Academic Positions - Indigenous Food Research

Position 1

• Associate Professor: Sustainable Protein Innovation from Indigenous Foods
• Theme 1: Sustainable Protein Innovation from Indigenous Foods
• Reference Number: 30002802
• Status of Position: Permanent
• Campus: Durban / Pietermaritzburg, as determined by DUT

Position purpose

• The appointee will lead a defined research stream on biotechnology, fermentation technology and bioprocessing for sustainable protein production and fermented products, complementing the Theme Leader agenda and extending the protein platform into biotechnological and fermentation-based protein research.

Minimum requirements

• A doctoral degree NQF 10 in Biotechnology, Fermentation Technology, Bioprocess or Biochemical Engineering, or Microbiology, or a closely related qualification to the theme.
• A good record of research and/or academic leadership, with demonstrated leadership in biotechnology, fermentation and bioprocessing research.
• A significant period of sustained academic experience in research and/or professional experience in higher education or a research environment.
• A minimum of seven 7 DHET-accredited research outputs/creative outputs over the preceding three years, relevant to the discipline, with evidence of research quality and impact.
• Successful supervision to completion of Master's and Doctoral students.
• Evidence of success in securing competitive research funding grants, contracts or commissioned research.
• Evidence of leading multidisciplinary teams and building national/international research collaborations.

Key responsibilities

• Lead a defined research stream within Theme 1: biotechnology, fermentation technology and bioprocessing for sustainable protein production including microbial and precision fermentation, enzyme and biocatalysis technology, complementing and advancing the Theme Leader's strategic agenda.
• Co-develop grant, contract and commissioned-research applications and contribute to securing competitive funding for the theme.
• Produce high-quality peer-reviewed outputs and supervise Doctoral and Master's students to timely completion.
• Co-supervise and mentor early-career researchers and the Senior Lecturer, and deputise for the Theme Leader when required.
• Build and strengthen research collaborations and partnerships and ensure adherence to IFRi's stage-gate governance and ethics requirements.

Ideal / additional recommendations

• An NRF rating or equivalent recognised research standing particularly for Professor and Associate Professor appointments.
• Evidence of interdisciplinary, community-engaged or place-based research, and an ability to work across scientific and indigenous knowledge systems.
• Experience of research ethics, or indigenous knowledge governance, access and benefit-sharing, biodiversity or food-regulatory requirements relevant to the portfolio.
• Evidence of international, African and/or industry, government, civil-society or community research networks.

Position 2

• Professor Theme Leader: Food Processing, Product Innovation and Value Addition
• Theme 2: Food Processing, Product Innovation and Value Addition
• Reference Number: 30002799
• Status of Position: Permanent
• Campus: Durban / Pietermaritzburg, as determined by DUT

Position purpose

• The appointee will provide senior intellectual and strategic leadership in the development of processing technologies and market-ready products from indigenous foods, bridging laboratory science and industrial scale-up through the pilot processing facility and commercialisation pipeline.

Minimum requirements

• A doctoral degree NQF 10 in Food Technology, Food Processing/Engineering, or Food Science, or a closely related qualification to the theme.
• A strong record of research and/or academic leadership, with demonstrated leadership in indigenous-food processing, product innovation and value-addition research.
• 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 10 DHET-accredited research outputs/creative outputs over the preceding three years, relevant to the discipline, with evidence of research quality and impact.
• Evidence of a substantial record of successful supervision to completion of Master's and Doctoral students.
• 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

• Provide overall academic and strategic leadership for Theme 2 — Food Processing, Product Innovation and Value Addition, setting its research direction and leading its flagship programme, the Indigenous Foods Pilot Processing and Product Innovation Plant.
• Build, grow and sustain a high-quality, externally funded research programme, leading major grant, contract and philanthropic funding applications for the theme.
• Drive high-impact peer-reviewed publications, postgraduate completions Master's and Doctoral and innovation/IP outputs across the theme.
• Establish and lead national and international research collaborations and industry, community and policy partnerships, and represent IFRi in relevant professional and policy forums.
• Mentor academic staff, postdoctoral fellows and students, and ensure all theme research proceeds through IFRi's stage-gate governance, ethics and quality-assurance framework.

Ideal / additional recommendations

• An NRF rating or equivalent recognised research standing particularly for Professor and Associate Professor appointments.
• Evidence of interdisciplinary, community-engaged or place-based research, and an ability to work across scientific or indigenous knowledge systems.
• Experience of research ethics, indigenous knowledge governance, access and benefit-sharing, biodiversity or food-regulatory requirements relevant to the portfolio.
• Evidence of international, African and/or industry, government, civil-society or community research networks.

Position 3

• Associate Professor: Food Processing, Product Innovation and Value Addition
• Theme 2: Food Processing, Product Innovation and Value Addition
• Reference Number: 30002803
• Status of Position: Permanent
• Campus: Durban / Pietermaritzburg, as determined by DUT

Position purpose

• The appointee will lead a defined research stream on processing-technology development and product formulation for indigenous foods, complementing the Theme Leader's agenda and advancing flagship products through spin-off pipeline.

Minimum requirements

• A doctoral degree NQF 10 in Food Technology/Food Processing/Engineering, or Food Science, or a closely related qualification to the theme.
• A good record of research and/or academic leadership, with demonstrated leadership in indigenous-food processing, product innovation and value-addition research.
• A significant period of sustained academic experience in research and/or professional experience in higher education or a research environment.
• A minimum of seven 7 DHET-accredited research outputs/creative outputs over the preceding three years, relevant to the discipline, with evidence of research quality and impact.
• Successful supervision to completion of Master's and Doctoral students.
• Evidence of success in securing competitive research funding grants, contracts or commissioned research.
• Evidence of leading multidisciplinary teams and building national/international research collaborations.

Key responsibilities

• Lead a defined research stream within Theme 2: processing-technology development milling, extrusion, drying and fermentation and the design of nutritious, convenient and shelf-stable indigenous-food products, complementing and advancing the Theme Leader's strategic agenda.
• Co-develop grant, contract and commissioned-research applications and contribute to securing competitiv