9 Agricultural Research jobs in South Africa

At Matter Labs, we believe freedom drives progress and prosperity. We don’t see ourselves as a company, but as a team aligned around a single mission: to advance personal freedom for all (see ZK Credo).

To achieve this goal, we’re building zkSync — a credibly neutral, fully open source technology stack and network on top of Ethereum, which is owned and governed by its community. We use advanced cryptography called zero-knowledge proofs to scale Ethereum infinitely without compromising on security or decentralization. With a world-class team, a community of over 1M supporters across Twitter + Discord, and hundreds of millions $ in funding, we have abundant resources to accomplish the mission.

The Role

We are looking for Research Scientists to join our Research Team. We are looking for accomplished researchers with a PhD in relevant areas of computer science interested in working on various aspects of the complex system that Matter Labs is building, including security, performance, networking, hardware, programming languages, program correctness, and various aspects of applied cryptography related to zero-knowledge proofs.

We expect you to have a track record of research in a relevant area and to be connected to both the academic community and industrial practice. Experience of working on other blockchain projects is a plus but not a requirement.

What You’ll Be Doing

• We expect you to be an expert in your field and to apply your knowledge and expertise to come up with solutions relevant to what Matter Labs is building.
• We expect you to work with both research scientists as well as engineers and engineering managers to get what you produce deployed.
• We expect you to be a member of the academic community and to read and possibly write papers, listen and possibly give presentations, in order to stay abreast of the most recent developments as they happen.

What We Look For In You

• Experience in one (or more) of the following areas: performance (distributed systems, runtimes, networking stack), security, verification and/or machine learning.
• A PhD in computer science or related discipline.
• A track record of research relevant to or deployed in an industrial setting.
• Ability and willingness to produce technical blogs, reports, and papers.
• Deep understanding of software engineering best-practices.
• Ownership mindset and a track record of successfully accomplished projects.
• In-depth knowledge of common algorithms, data structures, and their computational & memory complexities.
• Proven publication history.
• Experience implementing complex prototypes both from scratch and based on existing code bases.
• Ability to produce code that leads to industrial deployment.
• English is your native language or you are completely fluent.

Working at Matter Labs

At Matter Labs, you have the freedom to work how you want, when you want, and from where you want. All positions are 100% remote (with optional travel to team and/or industry events). We operate in lean and nimble teams, with no time tracking and minimum bureaucracy. We move fast. Only results matter. We will provide you with everything you need to learn, grow, and be productive.

Our results-only environment means anyone who believes in our mission can join us, regardless of background, sexual orientation, race, gender, and age. Both our team and community are made up of people from diverse backgrounds. That’s why, out of politeness and respect, we refrain from opinions on politics, religion, or sex at the workplace.

We designed our culture around the tenants of freedom and ownership. This ethos will underpin our positive-sum community as we evolve toward full decentralization.

If this role resonates with you, apply now for prompt feedback.

Important: We are remote-first, operating in the timezones between UTC-5 (Latam and Atlantic Coast) to UTC+7 (South-East Asia). While we’re currently not hiring in the US, we do consider US-based applicants willing to relocate.

Join to apply for the Lecturer/ Senior Lecturer/ Research Scientist role at Southern Centre for Inequality Studies (SCIS) Wits University

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Join to apply for the Lecturer/ Senior Lecturer/ Research Scientist role at Southern Centre for Inequality Studies (SCIS) Wits University

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Description

Job Title Lecturer/ Senior Lecturer/ Research Scientist Location Parktown,ZA Organization Name Faculty Research (FRC) Department Description

Description

Job Title Lecturer/ Senior Lecturer/ Research Scientist Location Parktown,ZA Organization Name Faculty Research (FRC) Department Description

Lecturer / Senior Lecturer / Research Scientist in Artificial Intelligence for Health Science

Faculty of Health Sciences

University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg

Position Type: 5-year renewable contract

About the Position: The Faculty of Health Sciences at WITS University invites suitably qualified candidates to apply for a Lecturer / Senior Lecturer / Researcher position specializing in Artificial Intelligence (AI) for health sciences. This is an exciting opportunity to join a dynamic faculty and contribute meaningfully to building cutting-edge health sciences research and innovation.

