Deputy Director: Scholarly Communications, Digital Services and Systems

Job Location : Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa

Final date to receive applications : February 13, 2026

The main purpose of this position is to provide strategic leadership within the DLS to enable advancement of scholarly communication, research services, research reporting, repositories infrastructure, digital curation and preservation, special collection management, website portal management, digital scholarship services, IT infrastructure and copyright services for the library both nationally and internationally. The position is responsible for the strategic planning and management of the team to drive innovation in the digital space.

The position is also responsible for Human Resources, financial, and risk management of the Division.

The successful candidate’s responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

• Developing a divisional strategic plan for inclusion in the DLS strategic plan;
• Providing leadership to accomplish the DLS’s strategic goals and the Division’s objectives;
• Identifying and analysing strategic trends in the Higher Education and Academic Library sector, both nationally and internationally, which may impact on the UP community, submit recommendations for approval and implementation;
• Pursuing of partnerships with other institutions and stakeholders in order to enhance sustainability and ability to deliver appropriate services;
• Representing the DLS in relevant institutional, regional and national committees/structures;

• Investigating latest trends, developing recommendations for approval and implementation into library services;
• Integrating of innovation projects into a seamless service delivery by the library;
• Managing project lifecycle, with resources and budget allocation;

• Conducting research on innovation for library products and offerings;
• Providing leadership and expertise in the development of the library’s scholarly communication and research services, and research reporting in line with UP strategy, national priorities and global developments;
• Leading the development of the Library’s IT services and support for relevant infrastructure, including the website;
• Ensuring copyright services are optimum and support to all faculties is timeous;
• Enhancing the visibility and impact of UP publications;
• Advocating for new publishing models as the scholarly process continues to transform;
• Representing the library on relevant bodies, committees, and task teams at an institutional and national level;
• Managing the library website, and ensuring its design is informed by user needs;

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Managing the team in line with the DLS and divisional strategy;
• Monitoring and ensuring compliance to the University’s Employment Equity targets;
• Ensuring management of the portfolio of contract renewals pertaining to external consultants to the division;
• Managing both insourced and outsourced development resources, maintaining quality standards, and ensuring the successful delivery of development work;

• Contributing toward minimizing or eliminating risks that the University may be exposed to;
• Ensuring the Division’s services are benchmarked nationally and internationally;
• Ensuring that the DLS governance pertaining to the division is implemented and maintained;
• Ensuring that DLS complies with Security, Audit and Risk management protocols;

• Compiling capital and operational budgets for the division on an annual basis for submission to the Director for inclusion in the departmental budget application;
• Ensuring management of the portfolio of contracts, contract renewals and contract negotiations pertaining to the portfolio;
• Managing the finances of the division in compliance with the University’s policies and procedures.

• A relevant Master’s degree (e.g.,
  
  B.Bibl, PG Dip. LIS, or
  
  B.Inf (Hons)) with;

Eight years’ experience (Of which three years in management), in:

• Management in an academic library in a medium to large institution;
• A digital space and development;
• Research;
• Human resource and financial management;
• Valid driver’s licence.