Research Technician for Lake Victoria Field Campaign (ERC QUASI)

Challenge: Operate a unique buoy network in the tropics.
Change: Solve real time technical, logistical and data challenges.Impact: Enable breakthrough science and better forecasts for East Africa.

This role is for a Research Technician for Lake Victoria Field Campaign (ERC QUASI).

Job description

Do you enjoy building and operating technical systems in challenging environments? Are you excited by new technology, offshore deployments, and making complex instrumentation work reliably? QUASI is an ERC funded project that will deploy a year long multi sensor buoy array on Lake Victoria to measure wind, waves, rain, currents, underwater temperatures and air–lake heat exchange. As our research technician, you will ensure that sensors work, data flows, and the observing system performs at its best—directly enabling advances in climate science and weather forecasting for vulnerable regions.

What you’ll do

You will be responsible for the technical and operational performance of QUASI’s buoy array. Working with the buoy manufacturer, you will help shape technical requirements, develop workable solutions, and ensure system readiness before deployment. Together with the PI, you will design the final buoy array and create practical solutions for complex integration challenges. This includes testing performance, preparing systems for field conditions, and adapting designs as needed.

You will initiate technical improvements—such as enhanced robustness, maintenance procedures, calibration steps and data quality workflows—and contribute to criteria for data management. You will independently oversee project components including shipment, integration timelines, hardware installation, data stream continuity and the guidance of colleagues or local partners. During fieldwork, you will coordinate activities, monitor safety and ensure continuous system operation.

With the PI, postdoctoral researcher and East African partners, you will install the buoy array, support a month long field campaign and later assist in decommissioning. You will conduct maintenance, troubleshooting and repairs on site and remotely during 12–18 months of autonomous buoy operation, including multiple extended stays in Africa.

On the data side, you will set up delayed mode data streams; structure and curate Level 0 netCDF files; maintain clear documentation; and support the scientific team by ensuring that raw sensor data are accessible, organized and reproducible. You will also develop tools (e.g. Python) for system monitoring and data quality control.

This is a hands on, international role suited to someone who enjoys technical problem solving and outdoor fieldwork.

Where, how, and with whom you’ll work

You will join the Geoscience and Remote Sensing department at TU Delft, working closely with Dr Louise Nuijens, a postdoctoral researcher and partners in East Africa. You will collaborate with the buoy manufacturer during integration and shipment, and act as a key contact during field operations. You will work with meteorological services, the navy, initiatives around Lake Victoria (e.g. the TAHMO network) and local fishing communities. The role offers the chance to contribute to a cutting edge scientific campaign, travel internationally and apply your technical expertise with immediate, high impact value.

Applications from current TU Delft technical staff seeking a new challenge or wishing to broaden their fieldwork and data engineering experience are also encouraged and will be fully considered.

About QUASI

QUASI—Stormy Atmospheres over Quiescent Waters: Dynamical Implications of Fine scale Air–Sea Interaction is an ERC Consolidator Grant project that will combine a year long buoy array with drone profiling, ferry mounted lidar and cutting edge modeling to study fine scale air–lake exchanges over Lake Victoria. Your work will directly support one of the most ambitious air–sea interaction campaigns ever carried out on a tropical lake.

Job requirements

For this role, we are looking for someone who enjoys operating and maintaining instrumentation in the field, can work independently in challenging environments, and brings a practical, problem-solving mindset.

• A completed technical Bachelor’s or Master’s degree (e.g. marine technology, environmental or electrical/mechanical engineering, geoscience instrumentation, or a related field).
• Strong affinity with in situ environmental sensors and field deployments; experience with buoys, offshore systems, or autonomous monitoring platforms is highly desirable.
• Practical understanding of sensors measuring wind, waves, rain, radiation, currents, or underwater temperature; experience with solar powered, telemetered systems is a plus.
• Ability to troubleshoot hardware and software issues independently, and to work safely on the water under variable field conditions.
• Experience with data workflows, including structured data formats (e.g. netCDF), basic programming or scripting (e.g. Python), version control, and data quality monitoring.
• Willingness and enthusiasm to participate in international fieldwork in East Africa (several months in total, plus shorter maintenance trips).
• Strong organisational and documentation skills, including maintaining clear field logs, technical documentation, and data records.
• Good communication skills and the ability to work effectively in a diverse, international team; experience working with local partners or communities is a plus.

Conditions of employment

• Duration of contract is 2 years. Temporary.
• An excellent pension scheme via the ABP.
• The possibility to compile an individual employment package every year.
• Discount with health insurers on supplemental packages.
• Flexible working week.
• Every year, 232 leave hours (at 38 hours). You can also sell or buy additional leave hours via the individual choice budget.
• Plenty of opportunities for education, training and courses.
• Partially paid parental leave.
• Attention for working healthy and energetically with the vitality program.

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology)

You will work within TU Delft’s Geoscience and Remote Sensing department, contributing to an international research environment focused on science, engineering and innovation.