Various Contract Opportunities in Cape Town

A national GIS consultancy business is looking to recruit a variety of GIS skills ranging from junior technicians to senior specialists and software developers in Cape Town during the next few months. These roles can include GIS data capture, manipulations, analysis, modelling, database setup as as software development.

If you are interested in doing contract work on short, medium or long terms contracts, please send your CV to info@latitude-resource.co.za.

Latest Vacancies - 29/11/2012

Here is a list of our latest vacancies below. If you are interrested in any of the exciting roles or is thinking of making a career move, please send us your CV.

- Technical Intergraph Geospatial Consultant, Cape Town

- Various GIS Contract Opportunities, Cape Town

- GIS/Census Data Analyst, Cape Town

- Aerial Survey Operator, Gauteng

- New Business Development Manager, Cape Town

- Geospatial Business Developer, Cape Town

- IT & Software Support Specialist, Cape Town

- Geospatial Sales Executive, Gauteng

- GIS Software Developer, Cape Town

- Land Information Data Technologist, Pretoria

- Photogrammetrist, Cape Town

- GIS Data Specialist, Cape Town

- Java/GIS Developers x 4, Stellenbosch

- Account & Research Executive, Cape Town

- GIS Analyst (Business & Data), Johannesburg

- GIS Software/Web (.NET), Cape Town

- Geospatial Web/Software Developer (Contract), Johannesburg

- GIS Software Developer (C#, .NET), Johannesburg

- GIS Software Developer (C#, .NET), Cape Town

- GIS Business Developer, Gauteng

- Geospatial Software Developers, Cape Town & Johannesburg

Latest Vacancies

Here is a list of our latest vacancies. If you would like further information regarding any of these, please view our vacancies page, http://www.latitude-resource.co.za/vacancies, or express your interest by sending your CV to info@latitude-resource.co.za .

- New Business Development Manager, Cape Town

- Geospatial Business Developer, Cape Town

- IT & Software Support Specialist, Cape Town

- Geospatial Professional, Gauteng

- Geospatial Sales Executive, Gauteng

- Mining Business Analyst/Implementation Specialist, Gauteng

- GIS Software Developer, Cape Town

- Land Information Data Technologist, Pretoria

- Photogrammetrist, Cape Town

- GIS Data Specialist, Cape Town

- Java/GIS Developers x 4, Stellenbosch *URGENT

- Account & Research Executive, Cape Town

- GIS Analyst (Business & Data), Johannesburg

- GIS Software/Web (.NET), Cape Town

- Geospatial Web/Software Developer (Contract), Johannesburg

- GIS Software Developer (C#, .NET), Johannesburg

- GIS Software Developer (C#, .NET), Cape Town

- GIS Business Developer, Gauteng

- Geospatial Software Developers, Cape Town & Johannesburg

GIS Short Courses at Tuks

I pulled this list of 2013 GIS short courses provided through Continued Education at University of Pretoria (www.ceatup.com) from the OSGeo mailing list as some readers might be interested in this:

1. Certificate Course in Introductory Geographic Information Systems
February - June 2013
Web-based with workshops in Pretoria (proprietary and open source) and Cape Town (open source only)

2. Certificate Course in Advanced Geographic Information Systems
February - October 2013
Web-based learning with workshops in Pretoria

3. GIS Professional Practice
February - June 2013
Distance learning with workshops in Pretoria

4. Introduction to Geoinformation Standards
15 - 16 July 2013 in Pretoria

5. Spatial databases with PostGIS
25 - 29 March 2013 in Pretoria

6. Introduction to Quantum GIS (on request)

7. Remote Sensing (on request)

8. The Basics of GIS (on request)

For more information, click on this link from the University of Pretoria: http://web.up.ac.za/default.asp?ipkCategoryID=16147&subid=16147&ipklookid=11

PhD Fellowship

The following PhD fellowship was posted on the OSGeo Africa mailing list today:

PhD fellowship, 3 years, Italy

Call AM_08 - Environmental modelling and spatial ecology with focus onvector-borne diseases
http://cri.fmach.eu/education/selection/FIRST-FALL-Call-2012


Application: http://cri.fmach.eu/education/selection

Duration: 3 Years

IT KNOWLEDGE - GIS software (e.g., GRASS GIS, MapInfo, ESRI); Programming languages (e.g. C, Python); experience in creation of (SQL) databases; Remote Sensing data analysis.


