Dean of Students needed at Stellenbosch University

Duties/Pligte        

The Dean of Students assumes overarching responsibility for:

• Providing strategic leadership for the Responsibility Centre: Dean of Students, aligned with SU’s Vision 2040 and strategic frameworks.
• Promoting a holistic and transformative student experience that integrates academic success, wellbeing, leadership, and social impact.
• Overseeing Student Counselling and Development and Student Life and Learning across all SU Campuses, ensuring excellence in support services, residence life, and student development.
• Strengthening student governance structures and cultivating leadership opportunities that contribute to institutional transformation and social cohesion.
• Building strategic partnerships and stakeholder relationships – internally across Responsibility Centres, Faculties and Schools, and externally with government, national and international higher education bodies, and civil society – to advance student success and institutional impact.
• Building intentional and strong relationships with students and student leadership, ensuring effective sharing of feedback with the senior leadership of the University and students, and making appropriate proposals arising from that feedback.
• Managing the budget, human resources, and overall operational effectiveness of the Responsibility Centre in alignment with institutional policy.
• Providing visible and accessible leadership within the student community, fostering a culture of respect, engagement, and accountability.

Job Requirements/Pos Vereistes        

• A Doctorate degree.
• At least ten years’ relevant experience, with at least seven or eight years in a senior management level position, with a demonstrated track record of full management responsibility for a functional Unit, Centre or Responsibility Centre within a higher education environment.
• Proven capacity to provide dynamic and strategic leadership in the area of responsibility.
• Evidence of national and/or international outputs in respect of student development as a theme for own research-based practice for professional development.
• Proven ability to develop and sustain strategically relevant institutional partnerships and alliances at national as well as international level.
• Excellent communication, conflict handling and facilitation skills in a diverse environment.
• Negotiation skills.
• Sound interpersonal relations and the ability to take the lead within a team.
• The ability to contribute to institutional redress through the accelerated diversification of the staff and the student corps.
• High level of emotional intelligence and professional discretion.
• Financial acumen.
• Managerial skills, including the ability to direct, supervise, coordinate, and review the activities of direct reports, teams or individuals in a large complex environment. 
• A solid understanding of the South African higher education sector as well as the national and international realities relating to student leadership in this sector.
• The position requires the incumbent to reside on campus to ensure a visible and engaged presence within the University community, including availability after hours and on weekends, as necessitated by the responsibilities of the role and the needs of the student population.
• The ability to function effectively within a multilingual and multicultural environment, in accordance with the University’s language policy.

Closing Date 19-Jan-2026