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 about 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, contributing to SET human capital development for South Africa.
The SALT Astronomy software team supports SALT Astronomy Operations to operate, maintain, and develop software for the scientific analysis of observations from the Southern African Large Telescope. We invite applications for the position of SALT Astronomy Software Developer as described below:
Duties and Responsibilities will include:
· Develop new software per specifications and compliant with standards and procedures· Fault finding and bug fixes· Routine software maintenance and upgrades of core astronomical SALT software· Interact with the astronomy staff regarding software issues· Unit, integration and end-to-end testing of software
Minimum Requirements:· National Diploma, B. Eng. or BSc Degree in Computer Science, Natural Sciences or a related field· 2 years experience in developing software· Proficiency in a programming language like Python or JavaScript/TypeScript· Experience with web development· Must be able to work effectively within a team and on their own with minimal supervision· Must have good problem-solving skills
Desirable requirements:· Familiarity with some of the following:o Web application development using a framework such as React or Flask / Django / FastAPIo Python libraries such as Numpy and pandaso MySQL, PostgreSQL or another relational database management systemo Javao Continuous Integration / Continuous Delivery workflows and agile software development· Good communication skills· Ability to write specifications and design documents
The filling of this position will be in line with the NRF’s Employment Equity Policy and Plan. The salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.