TUTOR - Markus Neteler


RESEARCH GROUP - GIS and Remote Sensing platform (Biodiversity andMolecular Ecology Department) - http://gis.cri.fmach.it/

GIS Software Developers for South Africa * URGENT

The South African GIS industry is currently experiencing a massive shortage skill in experienced software developers with exposure to geospatial database, web and software development.

Here follows a list of the current skill requirements as combined from a few previous job specs:

Qualifications

·         BSc/BEng Degree with computer science from a recognised university

·         Bsc Geomatics Degree

·         Information Technology qualification and/or Sun Certified Java Programmer Certification

Experience

·         Graduate, junior, mid and senior level developers required

·         Exposure to geospatial/GIS development, technologies & data

Technologies

·         C# .NET

·         Java enterprise web development (Javascript)

·         Databases – MSQL, Postgres (PostGIS), Oracle, MySQL, DB2

·         Cloud based (REST) solutions development

·         Multiple Operating System experience

·         Web Development  - ASP.NET; Flex; Silverlight, HTML5

·         ArcObjects  with C#/Java

·         Experience in the use of the ArcGIS Desktop, Server and SDE

·         JavaSE, JavaEE, J2ME, HTML, JavaScript

·         J2EE application servers, like WebLogic

Please note that the above qualification, experience and technology list is not definitive, but it has been some of the more recent skills requirements. All other related spatial programming experience and technologies will be considered.

If you are a South African citizen with skills in geospatial software development living abroad and would like to return to SA, please contact us to discuss any potential opportunities.

Contact details:

Email: info@latitude-resource.co.za

Tel: +27 (0)21 8544418

Web: www.latitude-resource.co.za.

Attend GISSA Ukubuzana 2012 Exhibition for free

Ukubuzana, the biggest South African GIS event of the year will be held on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th of October at Emperors palace, Johannesburg. Although the delegate fee for this event cost quite a bit of money for the small and medium sized organisations, I just noted that the organisers have opened the exhibition part of event for free.

You will unfortunately not be able to attend any of the range of talks and workshops, but you will be able to interact with some of the biggest South African GISSA "players" in market, so why not take this change to attend for FREE.

Here is the link to the ticket you need to complete and bring with you to the event: http://www.eepublishers.co.za/images/upload/GISSA-Ukubuzana-2012-free-ticket-to-exhibition-only.pdf

Good quality map apps have become the norm

I read this article, "New Apple Maps under fire from users", this morning on the BBC News website regarding the new Apple Map service.

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-19659736

Although I am sure these short comings in Apple Maps are just temporary, it just shows how good quality and accurate data in mapping applications has become the norm today. By mapping I mean the base maps, aerial and satelite imagery, plus other points of interest layers.

Next GISSA Members Event - 19 September 2012

If you live in the Cape Town region and are interested in attending a GIS related event where speakers from the industry will be delivering related talks, why not attend the next GISSA (http://www.gissa.org.za/) Western Cape Members Event this coming Wednesday.

Apart from the very informative talks, there will also be some time to network with a range of industry specialists during and after the formal event.

Venue - Bunker Bar, Viridian Drive, Burgundy Estate, Northern Suburbs, Cape Town

Start - 9h00 for 9h30

Website - http://www.bunkerbar.co.za/contact-us.html

Here follows the presentation topics for the morning:

• Harness the power of satellite imagery – An overview of applications in different industries

• FruitLook - Get the picture?

• Groundwater monitoring using GIS Technologies

• http://www.whereismytransport.co.za

• GIS in Marketing

If you are not a GISSA Member and this is your first event, the cost will be R30 payable at the door.

See you there!

