Project MaltaVGSS - Post/s of Full-Time or Part-Time Research Support Officer I or II or III - Department of Electrical Engineering

30 Jan 2026
Job Information

Organisation/Company

University of Malta

Department

Office for Human Resources Management & Development

Research Field

Engineering » Electrical engineering

Researcher Profile

Recognised Researcher (R2)

Positions

Research Support Positions

Application Deadline

18 Feb 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Malta)

Country

Malta

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Hours Per Week

40

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by a EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS (Call ID: 12/2026)
Post/s of Full-Time or Part-Time Research Support Officer I or II or III

Project MaltaVGSS - “Virtual Grid Support Service for the Maltese electricity network”
Funded by the Research and Innovation in projects in the Fields of Energy and Water - EWA-Call 2023 Programme of the Energy and Water Agency, Malta

And any other projects undertaken by the Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering

Applications are invited for a Research Support Officer (RSO) to carry out duties in relation to the MaltaVGSS project, which is funded by the Energy and Water Agency. The RSO may also be required to work on other projects undertaken by the Department of Electrical Engineering within the Faculty of Engineering.

The following qualifications are required:
●    RSO I - a first degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, ICT or similar;
●    RSO II - a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, ICT or similar; and
●    RSO III - a PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, ICT or similar;

The University of Malta is an Equal Opportunity employer.

The initial remuneration per annum / per hour, inclusive of any cost-of-living adjustments, is:
RSO I - €27,207 / €13.08; 
RSO II - €30,327 / €14.58;
RSO III - €36,692 / €17.64.

Applicants for the RSO I post may be offered the possibility of enrolling in a Master’s degree related to the project.

The selected candidate must be living in Malta for the period of employment.

The post is for a period of up to 23 months, depending on the level of the RSO. A part-time position will entail 20 hours of work per week.

Candidates must upload their covering letter, curriculum vitae, and certificates (certificates should be submitted in English) and contact details of at least two referees through this form https://www.um.edu.mt/hrmd/workatum-projects by not later than Wednesday, 18th February 2026.  

Late applications will not be considered.

Further information may be obtained from http://www.um.edu.mt/hrmd/recruitment and should you have any queries, please send us an email on projects.hrmd@um.edu.mt

Further Information

The project entails the implementation of a Virtual Power Plant (VPP) on the Maltese Islands by controlling small-scale distributed energy storage systems. This concept is to interconnect numerous distributed energy storage units associated with Renewable Energy Source (RES) installations, such as photovoltaic (PV) systems, through a centralised control system. The pivotal feature of the VPP lies in its ability to regulate the dispatch of charging or energy supply to the grid, ensuring an optimal pattern that enhances global stability and power quality in the electricity network. By decentralising power management, the project reduces the need for dynamic power production regulation at the Maltese central power station. 
This project shall implement the IT infrastructure required for the communication of the small scale distributed energy storage systems to a central control server. It is intended to use the internet for the transfer of required data.

The task of the RSO for this position is to develop a gateway that receives data over the internet from an MQTT/TLS broker and forwards it to a Modbus RTU network. The gateway device shall be ideally connected to the internet over a SIM card/ cellular GSM network. The gateway shall also read out data from connected field devices via an RS485 Modbus RTU network. The gateway shall have an MQTT/TLS client running that regularly sends out data from the connected field device. In a first approach, a commercially available gateway hardware system (e.g. BLIIOT BL101 or SSTCOMM GT100-MQ-IE) shall be used. The hardware shall be configured and a regular data exchange shall be demonstrated. In a second approach, a customized hardware shall be developed using boardlevel components.

Further information may be obtained by contacting Prof. Ing. Reiko Raute at reiko.raute@um.edu.mt . The RSO may also be required to work on other projects undertaken by the Department of Electrical Engineering within the Faculty of Engineering.

The main duties and responsibilities of the appointee will consist of carrying out research duties including:
a.    working closely with the project coordinator and project partners throughout the project;
b.    producing project deliverables within the time frames specified in the project description;
c.    attending project-related meetings in Malta and abroad;
d.    writing scientific conference or journal papers related to the project, and presenting them at relevant conferences;
e.    assisting in dissemination activities related to the project;
f.    abiding by the conditions imposed by the project; and
g.    performing any other project-related tasks as instructed by the project coordinator.

The appointee will be expected to work at such places and during such hours as may be determined by the University authorities.

The selection procedure will involve:
a.    scrutiny of qualifications and experience claimed and supported by testimonials and/or certificates (copies to be included with the application); 
b.    shortlisting; and
c.    an interview and / or extended interview.

The post is for a period up to 23 months, which will be subject to a probationary period and to the provisions of the Statutes, Regulations and Bye-Laws of the University of Malta which are now or which may hereafter be in force.

 

Office of the University, 
Msida, 28th January 2026
 

Where to apply

Website

https://www.um.edu.mt/hrmd/workatum-projects

Requirements

Research Field

Engineering » Electrical engineering

Education Level

Master Degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

The following qualifications are required:

• RSO I - a first degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, ICT or similar;
• RSO II - a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, ICT or similar; and
• RSO III - a PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, ICT or similar;

Specific Requirements

Live in Malta

Additional Information
Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

University of Malta

Country

Malta

Geofield

Contact

City

Msida

Website

http://www.um.edu.mt/hrmd/recruitment

Street

University of Malta Msida MSD 2080 MALTA

E-Mail

projects.hrmd@um.edu.mt

STATUS: EXPIRED

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