Applicants are invited for the post of Chief Director: Quality Assurance Practices and Procedures. This senior position is pivotal to the work of the ZIMCHE in relation the Universities in terms of its mandate as per the ZIMCHE Act. Our main role as per the ZIMCHE Act is inter alia, to:
- Design and recommend an institutional quality assurance system for higher education, that is, a system whereby the courses, programmes and degrees offered by institutions are evaluated on a regular and objective basis”.
- Promote and coordinate education provided by institutions of higher education and to act as regulator in the determination and maintenance of standards of teaching, examinations, academic qualifications and research in institutions of higher education.
By any measure, this is the most important function of the ZIMCHE. Therefore, the ZIMCHE is looking for a seasoned academic who has experience in a local university where she or he has successfully led a Quality Assurance Directorate in the academy. The Chief Director will be the chief advisor of the CEO and our universities on all Quality Assurance, Practices, Procedures and Accreditation matters and will report to the Chief Executive Officer. The successful candidate should be able to demonstrate that she or he can lead all the Quality assurance Directors in all our universities. In the process, she or he must be able to demonstrate that she or he has their intellectual, academic and professional respect. Therefore, the Chief Director must be a full professor with more than 15 years of experience in higher education in this country and the region. Additionally, the ZIMCHE is looking for an individual who has experience of working in both residential and in Open, Distance and e-Learning institutions so as to be able to advise academics and managers in different types of universities and especially in the burgeoning area of blended learning that most of our universities have adopted and advise on Quality Assurance adequately and to the satisfaction of Zimbabwean universities and academics.
- The minimum qualification is an earned PhD., D.Phil., or D. Ed. from a recognised university in any discipline.
- A professional educational qualification such as a:
- Ed, Post Graduate Certificate in Education, or Post Graduate Diploma in Education is desirable as this position will have to take a key role in professionalising the university teaching and learning in terms of the art and science of teaching (pedagogy, andragogy, heutagogy) an how students engage with content and access knowledge in and outside the lecture room.
- An advanced knowledge of the MS Office Package especially Word, Power Point and introductory Visio.
- Willingness to learn MS Project is mandatory.
In terms of professional experience, the ideal candidate for this position must be a full professor with both local and international experience in teaching and leading and managing Quality Assurance in a University. The ZIMCHE is looking for an academic leader with the following experience:
- Must have at least 15 years teaching experience in a university, at least three of which must have been at a senior administrative level preferably in Quality Assurance in a university.
- International university teaching experience is an added advantage.
- Be an accomplished scholar who is highly respected nationally and internationally.
- Have proven experience (preferably as a Quality Assurance Director) in university quality assurance systems and procedures nationally and internationally.
- Has published extensively in reputable publication outlets/journals/books preferably in the art and science of teaching and Quality Assurance.
- Evidence of excellent research, analytical and writing skills are essential.
- Excellent project management, coordination and organisational skills and experience is essential.
- Ability to lead and manage teams of academics and students is essential.
- Ability to institutionalise strategic changes in the culture of teaching, learning and quality assurance in the university.
- Ability and commitment to building communities of practitioners in the area of quality assurance in the university.
- An understanding of key theoretical foundations that undergird teaching and learning in the university.
- A demonstrable understanding of how learning in the university is a “social activity that constitutes trajectories of participation”
The successful candidate is expected to:
- Lead teams of quality assurance practise and procedures, registration and accreditation of educational programmes nationally and internationally.
- Participate as a member of the management team of the ZIMCHE in formulating corporate strategies, polices, plans and budgets; and in monitoring the organisation’s performance to ensure that the corporate vision, mission and goals are achieved as far as Quality Assurance is concerned.
- Service the Higher Education Quality Assurance Committee of Council (HEQAC) and ensuring administrative efficiency in the implementation of decisions taken by the ZIMCHE Board.
- Network with national, regional and international experts in the areas of accreditation of programmes, institutions as well as registration of degree awarding institutions to ensure benchmarking and international acceptance of Zimbabwean degrees.
- Facilitate the setting up of peer review panels to ensure that suitably qualified and experienced people constitute the panels for purpose of effective quality assurance.
- Follow up on institutional compliance to recommendations made by peer Reviewers.
- Advise prospective and existing degree awarding institutions on quality assurance, practices and procedures.
- Spearhead the formulation of instruments used for collecting data on quality assurance practices and procedures.
- Supervise and manage relations within and between personnel employed in the Directorate.
- Manage and monitor the strategic plans of the Directorate.
Candidates are expected to upload their application on the ZIMCHE website or send six (6) copies including a detailed CV, including the name, and the contact details of three references; and certified copies of certificates to the Chief Executive Officer, the ZIMCHE, No 21 J. M. Nkomo Road, Hatfield, Harare, Zimbabwe not later than 6th September 2019.
Offer ended on September 6, 2019
