Research and postgraduate education are central to the School’s identity. We are growing our established research culture in areas including statistical theory, machine learning, climate risk, actuarial applications in health care, retirement matters, social protection, financial services and inclusion, asset-liability matching, and risk management. In addition to this, the School encourages relationships and collaboration with other disciplines to encourage cross-disciplinary expertise, where appropriate.
We are developing new professional Masters programmes (in addition to existing programmes) that combine the strengths of our two core disciplines in order to further the specialist skills of actuaries and statisticians and highlight the global relevance of our graduates from a South African context.
The School’s mission is to advance knowledge creation, educate future leaders, and respond to the growing societal need for expertise in Actuarial Science and Mathematical Statistics.
The leadership of this School offers the incumbent an opportunity to build on the School’s vision for Statistics and Actuarial Science in South Africa and the continent. This vision should include innovations in teaching and research across a wide range of topics to meet the needs of a changing world. The Head of School will be expected to provide academic vision and leadership, as well as managerial coordination of the various programmes required to maintain and build the School’s position of academic excellence in research, teaching, and community engagement. The Head of School must have academic and/or professional standing to foster the respect and confidence of the members of the School and must possess high-level leadership skills to enact a shared strategic vision for the School. The Head of School will be expected to pilot and drive student recruitment efforts in collaboration with academic staff, particularly at the postgraduate level, in both core disciplines. Teaching courses at an appropriate level during the term of office is expected, and the Head must continue with research activities and postgraduate student supervision.
The Head of School must hold an appointment at a minimum level of Associate Professor, or equivalent, at the time of applying. The Head is responsible for the administration of the School. This includes coordinating academic activities in teaching, research and postgraduate training, and human resource activities in recruitment and management, as well as financial and infrastructure resource management. The successful candidate will be appointed for a fixed term of five years with the possibility of a second and final term following due process, and will be eligible for a position in the School at the appropriate academic rank as a member of the academic staff, after the period served as Head. The Head of School reports to the Dean of Science and is a member of the Faculty Executive, chaired by the Dean of Science, and contributes to the overall strategic and operational management of the Faculty of Science. The Head should be visible and active in the affairs of the Faculty and the University.
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QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS:
• A relevant PhD in the appropriate fields relevant to the School, or equivalent relevant professional accreditation, as appropriate
• An accomplished research record
• Evidence of extensive and successful postgraduate training and teaching experience
• Administration experience, preferably within the tertiary education context
• A clear and concise vision for the School
• Academic status and national/international recognition in the relevant discipline and
• Experience in high-level liaison with internal and external stakeholders and professional associations.
SALARY & BENEFITS: An attractive and competitive salary package will be negotiated on an individual basis.
ENQUIRIES: Mrs Zandi Makasi, Tel: +27 (0) 117171434 or e-mail: zandi.makasi1@wits.ac.za.
For more information about the School, see: https://www.wits.ac.za/stats/
TO APPLY: Submit a covering letter, a detailed Curriculum Vitae with names, addresses and contact details of three referees and certified copies of degrees/diplomas, and a statement of their vision for the School of Statistics and Actuarial Science. External applicants are invited to apply by registering their profile on the Wits I-Recruitment platform located at https://irec.wits.ac.za and submitting their application.
Internal employees are invited to apply directly on Oracle by following the path: iWits/Wits Employee Self Service/Apply for a job.
CLOSING DATE: 18 August 2025
The University reserves the right not to make an appointment and continue searching after the closing date, and only short-listed candidates will be contacted. The University is committed to employment equity. Preference may be given to appointable applicants from the underrepresented designated groups in terms of the relevant employment equity plans and policies of the University. The University reserves the right to verify all information provided by the candidate. Applicants hereby provide consent to process personal information in terms of POPIA.
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