Career Opportunities at Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)

About the job:

The CSIR has a vacancy for a Mechanical Workshop Assistant in the Landward Sciences Impact Area, within the Defence and Security Cluster. The incumbent will be responsible for assisting with mechanical manufacturing, fabrication, refurbishment, and repair activities within the rapid prototyping workshop. This position is based in Pretoria.

Key responsibilities:

• Execute workshop fabrication and assembly tasks as required for rapid prototyping;
• Assist other technicians and support staff with technical work as required and to specific order and under supervision of the technician, e.g., cutting materials, welding, painting frames and assembling parts, holding or moving parts, breaking down parts, preparation tasks, etc.;
• Support and execute in-field fabrication, assembly/stripping and testing work/assistance, maintenance as needed and contracted;
• Package, transport, load and unload workshop products and materials using forklift, cranes and slings;
• Operate hand tools and equipment according to established safety procedures;
• Follow established safety procedures and techniques to perform job duties, including lifting, working in confined spaces and working at heights;
• Perform general preventive maintenance of tools and equipment the mechanical workshop;
• Identify and report condition and maintenance requirements of equipment and facilities;
• Take stock of fabrication consumables and request replenishment bi-weekly;
• Handle recycling of workshop waste;
• Clean mechanical tool store and material store;
• Assist with escorting and supervising external contactors.

Qualifications, skills and experience:

• A Matric/Grade 12 or equivalent certificate with at least two years’ experience in similar role and environment;
• A welding certificate will be advantageous;
• Experience in operating specialised workshop equipment such as CNC machines will be advantageous;
• Experience with working at heights and closed/confined spaces;
• Experience in fork-lift and overhead crane operation;
• Must have working knowledge in the following:
  • Operation and handling of general and power tools e.g. grinder, cutters, reamers, drills, band saw and other workshop equipment;
  • Milling machines and lathes;
• Attention to detail;
• Must be computer literate;
• Must have Code 10 or higher and PDP licence;
• Ability to work independently as well as in teams;
• Knowledge of mechanical workshop ISO standards, initiatives and accreditation.

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About the job:

The CSIR has a vacancy for Executive Assistant in the Chief Financial Officer’s (CFO) office. The incumbent will manage the CFO’s office effectively and offer the level of support required, enabling the Executive to perform at full potential and focus on strategic matters.  The position is located in Pretoria.

Key responsibilities:

• Prepare written responses to incoming correspondence for the Executive’s approval and signature.
• Handle all incoming calls effectively and efficiently.
• Eloquently express the Executive’s requirements/instructions to other staff members.
• Manage internal and external events, local and overseas travel arrangements under broad direction of the Executive.
• Coordinate and manage the Executive’s diary effectively ensuring that time is used effectively.
• Appropriately brief the CFO regarding the agenda for meetings; this includes sourcing background information from previous meetings.
• Follow up on actions emanating from meetings on behalf of the Executive.
• Structure agendas and take minutes at meetings with minimum guidance from the Executive.
• Type, format/edit documents and prepare presentations.
• Prioritise outputs according to the Executive’s needs and purchase necessities for the office.

Qualifications, skills and experience:

• A Bachelors Degree or a three year National Diploma in administration with at least six years’ experience as a Personal Assistant to a Senior Manager or Executive.
• Excellent computer skills, the individual should have at least an advanced level of skill in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel;
• Manage and source resources and conduct research;
• Business writing skills;
• Aware and sensitive to culture differences;
• Awareness of current protocol;
• Must be tactful when dealing with differences.

Closing date: 24 May 2024

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About the job:

The CSIR has a vacancy for a Plumber who will perform fault finding, maintenance, new installations, and repair all plumbing works by designing and recommending the best plumbing solutions in areas requiring new installations. This position is based in Pretoria.

