Senior Assistant Officer: Technical Research Officer at University of the Free State

Duties and responsibilities:

• Coordinate and support cultivation, harvesting, transport, storage and processing of medicinal plant material in line with Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (GACP).
• Facilitate training and mentorship to rural communities involved in community-based commercial cultivation pilots and wild harvesting of medicinal plants.
• Provide ongoing technical guidance and resource management to community partners to improve productivity, quality, and sustainability of plant materials.
• Be involved and be trained in the African Medicines Innovations and Technologies Development’s (AMITD) ongoing quality control training and in the accreditation process of AMITD laboratories and facilities, with specific focus on International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), GACP, Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) systems, and quality assurance protocols.
• Responsible for aspects of documentation and archiving for audit purposes.
• Assist with basic quality control procedures at community post harvesting facilities.
• Contribute to research and development of herbal medicines and other botanical health products.
• Maintain project timelines, monitor progress, and ensure compliance with research protocols and community agreements.
• Liaise with cross-functional teams within the AMITD laboratory, including researchers, students, and partner stakeholders.
• Travel regularly to project sites and field locations across rural communities within South Africa and neighbouring countries.

Inherent requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree/Advanced Diploma on NQF Level 7 or a three-year national diploma on NQF Level 6 in Agriculture or a related field.
• Minimum of one (1) year’s relevant experience, with demonstrated involvement in plant production, rural development, or research projects involving medicinal plants or horticulture.
• Proven experience in community engagement, capacity building, or training delivery, particularly in rural and semi-rural contexts.
• Knowledge of plant propagation – tissue culture, nursery, and greenhouse maintenance.
• Valid driver’s license and willingness to travel extensively to rural project sites (attach a copy).

Recommendations:

• Postgraduate qualification in agriculture or rural development.
• Familiarity with project management tools and ability to monitor deliverables effectively.
• Understanding of indigenous knowledge systems and their integration into scientific research.
• Experience working in interdisciplinary or university-based research environments.
• Multilingualism in some of the South African languages
• Excellent communication, coordination, and interpersonal skills, self-driven and take initiative.
• Experience in community research
• Experience in commercial agriculture and medicinal plant propagation