Organisation Background

The Science for Africa Foundation (SFA Foundation) is a non-profit, public charity organisation that supports strengthens and promotes science innovation in Africa. The goal of the SFA Foundation is to address the continent’s most pressing developmental needs by generating scientific knowledge that solves problems and informs decision-making.

We serve the African research ecosystem by funding excellent research and innovation ideas; enabling interdisciplinary collaboration among researchers, building and reinforcing environments that are conducive for scientists to thrive and produce quality research that generates new, locally relevant knowledge.

The SFA Foundation takes a holistic approach to the development of science. Our programmatic initiatives are crafted to cater to the entire science ecosystem and span across the value chain from early discovery sciences to translation sciences and target cross-cutting gaps.

Our commitment to strengthening the entire research ecosystem is reflected in the creation of major science and innovation programmes implemented through a well-established grant-making scheme, advocacy and promotion of scientific excellence, emphasis on intra-Africa collaboration and evidence-based policy-making mechanisms.

Position Overview

The Science Policy Engagement for Africa (SPEAR) is a programme of the Science for Africa Foundation which seeks to influence science, technology, and Innovation (STI) policy. This position aims to offer fresh graduates in Information Technology/Computer Science an opportunity to gain practical experience and exposure to the daily operations of the workplace. Through this program, individuals can learn and develop new skills that will benefit their professional growth and future career opportunities.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

1. Provide technical support for the rollout of the SPEAR programme
2. Assisting in the deployment and configuration of hardware and software systems.
3. Troubleshooting and resolving computer hardware, software, and network systems issues.
4. Participating in designing, implementing, and maintaining the organisation’s network infrastructure.
5. Collaborating with team members to ensure that all ICT systems operate efficiently and effectively.
6. Providing support in the development and implementation of ICT policies and procedures.
7. Assisting in the documentation and reporting of technical issues and solutions.
8. Participating in training and development opportunities to enhance technical skills.
9. Performing any other duties as assigned by the IT Manager or any other designated supervisor.

Person Specifications

• Recent graduate in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field
• An understanding of computer networking, communications systems, and Cloud Infrastructure.
• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
• Good verbal and written communication skills
• Analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively with teams.
• Strong work ethic and attention to detail.
• Ability to establish and maintain positive relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

Deliverables

• Ability to attend to basic user support queries with minimal supervision.
• Demonstration of participation in solution design and implementation.
• Ability to create technical and end-user documentation.
• Ability to generate reports on fault summary, and trend analysis reports, weekly and identify a possible trend.

HOW TO APPLY

Should you meet the above requirements, please submit a cover letter and a current Curriculum Vitae not exceeding five (5) pages including three professional referees to [email protected] with the name of the vacancy as the e-mail subject.

The cover letter should be no more than two pages long and explain why you are interested in this post and how your skills and experience make you a good fit.

The documents should be saved in MS Word or PDF in the following format: Your First Name-Your Last Name-Document Name-Date (mmyy) e.g., Deus-Wan-CV-092022-SFA Foundation or Deus-Wan-CoverLetter-092022 -SFA Foundation.

All applications should be submitted by Friday, 28^th April 2023. APPLICATIONS WILL: BE REVIEWED ON A ROLLING BASIS

SFA Foundation has a commitment to safeguarding people and our environment and this forms part of our background checks.