Junior Scientific Software Developer

About

Description

The Wits Machine Intelligence & Neural Discovery (MIND) Institute invites applications for a Junior Scientific Software Developer to join its cutting-edge research team on the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project. This role focuses on enhancing the performance of existing scientific code by implementing efficient programming and AI-based speedup methods, including emulation techniques. The successful candidate will work under the guidance of Research Chair at MIND and in collaboration with team at Imperial College London, contributing directly to the scientific outputs of the project and advancing Africa’s leadership in big-data science.

Responsibilities

• Write robust, efficient, and well-documented code to optimise performance
• Collaborate with researchers and technical staff to understand requirements and deliver solutions
• Apply advanced numerical and AI-based methods to accelerate simulations and data analysis
• Produce high-quality documentation and contribute to knowledge sharing
• Support the wider project research goals through coding, testing, and optimisation cycles
• Contribute to academic publications, including co-authoring papers and preparing supplementary materials such as figures, datasets, and code repositories
• Assist in the preparation of research reports, grant grant deliverables, and presentations for internal and external stakeholders
• Participate in regular team meetings, collaborative planning sessions, and cross-institutional discussions
• Provide technical support to other team members and assist with troubleshooting and mentoring as required
• Undertake additional tasks that support the research programme and institutional goals, as directed by the project lead

Qualifications

• MSc or higher in Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, Physics, Engineering, or related
• Strong programming skills in Python and/or C++
• Demonstrated ability to develop efficient, well-structured, and maintainable code
• Experience with collaborative coding environments and version control
• Proven research track record, including contributions to publications, technical reports, or open-source projects
• Strong communication, collaboration, and organisational skills within an international research project teamWits Enterprise

Application instructions:

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