Brief Description

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and execute high-quality research integrating AI methodologies into the broad field of health sciences.
• Publish findings in reputable peer-reviewed journals and present research at international conferences.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary health science teams to develop innovative AI-driven products and solutions tailored to medical and health science applications.
• Help nurture collaborations between the Faculty of Health Sciences at WITS and both the MIND institute and the School of Computer Sciences and Applied Mathematics at WITS.
• Provide mentorship and supervision of postgraduate students.
• Participate in securing external funding through grant applications and industry partnerships.
• Engage actively with industry stakeholders to ensure effective translation of research into viable products.
  
  

• Relevant Master's degree (MSc) in Engineering, Physics, Information Technology, Computer Science, or a closely related discipline is required. A PhD will be highly advantageous.
• Extensive experience in building and deploying AI solutions across diverse applications, including natural language processing, computer vision, statistical modeling, regression, AI agents and large language models and tools.
• The following will be advantageous:
• industry experience
• a proven track record of successful AI product design and deployments
• experience applying AI to medical and health-related research.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with proven ability to effectively collaborate in multidisciplinary environments.
  
  

• Seniority level Mid-Senior level

• Employment type Full-time

• Job function Education and Training
• Industries Higher Education

Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at Southern Centre for Inequality Studies (SCIS) Wits University by 2x

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We’re unlocking community knowledge in a new way. Experts add insights directly into each article, started with the help of AI.

Zindi, based in Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa, is seeking a Product Research Scientist, Lelapa AI . Lelapa AI is building a localized African AI lab focused on language technologies for Africans, by Africans. Our team across Africa, Europe, and North America aims to advance AI research, product development, and innovation to benefit African communities.

About the Role

We face the challenge of developing NLP models for low-resourced African languages, which require data-efficient and resource-efficient solutions. The Product Research Scientist will research, build, and improve multilingual African language models for NLP tasks such as transcription and translation.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and optimize NLP models for African languages, including speech recognition, sentiment analysis, and machine translation.
• Perform error analysis and understand model failures with the help of language experts.
• Develop evaluation frameworks and monitor models in production.
• Collaborate with data teams and linguists for data collection, cleaning, and annotation.
• Translate research into practical NLP applications in collaboration with product teams.
• Document research findings and present to stakeholders.
• Stay updated with advancements in NLP and machine learning.

Skills & Qualifications

• Degree in Data Science, Computer Science, NLP, or related field (Masters preferred).
• 2-3 years experience in Data Science or AI products.
• Proficiency in Python, TensorFlow or PyTorch, and NLP libraries like HuggingFace.
• Experience working in fast-paced startup environments.
• Passion for addressing linguistic and cultural challenges in Africa.
• Strong problem-solving, communication, and collaboration skills.
• Knowledge of Responsible AI and ML limitations.

Preferred

• Knowledge of African languages and NLP projects in African contexts.
• Experience with MLOps tools and low-resource language techniques.
• Publications in NLP.

Benefits

• Remote-friendly work arrangements.
• Opportunity to innovate in AI for African languages.
• Medical aid, parental leave, 25 days vacation, and impact on product roadmap.

Remuneration

R 50,000 - R 80,000 per month, depending on experience.

• Mid-Senior level

• Full-time

• Other
• IT Services and IT Consulting

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Date Posted: 04/25/2025
Req ID: 42677
Faculty/Division: Faculty of Arts & Science
Department: Acceleration Consortium
Campus: St. George (Downtown Toronto)

Description:

The Acceleration Consortium (AC) at the University of Toronto (U of T) is leading a transformative shift in scientific discovery that will accelerate technology development and commercialization. The AC is a global community of academia, industry, and government that leverages the power of artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, materials sciences, and high-throughput chemistry to create self-driving laboratories (SDLs), also called materials acceleration platforms (MAPs). These autonomous labs rapidly design materials and molecules needed for a sustainable, healthy, and resilient future, with applications ranging from renewable energy and consumer electronics to drugs. AC Staff Research Scientists will advance the field of AI-driven autonomous discovery and develop the materials and molecules required to address society’s largest challenges, such as climate change, water pollution, and future pandemics.

The Acceleration Consortium (AC) promotes an inclusive research environment and supports the EDI priorities of the unit.

Hiring is occurring on a rolling intake. Please apply ASAP and do not wait for the listed job closing date.

