ACADEMIC POSITIONS - HEALTH DEVICE INNOVATION Durban

Durban University of Technology is actively recruiting for a ACADEMIC POSITIONS - HEALTH DEVICE INNOVATION position in Durban. This is an excellent opportunity for professionals in the Education / Teaching sector looking to advance their careers.

• Experience Level: 10 - 15 years • Educational Background: PhD or equivalent • Industry Focus: Education / Teaching • Location Preference: in Durban

Educators in ACADEMIC POSITIONS - HEALTH DEVICE INNOVATION positions shape future generations. This role is fundamental to South Africa's educational development and social progress.

Your extensive experience in Education / Teaching qualifies you for leadership positions. This role offers the chance to shape industry practices and organizational direction.

When applying for this ACADEMIC POSITIONS - HEALTH DEVICE INNOVATION position, ensure your CV highlights: • Relevant experience matching the 10 - 15 years requirement • Educational qualifications in line with PhD • Specific achievements in the Education / Teaching field • Any certifications or specialized training

The Education / Teaching sector in South Africa continues to show strong demand for skilled professionals. This position represents a valuable opportunity in the current job market.

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Salary: Market Related Job Type: Permanent Sectors: Education Reference: 201618 Job Type: Permanent Sectors: Education Reference: 201618 Sectors: Education Reference: 201618 Reference: 201618

Employer: Durban University of Technology

DUT HEALTH DEVICES INNOVATION INSTITUTESIX PERMANENT ACADEMIC POSITIONS ACADEMIC POSITIONSDUT HEALTH DEVICES INNOVATION INSTITUTE(2 × Professors / 2 × Associate Professors / 2 × Senior Lecturers)With more than 34 400 students and approximately 1 700 members of staff, the Durban University of Technology (DUT) is a leading university of technology proudly located in the beautiful cities of Durban and Pietermaritzburg, along the warm east coast of South Africa. Founded in April 2002 through the historic merger of the former ML Sultan Technikon and Technikon Natal, DUT has evolved into a modern, metropolitan, multi-campus university with roots tracing back to 1907. Today, DUT is recognised nationally and internationally for its excellence in teaching and learning, research, innovation, entrepreneurship and engagement. A proud member of the International Association of Universities, DUT continues to expand its influence across South Africa and the world. In the 2025 Webometrics Rankings, DUT was ranked among the Top 6% of all universities and colleges worldwide, reflecting its academic excellence, research impact and strong global visibility. DUT's Philosophy of Education, "Our creativity and innovation shapes adaptive graduates who transform society" reflects the institution's deep commitment to meaningful impact for societal transformation. Guided by its inspirational and aspirational ENVISION2030 strategy, which is rooted in DUT's DNA of being 'people-centred and engaged' and 'innovative and entrepreneurial' and underpinned by its bespoke Living Values Framework, DUT focuses on 'contributing to the improvement of lives and livelihoods'. The University comprises six diverse Faculties: Accounting and Informatics; Applied Science; Arts and Design; Engineering and the Built Environment; Health Sciences; and Management Sciences. DUT also includes a Business School and the award-winning Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology (IWWT), amongst other research centres and institutes. Over the years, the University has substantially grown its research output, evidenced by the steady increase of NRF-rated researchers and the unprecedented award of seven NRF SARCHi Chairs in 2025. At DUT, we believe in nurturing talent and empowering people to make a real difference. If you are passionate about contributing to education, research, innovation, entrepreneurship and engagement, DUT offers the ideal environment — Creative. Distinctive. Impactful. About the InstituteThe DUT Health Devices Innovation Institute (HDII) is being established as an African platform for context-appropriate MedTech translation. It will connect health sciences, engineering, design, data science, manufacturing and entrepreneurship to turn priority health needs into safe, usable, affordable, manufacturable and adoptable devices. Applications are invited from scholars who can build internationally credible research while responding to the realities of KwaZulu-Natal and other resource-constrained health systems. The Institute research agendaThe six appointments are deliberately distributed across three priority themes:●       Point-of-Care Diagnostics and Essential Clinical Devices●       Assistive, Rehabilitation and Connected Care Technologies●       MedTech Translation, Local Manufacturing and Health-System AdoptionCommon institutional expectationsAll appointees must hold a relevant doctoral degree (NQF Level 10) in biomedical, mechanical, electronic, electrical, computer, chemical, materials or industrial engineering; medical/health sciences; rehabilitation sciences; data science; health economics; regulatory science; implementation science; or another field directly aligned to the advertised