Lecturer 2.01

Job Description

The School of Geosciences at the University of the Witwatersrand, in collaboration with the Evolutionary Studies Institute, is seeking a Lecturer to manage geophysical instrumentation and digital infrastructure. The role involves supporting field and laboratory research, teaching, and supervising postgraduate students in a dynamic, interdisciplinary environment.

Requirements

• PhD in Geophysics, Geosciences, or a related Electrical Engineering discipline
• Emerging research track record
• Some experience in managing geophysical instrumentation, ideally including seismic, electromagnetic, and potential field methods
• Sound knowledge of electronics, signal processing, and instrumentation engineering principles
• Experience with geodata processing and management platforms, such as SEG-Y, GIS systems, Earthworm, or ObsPy
• Programming experience in Python, MATLAB, or similar environments
• Experience and familiarity with creating and maintaining integrated relational geodatasets and geodatabases across platforms like Microsoft Access, Micromine, Leapfrog, or Datamine
• Programming experience in VBA, SQL, or Python for geodatabase management
• Demonstrated ability to train and supervise students, particularly in field methods and instrumentation use
• Familiarity with computing environments and IT infrastructure, such as managing Linux- and PC-based computing clusters or cloud-based data systems
• Developing track record of peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations
• Evidence of independent research (advantageous)
• Evidence of research funding (advantageous)
• Excellent communication skills
• Ability to collaborate across disciplines
• Ability to support a vibrant academic community

Responsibilities

• Oversee the management, calibration, maintenance, and deployment of geophysical field and laboratory instruments
• Provide technical support and training to students and researchers in the use of geophysical instrumentation for field acquisition and lab-based studies
• Lead development and maintenance of digital infrastructure for managing geophysical and geological datasets, including data archival, cloud storage, and access systems
• Lead the creation and curation of integrated digital geodatasets and geodatabases for legacy and ongoing data campaigns
• Create a geospatial portal to market and share data generated by the School for research purposes
• Develop DOI identification for appropriate datasets
• Support field logistics, including planning, procurement, and coordinating commercial surveys or inter-institutional instrument sharing
• Maintain and support the School’s geophysical computing facilities, including servers, specialist software, and remote data processing capabilities
• Supervise postgraduate students
• Develop an independent, externally-funded research program focused on high-quality scientific endeavor