The Acceleration Consortium received a$200M Canadian First Research Excellence Grantf or seven years to develop self-driving labs for chemistry and materials, the largest ever grant to a Canadian University. This grant will provide the Acceleration Consortium with seven years of funding to execute its vision

The AC is developing seven advanced SDLs plus an AI and Automation lab:

• SDL1 - Inorganic solid-state compounds for advanced materials and energy
• SDL2 - Organic small molecules for sustainability and health
• SDL3 - Medicinal chemistry for improving small molecule drug candidates
• SDL4 - Polymers for materials science and biological applications
• SDL5 - Formulations for pharmaceuticals, consumer products, and coatings
• SDL6 - Biocompatibility with organoids / organ-on-a-chip
• SDL7 - Synthetic scale-up of materials and molecules (University of British Colombia partner lab)
• A central AI and Automation lab to support all the SDLs

This posted position is for a role with SDL2 (Organic Small Molecules)

We seek a scientist to develop ML-driven tools for accelerating organic synthesis and novel material discovery. The role involves leveraging cheminformatics and generative models to design molecules, predict reaction pathways, and optimize materials for applications in sustainability, healthcare, or energy.

Expertise that is desired: Cheminformatics and Machine Learning

• Demonstrated development or application of machine learning tools to address chemical problems, including but not limited to: property prediction, reaction prediction, condition optimization, retrosynthesis, interpretable machine learning, nature language processing for data-mining and human-robot interfacing,and generative models (e.g. GANs, VAE, and diffusion models) for de novo molecular design.
• Proven experience in cheminformatics pipelines using tools such as RDKit, various molecular representation and encoding methods (SMILES, SELFIES, graph-based models), QSAR, virtual screening, or molecular docking/simulations. Knowledge in quantum chemistry calculations and molecule dynamics.

Additional expertise that is desired (but not required): General Programming

• Dataset curation, database management, and data-mining skills
• Computational chemistry pipelines, and physics-informed material discovery

Additional expertise that is desired (but not required): Organic Chemistry

• Basic understanding of organic chemistry
• Collaborative experience with experimental chemists on synthetic organic chemistry or catalyst development projects.

Staff Scientists will work with a diverse team of leading experts at U of T, including Faculty Prof. Alan Aspuru-Guzik, Prof. Sophie Rousseaux,and Acceleration Consortium Staff Scientists Dr. Han Hao, Dr. Xiaoman Guo, Dr. Yang Cao, and Dr. Eric Isbrandt; as well as the broader Acceleration Consortium team.

The Staff Scientists involved in the AC are highly skilled and experienced researchers who will work independently to develop the AI and automation technologies required to build robust and scalable self-driving labs, manage these SDLs, and design and implement research programs (based on the direction of the AC’s scientific leadership team) that leverage the SDL platforms to discover materials and molecules. Moreover, the Staff Scientists will work collectively, sharing knowledge among each other, and with faculty, and trainees. This role will report to the Academic Director and Executive Director of the Acceleration Consortium.

The components and duties of the work can include:

• SDL and Automation Development

Working with the AC community, including faculty and partners, to determine the required capabilities of the SDLs to be built. Developing the plans for SDLs that will meet user requirements and designing novel instruments for automated material synthesis and characterization. Developing customized hardware and Python software packages to build SDLs. Selecting, procurement, and installation of the equipment required for SDLs.

• Research Direction

Develop research programs that leverage the AC’s SDLs and support the research objectives of AC faculty and industry partners. Using SDLs to synthesize and characterize large quantities of candidate molecules, calibrating theoretical models with experimental data, predicting promising candidates with computational tools and machine learning algorithms, and elucidating structure-property relationships of emerging molecules, polymers, solid-state materials, formulations, etc.

Tasks include:

• Implementing research and development projects of AC’s industry partners when implemented in AC labs.
• Developing plans that support research collaborations and planning and estimating financial resources required for programs and/or projects.
• Working with Product Managers to ensure research outcomes meet partner requirements.
• Promoting AC’s research capacity, including delivering presentations at conferences.
• Collaboration in the preparation and submission of research proposals to granting agencies and progress reporting.
• Preparing manuscripts for submission to peer-reviewed publications/journals and stewarding them through the process.
• Other
  • Supporting consulting services related to the application of SDLs for materials discovery for the AC’s partners.
  • Support research-focused events such as the Annual Symposium

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Education – Ph.D. inchemistry, materials science, life sciences, physics, engineering, robotics, computer science, applied mathematicsor related discipline

Experience

• 1 to 5 years of experience (inclusive of PhD and/or post-graduate work)in accelerated R&D in the area of cheminformaticsand molecule design.
• Experience working with industry partners and on industry lead research and development projects.
• Expert knowledge of AI and automation and experience with the development of self-driving laboratories
• Experience presenting research at academic conferences.

