POWERHEDA FUNCTIONAL ADMINISTRATOR

With more than 34400 students, and approximately 1700 members of staff, the Durban University of Technology (DUT) is a leading university of technology proudly located in the beautiful cities of Durban and Pietermaritzburg, along the warm east coast of South Africa. Founded in April 2002 through the historic merger of the former ML Sultan Technikon and Technikon Natal, DUT has evolved into a modern, metropolitan, multi-campus university with roots tracing back to 1907.

Today, DUT is recognised nationally and internationally for its excellence in teaching and learning, research, innovation, entrepreneurship and engagement. A proud member of the International Association of Universities, DUT continues to expand its influence across South Africa and the world. In the 2025 Webometrics Rankings, DUT was ranked among the Top 6% of all universities and colleges worldwide, reflecting its academic excellence, research impact and strong global visibility.

DUT’s Philosophy of Education, “Our creativity and innovation shapes adaptive graduates who transform society” reflects the institution’s deep commitment to meaningful impact for societal transformation. Guided by its inspirational and aspirational ENVISION2030 strategy, which is rooted in DUT’s DNA of being ‘people-centred and engaged’ and ‘innovative and entrepreneurial’ and underpinned by its bespoke Living Values Framework, DUT focuses on ‘contributing to the improvement of lives and livelihoods’.

The University comprises six diverse Faculties:

• Accounting and Informatics
• Applied Sciences
• Arts & Design
• Engineering and the Built Environment
• Health Sciences
• Management Sciences

DUT also includes a Business School and the award-winning Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology (IWWT), amongst other research centres and institutes, reinforcing its role as a hub for knowledge, innovation and societal impact. Over the years, the University substantially grown its research output, dominating the UoT sector. This is evidenced by the steady increase of NRF-rated researchers and the notable, unprecedented award of seven NRF SARCHi Chairs in 2025. This impetus helps us to remain deeply engaged with our communities globally, thereby transforming societies and economies.

At DUT, we believe in nurturing talent and empowering people to make a real difference. If you are passionate about contributing to education, research, innovation, entrepreneurship and engagement, DUT offers the ideal environment - Creative. Distinctive. Impactful**.**

The Durban University of Technology (DUT) invites applications from suitably qualified and experienced candidates for the position of Powerheda Functional Administrator

PowerHEDA Functional Administrator

Office of the Vice-Chancellor

Location: Steve Biko Campus, Durban

Overall Purpose of the Job

To administer, configure, optimise and provide functional leadership for the University's PowerHEdA Academic Workload Management System to support institutional workforce planning, academic workload management and strategic decision-making.

The incumbent is responsible for system configuration, business process optimisation, data governance, institutional reporting, user enablement, system integration, quality assurance and continuous improvement of the Academic Workload Module to ensure effective utilisation across the University.

Minimum Requirements

Education

• Degree/Advanced Diploma NQF Level 7 in Information Systems, Computer Science, Business Administration or relevant.

Experience

• 3–5 years' administrative experience in a higher education institution or similar complex environment.

Ideal Requirements

Education and Certification

• Relevant Honours Degree/Postgraduate Diploma NQF Level 8.
• PowerHEdA System Administration training.
• Project Management certification.

Key Competency Requirements

The successful candidate must have:

• Demonstrated knowledge of PowerHEdA or comparable Higher Education Information Systems.
• Knowledge of Academic Workload Management principles, workforce planning and resource allocation methodologies.
• Strong systems administration and functional configuration skills within enterprise applications.
• Knowledge of database management principles, data integrity, data validation and quality assurance processes.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Microsoft Excel (advanced formulas, PivotTables, Power Query and reporting), Word and PowerPoint.
• Ability to analyse business processes, identify system requirements and recommend process improvements.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and troubleshooting skills.
• Experience in generating management reports, dashboards and statistical information to support institutional decision-making.
• Knowledge of ERP systems such as SAP SuccessFactors, ITS, Oracle or equivalent.
• Knowledge of information governance, records management, data privacy (POPIA) and information security principles.
• Excellent verbal and written communication, stakeholder engagement and presentation skills.
• Ability to coordinate multiple projects, manage competing priorities and work effectively under pressure.

Legal Requirement

• Information security awareness.

Ideal Legal Requirement

• Valid Code B (EB) Driver's License, where travel between campuses or external stakeholder engagements is required.

Training and Knowledge

Minimum

• Sound knowledge of PowerHEdA or comparable Higher Education Information Systems and enterprise applications.
• Knowledge of academic workload management principles, workload allocation methodologies, workforce planning and academic resource management.
• Understanding of higher education governance structures, academic administration and institutional planning processes.
• Knowledge of higher education legislation, including the Higher Education Act, DHET reporting requirements, and institutional governance frameworks.
• Knowledge of business process analysis, systems administration, configuration management and change control principles.
• Understanding of data governance, data quality management, data validation and database management principles.
• Knowledge of information security, records management, cyber security and the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA).
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Microsoft Excel (advanced formulas, PivotTables, Power Query and reporting), Word, PowerPoint, Outlook and Microsoft Teams.
• Working knowledge of ERP and enterprise systems such as SAP SuccessFactors, ITS, Oracle or equivalent.
• Knowledge of report writing, dashboard development and management information reporting.
• Knowledge of customer service principles, stakeholder engagement and user support practices.

Summary of Key Responsibilities

The successful candidate will be responsible for:

• Administering, configuring, maintaining and optimising the University's PowerHEdA Academic Workload Module.
• Configuring and maintaining workload rules, allocation models, academic structures, workload categories, user profiles, security roles and workflow processes.
• Coordinating system upgrades, enhancements, testing and implementation of new functionality.
• Conducting system configuration testing and User Acceptance Testing (UAT).
• Investigating, troubleshooting and resolving functional system issues.
• Maintaining accurate and reliable academic workload data and performing data validation and integrity checks.
• Coordinating data integration between PowerHEdA and other institutional systems, including ERP and HR systems.
• Developing and maintaining executive dashboards, management reports and workload analytics.
• Analysing workload trends, utilisation patterns and resource allocation to support strategic workforce planning.
• Preparing reports for Executive Management, Senate, Council and other governan