Senior Specialist Scientist (Exploration)

Job Title                                 : Senior Specialist (Exploration)

Position Status                      : Permanent

Peromnes Grade                   : P04 ( R 2 118 834,95 CTC per annum)

Location                                 : Pretoria Head Office

Reporting Line                       : Chief Executive Officer

Overall Job Purpose             : 

The incumbent will undertake cutting-edge to high-impact to world-class and potentially policy-defining geoscientific research in either a variety of fields or specific field to develop innovative methods and solutions to resolving to long-standing complex challenges in those fields or specific field, which includes programme management.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Integrates unconventional thinking and best practices in geoscience to identify new mineralisation systems (green fields) and reignite explorations in brown fields.
• Geoscience data processing, interpretation and packing toward defining research areas/requirements and the establishment and review of solutions toward mandated research objectives and training and development plans.
• Integrate and package results toward policy-defining suggestions/reviews and mandated objectives.
• Undertakes specialised geoscience investigations focussed on South Africa’s minerals and energy development spheres.
• Undertakes specialised geoscience research and development toward characterising and understanding South Africa’s geodynamic processes.
• Undertakes and lead the development and integration of fundamental geology, e.g., sedimentology, structure, metamorphic petrology, geochemistry, etc.
• Lead geoscience data mining, collection, interpretation, and modelling toward developing the knowledge and strength of South Africa’s developmental imperatives.
• Develops innovative and new methodologies that can be employed in South Africa’s development sectors.
• Compiles and oversee the development of reports, maps and similar publications on the Council for Geoscience’s exploration projects, and broader, geoscience programme.
• Report and present the findings of the Council for Geoscience’s exploration programme to key stakeholders.
• Make recommendations of the research at a regional, national, and inter-governmental level for both scientific and toward the benefit of South Africa’s national development sectors.
• Undertakes critical review of Council for Geoscience products and methodologies, especially in the field of exploration.
• Undertakes constant review and evaluation of the Council for Geoscience’s exploration programme.
• Contributes toward, and upholds, key quality assurance practices and methodologies in the Council for Geoscience.
• Undertakes varied geoscience activities and research and development toward meeting the mandate of the Council for Geoscience and the developmental agenda of South Africa.
• Remain up to date with macro and micro-economic conditions, legislation, competition, market sentiment and the industry in general, to anticipate and plan for circumstances that may influence the development of the strategic plan.
• Quantify, evaluate, and manage mineral resources for each exploration project within the exploration programme.
• Ensure effective/value-adding geological modelling is maintained as additional data becomes available.
• Co-develop, attain and sign-off geological models for multiple commodities according to specifications, and produce and sign-off the SAMREC/equivalent compliant mineral resource statements;
• Compile standardised geological reports for management information purposes (manage all geological data properly).
• Effectively manage reverse circulation and core drilling operations.
• Manage the Exploration and Core yard functions if needed.

Research And Development

• Formulates strategic proposals for national, international, intergovernmental, scientific and commercial projects/programmes for higher approval by Executive Management.
• Leads and coordinates complex and cutting-edge geoscientific programmes at regional, national, inter-governmental, scientific, commercial and international level.
• Leads cutting-edge or complex research, interpretations, conclusions and recommendations of geoscientific programmes of national importance for various high-level project teams and makes final recommendations of statutory and commercial projects.
• Coordinates and promotes integration of the multidiscipline in the organisation.
• Develops innovative conceptual models and techniques to enhance efficiency and responsiveness in regard to geoscientific programmes.
• Initiate, participates and takes a leading role in specialised and cutting-edge geoscientific research, which involves:

• Data mining and data collection;
• Data interpretation;
• Compilation/computation of maps and/or geoscientific models;
• Development of new methodologies;
• Publications.

• Compilation of reports and high-impact peer-reviewed technical papers or scientific publications.
• Develop policies and make recommendations of the research at regional, national, inter-governmental level for scientific research or commercial purposes.
• Provide guidance and/or mentoring to junior staff in research, which involves the following:

• Develop and provide guidance in the formulation of research proposals, methodologies, data collection and data interpretation;
• Revision and editing of reports, methodologies, models and maps on various projects;
• Lead and monitoring progress on projects;
• Evaluate projects results, edit reports of junior scientists for publication.

• Participate and lead national or international review bodies tasked with reviewing advanced projects/programmes of national, scientific, or international significance.
• Participate in independent research from data gathering, development of high-quality maps and reports, level editing of maps, reports, 3D models and other publications.
• Develop, interrogates, and implements innovative and specialised conceptual models and techniques to enhance efficiency with regards to geoscientific work or programmes.
• Design new methods and formulates theories; using integration of existing and new data to define mineralising systems for the purposes of mineral exploration.
• Geoscience data processing, interpretation and packing toward defining research areas/requirements and the establishment and review of solutions toward mandated research objectives and training and development plans.
• Integrate and package results toward applied policy-defining suggestions.

