Call for Applications for Academic Staff

About the School of Architecture & Planning

The School of Architecture & Planning (SoAP) is among the premier institutions of education on the African continent, is home to internationally recognised academics, works with numerous international partners, and has produced graduates who have made outstanding contributions to the fields of architecture and planning in South Africa and around the world.

The School has a staff of approximately 40 people and a student body in professional and other degrees of over 600. It is one of only four architectural and planning programmes on the African continent that are ranked among the top 200 programmes in the world. The University of Witwatersrand (Wits) is aspiring to be among the top teaching and research-intensive universities in the world, and SoAP has a strong design and critical history and theory programme. The architecture professional degree stream at Wits is accredited nationally by the South African Council for the Architectural Profession (SACAP), and internationally by the Commonwealth Association of Architects (CAA). The urban planning professional degree stream is accredited by the South African Council for Planning (SACPLAN).

SoAP is engaged with the challenges of design and development in the dynamic African city of Johannesburg and beyond. Its core activity is the provision of an excellent learning environment towards professional degrees in architecture, planning and qualifications in related fields such as housing, urban design and urban studies.

The intellectual project of the School is to stimulate and deepen knowledge creativity and design concerning architecture, planning and urbanism of Johannesburg, its region and cities more widely. It has an excellent track record in terms of academic, professional and knowledge exchange with professional bodies, practices, policy-makers as well as communities. For further information, please visit our website at: https://www.wits.ac.za/soap/ 

Facilities & Work Environment

In addition to the historically significant John Moffat Building which is the School’s primary home, new learning facilities shared with the School of Construction Economics and Management have recently opened, marking a major investment in both physical studio and pin-up space, and digital learning facilities. These investments are indicative of the University’s commitment to excellence within the built environment disciplines at Wits, and will further increase SoAP’s capacity to operate as a top-tier institution. The recently bequeathed historic Brebnor House (1976) designed by Stanley Saitowitz is an opportunity to develop heritage programmes and conservation principles for Wits University. SoAP is continually seeking to increasing its visibility, both within Africa and around the world, using its unique location in a major metropolis with many built environment challenges as a lever to explore innovative design strategies and means of practice.

Open Academic Positions: Architecture

Post 1: Lecturer in Architecture (80%-100% FTE)

The School of Architecture and Planning (SoAP) invites applications for a Lecturer post at 80-100% FTE aimed at teaching and research in the thematic subject areas of architectural history and theory. Architectural design skills and flexibility towards teaching in other subject areas is an added plus.

The post is listed on the Wits Vacancies website as LECTURER 80%-100% (AC.08.4) in the School of Architecture and Planning, with job number IRC106381.

Qualifications

The successful candidate will:

1. Hold a master’s degree in architecture, architectural history, or a closely related discipline. A PhD is an advantage but not required at Lecturer level.
2. Have experience in a university setting as an instructor or dedicated researcher, with teaching in a history or theory subject stream a major plus.
3. Demonstrate an ability to review written and visual/ analytical work produced by students, and offer constructive inputs.
4. Be able to organise thematic content into digestible packages for undergraduate students and relate architectural developments of the last century to cultural, social, and political contexts.
5. Have a broad knowledge of at least one of the following, as demonstrated by the prior teaching and/or research documentation of:
   a. Pre-Modern architecture, particularly in the context of the global South;
   b. Modern architecture in a global context, with particular emphasis on the relationship between global movements and African modernism;
   c. Contemporary architectural theory in both African and non-African contexts.
6. Show a command of various research methods, including literature review, field research, and/or archival research as indicated by a body of documentation and/or research outputs.
7. Demonstrate an eagerness to engage with the School, students, and contribute to a positive and rigorous intellectual culture, perform related administrative duties, and generally promote the programmes offered at Wits.

