SOUTH AFRICAN WEATHER SERVICE (SAWS) VACANCIES

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The South African Weather Service (SAWS) is therefore seeking to appoint an efficient and enthusiastic person to undertake the role of: 
 
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 behavioural 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. 
 
Record Reference HCM-ADVERT-
 
 
 
 

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The South African Weather Service is therefore seeking to appoint an efficient and enthusiastic person to undertake the role of: 
 
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 
 
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. 
 
Record Reference: HCM-READVERT-
 
 
 
 
 
 

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The South African Weather Service is therefore seeking to appoint an efficient and enthusiastic person to undertake the role of: 
 
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. 
 
Record Reference HCM-READVERT-