Senior Researcher at University of the Witwatersrand

Requirements

Associate Researcher

• A Master’s degree in Atmospheric Science, Climate Science, Statistics, Machine Learning, Applied Mathematics, Physics, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated experience with statistical or machine learning methods for environmental or geospatial data.
• Strong Python programming and data analysis skills
• Experience working with meteorological or climate datasets will be advantageous.
• Interest in pursuing doctoral-level research in climate or weather prediction.

Researcher

• A PhD in Atmospheric Science, Climate Science, Statistics, Machine Learning, Applied Mathematics, Physics, or a closely related field.
• Evidence of a strong research track record, including peer-reviewed publications in accredited journals.
• Experience with numerical weather prediction, seasonal forecasting, or data-driven weather prediction methods.
• Experience working with meteorological datasets, reanalysis data, or climate model outputs.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct independent research and collaborate internationally.

Senior Researcher 

• A PhD in Atmospheric Science, Climate Science, Statistics, Machine Learning, Applied Mathematics, Physics, or a related field.
• 3–5 years of postdoctoral or equivalent research experience.
• A strong international publication record in areas related to weather prediction, climate modelling, or machine learning.
• Demonstrated ability to lead research projects and attract research funding.
• Experience supervising postgraduate students and early-career researchers.
• Established local or international research collaborations.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct original scientific research on AI-driven weather prediction and seasonal forecasting systems for Africa.
• Investigate methods to improve the skill of numerical weather prediction and seasonal climate prediction systems using statistical and machine learning techniques.
• Develop and apply forecast verification frameworks to evaluate the performance of weather and climate models.
• Analyse meteorological datasets including reanalysis products, satellite observations, and station observations.
• Publish research findings in internationally accredited scientific journals and present results at scientific conferences.
• Contribute to the development of research proposals and collaborative research programmes.
• Supervise or co-supervise postgraduate students working on related research topics.
• Collaborate with African National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) and international research partners.
• Contribute to capacity-building activities, including workshops and training initiatives.
• Senior Researchers will additionally be expected to:
• Provide scientific leadership within the research programme.
• Lead research proposals and project components.
• Mentor junior researchers and postgraduate students