How to Apply

To apply, submit:

1. A cover letter clearly stating your qualifications and background, teaching interest, percentage appointment preferred, and research interests, up to a maximum of two pages;
2. A comprehensive CV, including the names, email addresses and phone numbers of three referees, of which at least one must be from a supervising academic for candidates with prior teaching experience;
3. A portfolio of design work, previous teaching outputs, research outputs, or any combination of these in .pdf format, not exceeding 50MB, with the applicant’s roles on each item clearly labelled.

Refer to the ‘Submitting an Application’ section below for the application deadline and method of submission.

Post 2: Lecturer in Architecture (20%-40% FTE)

The School of Architecture and Planning (SoAP) invites applications for part-time appointment at 20%-40% FTE to play contributing roles in architectural design and/or construction studios or technical courses. Candidates would work under one or two course coordinators, depending on the FTE percentage. A 20% post would require teaching one course in a studio environment (either an architectural design studio or construction course), including one-on-one feedback to students, assisting with all pin-ups and exams, occasional guest lectures, and general assistance to the studio coordinator. A 40% post would require a similar role in both an architectural design studio and a construction course or other technical course, likely within the same year of study. In a 40% post, the candidate would also act as a co-coordinator and liaison across linked design and construction courses within the same year of study.

The post is intended for a candidate who is doing significant work in contemporary architectural practice and is committed to transferring practice-based knowledge to students in studio environment. Applicants must be willing to commit to a full-year timeline of teaching and related activities year after year. The selected candidates will primarily participate in studio-based teaching, but attendance at monthly programme meetings and some commitment to academic service is expected.

The post is listed on the Wits Vacancies website as LECTURER 20%-40% (AC.08.4) in the School of Architecture and Planning, with job number IRC106382.

Qualifications
The successful candidate will:

1. Hold a professionally accredited M.Arch (Prof) degree, or a professionally accredited B.Arch degree and a Masters degree in any related discipline. A PhD is an advantage but not required at Lecturer level.
2. Be registered as a Professional Architect with the South African Council for the Architectural Profession (SACAP), or eligible for registration, and have at least 5 years of experience post-professional registration.
3. Have experience working in both professional practice and academic settings.
4. Be able to provide conceptual and detailed architectural design feedback to students, coupling it with theoretical and practical instruction, in a manner that is commensurate to the level of teaching.
5. Demonstrate an ability to communicate conceptual design principles and application of architectural tectonics and detailing to a wide variety of projects.
6. Demonstrate an eagerness to engage with the School, students, and contribute to a positive and rigorous intellectual culture, perform related administrative duties, mentor early-career academics, and generally promote the programmes offered at Wits.
7. Provide evidence of at least one, preferably more, of the following:
   a. An understanding of passive sustainable design principles and/or alternative building technologies;
   b. A passable working knowledge of software typically used in the production of architectural drawings (especially in, but not limited to, Revit);
   c. Research skills, as applied either to design work or to text-based publication.

How to Apply

To apply, submit:

1. A cover letter clearly stating your qualifications and background, teaching interest, percentage appointment preferred, and research interests, up to a maximum of two pages;
2. A comprehensive CV, including the names, email addresses and phone numbers of three referees, of which at least one must be from a supervising academic for candidates with prior teaching experience;
3. A design portfolio, in .pdf format, not exceeding 50MB, showing architectural design and construction work, with an emphasis on built work, with the applicant’s roles on each project clearly labelled.

Refer to the ‘Submitting an Application’ section below for the application deadline and method of submission.

Submitting an Application

Applications for all positions listed are due 08 June 2026, 12:00h.

Internal employees are invited to apply directly on Oracle by following the path: iWits /Self Service application/”Apply for a job”.

External applicants are invited to apply by registering a profile and submitting an application on the Wits i-recruitment platform located at: https://irec.wits.ac.za 

The University is committed to employment equity. Preference may be given to appointable applicants from the under-represented designated groups in terms of the relevant employment equity plans and policies of the University. The University retains the right not to make an appointment or to re-advertise and to verify all information provided by candidates. Please note that correspondence will only be entered into with shortlisted candidates.

For enquiries, please contact: zama.zwane@wits.ac.za 

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