CORE PURPOSE OF JOB

The Natural Resource Science & Management Cluster at the George Campus, Nelson Mandela University needs your talent, passion and commitment to strengthen our teaching and research in commercial agriculture, forestry and the broader natural resources sector. A vacancy exists for Lecturer / Senior Lecturer in the broad field of Technology Management and Precision Farming. The purpose of this academic post is to teach and research at the interface of agricultural management and other agricultural and natural sciences, emphasizing the integration of management, science and technology for sustainable natural resource management. The post requires a person who has the ability to teach and research across disciplines within the Agricultural Management, Forestry and Conservation Management diploma and degree programs. Learning and Teaching in the Cluster takes place at the following levels: Diploma, Advanced Diploma, Honours, MSc and PhD. The candidate should be able to teach at undergraduate level and provide support at a postgraduate level. Our Cluster engages in a diversity of basic and applied research activities and the candidate will be expected to support research programmes focussed in their area of specialisation. We encourage multidisciplinary research and the building of national and international collaborative networks, and therefore the candidate should feel comfortable engaging in teaching and research activities with multi-disciplinary teams. We also strive to remain close to, and build a strong relationship with the agricultural, forestry and conservation industries through engagement and through our undergraduate work integrated learning program. Each staff member is expected to contribute to this effort.

The George Campus (

If you have what it takes to serve the needs of our students, our campus and the South African agricultural sector and your credentials meet the requirements of this position, we invite you to join our team at the George Campus.

KEY PERFORMANCE AREAS

• Teach undergraduate students in the fields of Technology Management and Precision Farming.
• Facilitate student learning at a post-graduate level in the disciplines of Agricultural Management, Forestry and Nature Conservation
• Conduct and publish research relevant to natural resource managementand sustainable agriculture.
• Engage and build networks within agriculture and the broader natural resource management industry and academia.
• Facilitate academic engagement with stakeholders.
• Perform administrative and management functions in the Agricultural Management Department and the Natural Resource Science & Management Cluster as needed.            

CORE COMPETENCIES

• An ability to facilitate teaching and learning in Technology Management and Precision Farming in the broad discipline of Natural Resource Management.
• Be competent in the use of a variety of technological tools and computer-assisted technologies relevant to precision agricultural systems, including, but not limited to, agricultural mechanization, irrigation, fertigation, animal identification, post-harvest technology, geospatial technology, meteorology, eco-physiology and UAV's (drone technology).
• An ability to apply theoretical scientific concepts in a practical context.
• An ability to teach a diversity of students from multiple backgrounds at different academic levels.
• An ability to develop course/educational material for learning and teaching.
• An aptitude for teamwork and working with groups of people in a multi-disciplinary context.
• An ability to conduct basic and applied research and publish/present research results.
• Experience in networking with practitioners and researchers in the field.
• An ability to engage and work with a diversity of stakeholders to achieve results beneficial to society.
• An ability to develop and nurture local community relationships.
• Be creative and innovative in the workplace.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in two of the three official languages of the Western Cape Province.

REQUIREMENTS

• A Masters Degree in Agriculture, or a discipline relevant to Natural Resource Science and Managemen