Director: Human Language Technologies

Requirements

Senior Certificate/Matric Certificate /Grade 12 Certificate or equivalent qualification. An Undergraduate qualification (NQF level 7) as recognised by SAQA specialisation in Languages/ Information Technology/ Human Language Technology/ Applied Linguistics or any relevant Language/Technology qualification; Successful completion of the Pre-entry Certificate for the Senior Management Service (SMS) as endorsed by the National School of Government; 5 years of experience at a Middle/ Senior Managerial level in project management dealing with language technology, computational linguistics or any relevant environment. Project Management Certificate; Knowledge and understanding of human language technologies (machine translation, speech recognition, corpus development, etc.); Knowledge and understanding of Public Finance Management Act and relevant Regulations; Use of Official Languages Act, PanSALB Act, etc. Knowledge and understanding of language policies, ICT policies, digital transformation strategies and procedures; Analytical and problem-solving skills; Strategic capability and leadership; Planning and organising skills; Quality and action orientation; People management and empowerment.

Key Responsibilities

The purpose of this post is to manage and promote access to service, information and modernisation of South African languages through the coordination and facilitation of Human Language Technologies (HLT) projects and activities; Monitor and Evaluate Human Language Technology projects; Monitor and evaluate the impact of HLT initiatives on language development and access to information; Initiate projects and create partnerships for Human Language Technology projects such as development of translation memory, terminology management tools, speech data technology, etc; Intervene and engage with project managers to address project challenges and risks; Supervise evaluation processes of project outputs/deliverables; Develop and maintain Human Language Technology strategies. Provide leadership and guidance in the development and promotion of official languages and implementation of Human Language Technology Strategy; Develop and implement policies, strategies, and frameworks for the use of Human Language Technologies in government and society; Align HLT initiatives with National Language policies, the Use of Official Languages Act, and the National Development Plan; Provide expert advice to the Department and other Government Entities on HLT solutions to ensure they address the needs of 79 persons with disabilities Identify areas of most urgent needs for Human Language Technology projects; Drive the process of locating Human Language Technology within broader Information Society; Manage Human Language Technology engagement with relevant stakeholders including project stakeholders; Build and strengthen partnerships with local and international stakeholders in the technology and language sectors; Negotiate with National and International role players for critical information, permission to access relevant databases, to collect data in the different languages of SA; Monitor Human Language Technology trends locally and internationally.; Collaborate with PanSALB, SADiLaR, research councils, and ICT bodies to mainstream HLT and popularise the concept of HLT industry Manage Subordinates and the Directorate-Reporting in terms of the Performance Management.

How to Apply

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