Need a job? Learn to impress the robots - BBC News

I came across this very interesting article this morning on the BBC News website - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19440255.

In short it is about how technology, online & automatic candidate evaluations, etc. is starting to become a integral part of the recruitment process. This does not mean that human contact and evaluation will become null & void, but automatic technology based filtering is becoming more apparent in the first line candidate evaluation and filtering.

Note the section talking about the importance of key words in CV's as this will assist you to get you CV past the "robots" and into the hand of a recruiter.

Very interesting read!

Studentship opportunities (M and PhD's) at CSIR

The following job/studenthip opportunities were recently sent to me. If you are interested in research based opportunities, please read the below:

CAREER OPPORTUNITY

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is a leading scientific and technology research organisation, implementing projects throughout Africa and improving the quality of people’s lives.

MSc (Ref: 301694) or PhD (Ref: 301695) Studentships (two positions)

About the job:

The ICT for Earth Observation research group (ICT4EO) at the CSIR's Meraka Institute conducts research and development in earth observation (EO) information and communications technologies. We collaborate and undertake joint projects with international and local organisations, universities and research institutions. We contribute to national science and technology strategies, CSIR flagship projects and technology demonstrators in the domain of EO sciences and information technologies.

ICT4EO has two Studentship positions for Master's or doctoral research in the fields of machine learning, middleware, geoinformatics, web-centric computing, high performance computing and open standards. Research shall contribute to the projects undertaken by the group or focus on the following topics:

• Geo-spatio temporal data structures and geo-computation;
• ICT environments for EO research and knowledge management; and
• Geo-spatio temporal information visualisation.

Applicants will be required to complete assessment questionnaires. Successful candidates will be contracted for a period of at least one year in the case of a Master’s studentship and three years in the case of a doctoral studentship. During this time, they will be required to develop software and contribute to the technical outputs of projects in the research group.

Key responsibilities:

• Acquire a deep understanding of the EO domain, including concepts of Sensor Web Enablement and Geoinformatics.
• Generate technical knowledge that contributes to the outputs of the research group.
• Fulfil all the requirements for a Master’s or doctoral degree.
• Participate in group activities and contribute to the generation of technical documents and software outputs.

 Qualifications:

• Master’s studentship: A four-year Bachelor’s degree or an Honours degree with a major in computer science or geoinformatics.
• Doctoral studentship: A Master’s degree in a computer science or geoinformatics topic.

 Recommended:

• Familiarity with open-source, programming libraries and operating systems.
• Capabilities in web-centric software development.

Should you meet the above requirements, kindly apply via https://candidate.csir.co.za and select the position reference number 301694 for the Master's and 301695 for the doctoral studentship. If you are a first time applicant, you will be required to register before you can submit your application. If you are a returning applicant, please log onto the application system using your user name and password.

Closing date: 28 September 2012

PLEASE NOTE THAT FEEDBACK WILL BE GIVEN TO SHORTLISTED CANDIDATES ONLY. Should you experience any problems in submitting your application, please contact the CSIR Recruitment Centre at Recruitmentqueries@csir.co.za. Please do not submit your application to this mailbox. The CSIR gives preference to candidates who meet the job requirements and who will add to the cultural and gender diversity of the organisation. By applying for this position at the CSIR, the applicant understands, consents and agrees that the CSIR may solicit a credit and criminal report from a registered credit bureau and/or SAPS (in relation to positions that require trust and honesty and/or entail the handling of cash or finances) and may also verify the applicant’s educational qualifications and employment history. The CSIR reserves the right not to appoint if a suitable candidate is not identified.

Cover letter samples

One of our readers, Samantha, posted this link below on "cover letters" which you might find helpful when composing a cover letter.

http://coverlettersamples.net/category/email-cover-letters

Thanks Samantha!

Cover letter and CV tips as published in the PositionIT

We recently published a second article regarding "Improving your Geospatial Employment Prospects in the August issue of the Position IT magazine.

