Job Description

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Job Advert Summary

The Public Health, Societies and Belonging (PHSB) research division within the HSRC employs a multi-disciplinary group of social scientists and public health specialists who conduct numerous empirical and policy-related studies each year, three-quarters of which are donor-funded.



PHSB is seeking to appoint a dynamic and visionary Research Director to co-lead the Health Policy and Belonging sub-division. The position will strengthen the PHSB's contribution to the HSRC's 2025-2030 priorities, with a focus on intersectional, community-engaged research across health, wellbeing, health policy, identity, and belonging. The successful candidate will be expected to drive a transdisciplinary, impact-driven research agenda aligned to the HSRC's national and continental commitments, including the DSI Decadal Plan, Africa Agenda 2063, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

RESEARCH DIRECTOR

PERMANENT

OFFICE BASE: PMB/PTA/CPT

REF: RDIR/PHSB/1525

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Minimum Requirements

A

PhD

in

S

ocial Sciences or Humanities;

such as Gender Studies, Psychology, Anthropology or Sociology or related areas; public-health or social epidemiology*
Ten (10) years' experience conducting, leading and managing research, team leadership preferably in a research institution or a university; An established research career as evidenced by extensive

publications record(journal articles, reports, book chapters, books) of which several must be

international and first or sole authored

; Experience and strength in social sciences methods and design; Evidence of successful research fund raising; Evidence of existing funding and research networks at country and international levels; Experience in Health Policy and Belonging y research areas; Experience in the implementation of inclusive, gender-responsive, or health policy research. Previous leadership in multi-partner, transdisciplinary research collaborations addressing health, gender, GBV, mental health and other societal challenges in the Global South. Experience in supporting and managing the professional development activities of young researchers and PhD and Masters Researcher Trainees; Large-Scale research project management.

Additional Requirements:

Personal qualities that include intellectual and personal integrity, imagination, drive, and the ability to work well under pressure and meet deadlines; Ability to work independently and in a team environment; Good communication and leadership skills; The versatility to apply qualitative and/or quantitative methodologies to challenging subject matter across disciplinary boundaries will be advantageous; Proficiency in or working experience with some of the following data software packages: STATA, Epi Info, SPSS, Nvivo, AtlasTI or other relevant statistical packages*;

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Duties and Responsibilities

Developing the work of PHSB by providing leadership in a cluster of key areas of the

Health Policy and

Belongingsub-division's research agenda; Networking with major national and international users and funders of social science and humanities research to understand their research needs, and build research links; Responding to calls for research funding proposals as well as initiating and formulating grant applications for major long-term problem-oriented interdisciplinary research projects; Leading senior research specialist and teams in conducting high quality research, data analysis and evaluation (using qualitative and/or quantitative methodologies) that has both strategic and policy relevance; Delivering high-quality outputs and reports within budget and deadline; Managing and leading research teams and large-scale long-term research projects; Disseminating research findings in different forums (conferences, webinars, seminars, and other relevant platforms) and publishing in accredited and refereed journals; Participating in public debates as part of disseminating project outputs; and Mentoring and developing the research capacity of young South African researchers and supporting colleagues to advance their research careers. * Ensure compliance with the PFMA and HSRC policies and procedures.