specialisation. Candidates must demonstrate an interdisciplinary research identity, an ability to work with clinical and community partners, and a commitment to safety, ethics, responsible data use, quality by design and equitable access. The posts are research-intensive academic appointments. Appointees will publish, attract funding, supervise postgraduate candidates, mentor emerging researchers, contribute to appropriate teaching and curriculum activities, and undertake engagement and innovation consistent with their rank. Professional registration with the relevant statutory or professional body is required where the candidate's discipline or proposed scope of practice legally requires it. Clinical responsibility remains with appropriately registered health professionals and authorised partner institutions. Position 1Professor: Biosensors, Microfluidics, In-Vitro Diagnostics and Clinical ValidationTheme 1: Point-of-Care Diagnostics and Essential Clinical DevicesReference Number: 30002774Status of Position: PermanentReporting Line: Director: DUT Health Devices Innovation InstituteTheme-specific expertiseBiosensors, microfluidics, in-vitro diagnostics and clinical validationMinimum requirements●       A relevant doctoral degree (NQF Level 10) in Biomedical Engineering, Medical Physics, Electrical Engineering, Clinical Laboratory Science, Biomedical Science or a closely related qualification to the theme.●       A strong record of research and/or academic leadership, with demonstrated leadership in the relevant scholarly field.●       A substantial and sustained period of distinguished academic experience in research and/or professional experience in higher education or a research environment, with recognised standing in the field.●       A minimum of ten DHET-accredited research outputs or recognised creative/innovation outputs during the preceding three years, relevant to the field.●       Evidence of substantial record of successful supervision to completion of Master's and Doctoral students.●       A sustained record of high-quality, cited research; competitive grant awards; international recognition; and leadership of substantial interdisciplinary programmes.●       Evidence of excellent teaching, postgraduate mentorship, curriculum contribution and academic citizenship appropriate to appointment at Full Professor level .●       Demonstrated success in securing competitive research funding (grants, contracts or commissioned research).●       Evidence of leading multidisciplinary teams and building national/international research collaborations. Key responsibilitiesResearch Leadership●       Lead an internationally credible portfolio of affordable point-of-care and near-patient diagnostic technologies for priority infectious, maternal-child and non-communicable conditions.●       Develop, lead and grow a high-quality, externally funded research programme encompassing biosensors, microfluidics, imaging systems and essential clinical monitoring devices.●       Develop research on analytical performance, clinical validity, real-world performance, calibration, consumables, shelf life and sample pathways.●       Establish co-led clinical-validation programmes with authorised health-service partners and appropriate biostatistical support.●       Lead analytical performance verification, clinical validation, usability and real-world evidence generation for device prototypes.●       Generate peer-reviewed outputs, protectable intellectual property where appropriate, translational evidence and standards or policy contributions.●       Ensure all research proceeds through proportionate ethics, risk, regulatory and clinical evidence pathways in accordance with SAHPRA and applicable standards. Postgraduate Supervision and Teaching●       Build competitive multi-partner grants, laboratories/platforms and postgraduate cohorts linking engineering, clinical science, data and implementation.●       Supervise doctoral and master's students across Theme 1 research streams, with a commitment to timely completions.●       Mentor junior researchers, postdoctoral fellows and research associates within the Institute. Partnership and Funding●       Establish and maintain formal clinical, community and industry partnerships for needs identification, co-design and clinical evaluation.●       Lead or co-lead grant applications, contracted research and philanthropic funding proposals to sustain and grow the research programme.●       Represent the Institute in relevant national and international professional forums, standards bodies and policy engagements. Governance and Compliance●       Implement the Institute's stage-gate governance framework for all Theme 1 projects, including ethics approvals, design controls, risk registers and documentation standards.●       Report on Theme 1 performance against agreed targets to the Institute Director and relevant governance structures.●       Maintain audit readiness and contribute to quality assurance across the Institute's research portfolio. Ideal / additional recommendations●       An NRF rating or demonstrated equivalent international standing through publications, citations and scholarly recognition is strongly advantageous.  