Junior Electrical Technician

The South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO) spearheads South Africa's activities in the Square Kilometre Array Radio Telescope, commonly known as the SKA, in engineering, science and construction. SARAO is a National Facility managed by the National Research Foundation and incorporates radio astronomy instruments and programmes such as the MeerKAT and KAT-7 telescopes in the Karoo, the Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory (HartRAO) in Gauteng, the African Very Long Baseline Interferometry (AVN) programme in nine African countries as well as the associated human capital development and commercialisation endeavours. Position: Junior Electrical Technician Business Unit: South Africa Radio Astronomy Observatory Location: Cape Town, Western Cape Position Summary The Junior Electrical Technician will provide support to the Functional Manager (electrical), Electrical and Senior Electrical Engineers and program/project managers to ensure smooth operation of the Meerkat and Hartebeeshoek telescopes, successful delivery and acceptance of Meerkat Extension, AVN and infrastructure projects within schedule, budget and quality standards and with electrical related tasks including design aspects, site visits / inspections and reviews. Key Responsibilities Provision of conceptual, preliminary and detailed designs Capturing and submitting Requirements/ input from functional manager: electrical and senior electrical engineer into designs. Configuration management and quality assurance. Ensure drawings are of required standards and contain the correct information. Diagnosing and solving problems related to electrical systems Site visits and investigations of existing installations Monitoring the performance of power systems Additional Notes Have excellent problem solving and analytic skills Have excellent communication skills, both written and verbal Microsoft Packages Technical report writing skills Self-driven and goal oriented Minimum Qualification Diploma / Advanced Certificate / NQF 6 Minimum Experience 1-2 years National Diploma in Electrical Engineering 1 year’ experience in Electrical Engineering Experience Interpret design requirements pertaining to electrical systems Conduct electrical system assessments and studies on existing infrastructure for expansion and/or refurbishments Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: Knowledge of electrical engineering, manufacturing, installation, testing and maintenance of electrical systems. Practical support related to electrical manufacturing, installation testing and maintenance of electrical systems. Design and operation of power generation, distribution systems and reticulation design. Project management processes Knowledge of the industry’s standards (SANS, Eskom, etc) and regulations Closing Date: Wednesday, 23 Sep 2026 The NRF website provides more details on the initiatives and activities. Applicants should submit a comprehensive CV by registering and apply online through the NRF Recruitment and Selection Portal. Applications should be accompanied by a letter of motivation indicating the applicant's suitability for the position. The names and contact details of at least three referees should be provided. Recruitment Support ***email_hidden***