Electrical Engineer – Radio Astronomy Observatory

About the role

The South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO), a National Facility of the National Research Foundation, operates world‑class radio telescopes such as MeerKAT and Hartebeeshoek. The Electrical Engineer will collaborate with the functional manager and project teams to keep these telescopes operating, deliver extensions and infrastructure projects on time, within budget and to quality standards.

Key responsibilities

• Assist in developing requirements, investigations and data for technical designs and trade‑off studies.
• Direct and manage projects through scope, schedule, cost, resources and quality baselines.
• Ensure contractor designs and installations comply with organisational and statutory requirements.
• Monitor site power operations and verify that power supplied by Eskom meets the Electricity Supply Agreement.
• Support graduate training programmes and mentor junior staff.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree (or higher) in Electrical Engineering with 1–6 years of relevant experience, or equivalent qualifications as listed.
• Experience on multi‑disciplinary projects from concept to construction close‑out, including electrical system assessments and maintenance costing.

Required skills

• Design and operation of power generation and distribution systems.
• Project management processes.
• Working knowledge of built‑environment contracts.
• Familiarity with industry standards and regulations (SANS, Eskom, etc.).