Key responsibilities:

• Carry out routine maintenance tasks on the CSIR plumbing network including fresh water reticulation, waste water drainage systems, sewer systems, storm water drainage, hot and cold water reticulation systems inside buildings and irrigation networks;
• Carry out emergency repairs as may be required;
• Inspect condition of plumbing equipment in CSIR buildings and carry out corrective action and repairs;
• Maintain tools used in plumbing maintenance and carry out new plumbing equipment installations according to SANS standards and codes;
• Participate in Plumbing Design Review and give input on plumbing equipment;
• Ensure appropriate employee safety training and compliance is completed and adhere to safety procedures and techniques in performing duties, including lifting, working in confined spaces and heights.

Qualifications, skills and experience:

• A national (N4) certificate with at least five years’ experience in plumbing;
• Plumbing Trade Test Certificate;
• Knowledge of plumbing tools, materials, and safe work practices;
• Knowledge of both industrial and domestic water reticulation systems;
• Knowledge of relevant plumbing codes, legislation, regulations, installation and maintenance procedures;
• Verbal and written communication skills;
• Customer focus;
• Attention to detail;
• Ability to meet deadlines;
• Ability to meet deadline;
• Ability to solve problems;
• A valid code 8 Driver’s License.

Closing date:23 May 2024

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About the job:

The CSIR has vacancies for Commi Chef in the CSIR Conferencing and Accommodation portfolio and four incumbents will be placed at the CSIR Internal Convention Centre (ICC) and four will be placed at Knowledge Commons / Newtons Restaurant. The incumbent will be responsible for assisting the Chef de Partie and Sous Chef with food preparation, cooking and cleans up all kitchen stations. These positions are based in Pretoria.

Key responsibilities:

• Collects food stock from stores and ensures documentation is completed properly;
• Cook and prepare presentation of food to be served, according to standards, under direction of the Chef de Partie (ICC) or Sous Chef (Newton’s);
• Ensure kitchen preparation areas and equipment are cleaned according to standards.

Qualifications, skills and experience:

• A Grade twelve certificate and a certificate in food preparation with one year’ experience in cookery / cheffing
• Diploma in Cookery will be an advantage
• Cooking techniques
• Knowledge of flavors and seasonings
• Knife skills
• Kitchen safety
• Food safety
• Quality orientation
• Attention to detail
• Customer service orientation
• Practical and Resource Management
• Resilience
• Perseverance and Stress management

Closing date:  28 May 2024

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About the job:

The CSIR has a vacancy for Front Office Manager in the Conferencing and Accommodation portfolio. The incumbent will supervise all Conferencing and Accommodation (ICC, Knowledge Commons and Entabeni) front office personnel and ensure proper completion of all front office duties. He/she will direct and coordinate the activities of the front desk, reservations, guest services, and telephone areas. The successful candidate will prepare monthly reports and budgets for all front office departments. This position is based in Pretoria.

Key responsibilities:

• Establish, implement, and maintain operating standards, processes, and standard operating procedures for the group front office function to provide excellent service to the group’s clients and visitors;
• Schedule shifts for front office staff;
• Supervise workload of front office staff during shifts;
• Maintain working relationships and communicate with all departments;
• Verify Front Office billing;
• Monitor and manage all V.I.P 's and special needs guests and requests;
• Supervise the welcome and settling in of all guests at ICC, Entabeni and Knowledge Commons;
• Manage the lost and found procedure for all facilities in the group;
• Maintain required par stock of all front office and stationary supplies;
• Ensure that employees are always, attentive, friendly, helpful and courteous to all guests, managers and other employees;
• Ensure logging and delivery of all messages, packages, and mail in a timely and professional manner;
• Handle complaints, specific/special customer requests and troubleshoot emergencies;
• Prepare reports related to Front Office activities;
• Coordinate choice and purchase of group staff uniforms and manage guidelines;
• Perform duties and take responsibility for Safety, Health, Environment and Quality(SHEQ) matters within department and embed a culture of SHE awareness and compliance amongst staff;
• Perform duties and take responsibility for SHEQ matters within department and embed a culture of SHE awareness and compliance amongst staff.

