Head of Calibration Laboratory / Senior Metrologist

About the Role

A leading technical services organisation is seeking an accomplished Electronic Metrology Professional to lead its SANAS-accredited Calibration Laboratory in Centurion.

This is a senior technical leadership position combining hands-on metrology expertise with responsibility for laboratory accreditation, technical governance, people development, operational performance and continuous improvement.

The ideal candidate will be a technically accomplished professional with extensive calibration experience, strong leadership capabilities, and in-depth knowledge of ISO/IEC 17025:2017 requirements.

Key Requirements

Essential

• Relevant engineering, electronics or metrology qualification, or equivalent demonstrated industry experience.

• Registered or qualified as a Technical Signatory in as many of the following disciplines as possible:

  • DC Low Frequency

  • Time and Frequency

  • Radio Frequency

• Minimum 10 years’ electronic calibration / metrology experience.

• Strong knowledge and practical understanding of ISO/IEC 17025:2017.

• Significant experience in DC/LF, Time & Frequency and RF calibration.

• Experience developing uncertainty budgets and calibration procedures.

• Proven leadership or supervisory experience.

• Experience working within an accredited calibration laboratory.

Highly Desirable

• Current or previous SANAS Technical Signatory approval.

• Previous experience as a Laboratory Head or Technical Manager.

• RF calibration experience up to 50 GHz.

• Experience hosting or participating in SANAS assessments.

• Experience with automated calibration software development.

• Experience with Inter-Laboratory Comparisons (ILCs) and/or proficiency testing.

• Experience developing in-house automated calibration software to improve laboratory efficiency or replace unavailable manufacturer software.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the calibration laboratory and ensure the continued maintenance of its SANAS accreditation.

• Provide technical leadership and governance across laboratory operations.

• Lead, mentor and develop the technical team to maximise efficiency, productivity and service quality.

• Ensure calibration activities are performed accurately, efficiently and in accordance with applicable standards and procedures.

• Provide advanced technical support, troubleshooting and problem-solving assistance.

• Develop, review and maintain calibration procedures and technical documentation.

• Develop and maintain measurement uncertainty budgets.

• Ensure compliance with ISO/IEC 17025:2017 and applicable quality management requirements.

• Prepare for and support SANAS assessments and address any resulting findings or corrective actions.

• Monitor laboratory performance and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.

• Support the development and implementation of automated calibration solutions where appropriate.

• Maintain a strong customer-focused approach while ensuring technical integrity and quality.

• Mentor and develop junior metrologists and laboratory personnel.

• Ensure compliance with organisational policies, procedures and quality requirements.

Technical Competency & Experience

DC Low Frequency Calibration

Experience with the calibration of:

• Digital multimeters up to 8½ digits.

• Function generators and calibrators for resistance, AC/DC voltage and AC/DC current.

• Oscilloscopes and logic analysers.

• Power supplies and data acquisition units.

• LCR meters and power meters.

• Low-frequency impedance analysers.

• Resistance, capacitance and inductance standards, including standalone and decade standards.

• Current shunts up to 200 A.

Time & Frequency Calibration

Experience with:

• Frequency counters and timers.

• Function, signal, pulse and waveform generators.

• High-stability frequency references, including crystal oscillators and rubidium clocks.

• Oscilloscopes.

• Time and frequency measurement systems and associated calibration procedures.

Radio Frequency (RF) Calibration

Experience with:

• RF connector and cable handling, maintenance and care.

• RF power generation and measurement from –110 dBm to +20 dBm, up to 50 GHz, including:

  • Power sensors.

  • Signal generators.

  • Spectrum analysers.

  • Microwave amplifiers and pre-amplifiers.

• RF network analysers up to 50 GHz.

• Voltage reflection magnitude measurements using Type-N, 3.5 mm and 2.4 mm connectors.

• Directional bridges and couplers.

• RF terminations.

• Port-match measurements.

• Calibration and verification kits.

• Attenuation measurements using fixed and variable attenuators.

• Filter pass-band insertion-loss measurements.

• Generation and measurement of amplitude, frequency and phase modulation using:

  • Signal generators.

  • Modulation analysers.

  • Measuring receivers.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The successful candidate will be a highly technical and experienced metrology professional who combines strong practical calibration expertise with the ability to lead a specialist laboratory.

You will be expected to demonstrate:

• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.

• Exceptional attention to detail and technical accuracy.

• Sound knowledge of measurement principles and uncertainty.

• Strong leadership and people-development skills.

• Excellent written and verbal communication.

• The ability to work independently while providing effective technical leadership.

• A strong commitment to quality, compliance and continuous improvement.

• A customer-focused and professional approach.

What This Role Offers

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced Senior Metrologist, Technical Signatory, Laboratory Head or Technical Manager to take ownership of a specialist calibration laboratory and play a key role in its technical development, accreditation and operational success.