Digital Signal Processing Engineer
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 telescope 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: Digital Signal Processing Engineer
Business Unit: South Africa Radio Astronomy Observatory
Location: Cape Town, Western Cape
Position Summary
The Digital Signal Processing Engineer works closely with peers across functional engineering groups and key stakeholders to ensure satisfactory delivery of the Data Processing & Pipelines Department’s systems and products.
Key Responsibilities
Implementation of digital signal processing (DSP) products, applications and/or algorithms for Radio Astronomy data processing systems that satisfy higher-level system functional and performance requirements
Implementation of these products contains elements of digital signal processing system design, FPGA development, software development and high-speed data transport
Support analysis, definition, integration, verification and validation activities of DSP products at various system levels
Development of software to control, monitor, debug and support operation of the developed products and applications
Follow and support the relevant Systems Engineering processes for product development throughout the entire product or application lifecycle from conceptualisation through to decommissioning
Support deployment, maintenance, upgrades, operation and decommissioning of developed products
Participate in and support the generation of technical system and product-related documentation applicable to developed DSP products to support the delivery and handover of the Data Processing & Pipelines Group’s products
Participate in Research & Development initiatives within the Data Processing & Pipelines Group to develop novel ideas for future products and contribute to the overall continuous development of the group
Additional Notes
Desire to continuously learn, problem solve and acquire new skills with cutting edge technology
A clear and methodical approach to problem solving
A high attention to detail, excellent organisation skills
Good communication skills, written and verbal
Able to effectively manage and lead a team on a technical project
Ability to effectively transfer knowledge and skills to other team members
Eagerness to develop a technical specialisation and expertise
Willingness to travel both locally and internationally depending on operational needs
Qualification
B.Tech (Eng) (NQF 7) in Electrical, Electronics or Mechatronics Engineering with 6+ years relevant experience, OR
B.Eng/B.Sc (Eng) (NQF 8) in Electrical, Electronics or Mechatronics Engineering with 4+ years relevant experience; OR
MSc / M.Eng (NQF 9) in Electrical, Electronics or Mechatronics Engineering with 3+ years relevant experience; OR
PhD (NQF 10) in Electrical, Electronics or Mechatronics Engineering with 1+ years relevant experience
Experience
Experience as a DSP or FPGA Engineer with experience implementing digital signal processing algorithms on FPGA-based hardware using HDL or other design tools
Experience in designing digital signal processing systems at a higher, product level or in low-level implementation of components and features
Experience building data processing applications specifically for Radio Astronomy instrumentation is advantageous but not required
Implementing parallel processing on FPGA hardware
Implementation of accelerated and optimised DSP algorithms
Experience analysing system requirements and defining a suitable system design
Writing technical documentation describing the implementation and design of products at various technical levels
Software Development or Scientific Computing proficiency in either Python, C++, or Matlab
Working with workflow and issue management tools (e.g., JIRA)
Working with source code and version control tools (e.g., Git)
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
Multi-rate and parallel implementations of Digital Signal Processing Operations such as FFTs, Filters, DDS, DDC
Knowledge of FPGA firmware design, parallel implementation and FPGA design tools
Typical radio astronomy instrumentation: e.g., spectrometers, correlators, beamformers (advantageous)
High-speed data transport such as ethernet and/or knowledge of large-scale networks (advantageous)
Controlling and monitoring of DSP applications and components
Systems Engineering Processes or Software Design Life Cycle
Software Development or Scientific Computing proficiency in either Python, C++, or Matlab
Linux operating systems and development tools
Closing Date: Tuesday, 06 Oct 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.
