Academic Positions - Health Device Innovation

Position 1

• Professor: Biosensors, Microfluidics, In-Vitro Diagnostics and Clinical Validation
• Theme 1: Point-of-Care Diagnostics and Essential Clinical Devices
• Reference Number: 30002774
• Status of Position: Permanent
• Reporting Line: Director: DUT Health Devices Innovation Institute
• Theme-specific expertise
• Biosensors, microfluidics, in-vitro diagnostics and clinical validation

Minimum requirements

• A relevant doctoral degree NQF Level 10 in Biomedical Engineering, Medical Physics, Electrical Engineering, Clinical Laboratory Science, Biomedical Science or a closely related qualification to the theme.
• A strong record of research and/or academic leadership, with demonstrated leadership in the relevant scholarly field.
• A substantial and sustained period of distinguished academic experience in research and/or professional experience in higher education or a research environment, with recognised standing in the field.
• A minimum of ten DHET-accredited research outputs or recognised creative/innovation outputs during the preceding three years, relevant to the field.
• Evidence of substantial record of successful supervision to completion of Master's and Doctoral students.
• A sustained record of high-quality, cited research; competitive grant awards; international recognition; and leadership of substantial interdisciplinary programmes.
• Evidence of excellent teaching, postgraduate mentorship, curriculum contribution and academic citizenship appropriate to appointment at Full Professor level .
• Demonstrated success in securing competitive research funding grants, contracts or commissioned research.
• Evidence of leading multidisciplinary teams and building national/international research collaborations.

Key responsibilities

Research Leadership

• Lead an internationally credible portfolio of affordable point-of-care and near-patient diagnostic technologies for priority infectious, maternal-child and non-communicable conditions.
• Develop, lead and grow a high-quality, externally funded research programme encompassing biosensors, microfluidics, imaging systems and essential clinical monitoring devices.
• Develop research on analytical performance, clinical validity, real-world performance, calibration, consumables, shelf life and sample pathways.
• Establish co-led clinical-validation programmes with authorised health-service partners and appropriate biostatistical support.
• Lead analytical performance verification, clinical validation, usability and real-world evidence generation for device prototypes.
• Generate peer-reviewed outputs, protectable intellectual property where appropriate, translational evidence and standards or policy contributions.
• Ensure all research proceeds through proportionate ethics, risk, regulatory and clinical evidence pathways in accordance with SAHPRA and applicable standards.
• Postgraduate Supervision and Teaching
• Build competitive multi-partner grants, laboratories/platforms and postgraduate cohorts linking engineering, clinical science, data and implementation.
• Supervise doctoral and master's students across Theme 1 research streams, with a commitment to timely completions.
• Mentor junior researchers, postdoctoral fellows and research associates within the Institute.

Partnership and Funding

• Establish and maintain formal clinical, community and industry partnerships for needs identification, co-design and clinical evaluation.
• Lead or co-lead grant applications, contracted research and philanthropic funding proposals to sustain and grow the research programme.
• Represent the Institute in relevant national and international professional forums, standards bodies and policy engagements.

Governance and Compliance

• Implement the Institute's stage-gate governance framework for all Theme 1 projects, including ethics approvals, design controls, risk registers and documentation standards.
• Report on Theme 1 performance against agreed targets to the Institute Director and relevant governance structures.
• Maintain audit readiness and contribute to quality assurance across the Institute's research portfolio.

Ideal / additional recommendations

• An NRF rating or demonstrated equivalent international standing through publications, citations and scholarly recognition is strongly advantageous.

Position 2

• Senior Lecturer: Essential Monitoring, Maternal-Neonatal Devices and Human Factors
• Theme 1: Point-of-Care Diagnostics and Essential Clinical Devices
• Reference Number: 30002778
• Status of Position: Permanent
• Reporting Line: Director: DUT Health Devices Innovation Institute
• Theme-specific expertise
• Essential monitoring, maternal-neonatal devices and human factors

Minimum requirements

• A relevant doctoral degree NQF Level 10 in Biomedical Engineering, Medical Physics, Electrical Engineering, Clinical Laboratory Science or a closely related field.
• A developing record of research and/or academic leadership in the relevant scholarly field.
• An appropriate period of relevant academic experience in research and/or professional experience in higher education or a research environment.
• At least three DHET-accredited research outputs or recognised creative/innovation outputs during the preceding three years.
• Evidence of participation in supervision of Master's students.
• Evidence of excellent teaching, innovative assessment or curriculum practice, effective academic advising and a developing independent research programme.
• Evidence of participation in grants writing.
• Evidence of participation in multidisciplinary teams and research collaborations.
• Evidence of participation in grants writing.
• Evidence of participation in multidisciplinary teams and research collaborations.

Key responsibilities

Research

• Design and evaluate essential monitoring, triage, medication-support or maternal-neonatal devices for constrained care environments.
• Conduct human-factors, usability, workflow, language, training and referral-integration studies with users and clinicians.
• Develop traceable device requirements, verification protocols and research documentation from concept stage.
• Contribute to Theme 1 research in essential monitoring devices or related streams under the leadership of the Theme 1 Professor.
• Participate in the KZN Frontline Diagnostics and Essential Devices Platform, contributing to analytical verification, usability evaluation and clinical evidence generation.
• Maintain compliance with Institute ethics, risk and design-control requirements in all research activities.
• Pursue external research funding through grants, fellowships and contracted research.
• Postgraduate Supervision and Teaching
• Co-supervise and progressively lead master's-level research projects within Theme 1.
• Publish research, supervise postgraduate candidates and contribute to interdisciplinary teaching and methods development.
• Contribute to undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in biomedical engineering, diagnostic science or related disciplines in collaboration with DUT faculties.
• Support and mentor postgraduate students and junior researchers within the Institute.

Partnership and Engagement

• Support prototype testing, field studies, grant proposals and innovation or knowledge-transfer activities.
• Participate in clinical and community needs-identification activities and formal co-design workshops with health-service and industry partners.
• Contribute to grant applications, technical reports and deliverables for funded projects within Theme 1.
• Engage with professional bodies and participate in relevant seminars, workshops and community engagement activities.

Administration and Governance

• Contribute to Institute governance activities, including stage-gate documentation, ethics submissions and project reporting.
• Participate in performance review processes and Institute quality-assurance activities as required.

Ideal / additional recommendations

• Experience in biomedical