About the position
Postion Summary:
.
Key Responsibilities:
- Architectural design and/or implementation of digital signal processing (DSP) products and applications for Radio Astronomy digital signal processing systems that satisfy higher-level system functional and performance requirementsDesign of these products contains elements of digital signal processing system design, FPGA development, software development and high-speed data transportSupport analysis, definition, integration, verification and validation activities of DSP products at various system levelsDevelopment of software to control, monitor, debug and support operation of the developed products and applicationsDrive, follow and support the relevant Systems Engineering processes for product development throughout the entire product or application lifecycle from conceptualisation through to decommissioningSupport deployment, maintenance, upgrades, operation and decommissioning of developed productsManage, support and coordinate resources to ensure delivery of products within project constraintsDrive and participate in the generation of technical system and product-related documentation applicable to developed DSP products to support the delivery and handover of the Data Processing & Pipelines Group’s productsDrive and participate in Research & Development initiatives within the domain of expertise to develop novel ideas for future products and contribute to the overall continuous development of the group
Minimum Qualification:
- Bachelors Degree / Advanced Diploma / NQF 7
Minimum Experience:
- B
- Tech (Eng) (NQF 7) in Electrical, Electronics or Mechatronics Engineering with 13+ years relevant experience, ORB
- Eng/B
- Sc (Eng) (NQF 8) in Electrical, Electronics or Mechatronics Engineering with 9+ years relevant experience; ORMSc / M
- Eng (NQF 9) in Electrical, Electronics or Mechatronics Engineering with 7+ years relevant experience; ORPhD (NQF 10) in Electrical, Electronics or Mechatronics Engineering with 5+ years relevant experience
Experience:
- Experience as a DSP or FPGA Engineer with a track-record of designing and implementing complete digital signal processing systems on FPGA-based hardware using HDL or other design toolsExperience in both designing digital signal processing systems at a higher, product level as well as low-level implementation of components and featuresExperience building signal processing applications for Radio Astronomy instrumentation in particular is advantageous but not requiredImplementing parallel processing on FPGA hardwareImplementation of accelerated and optimised DSP algorithmsExperience analysing system requirements and defining a suitable system designWriting technical documentation describing the implementation and design of products at various technical levelsSoftware Development or Scientific Computing proficiency in either Python, C++, or MatlabWorking with workflow and issue management tools (e
- g
- , JIRA)Working with source code and version control tools (e
- g
- , Git)
Knowledge:
- Multi-rate and parallel implementations of Digital Signal Processing Operations such as FFTs, Filters, DDS, DDCExtensive and deep knowledge of FPGA firmware design, parallel implementation and FPGA design toolsTypical radio astronomy instrumentation: e
- g
- , spectrometers, correlators, beamformers (advantageous)High-speed data transport such as ethernet and/or knowledge of large-scale networks (advantageous)Controlling and monitoring of DSP applications and componentsSystems Engineering Processes or Software Design Life CycleSoftware Development or Scientific Computing proficiency in either Python, C++, or MatlabLinux operating systems and development tools
Additional Notes:
Desire to continuously learn, problem solve and acquire new skills with cutting edge technologyA clear and methodical approach to problem solvingA high attention to detail, excellent organisation skillsGood communication skills, written and verbalAble to effectively manage and lead a team on a technical projectAbility to effectively transfer knowledge and skills to other team membersEagerness to develop a technical specialisation and expertiseWillingness to travel both locally and internationally depending on operational needsThe NRF website provides more details on the initiatives and activities Applicants should submit a comprehensive CV by registering and apply online through the NRF Recruitment and Selection Portal. Applications should be accompanied by a letter of motivation indicating the applicant·s suitability for the position. The names and contact details of at least three referees should be provided.
Desired Skills:
- Skilled in applied field of position
- Knowledge to be relevant
- Responsible in performing duties
About The Employer:
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.