Position 2Senior Lecturer: Essential Monitoring, Maternal-Neonatal Devices and Human FactorsTheme 1: Point-of-Care Diagnostics and Essential Clinical DevicesReference Number: 30002778Status of Position: PermanentReporting Line: Director: DUT Health Devices Innovation InstituteTheme-specific expertiseEssential monitoring, maternal-neonatal devices and human factorsMinimum requirements●       A relevant doctoral degree (NQF Level 10) in Biomedical Engineering, Medical Physics, Electrical Engineering, Clinical Laboratory Science or a closely related field.●       A developing record of research and/or academic leadership in the relevant scholarly field.●       An appropriate period of relevant academic experience in research and/or professional experience in higher education or a research environment.●       At least three DHET-accredited research outputs or recognised creative/innovation outputs during the preceding three years.●       Evidence of participation in supervision of Master's students.●       Evidence of excellent teaching, innovative assessment or curriculum practice, effective academic advising and a developing independent research programme.●       Evidence of participation in grants writing.●       Evidence of participation in multidisciplinary teams and research collaborations.●       Evidence of participation in grants writing.●       Evidence of participation in multidisciplinary teams and research collaborations. Key responsibilitiesResearch●       Design and evaluate essential monitoring, triage, medication-support or maternal-neonatal devices for constrained care environments.●       Conduct human-factors, usability, workflow, language, training and referral-integration studies with users and clinicians.●       Develop traceable device requirements, verification protocols and research documentation from concept stage.●       Contribute to Theme 1 research in essential monitoring devices or related streams under the leadership of the Theme 1 Professor.●       Participate in the KZN Frontline Diagnostics and Essential Devices Platform, contributing to analytical verification, usability evaluation and clinical evidence generation.●       Maintain compliance with Institute ethics, risk and design-control requirements in all research activities.●       Pursue external research funding through grants, fellowships and contracted research. Postgraduate Supervision and Teaching●       Co-supervise and progressively lead master's-level research projects within Theme 1.●       Publish research, supervise postgraduate candidates and contribute to interdisciplinary teaching and methods development.●       Contribute to undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in biomedical engineering, diagnostic science or related disciplines in collaboration with DUT faculties.●       Support and mentor postgraduate students and junior researchers within the Institute. Partnership and Engagement●       Support prototype testing, field studies, grant proposals and innovation or knowledge-transfer activities.●       Participate in clinical and community needs-identification activities and formal co-design workshops with health-service and industry partners.●       Contribute to grant applications, technical reports and deliverables for funded projects within Theme 1.●       Engage with professional bodies and participate in relevant seminars, workshops and community engagement activities. Administration and Governance●       Contribute to Institute governance activities, including stage-gate documentation, ethics submissions and project reporting.●       Participate in performance review processes and Institute quality-assurance activities as required. Ideal / additional recommendations●       Experience in biomedical instrumentation, physiological signal acquisition or maternal-neonatal technology is advantageous.●       Evidence of participatory design or clinical usability research is advantageous.  Position 3Professor: Biomechanics, Prosthetics/orthotics, Rehabilitation Engineering and Co-DesignTheme 2: Assistive, Rehabilitation and Connected Care TechnologiesReference Number: 30002775Status of Position: PermanentReporting Line: Director: DUT Health Devices Innovation InstituteTheme-specific expertiseBiomechanics, prosthetics/orthotics, rehabilitation engineering and co-designMinimum requirements●       A relevant doctoral degree (NQF Level 10) in Biomedical Engineering, Rehabilitation Engineering, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Human Factors Engineering, Biomechanics or a closely related field.●       A strong record of research and/or academic leadership, with demonstrated leadership in the relevant scholarly field.●       A substantial and sustained period of distinguished academic experience in research and/or professional experience in higher education or a research environment, with recognised standing in the field.●       A minimum of ten DHET-accredited research outputs or recognised creative/innovation outputs during the preceding three years, relevant to the field.●       Evidence of substantial record of successful supervision to completion of Master's and Doctoral students.●       A sustained record of high-quality, cited research; competitive grant awards; international recognition; and leadership of substantial interdisciplinary programmes or teams in assistive technologies, rehabilitation devices or rehabilitation engineering.