Engineering & Technical Job Vacancies at SARAO - South African Radio Astronomy Observatory

Job Details
The National Research Foundation (NRF) supports and promotes research and human capital development through funding, the provision of National Research Facilities and science outreach platforms and programmes to the broader community in all fields of science and technology, including natural sciences, engineering, social sciences and humanities.

The South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO) spearheads South Africa’s activities in the Square Kilometre Array Radio Telescope, commonly known as the SKA, in engineering, science and construction. SARAO is a National Facility managed by the National Research Foundation and incorporates radio astronomy instruments and programmes such as the MeerKAT telescope in the Karoo, the Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory (HartRAO) in Gauteng, the African Very Long Baseline Interferometry (AVN) programme in nine African countries as well as the associated human capital development and commercialisation endeavours.

• The main purpose of this role is to ensure the successful delivery of the SKA-MID Telescope and/or Dishes, Elements and products through leading the assembly, integration and verification of the SKA-MID systems and products while applying systems engineering leadership and recognised engineering competence and skills across multiple domains, teams and on multiple projects.

Key Responsibilities:

•  Leading and advising the technical team on the execution of the SKA-MID Assembly, Integration and Verification (AIV) / Dish AIV activities.
•  Performing Engineering & Contract Management to deliver the SKA-MID contacts on time and on brief through planning and managing the SKA-MID AIV / Dish AIV delivery in accordance with the contract.
•  Managing technical risks through identifying, categorising, monitoring and implementing mitigation actions.
•  Converting stakeholder needs and requirements into physical engineered systems that perform according to expectations through functional & physical architecting, analysis and synthesis.
•  Ensuring the delivered systems meet the stakeholder’s needs by maintaining traceability of requirements throughout the design evolution and managing baselines (DBL, QBL, OsBL) and the reviews thereof.
•  Integrating and delivering systems with verified performance and quality through preparing & overseeing the execution of verification activities according to verification plans (ATPs/QTPs, ATRs/QTRs) and setting to work of the SKA-MID dishes.
•  To ensure the delivered systems continue to operate and deliver the expected performance through root cause analysis and problem solving and managing the implementation of design modifications to eliminate failure modes.
•  To ensure continued improvement in knowledge growth, retention and management by ensuring that project SEMPs, QAPs, ILSPs, technical schedules, WBS & SOWs are implemented and maintained and continuous mentoring & coaching of SE resources.

Key Requirements:
Qualification:

•  B.Eng/B.Sc (Eng) (NQF 8) with 15+ years RELEVANT Experience; or
•  M.Eng (NQF 9) with 13+ years RELEVANT Experience; or
•  PhD/D.Eng (NQF 10) with 10+ years RELEVANT Experience.
•  Meets the requirements for registration with ECSA as PrEng

Experience:

•  Leading engineering teams, tasks and analysis while employing theoretical and practical knowledge gained on the job.
•  Proven experience in physical, hands-on integration, testing and evaluation of complicated systems which include RF, digital, electronic and mechanical elements combined with fixed infrastructure.
•  Leading the development and implementation of engineering processes.
•  Using advanced interpersonal skills in order to influence change in complex systems behaviour and operational environments.
•  Undertaking engineering activities throughout all lifecycle phases of systems under development, with particular focus on the concurrent engineering aspects and the design for supportability aspects.
•  Functioning simultaneously across multiple domains, teams and on multiple systems.
•  Coaching and mentoring in engineering, particularly systems engineering.

Knowledge:

•  Internationally recognised for advanced applied Systems Engineering.
•  Assembly, integration, test and verification of complex systems.
•  Baseline establishment and management.
•  Engineering change control.
•  Hi-tech product development.
•  Model-based Systems Engineering
•  Development of Systems Engineering processes and procedures.
•  Configuration management of systems under development, in production and in service.

Additional Notes:

•  Candidates with experience in engineering for radio astronomy or space applications are preferred.
•  Candidates who also have operational support / field engineering experience will have an advantage.

