09 Apr 2025
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Position: Junior Platform Engineer 

Position Overview: Digital Earth Africa (DE Africa) is seeking a skilled and capable Africa based software engineer with experience managing Amazon Web Services (AWS) applications. The successful candidate will use their skills to maintain and uplift DE Africa’s platform operations, which house a very large volume of geospatial data and makes it accessible for analysis in an AWS cloud environment. They will be responsible for maintaining operational data pipelines, user-facing environments, and assisting with DevOps for large-scale processing of spatial data. 

Location: Johannesburg-based or Remote 

Reports to: Platform Lead  

Job Type: Full-time Contract  

About Digital Earth Africa (DE Africa) and The Research Institute for Innovation and Sustainability (RIIS) 

Digital Earth Africa (DE Africa) is a pan-African program that has become the world’s largest operational Open Data Cube platform, which is used to access and analyse decades of satellite imagery specific to Africa’s terrestrial and coastal resources. DE Africa translates freely available data from Earth Observation (EO) satellites into ready-to-use insights about the continent’s environmental conditions. Such insights enable African governments, NGOs, businesses, and individuals to make more informed decisions about soil and coastal erosion, agriculture, deforestation, desertification, water quality, and changes in human settlements. 

DE Africa is currently hosted by the Research Institute for Innovation and Sustainability (RIIS), a leading innovation and development-focused advisory firm in Africa. RIIS’s work in the space sector focuses on growing the emerging African space ecosystem by implementing and supporting continental capacity-building programs, of which DE Africa is one. 

The DE Africa Programme Management Office (PMO) is located at the RIIS offices in Rosebank, Johannesburg. However, DE Africa staff are located and work remotely from several African countries, including South Africa, Kenya, Rwanda, Ghana and Sri Lanka. They collaborate with multiple Implementing Partners across African countries including Kenya, Ghana, Niger, South Africa, and a broader team located in Australia and the US. 

Key Responsibilities 

The Platform Engineer will report directly to the Platform Lead and will be responsible for the below items, and additional related items at the discretion of the Platform Lead: 

  • Implement and maintain operational data pipelines with AWS SNS, SQS, and Lambda functions, including regular monitoring and troubleshooting for missing data (gapfilling) and duplicate data. 
  • Maintain an operational cloud computing environment, including a user-facing JupyterLab/Hub environment, including scheduling and implementing regular image (Python package) updates to the environment and managing user access. 
  • Assist with DevOps for large scale, cloud-based, processing of spatial data products, including carefully selecting and managing computing resources for cost-effective computation. 
  • Maintain platform security by monitoring user activity and implementing safeguard mechanisms. 
  • Support cost-effective computing and storage by monitoring and regularly updating processing scripts. 
  • Communicate effectively with both internal and external users of the DE Africa platform to maintain user access and support scientific development activities. 

Essential Requirements 

  • 2+ years of experience in a software engineering role with a focus on cloud computing. 
  • Strong understanding of cloud computing concepts as implemented through AWS. 
  • Experience with shell scripting for cloud computing applications. 
  • General knowledge of Python scripting and AWS Lambda and Kubernetes. 
  • Understanding and experience with cybersecurity frameworks and practices. 
  • Ability and experience communicating with technical and non-technical users. 
  • Availability to work across multiple time zones. 
  • Based in Africa. 

Desirable Requirements 

  • Tertiary degree in information technology, computer science, or similar discipline. 
  • Experience using GitHub and GitOps. 
  • Experience with large volumes of spatial data and spatial data handling formats such as GeoTIFFs and NetCDFs, knowledge of vector and raster data. 
  • Knowledge and experience with common markup languages such as YAML, HTML, JSON and Markdown. 

Remuneration 

Competitive salary commensurate with experience. 

Contract Terms 

This contract position is for 10 months, with the possibility of renewal.  The contract will run from 1 June 2025 to 31 March 2026, subject to performance evaluations every quarter. An earlier start date could be considered. 

Working Conditions 

  • Hybrid working with the main office in Rosebank, South Africa. 
  • Generally, the team works remotely. 
  • Ideally, available for in-person engagements in Rosebank as and when required. 
  • Occasional travel may be required within and outside South Africa. 

Application Process 

Should you be interested in this post and meet the above requirements, please send your detailed CV and cover letter to hiring@riis.africa with the subject line: 

Application: DE Africa Junior Platform Engineer  

Closing date for applications: 18 April 2025