Here follows the intro:
"This article is the second in a series of articles planned in which we are trying to assist newly qualified as well as experienced geospatial professionals in successfully finding and applying for new employment opportunities. The pointers given in these articles can unfortunately not guarantee a successful application, but it can definitely increase your chances of being invited for an interview and ultimately securing your dream job.

In the first article, published in the Position IT July 2012 issue, we briefly touched on what geospatial career opportunities could be available in the various industries and sectors. Now that readers have a better idea on where to find possible opportunities, we need to focus on what is being ‘communicated’ to the potential employer or recruiter in your cover letter and CV. In other words, what are the do’s and the don’ts?  Good communication skills by way of a well thought out cover letter or email and an excellent CV can assist you greatly in selling your full potential to a recruiter or potential employer. The submission of a cover letter and CV is usually the first step in applying for a new position. In many ways it is also the first interview and unfortunately the area where many applicants just don’t get it ‘right’ and therefore miss the opportunity to potentially get invited to an interview............................................"

If you want to read further, get a paper copy of the August 2012 issue of the PositionIT magazine or read it on-line at - http://z.positionit.eepublishers.co.za/index.aspx?issue=issue27&page=07

Latest version of the South African Journal of Geomatics

Volume 1, Number 2 of the South African Journal of Geomatics was recently published via http://www.sajg.org.za/index.php/sajg/index.

This addition contains the following articles:

1) Gully Features Extraction using Remote Sensing Techniques

By Ndifelani Mararakanye, Nthaduleni Nethengwe

2) Tertiary education institutions in Africa: Cloudy with a chance of GISc education in some countries

By Serena Coetzee, Sanet Eksteen

3) Semi-automated segment generation for geographic novelty detection using edge and area metrics

By Christoff Fourie, Adriaan Van Niekerk, Ladislav Mucina

4) A Comparison of Close-Range Photogrammetry to Terrestrial Laser Scanning for Heritage Documentation

By Heinz Ruther, Julian Lloyd Smit, Donatius Kamamba

City of Cape Town Vacancies

If you are looking for mid level GIS opportunities in Engineering or Local Government, please check out the two opportunities below advertised by the City of Cape Town. Please note that the closing dates is this coming Friday.

1) WATER & SANITATION: RETICULATION
SENIOR GIS TECHNICIAN
Basic Salary: R232 144 p.a. • Ref. WS 106/12

Requirements: A relevant National Diploma or Degree • at least five years’ proven GIS technical
and analysis experience in a utility environment • experience related to management systems and
data analysis • knowledge of relational database technology, IT methodology and systems, as well
as basic business management • a valid Code EB driver’s licence • willingness to travel within the
City of Cape Town, if required.

Key Performance Areas: Provide an efficient GIS support function to District 4 of the Reticulation
Branch, associated with the thorough investigation, analysis and resolution of database-related
problems • ensure optimum and uninterrupted functionality of the GIS system and presentation
of information, using database procedures, applications and tools to ensure that GIS provides
comprehensive and complete information for decision-making processes • capture and update
assets within the Water and Sanitation Geo-database • assist with and co-ordinate the update
and dissemination of field data collection (GPS) for GIS capturing • manage drawing office,
dissemination of plans for capturing purposes and operational support or enquiries by the Public.

Please forward a comprehensive CV to: Water.Sanitation@capetown.gov.za
Closing Date: 27 July 2012

2) WATER AND SANITATION: WATER DEMAND MANAGEMENT & STRATEGY
SENIOR GIS TECHNICIAN
Basic Salary: R232 144 p.a. • Ref. WS 107/12

Requirements: Three year National Diploma or B.Tech or B.Sc qualification in GIS or IS • a minimum
of three years’ GIS or Information Management experience • high degree of computer literacy
• valid driver’s licence • good analytical skills and problem solving abilities.

Recommendations: Experience in data analysis, relational database design and operation • Project
Management experience.


Key Performance Areas: Conduct needs analysis, research latest trends and best practices,
consult with role players, evaluate and recommend options, and obtain agreement on systems
through consultations • maintain accurate and up-to-date GIS and non-spatial Water and
Sanitation information • process, transform and clean spatial and database data to conform to
required standards • perform specific tasks associated with analysis, compilation and presentation
of information • draft monthly statistics and business performance reports, Service Delivery &
Budget Implementation plans • prepare tender documentation and council reports in accordance
with supply chain management.

