Human Sciences Research Council Jobs – 20 June

To apply, click on the link at the end of the posts and all the best with your applications

Payroll, Leave and Benefits Processing Administrator

Closing Date
2026/06/30
Reference Number
HSR260612-1
Job Type Permanent
Job Title Payroll, Leave and Benefits Processing Administrator
Business Area Office of the CFO
Department Office of the CFO
Number of Positions 1
Workplace Type Hybrid
Location – Town / City Pretoria
Location – Province Gauteng
Location – Country South Africa
Minimum Education Level NQF 6 – National Diploma or equivalent
Application Closing Date 30-Jun-2026
Job Category Finance
Job Advert Summary
The office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) consists of four units namely Finance, Enterprise Risk and Corporate Ethics, Supply Chain Management (SCM) and Facilities and OHS. The PFMA prescribes that the Board for a public organization must ensure that the public entity has and maintains effective, efficient, and transparent systems of financial, risk management, and internal control. The successful incumbent will report directly to the CFO.

The Office of the CFO of the HSRC seeks to appoint a suitably qualified incumbent to fulfill the position of Payroll, Leave, and Benefits Processing Administrator–Office of the CFO. The position will be based in the Pretoria office and is offered on a permanent contract.

Minimum Requirements
A relevant qualification in Human Resources or Finance (NQF Level 6);
At least 3 years of experience administering payroll, HRIS and benefits processes required.
Work experience should include knowledge of payroll practices, basic human resources, , benefits administration, and legislative compliance in the HR domain.
Must have strong knowledge of a variety of computer software applications including payroll, benefits, time & attendance and HRIS and self-service systems. VIP/SAGE will be an advantage.
Duties & Responsibilities
Payroll:

Input data – Payments advices / Bank changes / Tax calculations / Benefit structure (if applicable);
Maintain employee records in payroll/HRIS systems.
Administer the time and attendance policy and paid leave policy for all employees.
Produces scheduled and ad-hoc reports pertaining to payroll and human resources requirements.
Review payroll rules and ensure payroll structure is correct;
Report any payroll structure or rule anomalies;
Manage monthly 3rd party payments and balance to payroll totals;
Schedule bank payments;
Distribute payment statements and gather signed receipts (digital or paper);
Report on payroll expenses;
Implement and maintain payroll best practices to improve efficiency and consult with human resources team to improve payroll and HRIS processes.
Ensure remuneration and tax withholdings comply with regulations;
Verify timesheet details to enable payroll processing;
Prepare payment schedules.
Benefits:

Administer all employee benefit offerings from appointment to termination.
Coordinate and conduct the new employee on-boarding process and present benefits presentations to ensure employees gain an understanding of benefit plans and employment provisions.
Fulfil all statutory regulatory mandates.
Leave:

Entering leave information into the HRIS/Payroll system, when applicable.
Process all long-term absences, as per leave policy.
Consult with employees and supervisors concerning leave benefits and provide employees with accurate information on deductions from pay relating to absences, medical certification requirements, and return-to-work dates.
Assisting in the year-end attendance/leave reconciliation process including calculation of new leave entitlements and verification of carry-forward balances.
Work cooperatively with Finance department to process and coordinate all employee leaves and absences, including those relating to workers’ compensation claims and other leave related claims.

Click here to apply

Master’s Research Trainees (Ref. No. HSRC M-TRN 06/2026)

Closing Date
2026/07/10
Reference Number
HSR260611-2
Job Type Fixed Term contract- long term
Job Title Master’s Research Trainees (Ref. No. HSRC M-TRN 06/2026)
Business Area Research Impact Division
Department EEE, PHSB, RID and DCES
Number of Positions 1
Workplace Type Hybrid
Location – Town / City Pretoria, CapeTown, KZN
Location – Province Gauteng, Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal
Location – Country South Africa
Minimum Education Level NQF8 – Hons Degree or equivalent
Application Closing Date 10-Jul-2026
Job Category Scientific
Job Advert Summary
The Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) seeks to appoint Master’s Research Trainees with a strong interest in the human and social sciences. The successful candidates will contribute to innovative, policy-relevant and interdisciplinary research that addresses South Africa’s developmental challenges and advances social transformation. The programme offers exposure to research across the HSRC’s key focus areas, including democracy, governance and citizenship; education, skills and inclusive economic development; public health, public policy, science in society, social wellbeing and belonging; African development, global engagement and sustainable human security.

Through its research divisions, the HSRC generates evidence and knowledge that inform policy, strengthen institutions, support inclusive development and contribute to building a capable state, a cohesive society and resilient communities. The HSRC’s vision is to be a leading centre of excellence in human and social sciences research, advancing a better South Africa, a better Africa and a better world. Its mission is to conduct impactful research that informs policy and practice, builds research capacity, and promotes social justice, human dignity and sustainable development.

