Senior Researcher: Pavement Engineering and Materials at Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)

About the job:

The CSIR has a vacancy for a Senior Researcher: Pavement Engineering and Materials in the Transport Infrastructure Engineering Impact Area of Smart Mobility and specifically in Pavement Design and Construction (PDC) research group. The group plays a leading role in road construction materials design, characterisation and assessment, pavement design, road rehabilitation design and analysis methods, forensic studies and monitoring long-term performance of roads, and transfer of processes and technologies for the design, construction and maintenance of roads.

Key responsibilities:

• Provide scientific leadership to staff in the research group by means of an excellent grasp of the field and by ensuring quality scientific outputs and the professional development and transformation of the group’s scientific capacity;
• Promote a culture of scientific excellence in terms of both quality and delivery;
• Lead the research in the validation of innovative/alternative/new materials for use in road construction; 
• Networking ability both nationally and internationally, and proven networks within all aspects of transport infrastructure design, construction, maintenance and rehabilitation;
• Proven contract and project management experience on medium to large-scale projects, preferably involving multi-disciplinary research and development, both in South Africa and international;
• Lead the development, application and transfer of processes and technologies for the design, construction and maintenance of roads;
• Lead research conducted by the group whilst conducting Heavy Vehicle Simulator (HVS) testing on specific roads;
• Mentor and coach junior engineers and other professionals in the research group.

Qualifications, skills and experience:

A Masters degree in civil engineering (pavement engineering) or material sciences;with a minimum of five years experience in the following fields related to road engineering/sciences:

• materials and modelling:
• asphalt technology
• performance assessment and modelling
• construction and maintenance
• risk and vulnerability assessment
• forensic investigation
• procurement/contractual models
• infrastructure funding alternatives
• asset management
• sustainability science (circular economy)
• Excellent report-writing skills;
• Track record of research outputs published in peer-reviewed journals, books or conference proceedings;
• Effective communication skills (oral, written and presentation), including excellent communication in English;
• Skills in staff motivation and performance management;
• Analytical skills with a problem-solving, solution-seeking orientation;
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team;
• Computer literacy and experience in using standard software packages; programming skills will be an advantage;
• All international qualifications require an evaluation report / certificate issued by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA).

Closing date: 22 June 2023