Post-Doctoral Researcher: Advanced Internet of Things (A-IoT) at Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)

About the job:

The CSIR has a vacancy for a Post-Doctoral Researcher in the Advanced Internet of Things (IoT) Research Group within the Next Generation Enterprises and Institutions Cluster. The incumbent will be responsible for conducting research and development in Security and/or Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) applications for the Internet of Things (IoT) and cyber-physical systems (CPS) technologies. This position is based in Pretoria.

Research areas:

Possible research areas include (but not limited to):

• Smart and/or rural microgrids;
• Secure Fog/Edge computing;
• IoT security;
• Digital Forensic Investigation;
• Penetration Testing and Incident Response for IoT/CPS networks;
• Secure communication systems for Smart Grid networks;
• Distributed Ledger Technology for transactive energy.

Key responsibilities:

• Lead projects, research and investigations in security for IoT and CPS and/or DLT applications for IoT-enabled microgrids;
• Provide leadership in formulating research, development and innovation (RD&I) strategies and road maps;
• Provide research direction to the Research Group on the long-term development of IoT;
• Conduct advanced IoT and CPS DLT and/or security research and generate high quality papers and publish them in prestigious journals with good impact factor;
• Remain current on new IoT/CPS security and/or DLT techniques, methodologies and protocols, to understand latest technical details on new products and updates/revisions to existing products/services;
• Provide training on IoT/CPS security and/or DLT applications or related topics to all stakeholders (internal and external) when required;
• Formulate and contribute to research and development (R&D) funding proposals and develop relationships with collaborators in R&D around IoT/CPS security and related topics;
• Supervise/mentor junior colleagues, researchers, students and interns in the areas of expertise;
• Generate and contribute towards science, engineering and technology activity outputs e.g. reports, guidelines, system requirements;
• Initiate and supervise technical reports, expert studies and investigations, and presentations aimed at the relevant industries and research institutions and academia, locally and internationally.

Qualifications, skills, and experience:

• A Doctoral degree in electronic/computer engineering, computer science or a related field;
• Demonstrated experience in conducting quality research in IoT/CPS security and/or IoT/CPS DLT applications;
• Experience in IoT/CPS security and/or DLT energy trading technologies and its applications, including related programming languages and software tools; 
• Experience in conducting and supervising studies related to IoT/CPS security technologies or related fields;
• Experience in project management and funds acquisition will be advantageous;
• Experience in presenting and communicating research approaches, concepts and outcomes at conferences or industry forums; 
• Good record of accomplishment and recognition for quality research outputs and advanced concept implementation;
• Familiar with several aspects of the software development lifecycle, including architecture, design, implementation, and testing;
• Knowledge of modern development, integration, testing and deployment environments would be advantageous; 
• Ability to create clear and accurate technical and analytical reports;
• Ability to analyse data obtained from different sources;
• Ability to work as part of a team, as a key member, influencing decisions and reacting positively to challenges;
• Strong organization and analytical skills;  
• Demonstrated skills in: analytical thinking, flexibility and adaptability, investigative orientation, planning and organising, problem solving, verbal and written communication, teamwork, self-management (planning, prioritising and time management – includes the ability to work independently), systems level thinking, multi-disciplinary knowledge.

Closing date: 10 July 2023