South African Weather Service Vacancies

To apply, click on the link at the end of the posts and all the best with your applications.

Chief Forecaster: Projects Disaster Risk Reduction

Salary total package: Negotiable
Centre: National Forecasting Centre, (DRR) Centurion
(Ref. WS16/102024)

Job Summary:
The Chief Forecaster Projects is primarily responsible for overseeing all the DRR related projects.
He/she will also be responsible for identifying and initiating potential funding opportunities. He/she
will also be responsible for providing strategic leadership and expert advise on forecasting products
and services, including technical/scientific guidance in ensuring that the integrity of meteorological
science is maintained.

Key Performance Areas:

• Develop and draft public awareness programmes (stakeholder engagement plan) for
  communities and key stakeholders and ensure implementations.
• Liaise with critical stakeholders, weather bodies and agencies (WMO, NOAA etc.), to develop
  techniques to improve the services to minimise risk for SAWS with relation to Disaster Risk
  Reduction (DRR) and weather forecasting.
• Establish strategic partnerships and identify areas of co-operation with institutions of similar
  interests through MoU’s and/or SLA.
• Maintain effective working relationships with other regions, international and national
  stakeholders.
• Ensure effective implementation of community outreach program in line with the strategic
  objectives of the organisation.
• Keep abreast of new forecasting theories and techniques developed in weather services.
• Carry out all administrative functions attached to the post.
• Assist with the implementation and compliance to the requirements of the SAWS Quality
  Management System.
• Drafting of SAWS quarterly RSMC (SWFDP), or any related DRR reports (National and
  International).
• Provide mentorship and training to junior personnel. Assist in all training activities related to
  weather forecasting within the office.
• Conduct case-studies and other research to enhance the accuracy and quality of the products
  and services offered.
• Conduct case-studies and other research to enhance the accuracy and quality of the products
  and services offered.

Required Minimum Education/Training:

• Master’s degree in meteorology or equivalent.
• Project management or related qualification will serve as advantage.
• Enthusiastic and willing to further his/her studies, preferably in PHD Meteorology field.

Required Minimum Work Experience:

• At least 07 to 10 years Meteorological experience, preferably in operations.
• Project management experience will serve as advantage.
• Comprehensive understanding of Impact-based forecasting.

Technical and Behavioral Competencies Required

• Extensive knowledge, skills, and experience in all spheres of Operational Meteorology
• Ability to analyse and/or interpret weather charts, surface observations, upper air
  observations, weather satellite and radar imageries.
• Ability to analyse and/or interpret Numerical Weather Prediction and Ensemble Prediction
  System products.
• Excellent communication skills (written and verbal).
• Ability to work well under pressure.

Please Note:
Register as user on our website using this link: https://www.weathersa.co.za/home/vacancies to apply
for the above position and upload your (Comprehensive CV with certified copies of qualifications).

Enquiries for the above-mentioned positions must be directed to: Ms Thembisa Bixa, at Tel. (012)
367 6208.

Closing Date: 15 October 2024

Preference will be given to People living with disabilities in line with SAWS EE targets. This is an EE
position and preference will be given to females, Africans, Indians and Coloureds (AIC).
Correspondence will be limited to short listed candidates only. Candidates who have not been
contacted within 3 months after the closing date of this advertisement, please accept that your
application was unsuccessful. The South African Weather Service is an equal opportunity employer.

Senior Scientist Fire Weather Research

Salary: Negotiable
Research Unit, Pretoria
Two Year Fixed Term Contract
(Ref: WS14/09024

Job Summary
The primary scientific focus involves the development, optimization, and implementation of a new
national operational fire danger index at the South African Weather Service (SAWS) to support a new
National Fire Danger Rating System (NFDRS). This work entail leading research and development
efforts to understand, model, and predict fire weather conditions. It includes conducting in-depth
meteorological and fire data analyses, refining various existing algorithms, blending multivariate data
and models for calculating the fire weather index, and collaborating with internal and external
stakeholders to incorporate expertise and feedback. The senior scientist will play a vital role in
translating scientific Research-to-Operational (R2O) tools by integrating the fire weather index
algorithms into forecasting systems and developing protocols for its use. Additionally, the successful
candidate may be required to participate in other research activities within the Research Unit as
delegated by the Lead Scientist or Senior Manager.

Key Performance Areas

The candidate will be required to:

• Conduct research and development of a new fire danger index, including formulating
  algorithms, models, and data analysis techniques.
• Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to integrate meteorological, environmental, and
  geographical data into developing the fire danger index.
• Conduct thorough literature reviews and stay abreast of the latest fire weather science and
  technology advancements.
• Design and conduct field experiments and validation studies to assess the fire danger index’s
  performance and accuracy.
• Analyse and interpret complex datasets to identify patterns, trends, and correlations relevant
  to fire danger assessment.
• Develop and maintain documentation, including technical reports, research papers, and
  presentations, to communicate the methodology and findings of the fire danger index
  development.
• Provide technical guidance and training to scientists, forecasters and stakeholders on the new
  fire danger index’s use and interpretation.
• Collaborate with stakeholders and end users to understand their needs and incorporate
  feedback into refining the fire danger index
• Represent SAWS and present research outputs, where appropriate, at national or international
  scientific events, e.g. conferences and workshops.
• Ensure that the work environment complies with legislative requirements for Occupational
  Health and Safety.

Minimum Requirements

• MSc in a related field (e.g., Atmospheric Science, Meteorology, Environmental Science).
• At least 5 years of experience in fire weather research, or closely related field.
• Proven expertise in statistical analysis, data modelling, and programming languages commonly
  used in atmospheric and environmental research (e.g., Python, R, Fortran).
• Knowledge of geographic information systems (GIS) and spatial analysis techniques for
  incorporating geographical and environmental data into fire danger assessments.
• Demonstrated experience in leading research activities, including the design and analysis of
  field experiments and validation studies.
• Familiarity with applying fire danger indices in wildfire management and public safety.
• Strong publication record in peer-reviewed scientific journals, with a minimum of three
  publications related to fire weather.
• Experience collaborating with interdisciplinary teams and stakeholders, including government
  agencies, research institutions, or industry partners.
• Experience working with government agencies involved in fire management, wildfire
  prediction, or emergency services will be advantageous.

Behavioural Competencies

• Excellent communication skills (written and verbal)
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to convey complex scientific concepts to
  technical and non-technical audiences.

Please Note:
Register as user on our website using this link: https://www.weathersa.co.za/home/vacancies to apply
for the above position and upload your (Comprehensive CV with certified copies of qualifications).

Enquiries for the above-mentioned positions must be directed to: Ms Thembisa Bixa, at
Tel. (012) 367 6091.

Closing Date: 11 October 2024
Preference will be given to People living with disabilities in line with SAWS EE targets. This is an EE
position and preference will be given to females, Africans, Indians and Coloureds (AIC).
Correspondence will be limited to short listed candidates only. Candidates who have not been
contacted within 3 months after the closing date of this advertisement, please accept that your
application was unsuccessful. The South African Weather Service is an equal opportunity employer.

Scientist: Software Maintenance

Salary: Negotiable
Research Unit, Pretoria
Two Year Fixed Term Contract
(Ref: WS15/092024)

Job Summary
Support the Research Department by ensuring that Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models,
preprocessing, and postprocessing software needed to run the models and ensure software needed
to develop products are running efficiently. This role involves optimizing, updating, and upgrading
existing operational systems, data flows, and programming codes. In addition to contributing to the
design and development of cutting-edge software solutions, the candidate will have the unique
opportunity to assist in enhancing operational infrastructure performance, scalability, and reliability.
The software scientist will also develop protocols to integrate scientific Research-to-Operational (R2O)
tools within various forecasting systems. Experience in NWP modelling, supercomputing, dashboard
development, data management, and systems monitoring will be highly beneficial for performing
these tasks.