Please forward a comprehensive CV to: Water.Sanitation@Capetown.gov.za
Closing Date: 27 July 2012

Improving your geospatial employment prospects

The following article I wrote was recently published in the latest PositionIT magazine under the Views/Comments section. This will be one of a series of articles relating to improving your geospatial employment prospects.

http://eepublishers.co.za/article/latitude-resource-308.html

Download the PDF Document.

Here follows a short extract:
"At some stage in your career you will be looking for new employment opportunities. Regardless of whether you have recently completed a geospatial related course, diploma or degree, or are looking to move from one senior position to another. You would ideally like to give  yourself the best possible chance of finding and successfully applying for your first or next career development opportunity".

Free CV Templates

As a recruitment business you can imagine that we receive loads of job applications and therefore CV's on a daily basis. The CV is probably the most important part of your initial application, that is before the actual interview and therefore this needs to be compiled in the best and most professional manner.

If you are creating your first CV or would like to improve your existing CV, note that you can download various Word templates for free from the Microsoft Office Template web page.

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/results.aspx?ck=1&ex=2&qu=cv&av=all

It is also possible to search and open these templates directly from Word. Follow these instructions:

1. Click on "Office Button"
2. Click "NEW"
3. Choose "Installed Templates"
4. Searching the word for "CV".

I hope this will help you to improve your CV which in turn will give you a better chance of getting invited for an interview.

URGENTLY looking for a GIS Analyst (3 Month Contract)

GIS Analyst, Johannesburg - Ref: LR12040 *VERY URGENT

---

A national consulting business specialising in energy and utilities is looking for a experienced GIS Analyst (ESRI ArcGIS) to join their team on a initial 3 month contract, starting ASAP.

Requirements

• Tertiary Qualification in GIS or Geomatics is essential
• At least 3 years experience in analysis and reporting on large GIS datasets
• GIS analysis experience in the utilities/energy environment will be an added advantage

Salary  - R15k to R25k, depending on experience.

Please note that only South African Nationals or candidates with valid ZAR work permits will be considered for this contract post.

Exciting Working Holiday Opportunity with TomTom

I came across this exciting opportunity for TomTom yesterday - http://spatialnews.geocomm.com/dailynews/2012/jun/06/news6.html


"TomTom today kicks off its Map Paradise Project, a once-in-a life-time opportunity for five families or groups of friends to spend two weeks on a tropical island and earn £10,000 for mapping it. The Map Paradise Project will help create five new navigable maps for: Fiji, St. Lucia, Mauritius, Cape Verde, and the Seychelles. To apply, applicants simply need to fill in a form at HTTP//www.tomtom.com/summer"


If you are looking for a working holiday, why don't you apply!

FIG Research Grants and PhD Scholarships

I just came across this bursary opportunity in the South African Geomatics Journal, http://www.sajg.org.za/index.php/sajg

"The Federation International des Geometres (FIG) will provide research grants and PhD scholarships through the FIG Foundation. In summary: FIG Foundation Academic Research Grant The FIG Foundation will be providing research grants of up to 20,000 euros spread over two years. Applicants shall: be based in a surveying/geomatics academic programme that teaches surveying in a country listed by the World Bank as a low-income, lower-middle or upper-middle income economy have an established record of published research - at least two articles in good quality internationally recognised peer reviewed journals serves as a useful guideline, and have experience in managing postgraduate students. Applications will be judged on the quality of the application and need. In the event that two excellent applications are judged to be of equal quality, applications from low-income and lower-middle income countries will be preferred. FIG Foundation PhD Scholarships The FIG Foundation will be providing scholarships of up to 4,000 euros to PhD students. Applicants shall: be studying for a PhD degree and registered solely in a surveying/geomatics academic programme that teaches surveying in a country listed by the World Bank as a low-income, lower-middle or upper-middle income economy must have had a paper accepted by a peer reviewed international journal based on their doctoral research project; applicants should be the lead author, and the paper should be co-authored with their supervisor should not have submitted their final thesis at the application deadline. Applications will be judged on the quality of the application and need. In the event that two excellent applications are judged to be of equal quality, applications from low-income and lower-middle income countries will be preferred. More information may be obtained from the FIG Foundation web page (www.fig.net/figfoundation)"

Current Vacancies - 01.06.2012

Here is a list of our latest vacancies. If you would like further information regarding any of these, please express your interest by sending your CV to info@latitude-resource.co.za.

