Jobs at The South African Weather Service (SAWS)

Job summary:

• The Meteorological Technician provides essential services to ensure the optimal delivery of the office’s outputs by delivering high-quality climate data and analysis, ensuring compliance with national and international standards, verifying and maintaining remote automatic stations.

Observation:

Perform routine weather observation duties that include: -

• Visual weather observation and compile routine reports, 
• Providing special reports for changes in weather.
• Providing observation reports timeously as per schedule or as per the timeliness of the client’s requests
• Downloading of remote observation station data o Collection and quality control of manual rainfall station o Quality control of AWS and ARS data and transmission thereof to central data base
• Perform routine and adhoc maintenance of SAWS Observations infrastructure
• (Thorough understanding of Automatic Weather Stations is required)

Internal and External Customer Relations:

• Liaise with clients as per office plan.
• Represent SAWS at Stakeholder meetings as per plan.
• Total Quality Management
• Apply prevention and corrective action procedures on all findings related to weather observation.
• Promote a quality culture amongst the staff within the office.
• Promote the SAWS Quality Policy and intergrade it into the day-to-day activities of the office
• Provide assistance during audits of the regional office as required.
• Perform regular inspections to ensure all work done is according to documented requirements.
• Ensure that the work environment complies with legislative requirements relations to
• OHS.

Minimum Requirements and Attributes:

• A Grade 12 Certificate with Maths and Science.
• Weather Observers certificate.
• Ability to obtain a competent Aviation Meteorological Observation (AMO) certificate within 6 months of employment.
• Ability to read, analyse and interpret written request for weather data and information.
• Knowledge of international standards such as WMO and ICAO. Advanced knowledge of observation tools.
• A valid code 08 driver’s license or be in a position to obtain a valid driver’s license within 3 months of employment.

Closing Date: 21 January 2026

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Key Performance Areas:

• Deliver theoretical lectures and practical training to students of the Regional Training Centre
• Develop and enhance courses of own responsibility within the National Certificate: Weather
• Observations of SAWS and to assist in other courses of the National Certificate: Weather
• Observations, when required
• Design, develop and deliver online, face to face or blended learning courses to commercial clients
• Design, develop and deliver short courses and blended courses for the continuous training of
• personnel in Meteorology.
• Transfer all courses of responsibility onto the Moodle distance learning platform for online training delivery and keep them updated.
• Manage the administration of courses of own responsibility, including commercial courses, on the
• SAWS online learning platform.
• Receive and respond to meteorological enquiries.
• Identify risks within RTC and needs for procurement, etc.
• Network with other external stakeholders, especially training institutions, and with internal stakeholders, where applicable.
• Actively participate in the continuous training/training needs analysis of Meteorological
• Technicians in South Africa, South African Development Community (SADC) region and beyond
• Administrative duties, including training needs analysis, student and monthly training reports sent to the Qualification Manager: Observations.
• Knowledge of all Regional Training Centre regulations, WMO competency requirements for
• Meteorological Technicians, as well as South African National Qualification Framework prescriptsunder the relevant Quality Council.
• Stay abreast with developments in the meteorological environment.
• Perform scientific research in the field of interest, to become a specialist in a certain
• Meteorological field.
• Act as research leader for students within the National Certificate: Weather Observations course.
• Participate in Assessor and Moderator training and any other training required as per personal development plan.
• Assist to maintain the Total Quality Management platform of RTC with respect to courses of own
• responsibility and for other areas when required to do so.
• Be actively involved in other research and international programmes because of the person’s expertise.
• Represent the Regional Training Centre in an area of specialization on the activities of Regional and
• International Meteorological bodies when required to do so.
• The incumbent shall keep abreast with the developments in SAQA and relevant Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) as well as the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) and be actively involved with the above-mentioned process.
• As part of a WMO recognised RTC, stay abreast with the latest developments in the field of
• Meteorological Technician such as all relevant Meteorological Technician competencies to be able to give effective training.

Minimum Requirements:

• An appropriate 4-year tertiary qualification in Atmospheric Sciences or Meteorology, i.e. a BSc
• (Hons) in Meteorology or Atmospheric Sciences.
• A minimum of 2 years’ work experience within the meteorological observation practices.
• Excellent knowledge and proficiency in weather observations, including Aviation Observer
• Competencies, and quality control of climate data.
• Fluency in English.
• Knowledge of electronics would be an added advantage.

Attributes and Competencies:

• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Good communications skills (written and verbal) at all levels within the business and with
• stakeholders.
• Excellent Computer proficiency
• Excellent facilitation skills
• Excellent knowledge of meteorology

Closing Date: 31 January 2026