●       Evidence of excellent teaching, postgraduate mentorship, curriculum contribution and academic citizenship appropriate to appointment at Full Professor level.●       Evidence of inclusive, human-centred co-design methodology and user-centred device evaluation.●       Demonstrated success in securing competitive research funding (grants, contracts or commissioned research).●       Evidence of leading multidisciplinary teams and building national/international research collaborations. Key responsibilitiesResearch Leadership●       Lead research on affordable, customisable and repairable assistive and rehabilitation technologies.●       Develop and lead a high-quality research programme covering prosthetics, orthotics, mobility aids, rehabilitation devices, telerehabilitation, wearable sensors and remote monitoring.●       Establish and direct a living-lab model linking users, caregivers, rehabilitation professionals, engineers, designers and community organisations.●       Champion inclusive, human-centred and participatory co-design throughout the device lifecycle, ensuring technologies are usable, repairable and affordable in local settings.●       Advance evidence on fit, comfort, function, adherence, durability, repairability and total cost of ownership.●       Drive peer-reviewed outputs, inclusive usability protocols, datasets and intellectual property in the area of assistive and rehabilitation technology. Postgraduate Supervision and Teaching●       Lead high-value grants, international collaborations, postgraduate supervision and researcher development.●       Supervise doctoral and master's students across Theme 2 research streams with a commitment to timely completions.●       Mentor junior researchers, postdoctoral fellows and research associates within the Institute. Partnership and Funding●       Translate research into validated technologies, open or commercial pathways, clinical guidance and measurable community benefit.●       Build and manage formal partnerships with rehabilitation services, disability organisations, community health networks, fabrication partners and technology companies.●       Lead or co-lead competitive grant applications, contracted research and commissioned projects to sustain and grow Theme 2.●       Represent the Institute in relevant national and international professional bodies, standards processes and policy forums on assistive technology. Governance and Compliance●       Implement the Institute's stage-gate framework for Theme 2 projects, including ethics, design controls, risk management and documentation standards.●       Maintain repairability, durability and total-cost-of-ownership benchmarks across Theme 2 device programmes.●       Report on Theme 2 performance and contribute to Institute-wide quality assurance and audit readiness. Ideal / additional recommendations●       An NRF rating or demonstrated equivalent international standing is strongly advantageous.●       Experience with digital fabrication, device personalisation or real-world rehabilitation trials is advantageous.  Position 4Associate Professor: Wearables, Remote Monitoring, Digital Health, AI and CybersecurityTheme 2: Assistive, Rehabilitation and Connected Care TechnologiesReference Number: 30002776Status of Position: PermanentReporting Line: Director: DUT Health Devices Innovation InstituteTheme-specific expertiseWearables, remote monitoring, digital health, AI and cybersecurityMinimum requirements●       A relevant doctoral degree (NQF Level 10) in Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science, Electronic Engineering, Data Science, Health Informatics or a closely related field.●       A good record of research and/or academic leadership, with demonstrated engagement in the relevant scholarly field.●       A significant period of sustained academic experience in research and/or professional experience in higher education or a research environment, with demonstrable expertise in wearable sensors, physiological signal processing, remote monitoring, digital health or health AI.●       A minimum of seven DHET-accredited research outputs or recognised creative/innovation outputs during the preceding three years.●       Successful supervision to completion of Master's and Doctoral students.●       Evidence of research quality through appropriate bibliometrics, grant awards, academic leadership, very good teaching and meaningful disciplinary or community engagement.●       Evidence of success in securing competitive research funding (grants, contracts or commissioned research).●       Evidence of leading or contributing to multidisciplinary teams and building national/international research collaborations.●       Evidence of success in securing competitive research funding (grants, contracts or commissioned research).●       Evidence of leading or contributing to multidisciplinary teams and building national/international research collaborations. Key responsibilitiesResearch●       Develop and validate wearables and remote-monitoring technologies for chronic disease, recovery, rehabilitation, maternal care or community health.●       Research signal quality, clinically meaningful alerts, algorithm performance, bias, interoperability, secure updates, privacy and responsible decision support.