- Office Administrator/GIS Technician, Cape Town

- Commercial Consultant (Geomatics/Survey/GIS), Cape Town

- GIS Data Technician x3, Pretoria

- Photogrammetry Specialist x 2, Cape Town

- GIS Specialist (Data Delivery) x 2, Cape Town

- GIS Analyst x 2, Johannesburg

- Geo-spatial Sales Manager, Cape Town

- Software Engineers(Amazon S3 & EC2), Cape Town

- Technology Specialist (IT, GIS & Remote Sensing), Cape Town

- GIS Analyst, Pretoria

- Senior GIS Project Manager (BEE), Pretoria

- GIS Business Analyst, Johannesburg (On Hold)

- Mid Level Java Spatial Software Developer, Pretoria

- Trainee LiDAR Operator (BEE), Johannesburg

- GIS Account Manager (BEE), Gauteng

- Junior GIS Software Developer (C#, .NET), Pretoria

- LiDAR Aerial Survey Operator, Gauteng/Africa *URGENT

- GIS Software Developer (C#, .NET), Cape Town

- GIS Software Developer (C#, .NET), Johannesburg

- Lidar Processing Specialist, Pretoria

- GIS Web Developer, Pretoria

- GIS Business Developer, Gauteng

- Geospatial Software Developers, Cape Town & Johannesburg

Latitude Resource in PositionIT

If you do not get a hard copy of the PositionIT magazine, check out the online version at the following link:

http://z.positionit.eepublishers.co.za/index.aspx?issue=issue24&page=C1

Note that Latitude Resource is advertising on page 43 and that I have written a article on a recent GISSA Western Cape Members Event on page 17, that is if you are interested.

Exciting GIS Analyst Opportunity

We are searching for a young up and coming technology minded GIS analyst to join a international business data, navigation and location based services business in Pretoria. This is the perfect opportunity for a talented GIS analyst with a passion for technology to join this expanding geo spatial business.

GIS Analyst (Data Quality, Tools & Processes): Ref LR12025

SUMMARY

• Stay abreast of technological development within the company and assist in its implementation in regional offices.
• Research new processes implemented within the company and oversee its introduction in regional offices.
• Assist in data preparation and QC during automatic import procedures.
• Assist with the development of Process Design, Work Instructions, Project Instructions and other Ad-Hoc Tasks for various activities within the company.
• Provide GIS support and analyses to the companies internal clients as well as internal production and release teams
• Stay abreast of and advise on company specs, processes and tools

MAIN TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Internal GIS Support & Analyses of spatial data to all internal personnel
• Process Design, Work Instructions, Project Instructions for all projects and other Ad-Hoc Tasks
• Data Preparation and QC (quality, accuracy, correctness, completion) for Automatic and manual data Import
• Data cleaning, QC, analysis, interpretation, integration and manipulation
• Research & Implement processes surrounding Community Input
• Research & Implement processes surrounding next generation technologies to be used within the business
• Research & Implement Non- production Tools
• Model building for data analysis using FME and ArcGIS Modelbuilder in order to streamline production, QC and analysis processes
• Advise on best practises for data conflation and perform all operational work to prepare data for it.
• Manage and perform tool Implementation and audits
• Perform, support and manage the SQR Process
• Support the Training QTM

QUALIFICATIONS

Relevant degree or diploma in GIS (registration with Plato will assist) or a minimum of 2-3 years relevant experience.

