Associate Professor / Professor – Urban & Regional Planning

About the role

The University of the Free State seeks an Associate Professor or Professor to lead research, teaching and curriculum development in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning. The successful candidate will join the Bloemfontein campus and contribute to the university’s mission of excellence, diversity and community engagement.

Key responsibilities

• Initiate, conduct and sustain high‑quality research outputs in urban and regional planning.
• Provide research leadership and mentorship to academic colleagues and postgraduate students.
• Teach and assess undergraduate and postgraduate courses using contact, blended and online learning approaches.
• Contribute to curriculum development, renewal and assessment, and lead postgraduate study programmes.
• Recruit, supervise and mentor postgraduate students, and identify external funding opportunities.
• Participate in departmental, faculty and university administration, including committees, quality assurance and student support.

Required profile

• PhD (NQF Level 10) in Urban and Regional Planning or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated national or international research recognition (NRF rating C3–C1, editorial board experience, external examiner roles).
• Proven record of supervising master’s and doctoral candidates and securing research funding.
• Experience presenting peer‑reviewed papers at national or international conferences.
• Active membership in relevant scholarly societies or research committees.

What we offer

• Pension scheme and medical aid.
• Group life insurance and housing allowance.
• Annual leave, sick leave and service bonus.
• Study benefits and opportunities for professional development.