Short Course Development Manager – Wits Plus

Wits Plus, the University of the Witwatersrand’s dedicated short course provider, invites applications for the position of Short Course Development Manager. This is a strategic management role responsible for leading the Wits Plus support of the development, quality assurance, and continuous improvement of Wits University short courses across all delivery modes (face-to-face, online, and blended). The successful candidate will play a central role in enhancing student learning journeys, optimizing short courses, advocating for adherence to international best practices in short course design, and ensuring the efficient delivery of high-quality short courses that meet the needs of working professionals and lifelong learners.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage the full course development lifecycle, including new course setup, kick-off meetings with the instructional design team, and milestone tracking.
• Identify and lead targeted course updates and redesigns for existing short courses, with a focus on improving the learning journey of all students.
• Oversee the review, update, and quality optimisation of short courses
• Develop and implement minimum criteria, templates, and onboarding frameworks for all short courses across every mode of delivery.
• Conduct final quality assurance reviews, in collaboration with the University academics, to ensure alignment with approved course Motivation documents.
• Maintain a robust tracking system for all short courses from approval through development to evaluation, including proactive escalation of challenges.
• Provide internal LMS setup support as needed.
• Collaborate with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and University academic leadership to address issues identified through Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) processes.
• Drive innovation by identifying and advocating for the implementation of new pedagogical approaches and design methodologies for short courses.
• Contribute to cross-functional planning and portfolio management.

Minimum Requirements

• A Bachelor’s degree in Instructional Design, Educational Technology, Education, Curriculum Development, or a closely related field (a Master’s degree will be an advantage).
• At least five (5) years of relevant experience in instructional design or course development, with experience in as a team leader, senior specialist, or management role.
• Demonstrated expertise in managing end-to-end course development projects.
• Strong practical experience with Learning Management Systems, preferably Canvas but not essential.
• Proven ability to develop quality standards, templates, playbooks, and onboarding frameworks.
• Excellent project management, facilitation, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Sound knowledge of adult learning principles, learning experience design, and quality assurance in higher education.

Desirable Requirements

• Experience in university short courses, continuing professional development (CPD), or executive education.
• Experience leading or coordinating instructional design teams or external specialists.

How to Apply:

Please note that applications have to be done through iRecruitment only. No hardcopies or emails should be submitted. Applications must be accompanied by:

• Cover letter
• Detailed CV, with contact details, including email addresses of 3 references
• Copies of qualifications

By submitting an application for this post the Applicant acknowledges that their personal information will be processed by the University. The Applicant, by their conduct in proceeding with an application for this position, gives their consent to the processing of their personal information as required by the University’s Recruitment, Selection and Appointment Policy. Such processing includes logging their information on the University’s recruitment systems and disclosing their personal information to University employees identified to take part in the selection and recruitment process. The Applicant consents to any further processing of their personal information as may be required for relevant verification and reference check purposes. The confidentiality of the Applicant's personal information will be maintained.