Position Title:  Associate Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering (EBE)

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR: MECHATRONICS 

Department of Electrical Engineering

Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment

The University of Cape Town (UCT) is one of the leading higher education institutions on the African continent. It embraces a tradition of academic excellence that is respected worldwide. The academic project remains at the heart of UCT’s mission, which is built on three pillars at the core of Vision 2030: excellence, transformation, and sustainability.

The Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of Cape Town enjoys an international reputation for its activities in the fields of control engineering, digital electronics, image processing, instrumentation, machines and drives, power electronics, mechatronics, power engineering, radar and remote sensing, microwave engineering and telecommunications.

The Department has three undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Engineering degrees programmes in: Electrical Engineering, Electrical & Computer Engineering, and Mechatronics. The degree programmes are accredited by the Engineering Council of South Africa. The Department has an undergraduate cohort of around 700 students and a postgraduate cohort of around 150 (masters and doctoral) students.

The Department is seeking to appoint a permanent, full-time academic staff in the field below:

• Mechatronics.

The appointment will depend on the experience and academic standing of the successful applicant and will be in accordance with the university’s employment equity requirements. Suitably qualified individuals are invited to apply.

Requirements for the position:

• A Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or a closely related discipline, at NQF level 8.
• PhD in electrical engineering or in an appropriate field related to the advertised post.
• Extensive experience in lecturing at undergraduate and/or postgraduate levels.
• A track record of supervising and graduating postgraduate (i.e., MSc and PhD) students.
• Coherent, established track record of research and/or industrial experience in the field:

• Mechatronics – Robotics, field robotics, bio-inspired robotics, autonomous and intelligent systems.

The following will be advantageous:

• Experience in securing research funding from national and/or international grant agencies. A list of grants awarded to be included.
• Experience in working and engaging with industries.
• Relevant industrial experience.
• National Research Foundation (NRF) rating.
• Professional Engineering registration.
• Experience in management (of courses, staff and/or research projects).
• Experience with curriculum development.

Responsibilities include:

 Teaching:

• Contribute to the teaching of undergraduate and postgraduate courses.
• Supervise/co-supervise final year undergraduate students and postgraduate (Master’s and Doctoral) students
• Develop new approaches to teaching, including blended learning and online approaches.

Research:

• Conceptualise, lead and conduct research related to the field mentioned above.
• Develop/expand research collaborations both nationally and internationally.
• Raise research funding, apply for grants from appropriate national and international funding bodies.
• Obtain and maintain a National Research Foundation rating (if not in possession of this already).

Leadership, management and administration:

• Contribute to excellence in the operation of the Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics and Electrical & Computer Engineering undergraduate curriculum, by maintaining and growing the reputation of the programmes.
• Perform administrative functions at Departmental, Faculty and, if needed, University level.
• Perform administrative functions related to teaching and research projects (i.e., convene courses, manage research teams, manage funding for research, monitor operational expenses, write progress reports, etc.).
• Obtain and maintain Professional Engineering registration (if not in possession of this already).
• Contribute to excellence in the operation of the Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics and Electrical & Computer Engineering undergraduate curriculum, by maintaining and growing the reputation of the programmes.
• Perform administrative functions at Departmental, Faculty and, if needed, University level.
• Perform administrative functions related to teaching and research projects (i.e., convene courses, manage research teams, manage funding for research, monitor operational expenses, write progress reports, etc.).
• Obtain and maintain Professional Engineering registration (if not in possession of this already).

Social responsiveness

• Scholarly engagement with external stakeholder for the purposes of: contributing to industry, formulation of policy, provision of services, coproduction of knowledge, or the dissemination of information.

Information on the teaching and research activities of the Department may be found on the website: www.ebe.uct.ac.za/department-electrical-engineering.

The annual cost of employment, inclusive of all benefits, is R1, 378 741.

To apply, please visit the UCT Internal Careers site (For Internal Applicants) and UCT Careers site (For external Applicants) to create a profile and submit your application.

Please complete/attach the following to your profile before submitting your application:

• A motivation letter
• A detailed Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• A 1-page research impact statement
• A 1-page teaching philosophy
• Three referee names which must include their title and name, position details, relationship to you, their e-mail address, and telephone number

Shortlisted candidates may be required to undergo competency assessments and deliver an open presentation to the Department. References may be requested by UCT at any stage of the selection process.

Any inquiries for this position are to be addressed to Mr. Ian Petersen at ian.petersen@uct.ac.za or 021 650 2163.

Closing Date: 19 October 2025                  Website: www.ebe.uct.ac.za/

UCT is a designated employer and is committed to the pursuit of excellence, diversity, and redress in achieving its equity targets in accordance with the Employment Equity Plan of the University and its Employment Equity goals and targets. Preference will be given to candidates from the under-represented designated groups. Our Employment Equity Policy is available at https://uct.ac.za/media/9482.

UCT reserves the right not to appoint.