●       Co-design field studies that test acceptability, workflow fit, adherence and continuity of care across facility, community and home settings.●       Attract research funding, publish high-quality peer-reviewed outputs and contribute to intellectual property and translational evidence generation.●       Contribute to institute-wide data governance, cybersecurity and connected-device evaluation frameworks. Postgraduate Supervision and Teaching●       Supervise and progressively lead doctoral and master's-level research projects within Theme 2.●       Mentor junior researchers, postdoctoral fellows and research associates within the Institute. Partnership and Funding●       Build partnerships with clinical, technology, community and industry stakeholders for connected-care research.●       Lead or co-lead competitive grant applications and contracted research to sustain and grow the connected care programme.●       Participate in relevant professional forums and standards processes relating to digital health and medical device interoperability. Governance and Compliance●       Implement Institute stage-gate governance for connected-care projects, including ethics approvals, privacy impact assessments and design-control documentation.●       Report on research performance and contribute to quality assurance and audit readiness across the Institute. Ideal / additional recommendations●       Working knowledge of data privacy, cybersecurity and responsible AI in health contexts is advantageous.●       Experience validating algorithms or sensors against appropriate clinical reference standards is advantageous.●       Evidence of multidisciplinary digital-health or connected-device research is advantageous.  Position 5Associate Professor: Regulatory Science, Quality Systems, HTA and ImplementationTheme 3: MedTech Translation, Local Manufacturing and Health-System AdoptionReference Number: 30002777Status of Position: PermanentReporting Line: Director: DUT Health Devices Innovation InstituteTheme-specific expertiseRegulatory science, quality systems, HTA and implementationMinimum requirements●       A relevant doctoral degree (NQF Level 10) in Regulatory Science, Quality Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Health Technology Assessment, Health Economics, Implementation Science or a closely related field.●       A good record of research and/or academic leadership, with demonstrated engagement in the relevant scholarly field.●       A significant period of sustained academic experience in research and/or professional experience in higher education or a research environment, with demonstrable expertise in medical device regulation, quality management, health-technology assessment or implementation science.●       A minimum of seven DHET-accredited research outputs or recognised creative/innovation outputs during the preceding three years.●       Successful supervision to completion of Master's and Doctoral students.●       Evidence of research quality through appropriate bibliometrics, grant awards, academic leadership, very good teaching and meaningful disciplinary or community engagement. Key responsibilitiesResearch●       Lead research on device classification, intended use, design controls, risk management, technical documentation and regulatory-readiness pathways.●       Develop health-technology assessments addressing clinical benefit, cost-effectiveness, budget impact, ethics, equity and comparative value.●       Study procurement, workflow integration, training, change management, maintenance, adoption, scale-up and post-market learning.●       Develop reusable readiness assessments, stage-gate templates and evidence frameworks for Institute programmes.●       Publish high-quality peer-reviewed outputs, attract research funding and supervise postgraduate research. Postgraduate Supervision and Teaching●       Supervise and progressively lead doctoral and master's-level research projects within Theme 3.●       Contribute to postgraduate teaching in regulatory science, health economics, implementation science or quality engineering within DUT faculties.●       Mentor junior researchers and postdoctoral fellows within the Institute. Partnership and Funding●       Engage regulators, health services, standards bodies, industry and policy actors to support translation and adoption research without compromising independent decision-making.●       Lead or co-lead competitive grant applications, contracted research and commissioned projects focused on MedTech translation and localisation.●       Represent the Institute in national regulatory dialogue, standards development and health-system policy forums. Governance and Compliance●       Implement Institute stage-gate governance for Theme 3 projects, including design-control documentation, risk management and regulatory strategy.●       Maintain technology-readiness and regulatory-readiness assessment tools for use across all Institute programmes.●       Contribute to Institute-wide governance, quality assurance and audit readiness. Ideal / additional recommendations●       Working knowledge of South African and/or international medical device regulatory frameworks (SAHPRA, ISO 13485, ISO 14971 or equivalent) is advantageous.