Minimum Requirements
Key requirements:

Applicants must be South African citizens, in possession of a relevant Honours degree in a human or social science discipline; and be registered for Masters degree at the time of appointment or register during the first six (6) months of appointment at a recognised South African university;
Demonstrated interest in, and understanding of, contemporary social, economic, developmental, governance, health, education and public policy issues affecting South Africa, Africa and the broader global context;
A sound grounding in research methods will be a strong recommendation;
Requisite computer skills (e.g. Microsoft Office)
Working experience with some of the following data software packages: STATA, SPSS, R, Nvivo, AtlasTI or other relevant statistical packages;
Ability to work well under pressure and to meet
Duties & Responsibilities
Key responsibilities:
In addition to being registered for a Master’s degree, at a recognised South African university and
currently working on their degrees, or eligible for registration at a recognised South African university, research trainees are required to participate in all aspects of the research process as they work with other staff on different research projects.
Among other duties, they will participate in the following activities under supervision:
Participation in the conceptualisation and execution of research projects;
Participation in the formulation of research questions and writing proposals; Assisting with the submission of research proposals for ethical review;
Management or supervision of research projects Collection and analysis of data;
Writing-up of research results, research reports and manuscripts for publication;
Presenting results of projects in different forums (webinars, conferences, seminars, and other forums)

Click here to apply

PhD Research Trainees (Ref: PhD TRN – HSRC 06/2026)

Closing Date
2026/07/03
Reference Number
HSR260611-1
Job Type Fixed Term contract- long term
Job Title PhD Research Trainees (Ref: PhD TRN – HSRC 06/2026)
Business Area Research Impact Division
Department EEE, PHSB, RID, DCES
Number of Positions 1
Workplace Type Hybrid
Location – Town / City Pretoria, Cape Town, KZN
Location – Province KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape, Gauteng
Location – Country South Africa
Minimum Education Level NQF 9 – Masters Degree or equivalent
Application Closing Date 03-Jul-2026
Job Category Education
Job Advert Summary
The Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) seeks to appoint PhD Research Trainees with a strong interest in the human and social sciences. The successful candidate will contribute to innovative, policy-relevant and interdisciplinary research that addresses South Africa’s developmental challenges and advances social transformation.
The programme offers exposure to research across the HSRC’s key focus areas, including democracy, governance and citizenship; education, skills and inclusive economic development; public health, public policy, science in society, wellbeing and belonging; and African development, global engagement and sustainable human security, and impact evaluation.
Through its research divisions, the HSRC generates evidence and knowledge that inform policy, strengthen institutions, support inclusive development and contribute to building a capable state, cohesive society and resilient communities.
The HSRC’s vision is to be a leading centre of excellence in human and social sciences research, advancing a better South Africa, a better Africa and a better world. Its mission is to conduct impactful research that informs policy and practice, builds research capacity, and promotes social justice, human dignity and sustainable development.

Minimum Requirements
Applicants must be South Citizens (attach SA ID copy) in possession of a relevant Master’s degree in a human or social science discipline; and be registered for a PhD degree at the time of appointment or register during the first six (6) months of appointment at a recognised South African university;
Demonstrated interest in, and understanding of, contemporary social, economic, developmental, governance, health, education and public policy issues affecting South Africa, Africa and the broader global context;
Candidates must indicate an area of interest from those listed
Knowledge of research methodologies, including qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods approaches;
Evidence of strong analytical, research, writing and communication skills;
Ability to work independently and collaboratively within multidisciplinary research teams;
A commitment to producing high-quality research outputs and completing a PhD within the prescribed timeframe;
Demonstrated interest in policy-relevant and socially impactful research that contributes to inclusive development, social justice and human wellbeing; and
Proficiency in standard research and data analysis software will be an added advantage.
Sound knowledge of data management, qualitative and quantitative analysis skills will be very advantageous;
A sound academic record;
Experience in the preparation of research reports and manuscripts for publication, whilst having peer reviewed articles in recognized journals will be advantageous;
Experience in communicating research findings at conferences;
Curiosity, enthusiasm and interest in a research career that includes working with statistics and data analysis;
Ability to work independently and in a team environment, good communication and leadership skills are required;
Proficiency in or working experience with some or all of the following programmes: Atlas T, NVIVO, MS Access, Excel, Word, SPSS, STATA;
Attributes:

Ability to work with limited supervision
Good communication skills
Ability to multitask
Good problem-solving skills
Good customer Service
Duties & Responsibilities
The successful candidate will be expected to:

Contribute to the design, implementation and management of interdisciplinary, policy-relevant research projects and related stakeholder engagement activities;
Support evidence-informed policy and programme development through research, technical advisory work, and the dissemination of findings to government, academic, civil society and other stakeholder audiences;
Conduct literature reviews and undertake qualitative and/or quantitative data collection, management, analysis and interpretation;
Prepare and contribute to research outputs, including reports, policy briefs, fact sheets, peer-reviewed journal articles, conference papers and presentations;
Present and communicate research findings through workshops, seminars, conferences and other knowledge-sharing platforms;
Demonstrate satisfactory progress towards the completion of a Doctoral degree within the three-year trainee programme period;
Develop and strengthen research, analytical and academic competencies through formal and informal training, mentorship and professional development opportunities; and
Fulfil all duties, deliverables and performance requirements as set out in the individual performance agreement and internship programme.
The research trainee experience is intensive and requires self-motivated individuals who can work both independently and as part of a team. Successful candidates will be required to balance their research responsibilities with their doctoral studies under a 60/40 work-study arrangement, with dedicated time allocated for the completion of the PhD.

Click here to apply

We wish you all the best with your applications