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The National Research Foundation (NRF) supports and promotes research and human capital development through funding, the provision of National Research Facilities and science outreach platforms and programmes to the broader community in all fields of science and technology, including natural sciences, engineering, social sciences and humanities.

The South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO) spearheads South Africa’s activities in the Square Kilometre Array Radio Telescope, commonly known as the SKA, in engineering, science and construction. SARAO is a National Facility managed by the National Research Foundation and incorporates radio astronomy instruments and programmes such as the MeerKAT telescope in the Karoo, the Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory (HartRAO) in Gauteng, the African Very Long Baseline Interferometry (AVN) programme in nine African countries as well as the associated human capital development and commercialisation endeavours.

The main purpose of the job is to work as part of a team executing the systems engineering during design, construction, integration, verification and commissioning of the SKA Mid Dishes and associated supporting systems, both in the laboratories in Cape Town and on site at Carnarvon in the Northern Cape.

Key responsibilities:

• Plan and execute assembly, integration and verification of complicated systems, both in the laboratory and in the field.
• Responsible for systems engineering over multiple lifecycle phases with a strong ability to address the specialty engineering and “ilities” of systems design, for sub-systems and systems with medium criticality.
• Establishing baselines and design configurations, including preparing and implementing engineering changes to the baselines.
• Performing detail engineering analysis and synthesis of alternative solutions derived from unclear or vague specifications.
• Reviewing and integrating multiple activity reports into system level analysis and reports to ensure quality and integrity of results and recommendations.
• Provide “field engineering” services after delivery to aid in fault diagnostics and rectification.
• Coaching or mentoring one or more young engineers in the field of engineering and specifically systems engineering.
• Participate in work teams focussed on Project or Programme planning and strategic decision making.
• Contribute to the organisational maturity through the maintenance and upgrade of engineering processes within his/her realm of responsibility.

Key requirements:
Qualification:

• B.Tech (Eng) with 6+ years; OR
• B.Eng/B.Sc (Eng) with 4+ years; OR
• M.Eng with 3+ years; OR
• PhD/D.Eng with 1+ years

Experience:

•  A background in development of systems in radio astronomy, radar, satellite or avionics systems is preferred.
•  Integration, test and verification of complicated systems which includes RF, digital and mechanical elements.
•  Applied Systems Engineering across the multiple lifecycle stages of a system or product, at all levels up to user systems (L5) of the systems hierarchy.
•  Use of Computer-aided Systems Engineering Tools (e.g. CORE)
•  Application and control of systems engineering processes and procedures.
•  Baseline establishment and management.
•  Change control

Knowledge:

• Recognised domain knowledge of systems engineering, technology and/or software, based on theoretical aspects and experience in systems engineering methods, procedures, tools and techniques.
• Configuration management and configuration management systems.
• Systems Engineering Standards, e.g. ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288 & 15289,
• Quality assurance systems (ISO 9001)
• Knowledge of the PFMA and related procurement regulations

Additional Notes:

The applicant should have the following skills/abilities/competencies:

• Operate independently or as part of a team to engineer products and systems, typically at any level of the systems hierarchy from materials & components up to systems.
• Undertake engineering activities covering multiple lifecycle phases of the system under development with a strong ability to address the specialty engineering and “ilities” of system design.
• Perform detailed engineering tasks and analysis with limited or no supervision, employing academic and practical knowledge gained on the job.
• Provide systems engineering on a primary system across multiple domains while supporting a secondary product development.
• Contribute to- or lead- the evolution and implementation of improved engineering processes.
• Use advanced interpersonal skills in order to influence engineering attitudes and systems design for operational environments.
• The System Engineer will operate within a matrix engineering organisation and thus may be deployed between various projects and teams with different specific roles as dictated by the current organizational needs.
• ASEP/CSEP accreditation will be an advantage

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Job Details
The National Research Foundation (NRF) (www.nrf.ac.za) supports and promotes research and human capital development through funding, the provision of National Research Facilities and science outreach platforms and programmes to the broader community in all fields of science and technology, including natural sciences, engineering, social sciences and humanities.