Skills

• Strong and effective communicator in oral and written English
• Collegial in working with team members and collaborators.
• Ability to work independently.

Other

• Must have a strong publication record.
• Demonstrated success in the writing and preparation of manuscripts, presentations, reports, briefs, and scientific abstracts and manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority

Closing Date: 08/31/2025, 11:59PM ET
Employee Group: Research Associate
Appointment Type : Grant - Term
Schedule: Full-Time
Pay Scale Group & Hiring Zone: R01 -- Research Associates (Limited Term): $2,574 - 98,576, salary will be assessed based on skills and experience
Job Category: Administrative / Managerial

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

The University of Toronto embraces Diversity and is building aculture of belonging that increases our capacity to effectivelyaddress and serve the interests of our global community. Westrongly encourage applications from Indigenous Peoples,Black and racialized persons, women, persons withdisabilities, and people of diverse sexual and gender identities.We value applicants who have demonstrated a commitment toequity, diversity and inclusion and recognize that diverseperspectives, experiences, and expertise are essential tostrengthening our academic mission.

As part of your application, you will be asked to complete a brief Diversity Survey. This survey is voluntary. Any information directly related to you is confidential and cannot be accessed by search committees or human resources staff. Results will be aggregated for institutional planning purposes. For more information, please see .

The University strives to be an equitable and inclusive community, and proactively seeks to increase diversity among its community members. Our values regarding equity and diversity are linked with our unwavering commitment to excellence in the pursuit of our academic mission.

The University is committed to the principles of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). As such, we strive to make our recruitment, assessment and selection processes as accessible as possible and provide accommodations as required for applicants with disabilities.

If you require any accommodations at any point during the application and hiring process, please contact .

Press Tab to Move to Skip to Content Link

Select how often (in days) to receive an alert:

Date Posted: 04/25/2025
Req ID: 42677
Faculty/Division: Faculty of Arts & Science
Department: Acceleration Consortium
Campus: St. George (Downtown Toronto)

Description:

The Acceleration Consortium (AC) at the University of Toronto (U of T) is leading a transformative shift in scientific discovery that will accelerate technology development and commercialization. The AC is a global community of academia, industry, and government that leverages the power of artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, materials sciences, and high-throughput chemistry to create self-driving laboratories (SDLs), also called materials acceleration platforms (MAPs). These autonomous labs rapidly design materials and molecules needed for a sustainable, healthy, and resilient future, with applications ranging from renewable energy and consumer electronics to drugs. AC Staff Research Scientists will advance the field of AI-driven autonomous discovery and develop the materials and molecules required to address society’s largest challenges, such as climate change, water pollution, and future pandemics.

The Acceleration Consortium (AC) promotes an inclusive research environment and supports the EDI priorities of the unit.

Hiring is occurring on a rolling intake. Please apply ASAP and do not wait for the listed job closing date.

The Acceleration Consortium received a$200M Canadian First Research Excellence Grantf or seven years to develop self-driving labs for chemistry and materials, the largest ever grant to a Canadian University. This grant will provide the Acceleration Consortium with seven years of funding to execute its vision

The AC is developing seven advanced SDLs plus an AI and Automation lab:

• SDL1 - Inorganic solid-state compounds for advanced materials and energy
• SDL2 - Organic small molecules for sustainability and health
• SDL3 - Medicinal chemistry for improving small molecule drug candidates
• SDL4 - Polymers for materials science and biological applications
• SDL5 - Formulations for pharmaceuticals, consumer products, and coatings
• SDL6 - Biocompatibility with organoids / organ-on-a-chip
• SDL7 - Synthetic scale-up of materials and molecules (University of British Colombia partner lab)
• A central AI and Automation lab to support all the SDLs

This posted position is for a role with SDL2 (Organic Small Molecules)

We seek a scientist to develop ML-driven tools for accelerating organic synthesis and novel material discovery. The role involves leveraging cheminformatics and generative models to design molecules, predict reaction pathways, and optimize materials for applications in sustainability, healthcare, or energy.

