Internship: Telecommunications at Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)

About the job:

The CSIR has an Internship opportunity for an Intern in the Networked Systems and Applications impact area, within the Next Generation Enterprises and Institutions Cluster. The purpose of the Internship is to provide graduates with an opportunity to gain practical work experience through providing technical support to the research and development team in the wireless telecommunications systems and networks within the Spectrum Access and Management Innovation (SAMI) research group. This position is based in Pretoria.

Key responsibilities:

• Conduct laboratory testing of radio devices (such as television white space radios) and radio frequency field measurements;
• Implement the open source code for radio air interface as part of the 5G radio access network platform;
• Conduct hardware, firmware and embedded Linux development and implementation;
• Conduct field deployment, testing and debugging;
• Read, write and understand technical documents, manuals, specifications and block diagrams;
• Perform wireless network installation audits;
• Perform technical installations, which may include working at heights; and
• Debug and troubleshoot issues related to product development.

Qualifications, skills and experience:

• A Bachelor’s degree or equivalent NQF 7 in electronic/computer engineering or related fields;
• Familiarity with mobile networking technologies/standards;
• Coding knowledge of cellular components and solutions for base stations and/or terminals;
• Ability to read/verify schematics and verify design principles;
• Ability to troubleshoot/verify printed circuit boards (PCB) and design principles;
• Familiar with electronic measurement instruments and software test methods;
• Must have basic Linux exposure including ability to write scripts using Shell, Python, or related scripting languages;
• Must have a valid (Code B) Driver's License and be willing to undertake long distance field trips to rural areas in South Africa as and when required;
• All international qualifications require an evaluation report / certificate issued by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA).