Associate Professor/ Professor: Department Urban and Regional Planning (Job ID 6610)

In brief

**Overview** This role is for an Associate Professor or Professor within the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of the Free State. The position encompasses significant academic responsibilities, including research leadership, teaching, curriculum development, postgraduate supervision, and administrative contributions. The successful candidate is expected to commence duties as soon as possible. **What you will do** * Initiate, conduct and sustain quality research outputs in Urban and Regional Planning. * Provide research leadership and mentorship to academic colleagues and postgraduate students. * Teach and assess students at undergraduate and postgraduate levels using appropriate contact, blended and online learning approaches. * Contribute to curriculum development, renewal and assessment. * Provide study leadership at the postgraduate level. * Participate in community engagement initiatives where possible. * Recruit and supervise postgraduate students. * Identify and pursue opportunities for external funding and collaborative research projects. * Contribute to departmental, faculty and University administration, including academic leadership, quality assurance, student support and committee work. **Requirements (from the original advert)** * **Inherent Job Requirements for Associate Professor:** * A PhD on NQF Level 10 in Urban and Regional Planning, or a closely related field. * Proven experience in the presentation of research papers at national conferences, where there is evidence of peer review of papers. * Experience as external examiner for postgraduate students. * Acted as an editorial board member of high-quality national scholarly journals. * Proven national recognition for specialist expertise and research leadership in a specific scientific area of scholarship. * An NRF rating of C3 or equivalent status. * Proven experience in the supervision of graduated master’s degree students. * A proven research record of relevant publications in national and international accredited journals. * Served as a member of a national scholarly society OR a national committee or agency concerned with research at higher education levels OR showed evidence of service as an active member of an international equivalent. * **Inherent Job Requirements for Professor:** * A PhD on NQF Level 10 in Urban and Regional Planning, or a closely related field. * Experience as external examiner for master’s-degree and doctoral students. * Acted as editorial board member of high-quality international/ISI/IBSS journals. * Proven international recognition for specialist expertise and research leadership in a particular area of academic scholarship for example, regularly serves as a reviewer for international/ISI/IBSS journals. * An NRF rating of C1 or C2 or equivalent status. * Proven experience in the supervision of 20 graduated Masters' and 10 PhD students. * Proven experience in delivering keynote addresses at national scholarly conferences. * Served as a member of an international scholarly society OR an international committee or agency concerned with research at higher-education levels. * **Recommendations:** * A demonstrated ability to source external research funding or grant opportunities. * **Key Competencies:** * **Results Orientated:** The ability to cope with a frequently changing environment and to adapt to evolving situations; the ability to maintain composure and self-control. * **Strategic Thinking:** The ability to plan work and to follow plans; the ability to be creative and open-minded when addressing work issues. * **Business Acumen:** The ability to adhere to rules and strictly follow work regulations; proficient in using MS Office. * **Leading:** The ability to lead, take charge of situations, and offer opinions and directions to others; the ability to be cooperative with others, display a good-natured attitude and encourage people to work together. * **Building Coalitions:** The ability to be sensitive and understanding to the needs and feelings of others; the ability to interact with others and establish personal connections with people. **Who should apply** Ideal candidates are highly experienced academics and researchers in Urban and Regional Planning, holding a PhD and possessing a significant track record in publishing in accredited journals, presenting at conferences, and leading research. They should have extensive experience in supervising postgraduate students and acting as an external examiner. Recognition for specialist expertise, either nationally (for Associate Professor) or internationally (for Professor), and an NRF rating are essential. The role also requires individuals who are results-orientated, strategic thinkers, possess strong business acumen, demonstrate leadership capabilities, and are adept at building coalitions within an academic environment. **Deadline** 22 October 2026 **Reference** Original posting: https://www.myjobmag.co.za/job/associate-professor-professor-department-urban-and-regional-planning-job-id-6610-university-of-the-free-state-1 Source: myjobmag

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