Expertise that is desired: Cheminformatics and Machine Learning

• Demonstrated development or application of machine learning tools to address chemical problems, including but not limited to: property prediction, reaction prediction, condition optimization, retrosynthesis, interpretable machine learning, nature language processing for data-mining and human-robot interfacing,and generative models (e.g. GANs, VAE, and diffusion models) for de novo molecular design.
• Proven experience in cheminformatics pipelines using tools such as RDKit, various molecular representation and encoding methods (SMILES, SELFIES, graph-based models), QSAR, virtual screening, or molecular docking/simulations. Knowledge in quantum chemistry calculations and molecule dynamics.

Additional expertise that is desired (but not required): General Programming

• Dataset curation, database management, and data-mining skills
• Computational chemistry pipelines, and physics-informed material discovery

Additional expertise that is desired (but not required): Organic Chemistry

• Basic understanding of organic chemistry
• Collaborative experience with experimental chemists on synthetic organic chemistry or catalyst development projects.

Staff Scientists will work with a diverse team of leading experts at U of T, including Faculty Prof. Alan Aspuru-Guzik, Prof. Sophie Rousseaux,and Acceleration Consortium Staff Scientists Dr. Han Hao, Dr. Xiaoman Guo, Dr. Yang Cao, and Dr. Eric Isbrandt; as well as the broader Acceleration Consortium team.

The Staff Scientists involved in the AC are highly skilled and experienced researchers who will work independently to develop the AI and automation technologies required to build robust and scalable self-driving labs, manage these SDLs, and design and implement research programs (based on the direction of the AC’s scientific leadership team) that leverage the SDL platforms to discover materials and molecules. Moreover, the Staff Scientists will work collectively, sharing knowledge among each other, and with faculty, and trainees. This role will report to the Academic Director and Executive Director of the Acceleration Consortium.

The components and duties of the work can include:

• SDL and Automation Development

Working with the AC community, including faculty and partners, to determine the required capabilities of the SDLs to be built. Developing the plans for SDLs that will meet user requirements and designing novel instruments for automated material synthesis and characterization. Developing customized hardware and Python software packages to build SDLs. Selecting, procurement, and installation of the equipment required for SDLs.

• Research Direction

Develop research programs that leverage the AC’s SDLs and support the research objectives of AC faculty and industry partners. Using SDLs to synthesize and characterize large quantities of candidate molecules, calibrating theoretical models with experimental data, predicting promising candidates with computational tools and machine learning algorithms, and elucidating structure-property relationships of emerging molecules, polymers, solid-state materials, formulations, etc.

Tasks include:

• Implementing research and development projects of AC’s industry partners when implemented in AC labs.
• Developing plans that support research collaborations and planning and estimating financial resources required for programs and/or projects.
• Working with Product Managers to ensure research outcomes meet partner requirements.
• Promoting AC’s research capacity, including delivering presentations at conferences.
• Collaboration in the preparation and submission of research proposals to granting agencies and progress reporting.
• Preparing manuscripts for submission to peer-reviewed publications/journals and stewarding them through the process.
• Other
  • Supporting consulting services related to the application of SDLs for materials discovery for the AC’s partners.
  • Support research-focused events such as the Annual Symposium

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Education – Ph.D. inchemistry, materials science, life sciences, physics, engineering, robotics, computer science, applied mathematicsor related discipline

Experience

• 1 to 5 years of experience (inclusive of PhD and/or post-graduate work)in accelerated R&D in the area of cheminformaticsand molecule design.
• Experience working with industry partners and on industry lead research and development projects.
• Expert knowledge of AI and automation and experience with the development of self-driving laboratories
• Experience presenting research at academic conferences.

Skills

• Strong and effective communicator in oral and written English
• Collegial in working with team members and collaborators.
• Ability to work independently.