●       Demonstrated HTA, health-economics or implementation-research capability is advantageous.●       Experience supporting a device through regulatory, procurement or health-system adoption processes is advantageous.  Position 6Senior Lecturer: Design for Manufacture, Local Production and Lifecycle EngineeringTheme 3: MedTech Translation, Local Manufacturing and Health-System AdoptionReference Number: 30002779Status of Position: PermanentReporting Line: Director: DUT Health Devices Innovation InstituteTheme-specific expertiseDesign for manufacture, local production and lifecycle engineeringMinimum requirements●       A relevant doctoral degree (NQF Level 10) in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Materials Science, Electronics Engineering, Biomedical Engineering or a closely related field.●       A developing record of research and/or academic leadership in the relevant scholarly field.●       An appropriate period of relevant academic experience in research and/or professional experience in higher education or a research environment.●       At least three DHET-accredited research outputs or recognised creative/innovation outputs during the preceding three years.●       Evidence of participation in supervision of Master's students.●       Evidence of excellent teaching, innovative assessment or curriculum practice, effective academic advising and a developing independent research programme.●       Working knowledge of design-for-manufacture principles, quality-controlled manufacturing or regulated product development. Key responsibilitiesResearch●       Conduct design-for-manufacture and design-for-assembly research for medical and assistive devices.●       Map and evaluate local materials, tooling, electronics, testing, calibration, packaging, sterilisation, supplier and service capabilities.●       Develop evidence on reliability, maintainability, calibration, repair, software/firmware updates, waste and circularity.●       Support stage-gated demonstrator programmes from prototype verification to manufacturing transfer and field support.●       Participate in the KZN MedTech Translation and Adoption Accelerator, supporting supplier mapping, stage-gated demonstrator programmes and manufacturing transfer.●       Pursue external funding through grants, industry contracts and collaborative research opportunities. Postgraduate Supervision and Teaching●       Co-supervise and progressively lead master's-level research projects within Theme 3.●       Publish research, supervise postgraduate candidates, contribute to teaching, build industry partnerships and support grant and innovation proposals.●       Support and mentor postgraduate students and junior researchers within the Institute. Partnership and Engagement●       Engage with manufacturing companies, SMEs, technology stations, procurement agencies and health-system partners to support translation and local production research.●       Contribute to grant applications, commissioned research proposals and project deliverables within Theme 3.●       Participate in professional forums, policy engagements and community-of-practice activities relevant to MedTech manufacturing. Administration and Governance●       Contribute to Institute stage-gate documentation, design-control records, ethics submissions and project reporting.●       Participate in performance review processes, technology-readiness assessment activities and Institute quality-assurance systems as required. Ideal / additional recommendations●       Experience in regulated product development or quality-controlled manufacturing is advantageous.●       Knowledge of supplier qualification, verification testing, reliability or production economics is advantageous. Application Information applies to all six positions:Application requirements●       A fully completed prescribed DUT application-for-employment form obtainable from www.dut.ac.za under QUICK LINKS — Careers.●       A detailed curriculum vitae explicitly addressing the relevant field, rank requirements and thematic focus.●       A covering letter.●       Copies of all relevant academic records and certificates.●       A copy of an identity document and Matric certificate.●       Current contact information for referees.  Salary: Market relatedContact Person: Ms. ZJ. NgcoboApplication email / portal: DUT Careers Portal Please noteWhile DUT strives to ensure equal opportunities, preference will be given to suitable candidates in accordance with the University's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy and aligned to its strategic objectives. The Durban University of Technology reserves the right not to make an appointment or to re-advertise a position. Correspondence will only be entered into with shortlisted candidates. If you do not receive communication from the University, please consider your application unsuccessful. Successful candidates will be subject to background checks, including qualification verification, reference checks and criminal-record screening. Submission of an application constitutes consent to these checks. The University may require psychometric or other assessments where justified by the position. Foreign qualifications must be accompanied by a South African Qualifications Authority evaluation where required.