EXPERIENCE

• Advance knowledge & experience in ArcMap or in other GIS, GPS and commercial mapping software is required.
• Good knowledge and experience in MS Office: Word, Excel & Access.
• Good knowledge and experience of SQL – creating Databases and queries.
• Good knowledge of Geography of South Africa and the rest of Africa.
• Good knowledge and experience of Projections, Geo-referencing of maps and imagery.

SKILLS/KNOWLEDGE

• Excellent in communicating difficult concepts in English both verbally and in writing to others.
• Have knowledge of navigation and related market technology
• Strong planning and organization skills to effectively self-manage activities in research.
• Ability to work within a team environment and actively support the efforts of others.
• Excellent spatial analytical skills
• Good knowledge of FME.
• Good knowledge of ArcGIS Modelbuilder.

COMPENTENCIES

Excellent: Reliability, quality driven/continious improvement, communication,quality and results orientated, integrity and trust, self starter

Advanced: Efficiency, Autonomy, Problem Solving, Pro-activity, Teamwork, customer focus, involvement/commitment, Innovation, Flexibility 

The Scale of the Universe

This is not GIS related post, but definitely has a spatial twist. Check out this fascinating representation of the scale of the universe.

http://www.htwins.net/scale2/


Enjoy!

University of Pretoria Vice-Chancellor's Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme

This was posted on the OSGeo Africa mailing list today:

"The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Pretoria (UP) invites applications from excellent doctoral graduates to apply for Vice-Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellowships at the University. These fellowships will enable recent doctoral graduates to join the University as postdoctoral researchers, and to develop their research skills and academic careers through participation in the University’s strategic priority research themes and research centres. The fellowships will be awarded on a competitive basis and the abilities and previous achievements of candidates will be important criteria in identifying suitable fellows. 

For Geoinformatics (including open source for geospatial) and Remote Sensing related research topics at the university, refer to www.up.ac.za/cgis.

The fellowship in 2012/13 will provide a tax-free bursary of ZAR200 000 per annum. The amount may only be supplemented from other sources of funding with the approval of the Vice-Principal: Research and Postgraduate Education. Funding may also be provided for attendance at a conference at which the Fellow makes a research presentation in the two year support cycle. In addition, a travel allowance will be made available for travel to and from the University of Pretoria at the commencement and termination of the support period. This allowance may also be used to cover the costs involved in obtaining a visitor’s visa endorsed to conduct research (as required for candidates from abroad). The relevant amounts will be paid to the candidate on arrival on Pretoria.

Closing date for applications: Wednesday, 30 May 2012 at 16:00

For more information about the the fellowship programme, including the application process, visit http://web.up.ac.za/vcpostdoc"

Latitude Resource on Facebook & Twitter

If you are interested in receiving social network feeds with regards to new positions, recruitment tips plus many more GIS related posts, why not follow us on Facebook and Twitter:


Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Latitude-Resource/137821206257835


Twitter - http://twitter.com/#!/LatResGIS

SITA Competition

Check out this opensource software development competition from SITA.

http://www.diakanyo.sita.co.za/ 

The Challenge

Create a new application for use by Government and the citizens of South Africa. The Challenge is designed to motivate and reward participants who develop innovative, creative, functional and original applications of relevance to the Public Service by using open source software and publicly-available datasets.

The Rewards

• 1st prize:  R150,000

• 2nd prize: R75,000

• 3rd prize:  R25,000

Closing Date: 4 May, so you need to hurry up and code! Good luck

More GIS Interview Questions

The following four links with regards to GIS interview questions were posted on one of our previous articles by Akaas Developer.


Analysis Interview Questions and Answers

GIS Interview Questions and Answers

GIS Analysis Interview Questions and Answers

GIS Date Interview Questions and Answers



Thanks Akaas, these are really helpful.

The Five Things Employees Really Want

I came across this blog article regarding the five things employees really want, today. In short, these five things are:


1. A pleasant work environment

2. Recognition 

3. Perks 

4. Help when they need it

5. Mentoring


Read the full article here: http://www.entrepreneur.com/blog/223078