Other

• Must have a strong publication record.
• Demonstrated success in the writing and preparation of manuscripts, presentations, reports, briefs, and scientific abstracts and manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority

Closing Date: 08/31/2025, 11:59PM ET
Employee Group: Research Associate
Appointment Type : Grant - Term
Schedule: Full-Time
Pay Scale Group & Hiring Zone: R01 -- Research Associates (Limited Term): $2,574 - 98,576, salary will be assessed based on skills and experience
Job Category: Administrative / Managerial

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

The University of Toronto embraces Diversity and is building aculture of belonging that increases our capacity to effectivelyaddress and serve the interests of our global community. Westrongly encourage applications from Indigenous Peoples,Black and racialized persons, women, persons withdisabilities, and people of diverse sexual and gender identities.We value applicants who have demonstrated a commitment toequity, diversity and inclusion and recognize that diverseperspectives, experiences, and expertise are essential tostrengthening our academic mission. As part of your application, you will be asked to complete a brief Diversity Survey. This survey is voluntary. Any information directly related to you is confidential and cannot be accessed by search committees or human resources staff. Results will be aggregated for institutional planning purposes. For more information, please see . Accessibility Statement

The University strives to be an equitable and inclusive community, and proactively seeks to increase diversity among its community members. Our values regarding equity and diversity are linked with our unwavering commitment to excellence in the pursuit of our academic mission. The University is committed to the principles of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). As such, we strive to make our recruitment, assessment and selection processes as accessible as possible and provide accommodations as required for applicants with disabilities. If you require any accommodations at any point during the application and hiring process, please contact . #J-18808-Ljbffr

In the framework of a DAAD-funded project focused on Sustainable and Resilient Food Systems and Applied Agricultural and Food Data Science, the University of the Western Cape (Cape Town, South Africa) is seeking to appoint a Research Chair at the level of Associate Professor/Professor, starting from 1 March 2026.The Chair is funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) with funds from the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR).

A key component of this project is the establishment of a Centre of Excellence at the University of the Western Cape, dedicated to sustainable and resilient agri-food systems, as well as applied agricultural and food and nutritional data science. The centre’s primary objective is to further develop the expertise of doctoral students, early-career researchers, and university lecturers through application-oriented and transdisciplinary research in agri-food systems and applied data science. It also aims to enhance teaching methodologies and mentorship programmes within these interdisciplinary fields.

The Centre is established within a German-African university consortium, co-led by the University of Hohenheim and the University of the Western Cape, with the University of Pretoria and the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources as core partners and the University of Mpumalanga as associate partner.

Within the Centre, a Research Chair is created to advance the linkage between agri-food systems research and data science. The Research Chair will, together with the management team, lead and coordinate the activities of the Centre, and serve as a liaison between the Centre and the research groups at the partnering institutions (including the NRF-funded Research Chair on farming systems at the University of Mpumalanga). The duration of the contract position is tied to the project’s duration which ends December 2029.The position is financed by the DAAD with funds from the BMFTR, reporting directly to the Deputy Vice Chancellor responsible for Research and Innovation at the University of the Western Cape.

The successful candidate will be responsible for the following key performance areas:

• Establish and advance an independent research agenda aligned with the Centre’s research themes;
• Strengthen the research profile of the Centre via active participation, postdoctoral and PhD supervision, publications, and innovative contributions;
• Facilitate learning events affiliated to resilient food systems and agri-food data sciences;
• Spearhead the liaison between the Centre and the research groups at the partnering institutions in the consortium with the aim of deepening the synergistic relationships and creating possibilities for creating new opportunities and channels of funding;
• Work with the eResearch Office, the Information and Communication Services (ICS) on Research Data Management (RDM) and High Performance Computing issues related to agri-food systems;
• Facilitate research grants and learning and/or teaching stays for German doctoral students, university lecturers and (young) researchers in South Africa;
• Facilitate regular webinars and seminars on Resilient Food Systems and Agri-Food Data Science;
• Develop mechanisms for long term sustainability of the Centre of Excellence;
• Work with relevant departments on the establishment of agri-food data science short courses for the industry.

• You must be a citizen of an EU member state.
• Applicants (m/f/d) should generally have lived in the Federal Republic of Germany for the last two years before applying. Close contact with a German university is also essential during the period abroad.
• Possession of a Ph.D. in one of the following fields: Data Science, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or Food Systems/Agriculture with a demonstrated expertise in Data Science applications.
• Experience in teaching undergraduate and postgraduate data science courses at a German University.
• A track record of quality peer-reviewed publications in accredited journals and conferences, and research in data science, preferably in the context of Agri-food Systems.
• A track record of successful postgraduate supervision of both Masters and PhD students in Data Science and/or Agri-food Systems.
• Evidence of international presence in data science related research fields.
• Evidence of leadership experience and ability to work in multinational and multicultural research environments.

