Senior Lecturer/ Lecturer: Mineral nutrition of horticultural crops

Duties

To maintain and expand the current focus and activity within the Department, we are looking for an academic interested in exploring the teaching and research areas of pre-harvest horticulture with a strong focus on mineral nutrition. The main duties of the position include:

• Undergraduate teaching in all aspects of mineral nutrition of horticultural fruit crops within a Southern African context;
• Involvement in continuous undergraduate curriculum development to ensure relevance, as well as in the departmental development of short courses;
• Driving and supporting research programmes in fundamental mineral nutrition as well as soil biology, soil health and sustainability of horticultural fruit crops;
• Providing academic guidance to postgraduate students;
• Managing a research programme, as part of a team, in collaboration and extension of existing programmes within the Department of Horticultural Science and the greater Faculty of AgriSciences;
• Sourcing and obtaining external research funds and effectively managing research programmes;
• Developing national and international research and industry partnerships and networks;
• Rendering a service to the Department, Faculty and University, as well as relevant industries and communities;
• Supervision of the horticultural section of the Welgevallen Research farm and its associated activities.

Job Requirements

• PhD in Horticultural Science or Plant Physiology;
• Excellent knowledge of mineral nutrition of horticultural crops; including physiology and phenology;
• Knowlegde of soil biology (plant-microbe interactions), soil health and sustainable agricultural practices;
• Proven experience or ability in terms of teaching pre-harvest mineral nutrition;
• Proven experience or ability in terms of industry-focused, applied pre-harvest research;
• Postgraduate supervision on mineral nutrition, commensurate with the level of appointment;
• Peer-reviewed scientific publications, commensurate with the level of appointment;
• Proven experience or the ability to obtain external research funding, commensurate with the level of appointment;
• Relevant computer and statistical analysis proficiency;
• The ability to work within a team context and within the broader context of the academic department and its administration.

Recommendation

• Leadership in horticulture activities that fits the departmental profile and culture;
• Recognition within the South African horticultural industries;
• NRF rating;
• The ability to function within a multilingual university environment.

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