Senior Lecturer: Health Sciences (Post 1684)
Job Details
- Position: Senior Lecturer: Health Sciences (Post 1684)
- Institution: Central University of Technology, Free State
- Faculty: Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences
- Department: Health Sciences
- Campus: Bloemfontein Campus
- Location: Bloemfontein, Free State
- Employment Type: Permanent Academic Position
- Closing Date: 05 June 2026
- Salary: R979,931 per annum (Total Cost to Company)
Main Purpose of the Position
To develop academic learning materials, lecture in allocated Health Sciences subjects, supervise postgraduate students, conduct research, participate in community engagement initiatives, and contribute to the academic and administrative activities of the department.
Subject Specialisation Areas
Applicants should possess expertise in one or both of the following fields:
- Bioinformatics
- Molecular Biology / Cellular Biology
Key Responsibilities
1. Teaching, Learning and Assessment
- Develop and update course content and teaching materials.
- Deliver lectures and practical sessions in Bioinformatics and/or Molecular/Cellular Biology.
- Facilitate effective student learning and academic development.
- Design and administer assessments.
- Evaluate student performance and provide academic feedback.
2. Research
- Conduct independent and collaborative research.
- Publish research outputs in accredited journals and scholarly publications.
- Present research findings at national and international conferences.
- Contribute to the department’s research productivity and innovation objectives.
- Supervise postgraduate students and support research capacity development.
3. Student Evaluation
- Assess assignments, tests, projects and examinations.
- Monitor student progress and academic performance.
- Provide guidance and support to students where necessary.
4. Control and Organisation
- Coordinate academic activities within allocated modules.
- Ensure effective planning and organisation of teaching programmes.
- Assist with curriculum development and programme improvement initiatives.
5. Administration
- Participate in departmental and faculty committees.
- Maintain academic records and reports.
- Contribute to quality assurance and accreditation processes.
- Perform administrative duties associated with teaching and research.
6. Community Service and Engagement
- Participate in community-based projects related to teaching, learning, research and innovation.
- Build relationships with industry, research institutions and community stakeholders.
- Apply specialist knowledge to address societal and community needs.
Minimum Requirements
Educational Qualifications
Applicants must possess:
- A Doctoral Degree (PhD, DTech, NQF Level 10 or equivalent) in:
- Bioinformatics, or
- A closely related discipline such as:
- Computational Biology
- Biostatistics
- Computer Science with Life Sciences applications
- Molecular Biology with a strong computational focus
The qualification must be recognised by SAQA where applicable.
Experience
- Minimum of 4 years’ teaching or lecturing experience in a relevant higher education environment.
- Experience teaching in Bioinformatics, Molecular Biology, Cellular Biology or related disciplines.
Research Requirements
Candidates must demonstrate evidence of:
Research Publications
- At least 1.5 accredited research output credits, including:
- Peer-reviewed journal articles
- Book chapters
- Books
- Conference proceedings
- Patents or recognised innovation outputs
Postgraduate Supervision
One of the following:
- Two completed Master’s degrees as co-supervisor; or
- One completed Master’s degree as primary supervisor.
Exception: This supervision requirement does not apply to candidates who already possess at least 2.0 publication, research or innovation credit outputs at Lecturer level.
Conference Presentations
- Four cumulative conference presentations or papers.
- At least one presentation at an international conference.
- Conferences hosted in South Africa with international participation are regarded as international conferences.
Community Engagement
- Participation in at least one community engagement project linked to teaching, learning, research or innovation.
Required Knowledge and Technical Competencies
Successful candidates should demonstrate expertise in:
Bioinformatics
- Genomics and transcriptomics analysis
- Biological data management and interpretation
- Computational biology methods
- Biological databases and data mining
- Statistical analysis of biological data
- Programming and scripting for biological research
Molecular and Cellular Biology
- Molecular genetics
- Cell biology
- Biotechnology applications
- Laboratory-based biological research methods
- Experimental design and data interpretation
Academic Competencies
- Curriculum development
- Research methodology
- Academic writing and publishing
- Postgraduate supervision
- Student assessment and evaluation
- Use of educational technologies
Essential Skills
- Excellent teaching and presentation skills.
- Strong research and analytical abilities.
- Academic writing and publication skills.
- Student supervision and mentoring capability.
- Project management and organisational skills.
- Effective communication and interpersonal skills.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively.
- Problem-solving and critical-thinking abilities.
- Administrative and reporting skills.