The Deputy Vice Chancellor will actively support the Vice Chancellor in the strategic leadership and management of the University, supervision of academic and administrative functions, advancing research excellence, robust consultancies, innovation and academic entrepreneurism. The candidate is expected to have a deep appreciation of both national and global challenges facing higher education in order to assist the Vice Chancellor in providing leadership in the development of the relevant curricula. As an academic leader, the Deputy Vice Chancellor will have to be fully conversant with how to practically lead and manage a higher education institution.

The position offers an opportunity for growth as it provides space for the transformational leadership that Malawi needs to re-engineer its university education while developing governance and management structures, systems, processes and procedures that enhance efficiency, effectiveness and economy as new public management demands. Given the exacting nature of the work, the position, requires an energetic, highly motivated, focused and result-oriented individual.

Minimum Qualifications and Experience

• An earned doctorate degree from an institution accredited or recognized under the National Council for Higher Education Act, 2010; and
• Experience of at least ten (10) years at senior academic and management level.

Specific Requirements

• Demonstrable leadership and management skills;
• Deep knowledge of the development, implementation and assessment of academic programmes at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels;
• Demonstrable strong leadership, team-building and management skills;
• Experience of setting up and managing structures, systems, processes, procedures and regulations that aid advanced scholarship in a modern university;
• Demonstrable marketing skills;
• Strong networking and collaboration skills;
• Demonstrable resource mobilization and utilization background; 
• A strong research background exemplified by refereed publications; and
• An understanding of how budgets are developed, monitored and controlled.

Desirable Qualities

• Pragmatic and consultative decision-making;
• Well-reasoned decision-making ability;
• Approachable, flexible and change-oriented;
• A high level of personal motivation, energy and enthusiasm;
• Resilient and the ability to work effectively under pressure;
• Exceptional communication, persuasive and interpersonal skills;
• Ability to hold critical conversations as a means of achieving mutually desired goals;
• Ability to mobilize and inspire others towards shared goals; and
• Capable in both developing strategy and operationalizing strategy into plans and projects.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership and Management

• Providing strategic leadership to all academic matters that speak to the mission, vision, character, niche and culture of MUBAS as a re-engineered institution;
• Taking charge of organizing regular professional academic activities geared at inculcating a culture of serious scholarship among new recruits and established staff members requiring continuous development in their chosen disciplines;
• Enforcing compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements; and
• Supervising and carrying out Staff Performance Management assessment in their offices to ensure responsibility and accountability for maximized productivity.

Resource Mobilization, Entrepreneurship and Innovation

• Promoting collaboration between the academy and the industry through consultancies and need-driven outreach activities embedded in nationally and internationally-relevant policies;
• Leading the development of marketing strategies to increase MUBAS’ visibility and availability to both the local and international community; and
• Working with the Vice Chancellor and Executive Management towards the development of major themes for research, consultancy and public engagement for resource mobilization.

Internationalization and Networking

• Leading Executive Deans in the cultivation of both local and international partnership, meant to enhance cross-fertilization of ideas and exchange of students and staff;
• Serving as custodian of academic standards used by the National Council for Higher Education to assess the quality of universities;
• Tracking criteria for continental and global rankings to feed into the academic structures, systems, processes and procedures of the university to raise the international standing of the institution; and
• Leading the development of marketing strategies to increase MUBAS’ visibility and availability to both the local and international community.

Academic Affairs Management

• Serving as a custodian of academic standards used by the National Council for Higher Education to assess the quality of universities;
• Chairing all subcommittees of Senate and other academic ad hoc committees that may be required from time to time;
• Providing the Vice-Chancellor with regular updates on how the MUBAS academic business is progressing at departmental and school levels;
• Setting standards for the recruitment of academic staff members and applying the standards for talent identification;
• Providing academic and administrative oversight on the Schools to ensure that they mirror good practices informing academic business worldwide; and
• Providing leadership in conducting regular tracer studies to inform relevant development of curricula.

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor shall hold office for a period of five years and, subject to satisfactory performance, be eligible for re-appointment for one further term.

Remuneration

The University shall provide the successful candidates with an attractive compensation and benefit package in accordance with its existing structure of benefits. Interested applicants are encouraged to submit their applications together with their visions for the office applied for, Curricula Vitae, names and addresses of three traceable referees to the undersigned. Shortlisting of candidates to undergo interviews will be based on the quality of the documents to be submitted to the following address:

The Chairperson of Council

Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences

Private Bag 303

Blantyre 3

Electronic copies of the application should be sent to: recruitment@mubas.ac.mw 

Applications should be in by 21st February, 2022.