The Southern African Large Telescope (SALT), in partnership with the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO), invites applications from suitably qualified individuals for a SALT Software Engineer (SSE) to join our Operations Team based in Cape Town. The main responsibilities of the successful candidate will be supporting the daily maintenance and operation of the largest optical telescope in the Southern Hemisphere along with the design and development of new software for use in specialised telescope and scientific instrument projects.
The role can be tailored to the strengths of the successful individual as there are many projects in progress spanning the areas of mechanical, electrical, informational, optical, software, and system engineering. Close work with our multi-disciplinary team of engineers and technicians will be required to brainstorm solutions to complex and unique problems, providing you with opportunities to grow your knowledge and experience in various fields. Our work with international science and technology partners may require you to travel abroad. You may also be required to publish papers and attend relevant conferences, such as the international SPIE conference on Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation, to present projects or research that you have led or contributed to.
Responsibilities:
The SSE supports the SALT Technical Operations team to operate, maintain, fault-find, repair, and modify the software of the electro-optical instruments of the telescope, as well as the building management system and related subsystems. The appointee will be required to:
- Perform software design, development and support through all stages of the development life-cycle
- Perform software maintenance and upgrades on telescope instruments, plant and equipment software
- Provide software support to electrical, mechanical, and astronomy teams
- Design and test software Acceptance Test Procedures as part of subsystem commissioning
- Perform fault finding and bug fixes
- Assist with preparing the telescope for nighttime operations
- Software configuration control
- Standby duties
Minimum requirements:
- Eng. / B.Sc. in computer science or electrical engineering or related field
- Five years of practical experience in the full software development life cycle in a scientific, engineering, instrumentation, or industrial environment
Experience in the following:
- Relational databases, MySQL
- Programming in NI LabVIEW or C-style programming languages
- NI Compact-RIO, Real-Time OS and embedded systems programming
- Industrial communication protocols, distributed control systems
- Software and control system design for robotic, mechatronic or imaging devices
- Linux development environment
- Version control tools such as Subversion and Git
Knowledge:
- System engineering principles
Desirable Attributes:
- Be a strongly motivated individual with initiative and problem-solving skills
- Able to work with minimal supervision to design, code and test software in a structured fashion according to defined requirements
- Participate and thrive in a collaborative environment
- Good communication skills in oral and written English
- Tackle challenges methodically and analytically
The position will be for 4 years, domiciled in Cape Town.
The salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.
SAAO is committed to Employment Equity and Redress.
Desired Skills:
- Mysql
- Labview
- Programming
- C
- Compact-Rio
- Linux
- Real-time systems
Desired Work Experience:
- 5 to 10 years Software Development
Desired Qualification Level:
- Degree
About The Employer:
The South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) is the National Facility for Optical and Infrared Astronomy of the National Research Foundation (NRF). Its headquarters are in Cape Town, while its telescopes are at Sutherland in the Northern Cape. Distributed between the two sites, SAAO employs roughly 130 people, many of them scientists and engineers, and is contracted to operate SALT (the Southern African Large Telescope) on behalf of the international SALT Foundation. SAAO is the premier optical/infrared research facility on the African continent, with global research and outreach collaborations, and contributing to human capital development for South Africa.