The following documents must be submitted with the application:

• a cover letter outlining your interest.
• a separate description of your research vision for the Centre of Excellence.
• a curriculum vitae including a list of publications.
• contact information for three referees.
• a brief teaching dossier, preferably on data science and food systems related modules including teaching evaluations.

Research Chair: Applied Agricultural and Food Data Science

Post Number

8653

Faculty/Department

University of the Western Cape -> Natural Sciences -> Natural Sciences Faculty Administration

Type of Position

Fixed Term Contract

Length of Contract Period

N/A

Location

Closing Date

15/10/2025

Role Clarification & Key Performance Areas

In the framework of a DAAD-funded project focused on Sustainable and Resilient Food Systems and Applied Agricultural and Food Data Science, the University of the Western Cape (Cape Town, South Africa) is seeking to appoint a Research Chair at the level of Associate Professor/Professor, starting from 1 March 2026.The Chair is funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) with funds from the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR).

A key component of this project is the establishment of a Centre of Excellence at the University of the Western Cape, dedicated to sustainable and resilient agri-food systems, as well as applied agricultural and food and nutritional data science. The centre’s primary objective is to further develop the expertise of doctoral students, early-career researchers, and university lecturers through application-oriented and transdisciplinary research in agri-food systems and applied data science. It also aims to enhance teaching methodologies and mentorship programmes within these interdisciplinary fields.

The Centre is established within a German-African university consortium, co-led by the University of Hohenheim and the University of the Western Cape, with the University of Pretoria and the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources as core partners and the University of Mpumalanga as associate partner.

Within the Centre, a Research Chair is created to advance the linkage between agri-food systems research and data science. The Research Chair will, together with the management team, lead and coordinate the activities of the Centre, and serve as a liaison between the Centre and the research groups at the partnering institutions (including the NRF-funded Research Chair on farming systems at the University of Mpumalanga). The duration of the contract position is tied to the project’s duration which ends December 2029.The position is financed by the DAAD with funds from the BMFTR, reporting directly to the Deputy Vice Chancellor responsible for Research and Innovation at the University of the Western Cape.

The successful candidate will be responsible for the following key performance areas:

• Establish and advance an independent research agenda aligned with the Centre’s research themes;
• Strengthen the research profile of the Centre via active participation, postdoctoral and PhD supervision, publications, and innovative contributions;
• Facilitate learning events affiliated to resilient food systems and agri-food data sciences;
• Spearhead the liaison between the Centre and the research groups at the partnering institutions in the consortium with the aim of deepening the synergistic relationships and creating possibilities for creating new opportunities and channels of funding;
• Work with the eResearch Office, the Information and Communication Services (ICS) on Research Data Management (RDM) and High Performance Computing issues related to agri-food systems;
• Facilitate research grants and learning and/or teaching stays for German doctoral students, university lecturers and (young) researchers in South Africa;
• Facilitate regular webinars and seminars on Resilient Food Systems and Agri-Food Data Science;
• Develop mechanisms for long term sustainability of the Centre of Excellence;
• Work with relevant departments on the establishment of agri-food data science short courses for the industry.
• You must be a citizen of an EU member state.
• Applicants (m/f/d) should generally have lived in the Federal Republic of Germany for the last two years before applying. Close contact with a German university is also essential during the period abroad.
• Possession of a Ph.D. in one of the following fields: Data Science, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or Food Systems/Agriculture with a demonstrated expertise in Data Science applications.
• Experience in teaching undergraduate and postgraduate data science courses at a German University.
• A track record of quality peer-reviewed publications in accredited journals and conferences, and research in data science, preferably in the context of Agri-food Systems.
• A track record of successful postgraduate supervision of both Masters and PhD students in Data Science and/or Agri-food Systems.
• Evidence of international presence in data science related research fields.
• Evidence of leadership experience and ability to work in multinational and multicultural research environments.

The following documents must be submitted with the application:

• a separate description of your research vision for the Centre of Excellence.
• a curriculum vitae including a list of publications.
• contact information for three referees.
• a brief teaching dossier, preferably on data science and food systems related modules including teaching evaluations.

DISCLAIMER: By applying for the position, you consent to the University sharing your application, including curriculum vitae, with University stakeholders to process the application. In line with the University’s commitment to diversifying its workforce, preference will be given to suitably qualified applicants in line with our Employment Equity Targets. The official retirement age at UWC is 65 years. The University reserves the right to not make an appointment, make an appointment at a different level, seek additional candidates and may conduct competency assessments.

