced by teaching experience and/or research outputs.
• Where applicable, an established industry profile and/or industry networks and engagement, as well as active membership of a relevant professional body will be a recommendation for the position.

Knowledge

• Deep expertise in the discipline and current developments in the field
• Research methods, ethics, and scholarly publishing standards.
• Quality assurance, accreditation, and compliance processes in higher education
• Pedagogical best practices and technology-enhanced learning strategies
• Industry trends and workforce requirements relevant to the discipline.
• Performance management processes and principles.
• Leadership and team management, including mentoring and performance oversight of module coordinators
• Curriculum and assessment design, with ability to ensure quality and alignment across modules.
• Change management within an academic environment.
• Effective communication and collaboration with staff, students, and external stakeholders
• Planning and organising of timelines and competing demands and deliverables to enable a seamless student journey.
• Verbal, written and presentation skills.
• ICT skills
• Flexibility and adaptability

Posted on 29 Jan 12:10, Closing date 8 Feb