Senior Researcher: Food Technologist at Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)

About the job:

The CSIR has a vacancy for a Senior Researcher: Food Technologist in the Agro Processing Research Group within Advanced Agriculture and Food Cluster. The incumbent will be responsible to initiate and scale up processes in food and nutraceutical product development as well as natural products extraction, within food and nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals market segments. This position is based in Pretoria.

Key responsibilities:

• Undertake research in process and product development based on natural products across the food and nutraceutical product value chain;
• Conduct Risk Assessments /HAZOPs for facilities and processes to ensure safe and technically feasible processes and methodology;
• Support development, operation, and liaise with internal and external clients of product specifications, development, and regulatory compliance.
• Support and identify needs for maintenance of facilities utilities and processing equipment in conjunction with GMR 2.7/CSIR facilities/external service providers;
• Conduct and oversee equipment procurement, design specification, installation and operational specifications sign off and training;
• Draft, review and sign off on equipment and process Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs);
• Provide support for techonomic modelling, process costing and raw material costing;
• Mentor junior researcher or technologist and provide guidance to engineers for upscaling and process development.
• Identify and manage research opportunities to secure external contracts;
• Write and review research proposals for funding, research reports, client reports and peer-reviewed publications;
• Prepare reports, guidelines or other documents aimed at disseminating the results and outcomes of projects.

Qualifications, skills and experience:

• A Master’s degree in food technology/science or related fields with at least five years’ experience in industrial interface with good understanding of various interactions and changes during the processing of agricultural and other biological materials, ranging from food to non-food materials;  
• A Doctoral degree in food technology/science or related fields will be advantageous;
• Experience working in a food, chemical, pharmaceuticals, and biologicals in a manufacturing set-up will be advantageous;
• Experience with food labelling and food safety requirements and regulatory conformance
• Experience and operation of laboratory analytical equipment for food, as well as HPLC/GC;
• International tertiary exposure would be advantageous;

Must be able to:

• Work in a methodical manner is essential;
• Interact with strategic stakeholders at all levels;
• Present ideas, concepts, plan, and procedures;
• Ability to work accurately, efficiently, independently and in a team;

Must have the following skills:

• Business development;
• People management;
• Interpersonal and organisational;
• Communication (verbal and presentation) ;
• Programme and project management.

Closing date: 16 January 2024