Research Chair: Applied Agricultural and Food Data Science

Post Number

8653

Faculty/Department

University of the Western Cape -> Natural Sciences -> Natural Sciences Faculty Administration

Type of Position

Fixed Term Contract

Length of Contract Period

N/A

Location

Closing Date

15/10/2025

Role Clarification & Key Performance Areas

In the framework of a DAAD-funded project focused on Sustainable and Resilient Food Systems and Applied Agricultural and Food Data Science, the University of the Western Cape (Cape Town, South Africa) is seeking to appoint a Research Chair at the level of Associate Professor/Professor, starting from 1 March 2026.The Chair is funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) with funds from the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR).

A key component of this project is the establishment of a Centre of Excellence at the University of the Western Cape, dedicated to sustainable and resilient agri-food systems, as well as applied agricultural and food and nutritional data science. The centre’s primary objective is to further develop the expertise of doctoral students, early-career researchers, and university lecturers through application-oriented and transdisciplinary research in agri-food systems and applied data science. It also aims to enhance teaching methodologies and mentorship programmes within these interdisciplinary fields.

The Centre is established within a German-African university consortium, co-led by the University of Hohenheim and the University of the Western Cape, with the University of Pretoria and the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources as core partners and the University of Mpumalanga as associate partner.

Within the Centre, a Research Chair is created to advance the linkage between agri-food systems research and data science. The Research Chair will, together with the management team, lead and coordinate the activities of the Centre, and serve as a liaison between the Centre and the research groups at the partnering institutions (including the NRF-funded Research Chair on farming systems at the University of Mpumalanga). The duration of the contract position is tied to the project’s duration which ends December 2029.The position is financed by the DAAD with funds from the BMFTR, reporting directly to the Deputy Vice Chancellor responsible for Research and Innovation at the University of the Western Cape.

The successful candidate will be responsible for the following key performance areas:

• Establish and advance an independent research agenda aligned with the Centre’s research themes;
• Strengthen the research profile of the Centre via active participation, postdoctoral and PhD supervision, publications, and innovative contributions;
• Facilitate learning events affiliated to resilient food systems and agri-food data sciences;
• Spearhead the liaison between the Centre and the research groups at the partnering institutions in the consortium with the aim of deepening the synergistic relationships and creating possibilities for creating new opportunities and channels of funding;
• Work with the eResearch Office, the Information and Communication Services (ICS) on Research Data Management (RDM) and High Performance Computing issues related to agri-food systems;
• Facilitate research grants and learning and/or teaching stays for German doctoral students, university lecturers and (young) researchers in South Africa;
• Facilitate regular webinars and seminars on Resilient Food Systems and Agri-Food Data Science;
• Develop mechanisms for long term sustainability of the Centre of Excellence;
• Work with relevant departments on the establishment of agri-food data science short courses for the industry.
• You must be a citizen of an EU member state.
• Applicants (m/f/d) should generally have lived in the Federal Republic of Germany for the last two years before applying. Close contact with a German university is also essential during the period abroad.
• Possession of a Ph.D. in one of the following fields: Data Science, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or Food Systems/Agriculture with a demonstrated expertise in Data Science applications.
• Experience in teaching undergraduate and postgraduate data science courses at a German University.
• A track record of quality peer-reviewed publications in accredited journals and conferences, and research in data science, preferably in the context of Agri-food Systems.
• A track record of successful postgraduate supervision of both Masters and PhD students in Data Science and/or Agri-food Systems.
• Evidence of international presence in data science related research fields.
• Evidence of leadership experience and ability to work in multinational and multicultural research environments.

The following documents must be submitted with the application:

• a separate description of your research vision for the Centre of Excellence.
• a curriculum vitae including a list of publications.
• contact information for three referees.
• a brief teaching dossier, preferably on data science and food systems related modules including teaching evaluations.

DISCLAIMER: By applying for the position, you consent to the University sharing your application, including curriculum vitae, with University stakeholders to process the application. In line with the University’s commitment to diversifying its workforce, preference will be given to suitably qualified applicants in line with our Employment Equity Targets. The official retirement age at UWC is 65 years. The University reserves the right to not make an appointment, make an appointment at a different level, seek additional candidates and may conduct competency assessments.