Qualifications, skills and experience:

• A National diploma in hospitality management or similar field with at least five years’ client services, front desk or reception experience in a 4- or 5-star conference centre
• Client services experience
• Management experience
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Excellent problem-solving skills
• The ability to remain positive and focused in a fast-paced environment
• Good time management skills
• Solid knowledge of MS Office, particularly Excel and Word
• A professional appearance
• Quality oriented
• Conflict Management
• Practical and resource management
• Resilience, perseverance and stress management
• Flexibility and adaptability
• All international qualifications require an evaluation report / certificate issued by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA).

Closing date:   28 May 2024

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About the job:

The CSIR has a vacancy for an Electrician in the Facilities Management and Security Services Portfolio. The incumbent will be responsible for fault finding and maintenance on electrical installations, equipment, plant, standby generators/ controllers, and power reticulation circuits on both the CSIR Western Cape campuses, Stellenbosch and Rosebank (Cape Town). He/she will also do electrical installations and upgrades to equipment, plant, and reticulation. This position will be based in Stellenbosch, Western Cape

Key responsibilities:

• Maintain and upgrade electrical installations and equipment to ensure they remain in good operating conditions and comply with SANS 0142 regulations and local municipal bylaws.
• Perform electrical installations to ensure they comply with SANS 0142 regulations and local municipal bylaws;
• Monitor and carry out weekly/monthly standby generator inspections and have working knowledge of Deepsea controllers and gateway modules;
• Conduct fault finding, repairs/replacements in all electrical equipment and components including UPS’s and access control systems;
• Perform preventative and corrective maintenance on all electrical installations and critical electrical infrastructure equipment;
• Conduct problem-solving and analysis;
• Assist in electrical-related project work onsite.
• Conduct stand by duties as and when required.

Qualifications, skills and experience:

• An N3 Electrical Certificate with at least three years post trade test experience;
• Trade test (three-phase) with wireman’s licence;
• Code B or EB driver's licence;
• Ability to install and maintain electrical equipment from 220V to 380 V (11000V would be advantageous);
• Experience in switching is advantageous;
• Substantial experience in fault-finding in the electrical and electronic fields;
• Experience and knowledge of the electrical distribution and reticulation systems for industries and commercial properties;
• Knowledge and experience in monitoring of standby generators, fault finding, and weekly/monthly inspections with good knowledge and understanding of Deepsea controllers and gateway modules;
• Ability to read electrical drawings;
• Knowledge of air-conditioning systems;
• Knowledge of access control systems including traffic booms;
• Knowledge and experience in UPS installations and fault finding;
• Good customer relations and interpersonal skills;
• Must have a good understanding of Service Level Agreements and meeting targets;
• Must be able to work under extreme pressure;
• Must be able to work independently without supervision;
• Must be willing and able to lead a work team, giving instructions and to supervise as and when required;
• Experience working with an Information Management System and meeting the deadlines.

Closing date: 24 May 2024

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About the job:

The CSIR has a vacancy for an Electronic Design Engineer in the Technology for Special Operations (TSO) impact area within the Defence and Security Cluster.  The incumbent will be responsible to provide electronic engineering inputs to support a strong multi-discipline team, and outputs for the design and validation process leading to the manufacturing of components, assemblies, and sub-systems to be used in a maritime and military environment. This position is based in Stellenbosch. 