Key Performance Areas
The candidate will be required to:

• Participate in designing, developing, and implementing software solutions to address complex
  and time-sensitive challenges of producing numerical weather forecasts and products, as well
  as research and development.
• Conduct relevant research and experimentation to explore new technologies, algorithms, and
  methodologies.
• Collaborate with the design and implementation of data management systems and software
  tools for acquiring, storing, processing, and analysing meteorological, environmental, and
  geographical.
• Develop and maintain software applications, algorithms, and models for computing and
  visualising forecast products, ensuring accuracy, reliability, and scalability.
• Integrate software components with existing systems and data sources, ensuring compatibility
  and interoperability with relevant meteorological and environmental databases and platforms.
• Employ best practices in software development, version control, and documentation to ensure
  the reproducibility and traceability of research and analysis activities.
• Collaborate with senior scientists and researchers to understand software requirements,
  provide technical expertise, and contribute to the optimisation of systems.
• Stay informed about advancements in software development, data management, and
• scientific computing to identify opportunities to improve process efficiency and effectiveness.
• Write clean, efficient, and maintainable code, adhering to coding standards and best practices.
• Document technical specifications, design decisions, and implementation details for future
  reference and knowledge sharing.
• Troubleshoot, debug and resolve software issues and performance bottlenecks in
  collaboration with the operations team.

Minimum Requirements

• An appropriate Honours graduate degree (e.g., Computer Science, Software Engineering,
  Environmental Science, or related fields, e.g. Atmospheric Science and Meteorology.
• Programming skills in at least one programming language (e.g., Python, Java, C/C++,
  JavaScript).
• Familiarity with supercomputing technologies and parallel computing concepts.
• Basic understanding of dashboard development using tools like Tableau, Power BI, or Grafana.
• Understanding of code version control processes and systems (e.g. Git).
• Knowledge of data management principles and practices, including storage, retrieval, and
  processing.
• Exposure to monitoring tools and techniques for tracking system performance and data
  quality, as well as,
• Basic knowledge of optimising and upgrading existing operational systems, data flows, and
  codes will be beneficial.

Behavioural Competencies

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work effectively in a
  collaborative team environment.
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to contribute to multiple
  tasks and projects simultaneously.

Please Note:
Register as user on our website using this link: https://www.weathersa.co.za/home/vacancies to apply
for the above position and upload your (Comprehensive CV with certified copies of qualifications).

Enquiries for the above-mentioned positions must be directed to: Ms Thembisa Bixa, at
Tel. (012) 367 6091.

Closing Date: 11 October 2024

Meteorological Technician X3

Salary: Negotiable
Centre: Nelspruit, Polokwane and Thohoyandou Offices
(Ref: WS09/092024)

Job summary:
Observation:

• Perform routine weather observation duties that include: –
  o Visual weather observation and compile routine reports,
  o Providing special reports for changes in weather.
  o Providing observation reports timeously as per schedule or as per the
  timeliness of the client’s requests
  o Downloading of remote observation station data
  o Collection and quality control of manual rainfall station
  o Quality control of AWS and ARS data and transmission thereof to central data
  base
• Perform routine and adhoc maintenance of SAWS Observations infrastructure
  (Thorough understanding of Automatic Weather Stations is required)

Internal and External Customer Relations:

• Liaise with clients as per office plan.
• Represent SAWS at Stakeholder meetings as per plan.
  Total Quality Management
• Apply prevention and corrective action procedures on all findings related to weather
  observation.
• Promote a quality culture amongst the staff within the office.
• Promote the SAWS Quality Policy and intergrade it into the day-to-day activities of the
  office
• Provide assistance during audits of the regional office as required.
• Perform regular inspections to ensure all work done is according to documented
  requirements.
• Ensure that the work environment complies with legislative requirements relations to
  OHS

Minimum Requirements and Attributes:

• A Grade 12 Certificate with Maths and Science.
• Weather Observers certificate.
• Ability to obtain a competent Aviation Meteorological Observation (AMO) certificate
  within 6 months of employment.
• Ability to read, analyse and interpret written request for weather data and
  information.
• Knowledge of international standards such as WMO and ICAO. Advanced knowledge
  of observation tools.
• A valid code 08 driver’s license or be in a position to obtain a valid driver’s license
  within 3 months of employment.