The South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO) (www.sarao.ac.za) spearheads South Africa’s activities in the Square Kilometre Array Radio Telescope, commonly known as the SKA, in engineering, science and construction. SARAO is a National Facility managed by the National Research Foundation and incorporates radio astronomy instruments and programmes such as the MeerKAT in the Karoo, the Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory (HartRAO) in Gauteng, the African Very Long Baseline Interferometry (AVN) programme in nine African countries as well as the associated human capital development and commercialisation endeavours.

The purpose of the role is to ensure adherence to quality standards and regulatory requirements in engineering projects. This involves developing, implementing, and maintaining quality control procedures and processes, as well as maintaining accurate documentation. The role includes tasks such as reviewing and approving design and project artifacts, ensuring compliance with regulations and customer requirements, and identifying opportunities for improvement. Field compliance audits, reviewing concessions, and participating in project reviews are also part of the responsibilities.

Key Responsibilities:

•  Develop, implement, and maintain engineering quality control procedures and processes to ensure adherence to quality standards and regulatory requirements.
•  Maintain accurate and comprehensive quality assurance documentation, including test plans, procedures, reports, and records. Review and approve/release of design and project artifacts.
•  Ensure compliance with applicable regulations, industry standards, and customer requirements. Monitor/review on an ongoing basis in conjunction with the SARAO SHEQ group adherence to quality and regulatory standards to identify opportunities for improvement to increase efficiencies and improve quality.
•  Performing field compliance audits in accordance with project specifications and scope of work as noted within the Project Quality Plan.
•  Review and approve all Project Quality Concessions. Participate in Project Reviews.
•  Perform regular audits of construction and/or production processes, documentation, and records to ensure compliance with quality standards and specifications. Investigate and document non-conformance issues, track corrective and preventive actions, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to implement solutions. Also responsible for monitoring and evaluating their performance in relation to all quality-related aspects.
•  Continuously monitor and analyse quality data to identify trends, patterns, and opportunities for process optimization and quality enhancement.
•  Provide training and guidance to employees on quality control procedures, standards, and best practices. Support all stakeholders, including project managers, engineering teams, design consultants, construction management, and contractors, in implementing quality standards, plans, and procedures.
•  Collaborate with suppliers to ensure adherence to quality standards, conduct supplier audits, and address quality-related issues.
•  Contribute to the development, implementation, and maintenance of an effective quality management system.

Key Requirements:
Qualification:

•  Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or an equivalent technical qualification in manufacturing or construction environment
•  Professional accreditation with the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS), South African National Accreditation System (SANAS), South African Quality Institute (SAQI), International Organization for Standardization (ISO), Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA), and/or Equivalent (Advantageous)

Experience:

•  Minimum of 5 years of proven experience in quality management within a technical, manufacturing, or construction environment, preferably for large-scale projects.
•  Experience with managing field engineering, inspection, and Non-destructive Evaluation (NDE) related to all QA/QC functions
•  ISO 9001: 2015 Auditing Experience
•  Development and Implementation of ISO 9001:2015 QMS

Knowledge:

•  Proven experience in quality assurance roles, preferably in a technical, manufacturing and/or construction environment for largescale projects
•  Strong knowledge of quality control methodologies, tools, and best practices.
•  Familiarity with relevant industry standards, regulations, and quality management systems (i.e. ISO9001, SABS, SANS).
•  Proficiency in using quality assurance software, testing tools, and MS Office applications.
•  Systems engineering processes and procedures.
•  Configuration management
•  Document control
•  Engineering change control

Additional Notes:
Skills/Ability/Competencies

•  Excellent communication – both verbal and written, in English
•  Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
•  Efficiency in a high-pressure environment
•  Proactive
•  Capable of dealing with uncertain environments and reducing uncertainty
•  Proficient in Root Cause Analysis & Problem-solving
•  Strong decision-making
•  Attention to detail and a high level of accuracy in quality assessments.
•  Well-developed relationship and influencing skills
•  Ability to collaborate and work effectively within cross-functional teams.
•  Willingness to work outside normal hours
•  No constraints on ability to travel within South Africa and Internationally
•  Interacting with multi-disciplinary teams