Key responsibilities:

• Design, model, test and integrate electronic engineering components to operate in a harsh maritime environment;
• Design, test and commission analog and digital electronic hardware;
• Write, test and commission embedded software and firmware;
• Debug and resolve hardware and embedded software or firmware issues;
• Integrate existing equipment, electronic systems, and installations;
• Provide concept and system designs;
• Complete data pack segments for configuration;
• Collaborate and communicate with other engineers, including proactive documentation of work and contribution to review and development processes;
• Analyse and capture user requirements in suitable documents;
• Interpret user requirements and translate it into engineering requirements;
• Conduct investigations and feasibility studies for engineering change proposals (ECPs);
• Compile test and evaluation specifications;
• Plan and conduct environmental- and EMC qualification testing for systems and subsystems;
• Conduct and perform acceptance trials for South African National Defence Force (SANDF) systems and sub-systems;
• Design and execute field experiments; analyse and interpret the data; and report on results;
• Assist with quality assurance on work completed for SANDF systems and sub-systems;
• Plan and manage tasks, budget and resources, delegate appropriately.

Qualifications, skills and experience:

• A Bachelor of Science/Engineering degree in electronic engineering with at least five years’ experience in the design and integration of analog electronics, digital electronics and embedded software;
• A master’s degree will be advantageous;
• Must be able to:
  • Design analog and digital electronic circuits;
  • Write embedded software and/or firmware in C;
  • Setup and use microcontroller peripherals (GPIO, UART, CAN, I2C);
  • Read and interpret specifications, schematic diagrams and data sheets;
  • Use lab equipment such as oscilloscopes, signal generators, network analysers, spectrum analysers, Vector Network Analysers (VNAs) and power supplies effectively;
  • Work as part of an interdisciplinary team;
  • Provide customer training and interaction;
  • Register as a Candidate Engineer with ECSA;
  • Take ownership of a project and taking initiative in the position;
• Knowledge and/or experience with the following will be advantageous:
  • Printed Circuit Board (PCB) design and layout in Altium;
  • Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) design and accreditation tests;
  • Electronics modelling and simulation;
  • Design of in-house test equipment;
  • STM microcontrollers;
  • Qt framework development in C++;
  • Git software version control;
  • Diving experience and/or knowledge of diving equipment;
  • Battery technology and/or alternative energy sources;
  • Energetic materials and systems;
  • MIL-SPEC and/or STANAG qualification procedures and processes;
  • Armscor acquisition processes.
• Have a broad understanding of other engineering disciplines, especially mechanics, for integrated design/engineering solutions;
• Must have:
  • Strong analytical skills and the ability to apply engineering knowledge at a graduate level to provide simple, but effective engineering solutions to complex problems;
  • Technical report writing and presentation skills;
  • Good communication skills to grow effective relationships with industry partners, clients and third parties;
• Must be:
  • Competent in basic electronic integration tasks such as soldering, wire stripping, crimping, cabling, mechanical assembly – i.e. be willing to get your hands dirty;
  • A South African citizen (No dual citizenship);
  • Able to attain and retain a South African Security Clearance in accordance with the classification of the work being conducted;
• May be required to travel to client locations and potentially do fieldwork in adverse weather conditions on maritime equipment.

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About the job:

The CSIR has a vacancy for a Senior Researcher: Chemistry in the Food Safety research group, within the Advanced Agriculture and Food Cluster. The incumbent will be responsible for conducting research to support the Advanced Food and Agriculture Cluster, with the focus in Food Safety and Agroprocessing Research Groups, and other areas at CSIR that involve natural product chemistry knowledge. The activities include application of natural product chemistry knowledge and techniques to assist with testing and chemical modification of natural and synthetic compounds, assess molecule reactions, and work on purification processes. The activities will contribute to improved natural and microbial metabolic products, food and agroprocessing products, by-products, and processes. The position also co-ordinates chemical and analytical services in the areas mentioned in Advanced Agriculture and Food as well as for external clients. This position is based in Pretoria.  

