MANAGER: SOLUTIONS SPACE
The UCT Graduate School of Business (UCT GSB) is home to the only full-time African MBA ranked in the
top 100 by the prestigious Financial Times and with full EQUIS accreditation from the European Foundation
for Management Development (Europe); AMBA accreditation from the Association of MBAs (UK) and
AACSB accreditation from The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (USA). Our school is
among the best in the world. We take a four-pronged approach to excellence that combines academic
rigour, societal relevance, innovation in teaching and thought leadership to transform our students - taking
them from a place of knowing to doing to being.
The GSB is committed to making business better. Our full-colour thinking approach challenges taken-forgranted assumptions and practices and encourages students to do the same. With our roots in Africa, our
focus is on emerging market business and our teaching and research is geared towards driving
development and understanding in this context, which is characterized by high degrees of uncertainty,
complexity and inequality.
In line with its vision and mission, the GSB is launching an exciting new venture: the GSB Solution Space.
The Solution Space will have multiple aims:
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it will be the home of a few new innovative degree offerings;
it will be a co-working space with innovative business partners and internationally renowned BSchools around business model innovation, in order to make sure that technological innovation
gets translated into real solutions serving real needs;
it will be an incubation space for young promising start-ups that want to develop into inclusive
business innovations.
The GSB will offer in the Solution Space, a MPhil degree by research and prototyping, focusing on inclusive
innovation. The students will work under the guidance of a faculty team, and in cooperation with real
outside partners, come up with real solutions, to real problems impacting real people. Using our Free for
All Entrepreneurial Development system (a MOOC), we will offer and tutor (with some additional face-toface workshops) a Higher Certificate in Entrepreneurial Development to all UCT students, for a strongly
reduced price. The purpose is to support students in engineering, health, law, etc. to equally acquire the
basics of business and entrepreneurship, while studying for their main degree. We believe that the impact
of this additional knowledge would be a multiple of the effort and fee put in.
In a second circle, we will have some incubation space available, hot desks, some offices and meeting
space for rent on a membership basis. In a wider circle we will coordinate a number of innovation minded
companies that will be the sponsors of the students, and that are interested to take part (co-create) the
business model innovations, which would be commercially in their interest. Finally, the Solution Space will
be an animation space that contributes to the debate and support of inclusive business model innovation in
South Africa and Africa.
The GSB Solution Space will contribute to the realisation of the vision of the GSB by providing relevant
business education, challenging for students, innovative for partner companies, and contributing jobs to an
inclusive economic development. At the same time, the GSB Solution Space is an exciting experiment with
the future model of the Business School, based on pedagogical innovation and business model relevance.
We are looking to recruit a candidate to initiate, shape and assist in implementing our Solutions Space as
well as manage the operations of the Centre.
Reporting to the Director of the GSB, the roles and responsibilities of the Manager: Solutions
Space will entail the following:
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Apply for matching funding from the DTI for the Innovation Centre. Follow through with various
fund-raising drives.
Explore options of public or private sector partnerships for specific student projects: broadband,
waste-economy, e-learning etc.
Set-up the policy and procedures for the space rental and hot desk support.
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Convene the MPhil in Inclusive Innovation from the following perspectives: co-ordination,
administration and foster relevant partnerships in business and government for the projects – In
the long run direct this program.
Foster relationships and partnerships with other Innovation Hubs in the world.
Convene a team to steer the strategic direction and financial planning.
Assist Exec Education team with the planning and scheduling of executive education session
focussed on learning-by-doing.
Run the operations of the Innovation Centre.
EDUCATIONAL AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS
PROFILE:
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5-10 years’ experience in fostering entrepreneurial solutions with societal relevance
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Preferably hold a relevant Master’s degree.
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Have strong networks in public, private and civil society sectors.
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Demonstrated ability to self-start and manage project work with minimal supervision in a rapidly
changing, constantly evolving setting.
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Have a successful track record of building and managing relationships with internal and external
partners to achieve strategic objectives.
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Excellent interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to articulate
complex concepts with clarity, tact and diplomacy.
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Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
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Detail-oriented, highly organized, and ability to multi-task to achieve critical deadlines.
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A creative team player, involved in and committed to the School with a collaborative approach and
a desire to work with others in achieving a common goal.
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Advanced computer skills, including essential knowledge of project management applications.
OFFER:
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A project lead appointment on a two-year contract.
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A job with a focus on building real solutions.
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An opportunity to lead a pioneering area at the university.
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A fascinating School that strives for academic excellence and societal relevance.
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The potential for a meaningful assignment in a prime location in the world.
The annual remuneration is based on relevant experience and will be between R542 073 and R600 000. If
you are interested in applying for this two-year contract position, please follow the application process
stated below.
To apply, please e-mail the completed UCT Application form and all other relevant documentation as
indicated on the form, to Linzee Arendse (GSB HR Practitioner) at recruitment@gsb.uct.ac.za
The application form can also be downloaded at http://web.uct.ac.za/depts/sapweb/forms/hr201.doc
An application which does not comply with the above requirements will be regarded as
incomplete. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Telephone: 021-4061372
Faculty website: www.gsb.uct.ac.za
Reference number: I-2846
Closing date: 4 December 2013
UCT is committed to the pursuit of excellence, diversity and redress. Our Employment Equity Policy is
available at http://www.uct.ac.za/downloads/uct.ac.za/about/policies/eepolicy.pdf
UCT reserves the right not to appoint.
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