The School of Geosciences at Wits University is seeking a dynamic candidate to join our team as a computational geophysicist at the rank of Lecturer/Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor/Full Professor.
The successful candidate will carry out a programme of research in the broadly defined area of computational geophysics/geosciences that complements one or more of the School's current research strengths, especially within our geophysics team.
They will join one of Africa's largest and most diverse geosciences institutions, contributing to our academic training programmes while developing their own internationally recognised, externally funded research team. Ideally, the successful candidate will bridge disciplines of geology, geochemistry and geophysics with their computational approach.
Brief Description
Requirements, Key Performance Areas & Competencies
The successful candidate is expected to establish an active and well-funded research programme in computational geosciences, publishing research in internationally-accredited journals, as well as attracting and mentoring a diverse body of postgraduate students. They will be required to teach undergraduate and postgraduate courses in computational geophysics and geosciences, numerical methods, or related quantitative geophysics topics, and participate in at least one field trip at an undergraduate or Honours level.
Applicants must provide evidence of:
A PhD in Geophysics with clear evidence of relevant cross-disciplinary computational skills.
A strong record of, or clear potential to establish, an internationally-recognised and externally-funded research programme in computational geosciences (broadly defined).
Demonstrated expertise in computational methods applied to the geosciences, which may include numerical modelling, high-performance computing, data science, machine learning, or related quantitative approaches.
A publication record in internationally-accredited journals commensurate with the level of appointment.
A demonstrated commitment to excellence in teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, including the ability to develop and deliver courses in computational geophysics, geoscience or related quantitative geophysical topics.
Experience in, or a clear commitment to, supervising and mentoring a diverse body of postgraduate students, commensurate with the level of appointment.
Evidence of, or potential for, securing external research funding from national and international funding agencies, commensurate with the level of appointment.
The ability to complement and strengthen one or more of the School's existing research areas in geophysics, such as potential fields, reflection seismology, earthquake seismology, or electrical methods, alongside bridging our discipline strengths of geology, geochemistry and environmental geoscience with their computational approach.
Closing Date: 31 August 2026