Job Description

We're looking for individuals who can join our awesome team of data scientists, mathematicians and engineers to help students, educators, researchers, and their institutions achieve success through their effective adoption of MATLAB & Simulink in research, teaching and learning, by partnering with Opti-Num Solutions.




cITY
Johannesburg
Category
Technical
Job Level
Mid-Level
Employment Type
Full time

Overview

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Opti-Num Solutions have been innovating in the South African technology sector for over 30 years. We collaborate with our clients, applying our innovative thinking and class-leading tools to develop meaningful solutions that allow our clients to make impactful, evidence-based, business decisions.


We're looking for individuals who can join our awesome team of data scientists, mathematicians and engineers to help students, educators, researchers, and their institutions achieve success through their effective adoption of MATLAB & Simulink in research, teaching and learning, by partnering with Opti-Num Solutions.


As a Research, Teaching and Learning Customer Success Specialist you'll champion the adoption of MathWorks tools for research, teaching and learning in academic and research institutes, which includes the following:

Learn about MathWorks broad offerings for research, teaching and learning, engaging with MathWorks to stay at the forefront of new developments (including new toolboxes, MATLAB Grader, Online Training Suite). Engage with academics and researchers, across South Africa, at universities and research organisations, to understand their needs and co-create plans to help them enhance their research and curriculums by applying the capabilities of MathWorks offerings available to them. These institutions often already have access to all MathWorks tools, so the challenge is not convincing them to purchase the tools but rather to pro-actively support their adoption and usage of these readily available tools and capabilities. Given that the engagement spans multiple departments and disciplines this requires both deep academic knowledge across a range of topics as well as broad cross industry exposure (as Opti-Num plays a key role in linking the academic world to the commercial world). Execute specific academic and researcher support required yourself and coordinate individuals in the broader Opti-Num team to provide further support required. Such support could typically involve integrating a new topic into a course or evolving the curriculum to support technological advancements. Research cutting edge topics and write research papers in collaboration with experts in academia, leveraging MathWorks tools. Develop and facilitate MATLAB and Simulink-based student and researcher competitions, fostering a culture of innovation and excellence (for example see the mini-drone competition) Engage with senior staff at Opti-Num to design and execute business strategy for research, teaching and learning institutions in South Africa.

You will be part of a diverse, inspiring community with opportunities to present at conferences, travel across Southern Africa, and interface with global teams at MathWorks. From enhancing workflows to supporting the integration of world-class engineering and science tools, your efforts will shape the future of research in the African context, leaving a lasting impact on thousands of students and researchers.

What we're offering

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Cross discipline exposure

- consult with, get advice from, and share your projects with colleagues from a wide range of disciplines, including engineering, science, mathematics and the application of these capabilities in industries (mining, process, aero-def, telecoms, automotive etc...). We have a culture that encourages knowledge transfer through project shares and code and design reviews at all levels. ?

Publish research papers

- identify and drive opportunities to collaborate with experts in academia and industry to develop and publish research. ?

Endless learning opportunities

- from coding dojos, a data science club, and internal training courses, to funding for external courses and further studies. We encourage both business and technical skills development. ?

Flexible hybrid working conditions

- we currently have a hybrid approach for the location of work - this includes working from home, on-site at our clients as well as working from our well-equipped offices with a great atmosphere. ?

Mentorship

- receive mentorship and guidance from our team leads, senior management and MathWorks colleagues based internationally, while at the same time, have the opportunity to mentor junior and graduate engineers on the team. ?

Career growth

- The possibility of growing into a role which considers the strategic direction of Opti-Num's Research Teaching and Learning business and provides oversight and coordination of efforts by the team driving this area.

What we're looking for

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Critical role-specific characteristics include:

Experience with, and a passion to learn more about MATLAB, Simulink and other MathWorks tools related to research and teaching offerings, with a particular focused on Model-based Design and AI. Must have at least 2 years' work experience in a relevant position. The role requires regular travel within Southern Africa to engage with university lecturers and students in person. Enthusiasm to engage with lecturers and researchers in Southern Africa to champion the practical application of the tools across research, teaching and learning. This includes curriculum integration of the tools, applications of MATLAB Grader, promoting awareness and access to the Online Training Suite available in Open Access Licenses at the institutions and campuses. Leverage MathWorks developed student competitions, such as the mini-drone competition, and student ambassador programs. Conceptualisation and coordination of events showcasing MathWorks research and teaching offerings, coordinating with the stakeholders (at Opti-Num, MathWorks and our client institutions) A strong academic history and broad base of skills and interest in engineering, mathematics, science, technology, and innovation to the extent that you are comfortable discussing related topics with lecturers and researchers in their fields (and preparing for these engagements appropriately). Good knowledge/understanding of curriculum development and research workflows. Genuine interest and ability in supporting the computational skills development of students, lecturers, and researchers. Excellent communication, public speaking, and social skills. Naturally meticulous and eager to understand the "Why?"*.
A personal resonance with the Opti-Num company values of: Collaboration and Communication, Ownership and Proactivity, Creativity and Innovation, Growth and Development, and Integrity and Respect. Enthusiastic about Open Science and uncovering ways to grow and support the Open Science Community in Southern Africa through the use of MathWorks tools and offerings.

Education:

Master's degree in a STEM field. We're looking for qualifications such as mechanical, electrical, chemical or computer engineering, physics, computer science, mathematics, computational and applied maths, statistics, actuarial sciences ,financial engineering, or financial mathematics. A PhD degree or interest in pursuing a doctorate degree is great (we can help you with this).

Interview process

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If your application passes our initial screening, you will enter our interview process, which usually consists of two interviews. The first interview is conversational, and we will ask questions around your interests, skills, and experience. Following this, you may be given a take-home task, which the solution to which you would present back to us in the second interview session.