Researcher: Ecohydrology (Agricultural Water Management) (Three-year contract) needed at Council for Scientific and Industrial Research

About the job: 

• The CSIR has a vacancy for a Researcher in the Water Research Centre, within the Smart Places cluster. The successful candidate will be responsible for installing, maintaining, and operating state-of-the-art ecohydrological instruments, as well as using this data to develop innovative tools for irrigation scheduling, and crop yield prediction. They will also be required to possess a blend of advanced field instrumentation skills and modeling expertise to quantify and manage agricultural water use effectively. This position is based in Stellenbosch. 

Key responsibilities:

• Contribute to strategic investment, goal setting and development of RDI strategy for the Water Research Centre;
• Promote a culture of excellence in science, engineering and technology (SET), and provide RDI leadership in multiple disciplines to support Water Resource Management; 
• Promote a culture of industrialization of research outcomes; 
• Interact with stakeholders (clients, peers, etc.) within fields of expertise to develop long-term relationships both within and outside the CSIR; 
• Conduct project management through robust and integrated planning; 
• Raise personal, team and institutional profiles through publishing original and novel research and presenting work at national and international conferences and workshops; 
• Conceptualise, structure, manage, and implement research projects; 
• Contribute to policy research in support of South Africa¿s national priorities; 
• Assist with the management of projects through robust and integrated planning; 
• Liaise with both internal and external clients and other relevant stakeholders; 
• Assist in conceptualisation, structuring, management and implementation of multi-disciplinary research projects;
• Propose and/or contribute to the strategic investment plan and implement Parliamentary Grant, Contract Research and Development and other grant-funded projects;
• Contribute to proposal writing and other fundraising efforts to secure external funding for new research projects.
• Lead and conduct research on agricultural water management in rainfed and irrigated systems, with a focus on field data collection and modelling
• Install, maintain, and operate a range of state-of-the-art field instruments, including: (eddy Covariance systems, automated weather stations, soil moisture probe, sap flow sensors and plant physiological equipment); 
• Develop, adapt, and apply innovative modelling approaches and tools, including hydrological and crop growth simulation models, remote sensing, and GIS, to estimate crop evapotranspiration (ET), assess water use efficiency, and predict crop yield.
• Design and implement field research activities to collect ground-based data (e.g., soil moisture, weather data, biomass, transpiration, evapotranspiration, yield) for model calibration and validation.
• Develop user-friendly decision support systems (DSSs) and ICT-based tools (e.g., mobile apps, web platforms, etc.,) in a quest to provide real-time, field-specific irrigation scheduling recommendations to farmers.
• Analyse complex datasets and interpret results to inform water management policies and planning, and to understand the impact of water stress on crop productivity.
• Engage in participatory research approaches with farmers, extension officers, and stakeholders to ensure tools are practical, user-friendly, and integrate local knowledge with scientific data.
• Mentor and supervise junior researchers and students, fostering a culture of collaboration and knowledge sharing within the team.
• Deeply understand the needs of the industry by integrating sector knowledge in multi-dimensional research and development programs in order to deliver industry aligned RDI;
• Provide technical support on business development and participate in strategic stakeholder engagements;
• Manage projects through planning of appropriate processes and policies to ensure Intellectual Property (IP) protection, and technology transfer;

In collaboration with the Business Development and Commercialization portfolio:

• Drive the transfer of water technology and solutions to industry/user environment;
• Package technologies for commercialisation or develop an investment ready business through financial modelling market assessment and business plan development.

Qualifications, skills and experience:

• A Masters degree or equivalent qualification in Agricultural Science, Agricultural Meteorology, Environmental Science, Hydrology, or a closely related field.
• Registration with SACNASP as a professional natural scientist, or eligibility for immediate registration as a professional natural scientist.
• Proficiency in computing, with exposure to basic environmental or hydrological modelling considered an advantage.
• Understanding of field data collection, with a willingness to learn and apply new research and monitoring techniques.
• Strong statistical skills, including the use of basic and advanced statistics for processing and analysing large datasets.
• Knowledge of field instrumentation, including flux towers, weather stations, and sap flow systems.
• Experience in designing field trials and managing data collection processes.
• A proven track record of peer-reviewed publications and experience in preparing technical reports and research documents.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral, with the ability to deliver clear presentations.
• Ability to work effectively within a large and multi-disciplinary research team.
• Willingness to travel extensively for fieldwork and collaborative research activities.
• Skills in Business Development and financial acumen; 
• Conflict management skills; 
• Decisiveness and action orientation; 
• Project Management skills.
• Appropriate national and international RDI networks;
• An understanding of the research to market `innovation value chain. 
• Problem solving, solution seeking orientation