Postdoctoral Fellow, The School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney), Kensington, Australia

Last Date: January 15^th, 2024.

Job no: 521937
Work type: full time
Location: Sydney, NSW
Categories: Post Doctoral Research Associate

One of Australia’s leading research & teaching universities
Vibrant campus life with a strong sense of community & inclusion
Enjoy a career that makes a difference by collaborating & learning from the best

At UNSW, we pride ourselves on being a workplace where the best people come to do their best work.

The School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences is a large, collaborative and multi-disciplinary school in the Faculty of Science at the University of New South Wales with over 150 academic, research and professional staff. In 2021, the school obtained $19M in research funding, produced over 950 scientific publications and was rated in the top four schools across UNSW in the 2021 student experience surveys. The School incorporates a broad range of disciplines, enabling comprehensive education and research in the broad fields of Earth Science, Geology, Environmental Science, Physical Geography, Climate Science, Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Marine Science.

The Postdoctoral Fellow is expected to contribute towards the research effort of UNSW and to develop their research expertise, in particular focusing on transgenerational plasticity effects and patterns of DNA methylation in oysters to climate change.

About the role

$106K – $113K plus 17% Superannuation and annual leave loading
Fixed Term – 2 year
Full time (35 hours)

The role will work in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team from UNSW, the University of Sydney, University of Washington, University of Hong Kong, and NSW Department of Primary Industries. The role of Post-Doctoral Fellow reports to Dr Laura Parker and has no direct reports.

Specific responsibilities for this role include:

Contribute independently or as a team member in collaborative research with a focus to enhance the quality of research outcomes in the discipline area.
Conduct research and/or enable research teams to create scholarly output that is recognised by peers.
Undertake specific research project/s under the guidance of a research leader and contribute to development of research activities.
Support the dissemination of research outcomes through appropriate channels and outlets.
Undertake discipline-appropriate research activities, e.g. literature reviews, data gathering and/or recording of results using appropriate research methods.
Participate in and/or present at conferences and/or workshops relevant to the project as required.
Assist with the supervision of research students in the research area where required.
Monitor research protocols, provide problem solving and resolution to any evolving problems related to design, implementation and analysis.
Liaise with organisations, stakeholders and collaborators and actively participate in meetings and discussions as required.
Coordinate, plan and complete day-to-day research activities within the framework of agreed project timelines and responsibilities.
Coordinate and lead long-term laboratory experiments involving oyster husbandry under climate change conditions in Port Stephens and the Sydney Institute of Marine Science, Chowder Bay.
Coordinate and lead molecular analysis (genomics and DNA methylation) of oyster samples.
Perform quantitative/ qualitative data analysis as required by the research project.
Align with and actively demonstrate the UNSW Values in Action: Our Behaviours and the UNSW Code of Conduct.
Cooperate with all health and safety policies and procedures of the university and take all reasonable care to ensure that your actions or omissions do not impact on the health and safety of yourself or others.

Skills and Experience
(Selection Criteria)

To be successful in this role you will have:

A PhD in marine or environmental science or a related discipline, and/or relevant work experience.
Experience with molecular techniques including genomics, transcriptomics and/ or epigenetics.
Hold a valid and unrestricted drivers car license.
Proven commitment to proactively keeping up to date with discipline knowledge and developments.
Demonstrated ability to undertake high quality academic research and conduct independent research with limited supervision.
Demonstrated track record of publications and conference presentations relative to opportunity.
Demonstrated ability to work in a team, collaborate across disciplines and build effective relationships.
Excellent time management skills, with a demonstrated ability to respond to changing priorities, manage multiple tasks and meet competing deadlines by using judgement and initiative.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a high level of attention to detail and the ability to liaise effectively with a range of stakeholders and students.
Demonstrated experience using statistical analysis programs to analyse data, including R or equivalent.
An understanding of and commitment to UNSW’s aims, objectives and values in action, together with relevant policies and guidelines.
Knowledge of health and safety responsibilities and commitment to attending relevant health and safety training.