Project Implementation/ Project Management

• Leads two or more of varied cutting edge to geoscience programmes of varied fields of world-class geoscientific programmes standard simultaneously.
• Evaluates project proposals compiled by other senior scientists’ and make recommendations and technical inputs to project or programme viability.
• Formulates proposals for national, international, inter-governmental, scientific and commercial projects for higher approval by the Executive Management.
• Leads and/or makes geoscience contributions to the compilation of commercial and statutory project tender documents or contracts.
• Provides technical support to the CEO and EXCO in negotiations for organisation to organisation’s geoscientific programmes e.g., advises global institutions.
• Monitor risks and implement/make recommendations for corrective measures in line with the risk management plan to the Exploration Programme manager.
• Participate and/or lead commercial contract negotiations with external clients in line with the mandate from the Executive Management.
• Monitor expenditures in the project expenditure and ensures that the budget is expended in line with the evaluate progress of tasks and objectives of the projects, and report progress to Exploration Programme manager.
• Evaluate project results, reviews and edits project proposals and technical reports compiled by lower-level scientists.
• Supervise and provides guidance in the execution of projects by junior staff.

Stakeholder Relations and Reporting

• Advises Executive Management on scientific and technical acceptability of conclusions, proposals, maps, publications and other reports.
• May be deployed to be part of national or international review bodies tasked with reviewing high profile projects/programmes of national, scientific or international significance.
• Makes presentations at a national and international conferences or related work forums.
• Fit to deliver key-note presentations by invitations from local and international institutions for scientific talks and lectures.
• Advises manager/executive/senior scientific staff as to direction of research and alignment or research initiatives with new global developments.
• Plays a leading role in publications in national and international journals. Could also be involved in the editing or co-editing of a book or volume based on conference proceedings.
• Provides expert advice to the Executive Management on strategic and national matters, public and private sector organisations related field of expertise.
• Regularly produces high-impact publications in national and international journals as first author or second/third author.
• Fit to referee international and external publications by other senior scientists.
• Participates in scientific discussions at national and international conference involving matters of scientific importance in a specific field of expertise.
• Contributes to the national standard and best practice guidelines at relevant forums.

Quality Assurance

• Develops and implements operating manuals for work procedures for ISO certification and monitor implementation thereof.
• Specialises in detailed technical editing of maps, 3D models, reports and publications for the varied project teams and those produced by other scientists.
• Ensures scientific soundness for all scientific publications and products in the field of expertise.

Learning And Development

• Mentors and coaches scientists in regard to their geoscientific work and projects.
• Initiates and conducts national or international training workshops /courses for other scientists.
• Assist in identifying training needs and recommends to the manager.
• Liaises with external institutions/expertise to provide training and skills to junior staff and possibly students in the universities.
• Provides supervision and /or co-supervision of research work by junior staff pursuing post-graduate studies (e.g., MSc, PhD, etc.) with institutions of higher learning.

KEY PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES 

• Capacity to provide an authoritative report.
• Capacity to host national or international workshops .
• Capacity to make research initiatives on internal projects/programs or to hold intellectual property rights on the outputs of internal research projects or programs.
• Ability to lead and undertake specialised research within a dynamic and diverse team environment and capable of building interpersonal relations with clear communication.
• Ability to resolve complex and specialised analytical and logistical problems.
• Ability to lead and oversee the planning and organising of targeted exploration work and project coordination.
• Ability to undertake a leadership role with clear communication, management of resources, conflict management and the capability of building professional relationships.
• Ability to work with a wide-range of geoscience modelling programmes and software.
• Ability to lead and oversee the collection and integration of a wide-range of geoscience datasets, including borehole and legacy data.
• Have an affinity toward creative and innovative thinking with a significant dedication toward quality management and control.
• Affinity toward maintaining the highest level of safety and health management.

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

• Matric (Grade 12) and;
• MSc in Geology/ Exploration Geology and 20 years’ experience in fundamental geology and/or economic/exploration geology or,
• PhD Degree in Geology/ Exploration Geology and 15 years’ experience in fundamental Geology and/or Economic/Exploration geology.
• Professional Natural Scientist (Pr.Sci.Nat.) registration with SACNASP.
• NRF rating will be added advantage.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE

• Experience in integrated geosciences, geodynamic modelling, mineral targeting.
• Experience and ability to develop 3D geological, tectonic and mineral predictive modelling.
• Relevant publication record.
• In depth specialised knowledge and understanding of geodynamics, regional orogenic-tectono-metamorphic processes and the applications and collection of geoscience data, especially linked to minerals and energy systems.
• Professional and scientific writing and communication skills.
• Computer literacy and the ability to work within a geographic database environment, and moreover, critical economic geology modelling systems.
• Recognised world-renowned expert in the field of specialisation.
• Knowledge and understanding of various geodynamic environments, their characteristics and how these enable various mineralising systems.
• General understanding of treasury guidelines and procurement procedures.

The Council for Geoscience is committed to Employment Equity and diversity. In accordance with the Employment Equity prescripts, preference will be given but not limited to candidates from under-represented designated groups. Females and people from previously disadvantaged groups and sectors are encouraged to apply.

Correspondence will be limited to shortlisted candidates only. If you have not been contacted within eight (8) weeks after the closing date of this advertisement, please consider your application unsuccessful.

All appointments are subject to positive vetting results.

The processing of your personal information by the Council for Geoscience will be done in accordance with the POPI Act 4 of 2013.

For enquiries, please contact us at recruitment@geoscience.org.za. Please note: Applications submitted to this email address and CGS social media platforms will not be considered.

Closing Date: 18 September 2025