Junior Electrical Technician
National Research Foundation
The South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO) spearheads South Africa's activities in the Square Kilometre Array Radio Telescope, commonly known as the SKA, in engineering, science and construction. SARAO is a National Facility managed by the National Research Foundation and incorporates radio astronomy instruments and programmes such as the MeerKAT and KAT-7 telescopes in the Karoo, the Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory (HartRAO) in Gauteng, the African Very Long Baseline Interferometry (AVN) programme in nine African countries as well as the associated human capital development and commercialisation endeavours.
Position: Junior Electrical Technician
Business Unit: South Africa Radio Astronomy Observatory
Location: Cape Town, Western Cape
Position Summary
The Junior Electrical Technician will provide support to the Functional Manager (electrical), Electrical and Senior Electrical Engineers and program/project managers to ensure smooth operation of the Meerkat and Hartebeeshoek telescopes, successful delivery and acceptance of Meerkat Extension, AVN and infrastructure projects within schedule, budget and quality standards and with electrical related tasks including design aspects, site visits / inspections and reviews.
Key Responsibilities
Provision of conceptual, preliminary and detailed designs
Capturing and submitting Requirements/ input from functional manager: electrical and senior electrical engineer into designs.
Configuration management and quality assurance.
Ensure drawings are of required standards and contain the correct information.
Diagnosing and solving problems related to electrical systems
Site visits and investigations of existing installations
Monitoring the performance of power systems
Additional Notes
Have excellent problem solving and analytic skills
Have excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
Microsoft Packages
Technical report writing skills
Self-driven and goal oriented
Minimum Qualification
Diploma / Advanced Certificate / NQF 6
Minimum Experience
1-2 years
National Diploma in Electrical Engineering
1 year’ experience in Electrical Engineering
Experience
Interpret design requirements pertaining to electrical systems
Conduct electrical system assessments and studies on existing infrastructure for expansion and/or refurbishments
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
Knowledge of electrical engineering, manufacturing, installation, testing and maintenance of electrical systems.
Practical support related to electrical manufacturing, installation testing and maintenance of electrical systems.
Design and operation of power generation, distribution systems and reticulation design.
Project management processes
Knowledge of the industry’s standards (SANS, Eskom, etc) and regulations
Closing Date: Wednesday, 23 Sep 2026
The NRF website provides more details on the initiatives and activities. Applicants should submit a comprehensive CV by registering and apply online through the NRF Recruitment and Selection Portal. Applications should be accompanied by a letter of motivation indicating the applicant's suitability for the position. The names and contact details of at least three referees should be provided.
