Academic Governance, Quality and Compliance Specialist

Overview

The Academic Governance, Quality and Compliance Specialist provides coordinated editorial, documentary, and regulatory-readiness support to the institution's academic governance, quality assurance, and compliance functions. The role is responsible for ensuring that institutional documentation, policies, and regulatory submissions are accurate, consistent, audit-ready, and aligned with applicable higher education frameworks, under the oversight of designated senior role-players.

The role focuses on document quality assurance, compliance alignment, evidence compilation, and general regulatory preparation and readiness while acting as a custodian of institutional academic documentation and quality records.

Key Performance Areas (KPAs)

• Regulatory Readiness and Site Visits - 10%
• Quality Assurance Documentation - 35%
• Academic Governance Support - 20%
• Policy Custodianship - 15%
• Accreditation and Audit Support - 15%
• Coordination, Risk, and Improvement - 5%

1. Institutional Documentation Editing and Quality Assurance

• Edit, review, and quality-assure institutional policies, procedures, guidelines, strategic documents, and academic governance materials to ensure clarity, accuracy, and alignment with CHE, DHET, HEQSF, SAQA, and other applicable frameworks.
• Ensure consistency in language, tone, structure, and formatting across institutional documentation in line with approved standards and institutional identity.
• Support academic and administrative units by providing editorial and quality assurance input to strengthen the quality and coherence of documentation.
• Maintain version control and document histories to ensure traceability and audit readiness.

2. Quality Assurance and Policy Development Support

• Provide structured support to policy development and review processes by assisting with drafting, editing, and alignment of academic and governance policies.
• Support Quality Assurance, Academic Governance, and Regulatory Risk teams in ensuring policy and procedural documents align with institutional strategy and regulatory requirements.
• Assist committees and working groups with policy-related documentation and supporting materials.
• Ensure approved policies and procedures are correctly consolidated, archived, and disseminated.

3. Compliance Alignment and Regulatory Framework Monitoring

• Support compliance alignment by ensuring institutional documentation reflects current regulatory requirements and approved institutional positions.
• Monitor updates to higher education regulatory frameworks and flag implications for institutional documentation to senior role-players.
• Support the integration of approved regulatory or legislative changes into institutional documents in collaboration with the Legal Office and Quality Assurance Lead.

4. Regulatory Reporting, Accreditation, and Audit Support

• Assist with the preparation, editing, and quality assurance of documentation required for accreditation processes, institutional reviews, regulatory audits, and monitoring exercises.
• Coordinate and compile documentary evidence for Self-Evaluation Reports, improvement plans, and follow-up submissions.
• Support the preparation of briefing packs, evidence schedules, and document repositories for CHE and DHET engagements.
• Ensure regulatory submissions are internally consistent, complete, and aligned with approved institutional documentation.

5. Regulatory Readiness and Site Visit Preparation

• Coordinate institutional preparation activities for external site visits, audits, and monitoring reviews under senior oversight.
• Compile, organise, and quality-check evidence required for site visits, including policies, procedures, reports, minutes, and supporting records.
• Maintain a centralised, structured evidence repository to support regulatory engagement and post-visit follow-up.
• Support mock site visit preparations and internal readiness checks.

6. Institutional Documentation Custodianship

• Act as a custodian of academic governance, quality assurance, and compliance documentation.
• Ensure documentation is accurately stored, accessible, and maintained in accordance with institutional record-keeping standards.
• Support records management processes linked to audits, disciplinary matters, appeals, and academic reviews.
• Assist with ensuring that approved documentation is published, communicated, and archived appropriately.

7. Workflow Coordination and Editorial Project Support

• Coordinate editorial workflows for governance, compliance, and quality-related documentation.
• Track document development timelines and follow up with contributors to ensure timely completion.
• Support the controlled publication and dissemination of approved policies and institutional documents.

8. Risk Identification and Continuous Improvement Support

• Assist in identifying documentation gaps, inconsistencies, or compliance risks through review and audit feedback.
• Support the tracking of corrective actions and improvement plans arising from internal and external reviews.
• Prepare summaries, trackers, and briefing notes to support management oversight.

Requirements

Minimum Requirements

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree at NQF Level 7 in Education, Law, Public Administration, Governance, Political Studies, International Relations, or a related field.
• A postgraduate qualification will be an advantage.

Experience

• 2 to 4 years' experience in higher education administration, quality assurance support, governance coordination, compliance support, or a regulated environment.
• Demonstrated experience in document editing, policy review, regulatory reporting, or audit preparation.
• Exposure to CHE accreditation processes will be an advantage.

Key Skills and Competencies

• Advanced editing and document quality assurance skills
• Strong understanding of higher education regulatory frameworks
• Excellent written communication and organisational ability
• High attention to detail and disciplined version control
• Ability to work collaboratively across institutional units
• Strong planning and coordination skills
• Professional discretion and confidentiality
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Word and Outlook.
• Research ability and willingness to learn new systems and processes.

Attributes

• High ethical standards and professionalism.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Ability to work well under supervision and independently.
• Integrity, confidentiality, and respect for institutional processes.
• Commitment to deadlines and continuous learning.

Relationships

Works in close collaboration with:

• Quality Assurance and Compliance Lead
• Legal, Governance and Compliance Specialist
• Academic Governance and Compliance Project roles
• Faculties, Broader Academic Services, and Support Units