Key responsibilities:

• Establish current research status through literature/patent review.
• Develop project proposals by recognizing research opportunities, specific funding streams available and by generating new research ideas.
• Estimate the economic feasibility of project outcomes with the aim of attracting funding.
• Act as principal investigator (or assisting the principal investigator) to manage research projects.
• Compile project plans, develop methods and ensure high quality research through establishment of standard operating procedures (SOP’s), familiarization with good laboratory practices, quality systems and documentation). The researcher must also apply research ethics to achieve research goals.
• Compile safety and risk assessments for projects.
• Liaise with external and internal clients to provide quotations and contracts as well as establish networks in the research space.
• Disseminate knowledge by writing reports, scientific publications, posters and by oral presentations at conferences or workshops, media interviews to generate public awareness of CSIR current research areas.
• Mentor post-graduate interns in general research and personal ethics, as well as formally supervising post-graduate students (assisting with project proposals, securing funds, execution of post-graduate study projects, report/thesis writing) to build the unit’s skills base.

Qualifications, skills, and experience:

• A Master’s degree in natural product/synthetic chemistry or related field in chemistry with at least five years’ experience of applied chemistry or synthetic or natural product chemistry research.
• A Doctoral degree in chemistry with focus on natural product/synthetic chemistry research will be advantageous.
• Experience on the use of high-end analytical techniques such as gas chromatograph coupled to mass spectrophotometry (GC-MS) and, high/ultra-performance Liquid Chromatography coupled to Mass Spectrophotometer (HPLC MS and UPLC MS) operation and analyses of results.
• Experience working in the chemical and/or food industries will be an added advantage.
• Practical experience in chromatographic, physical, chemical separations, hydrogenation etc is required.
• Laboratory experience and strong analytical problem-solving skill.
• Knowledge of natural product extraction techniques, including analysis of compounds and structure elucidation using NMR and X-ray diffraction.
• An understanding of techno-economic principles of synthetic processes
• Excellent communication, organizational and interpersonal skills, as well as attention to detail.

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About the job:

The CSIR has a vacancy for an Electronic Engineer in the Technology for Special Operations (TSO) impact area (IA) within the Defence and Security Cluster. The incumbent will be responsible to perform research and development and knowledge applications, including technological innovation by providing technical inputs, support, and outputs for embedded and control system design. This will also include but not limited to testing, integration, and validation of prototypes. This position is based in Pretoria. 

Key responsibilities:

• Design and development of embedded systems, control systems and Artificial Intelligence solutions;
• Conduct research and development of new technologies;
• Document research outcomes to the satisfaction of the customer;
• Perform integration and commissioning of components and/or sub-systems with other products (i.e., Military Vehicle, UAS, etc). This may include fault-finding and corrective action implementation;
• Design and build concept demonstrators in a short time by making use of basic electronic components and/or development boards such as Arduino and/or Raspberry Pi;
• Provide guidance to technicians in the field of electronic engineering to work as a team and deliver quality project outputs;
• Interact with customer and successfully capture user requirements in the form of an URS document;
• Research and perform trade-off studies for products or systems required by the client.
• Write test and evaluation procedures;
• Conduct the evaluations together with the customer and suppliers;
• Capture and process the test results and present the project outcome and recommendations to the client.

Qualifications, skills and experience:

• A Bachelor’s degree in electronic engineering with least three years’ experience in embedded software design and development, and control system design;
• A Master’s degree in electronic engineering will be advantageous;
• Excellent working knowledge of software development on Windows, Linux operating systems and real-time operating system environments;
• The following training, knowledge, and experience will be advantageous:
  • Computer programming (C, C++, Python, etc.) experience;
  • Artificial Intelligence solutions;
  • Experience with developing concept demonstrator using development boards (i.e., Arduino, Raspberry Pi, Beaglebone, etc);
  • Designs and develops robotic prototypes;
• PCB and schematic design skills;
• Ability to perform basic fault finding on electronic systems;
• Ability to adapt easily to ever changing circumstances;
• Ability to work well under pressure and establish good working relationships with both internal and external clients;
• Demonstrated skills in analytical thinking and decision-making, flexibility and adaptability, investigative orientation, planning and organising, problem solving, verbal and written communication, diverse and dynamic team work, self-management (planning, prioritising and time management – includes the ability to work independently), systems level thinking, collaborating, multi-disciplinary knowledge; configuration management.