Description:
Stellenbosch University
Faculty of AgriSciences
Department of Forest and Wood Science
Part-time (4/8) Technical Officer (Job Level 10)
(Three-year contract appointment)
Ref. AW03/093/0424
The Hans Merensky Chair in Advanced Modelling of Eucalypt Growth and Wood Formation (EucXylo) is a research programme based in the Department of Forest and Wood Science (DFWS) at Stellenbosch University (SU) and funded by the Hans Merensky Legacy Foundation. The programme conducts a range of research into the growth and development of the important genus Eucalyptus. From 2024, a new 10 ha research facility at Lourensford near Somerset West, the IMPACT Open-Air Laboratory, will become the main focus of EucXylo research. Trees of four species will be planted at multiple distances apart to better understand how they respond to various stressors in the environment. The trees and environment will be constantly monitored by a wide variety of electronic sensors (e.g. weather station, sap flow, soil water content, tree diameter). Regular measurements and sampling will also be done at the site using various techniques, including the extensive use of ground-based and airborne remote sensing systems. The experiment will run over a period of at least five years.
Duties:
• Responsible for overseeing and maintaining equipment and experimental installations at the IMPACT OAL, as well as other experiments at the DFWS nursery complex;
• Assisting students with setting up and running experiments, including allocation of equipment, bookings, sourcing experimental material and consumables, training on equipment use, and ensuring that health and safety requirements are met;
• Visiting the IMPACT OAL site at least twice a month to collect samples and taking baseline measurements. The incumbent should expect to work in all weather conditions at a fairly remote location at which there are risks such as snakes and biting/stinging insects;
• Ensuring that data are timeously and correctly captured in the data management systems of the project, and that data quality are regularly checked and corrected (if applicable).
Requirements:
- First Aid Qualified
- A Valid Code 8 South African Driver’S Licence And The Ability To Drive Automatic And Manual
- Good Interpersonal Skills And Strong Written And Verbal Communication Skills In English
Requirements:
• At least a B.Sc. honours degree in a relevant field, including natural science, or a bioscience such as molecular biology, plant physiology, or biochemistry;
• At least two years’ relevant experience at a research facility comparable in scope and objectives to the Hans Merensky IMPACT Open-Air Lab;
• Knowledge, experience and skills in the use of electronic/precision equipment, particularly plant physiological equipment, including LiCOR 6400 and 600F instruments;
• First aid qualified;
• A valid Code 8 South African driver’s licence and the ability to drive automatic and manual transmissions;
• Good computer literacy and proficiency in at least the Microsoft Office suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint);
• Good interpersonal skills and strong written and verbal communication skills in English;
• The ability to function in a multicultural and multilingual environment, as well asthe ability to work independently and to take initiative;
A willingness to learn new skills and take on new challenges, and the ability to spend long hours outdoors in a field research environment under all weather conditions.
Recommendations:
• Some programming ability, data management experience and capabilities with programs like R or Python;
• Knowledge of using CRbasic to program dataloggers will be advantageous;
• Experience in driving off-road;
• Knowledge of caring for trees and potential pathogens/pests of trees.