Please Note:
Enquiries for the above-mentioned positions must be directed to: Mr. Denny Maluleke, at Tel. (012)
367 6091.
Register as user on our website using this link: https://www.weathersa.co.za/home/vacancies
to apply for the above position and upload your (Comprehensive CV with certified copies of
qualifications).
Closing Date: 04 October 2024
Note: Recruitment Agency applicant submissions will not be considered
This is an EE position and preference will be given to Coloured Males/Females and Indian
Males/Females. Correspondence will be limited to short listed candidates only. Candidates who have
not been contacted within 3 months after the closing date of this advertisement, please accept that
your application was unsuccessful. The organisation reserves the right not to fill this position. The
South African Weather Service is an equal opportunity employer

Senior Meteorological Technician

Salary: Negotiable
Centre: Nelspruit Office
(Ref: WS10/092024)

Job summary:
The Senior Meteorological Technician provides technical leadership in the operations of
Meteorological Observations performed within the abovementioned region.
Observation:

• Perform routine weather observation duties that include:-
  o Visual weather observation and compile routine reports,
  o Providing special reports for changes in weather.
  o Providing observation reports timeously as per schedule or as per the
  timeliness of the clients request
  o Downloading of remote observation station data
  o Collection and quality control of manual rainfall station
  o Quality control of AWS and ARS data and transmission thereof to central data
  base.
• Perform routine and adhoc maintenance of SAWS Observations infrastructure
  (Thorough understanding of Automatic Weather Stations is required).

Internal and External Customer Relations:

• Liaise with clients as per office plan.
• Represent SAWS at Stakeholder meetings as per plan.
  Training, Development and Knowledge Management
• Assist in all training activities related to weather observation within the office.
• Provide mentorship and training to meteorological technician.
  Total Quality Management
• Apply prevention and corrective action procedures on all findings related to weather
  observation.
• Promote a quality culture amongst the staff within the office.
• Promote the SAWS Quality Policy and intergrade it into the day-to-day activities of the
  office
• Provide assistance during audits of the regional office as required.
• Perform regular inspections to ensure all work done is according to documented
  requirements.
• Ensure that the work environment complies with legislative requirements relations to
  OHS

Minimum Requirements and Attributes:

• A Grade 12 Certificate with Maths and Science.
• Weather Observers certificate and a valid AMO competency certificate.
• Two years’ experience in weather observation as an operational Meteorological
  Technician.
• Ability to read, analyse and interpret written request for weather data and
  information.
• Knowledge of South African Weather Service policies and procedures.
• Knowledge of international standards such as WMO and ICAO, Advanced knowledge
  of observation tools.
• A valid code 08 driver’s license or higher.

Please Note:
Enquiries for the above-mentioned positions must be directed to: Mr. Denny Maluleke, at Tel. (012)
367 6091.
Register as user on our website using this link: https://www.weathersa.co.za/home/vacancies
to apply for the above position and upload your (Comprehensive CV with certified copies of
qualifications).
Closing Date: 04 October 2024
Note: Recruitment Agency applicant submissions will not be considered

This is an EE position and preference will be given to Coloured Males/Females.
Correspondence will be limited to short listed candidates only. Candidates who have not been
contacted within 3 months after the closing date of this advertisement, please accept that
your application was unsuccessful. The organisation reserves the right not to fill this position.
The South African Weather Service is an equal opportunity employer.

Click here to apply

All the best with your applications.