Centre Manager for Energy Research at Stellenbosch University

Stellenbosch University's Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies (CRSES) is seeking a Centre Manager for the ARUA CoE in Energy (W2EF) and the ARUA-Guild CoRE-RE. In this role, you will drive operational growth, project execution, and technical output of the ARUA CoE W2EF portfolio. You will provide strategic support to the CoE Director and represent the CoE in stakeholder meetings.

Your responsibilities will also include expanding networks with universities, government, industry, and NGOs, planning portfolio growth, coordinating funding proposals, and managing reporting to funders and university management. You will oversee capacity-building initiatives like the ARUA Early Career Researchers Fellowship Programme, joint mobility initiatives, summer schools, and short courses.

Additionally, you will serve as the central point of contact for the ARUA-Guild CoRE-RE consortium, liaising with partner universities, scouting EU-AU funding bids, establishing a grant pipeline, coordinating webinars, and bridging academic research with industrial application. You will report to the CoRE-RE co-leads at Stellenbosch University and Ghent University.

• MScEng and a PhD in engineering: environmental, chemical/process or civil engineering, or relevant fields in energy in the water-waste-energy-food nexus.
• Strong background in the water-waste-energy-food nexus (W2EF), organic waste valorisation, and waste-to-energy technologies.
• At least five years' relevant experience (e.g., project/grant manager, consortium coordinator, or senior research assistant) and collaboration with South African, African, and European partners.
• Proven experience with international and European funding call requirements, reporting, compliance, budgeting and forecasting, financial oversight, and project portfolio tracking.
• Proven experience in stakeholder engagement, strategic advisory, or translating technical data into policy frameworks.
• High proficiency in Microsoft Office software suite.
• Excellent communication skills in English.

Recommendations:

• Experience in major grant writing, fundraising, and developing joint funding applications (e.g., EU-AU funding bids).
• Experience in coordinating international networks or multi-institutional academic consortia.
• Experience as a research assistant in a university environment in South Africa.
• Experience in providing mentorship or supervision to postgraduate students and junior researchers.

• Drive operational growth, project execution, and technical output of the ARUA CoE W2EF portfolio.
• Provide strategic and operational support to the CoE Director and represent the CoE in stakeholder meetings and events.
• Expand internal and external networks, connecting the CoE with South African universities, government, industry, NGOs, ARUA member universities, and research institutions.
• Plan portfolio growth, coordinate funding proposals, and manage reporting to funders, university management, and the ARUA Secretariat.
• Provide research direction to increase the CoE publication footprint and publish research findings in conferences and peer-reviewed journals.
• Manage CoE capacity-building initiatives, including the ARUA Early Career Researchers Fellowship Programme, joint mobility initiatives, summer schools, and short courses.
• Serve as the central point of contact for all six partner universities in the ARUA-Guild CoRE-RE consortium.
• Coordinate major EU-AU funding bids, including Horizon Europe, LEAP-SE, Marie Curie, Erasmus+, and Team Europe initiatives.
• Establish a centralised grant pipeline via a rolling 12-month calendar of joint funding applications.
• Coordinate the bimonthly webinar series.
• Bridge academic research and industrial application by securing support for Living Labs and demonstration projects.
• Oversee the CoRE-RE digital presence and curate a live Research Infrastructure Database.
• Report to the CoRE-RE co-leads at Stellenbosch University and Ghent University.