Software Developer: Extended Reality (XR) at Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)

About the job:

The CSIR has a vacancy for Software Developer: Extended Reality (XR) in the Emerging Digital Technologies for fourth Industrial Revolution (EDT4IR) Research Centre within the Next Generation Enterprises and Institutions Cluster. The incumbent will be responsible for researching, designing, and implementing Augmented, Mixed, and Virtual Reality technology to deliver innovative, high-impact solutions to government and industry stakeholders. This position is based in Pretoria.

Key responsibilities:

• Conceptualise, design and prototype novel XR based solutions;
• Remain well-versed in new developments in the XR domain to identify new avenues for research and development;
• Assist junior staff in the area(s) of expertise;
• Generate and contribute towards science engineering and technology (SET) activity targets and outputs (reports, guidelines, system requirements, peer-reviewed publications, technology, and software packages, etc.);
• Understand and interpret client requirements to contribute to user requirement analysis and/or well-articulated project proposals;
• Keep up to date on emerging trends in XR Technology in relation to new approaches, tools, methods, or frameworks;
• Participate in internal task teams or committees in relevant domains;
• Participate and engage in relevant XR communities to grow networks and capabilities.

Qualifications, skills and experience:

• A National Diploma in computer systems engineering, information technology or related fields with at least four years’ experience in Extended Reality; OR
• A Bachelor’s degree in computer science/engineering, information technology or related field to Extended Reality with at least two years of experience;
• An Honours or a Master’s degree will be advantageous with a visual portfolio of past/recent XR projects.
• Experience in User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) design concepts. (Wireframes, Mock-ups, User-journeys, etc).
• Experience in 3D Modelling/Animation/Audio/Particle Effects workflows using Blender, Maya, Sketchup, etc.
• Experience in Game development concepts and workflows using platforms and tools such as, Unity, Unreal, etc.
• Experience in XR frameworks and tools (Extended Reality Toolkit (XRTK), Mixed Reality Interaction Toolkit (MRTK), Software Development Kits(SDK’s), Native Development Kits (NDKs), Java Development Kits (JDK’s), etc).
• Experience in Object-orientated programming using C#, Java or Python.
• Experience in Mobile/Cloud/Server based testing and deployment of XR applications.
• Demonstrated skills in: ideation, analytical thinking, flexibility and adaptability, investigative thinking, team work, self-management and systems level thinking.
• Exposure to Project Management, Kanban, or Agile principles.
• Ability to mentor junior staff.
• All international qualifications require an evaluation report / certificate issued by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA).

Closing date: 06 July 2023