Senior Research Analyst - QAEHS

• Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences

• Join a university ranked in the world’s top 50

• Belong to a vibrant research community where your work genuinely makes an impact

• Plan for your future with a generous 17% superannuation allowance

• Based at our Dutton Park campus

About UQ

As part of the UQ community, you’ll have the opportunity to work alongside the brightest minds, who have joined us from all over the world.

Everyone here has a role to play. As a member of our professional staff cohort, you will be actively involved in working towards our vision of a better world. By supporting the academic endeavour across teaching, research, and the student life, you’ll have the opportunity to contribute to activities that have a lasting impact on our community.

Join a community where excellence is at the core of our culture, contributions are valued and a range of benefits and rewards are available, such as:

• 26 weeks paid parental leave or 14 weeks paid primary caregiver leave

• 17% superannuation contributions

• 17.5% annual leave loading

• Health and wellness discounts – fitness passport access, free yearly flu vaccinations, discounted health insurance, and access to our Employee Assistance Program for staff and their immediate family

• Cheap parking (from just $5.75 a day)

About This Opportunity 

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced and highly motivated Senior Research Analyst to join our dedicated research team at Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS).

Located at our Dutton Park campus, QAEHS is a multidisciplinary research Centre committed to world-class research across the environmental health sciences including environmental toxicology, epidemiology, microbiology, health risk assessment and communication, and state-of-the art monitoring and analytical technologies to quantify emerging environmental health risks.

As a Senior Research Analyst, you will operate and maintain a wide range of leading-edge instrumentation for target and non-target trace analytical methods for contemporary and emerging contaminants in biotic and abiotic matrices, such as water, air, soil, blood and urine. These include LC-MS/MS, LC-QTOF, GC-HRMS and/or GC-MS/MS methods, as well as the recently released SCIEX 7500 LC-MS/MS QTrap.

Key responsibilities will include: 

• Analyse samples using Gas and Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS, LC-MS and GC-HRMS), including preparation and maintenance of calibration standards, mobile phases, data integration and reporting. Similarly, operate and maintain other analytical instruments within the laboratory, with regard to sample analysis. Undertake routine and higher-level maintenance and running of LC-MS and/or GC-MS instrumentation to facilitate research needs.

• Under broad direction, set up, monitor and demonstrate standard experiments and instrument use including maintaining and evaluating ongoing quality control measures in each batch of analysis and reporting of QAQC data.

• Maintain accurate records of experiments or technical activities and results/outcomes.

• Process data post-acquisition, and generate processing methods (macros, computer programming), further calculations and interpretation for reporting.

• Contribute to development and optimisation of workflows for suspect and non-target screening using LC-QToF and GC-Orbitrap instrumentation.

• Ensure a high standard of research housekeeping, waste disposal, sample storage and chemical/specimen/sample inventory management.

• Assist with developing a proactive safety culture and implement continuous improvement. 

• Perform standard maintenance of instruments/equipment to ensure optimal performance.

• Contribute to research outputs, joint preparation and authorship of reports.

• Support the development of more junior research staff, scientists, and technicians.

This is a full-time, fixed-term position through to 30 September 2024 at HEW level 6.

At HEW level 6, the full-time equivalent base salary will be in the range $88,099 - $94,512, plus a generous super allowance of up to 17%. The total FTE package will be up to $103,076 - $110,579 annually. As this role is covered by an Enterprise Agreement, you will also receive regular remuneration increases – at least once a year.

About You  

• Completion of an undergraduate degree in the areas of analytical and/or organic chemistry with subsequent experience in coordinating activities or an equivalent combination of relevant experience and/or education/training.

• Demonstrated research-relevant knowledge and skills with expertise in analysis and quantification of organic chemicals in complex matrices for a wide variety of compounds, particularly environmental contaminants.

• Expertise in the application of laboratory analytical instruments for trace analysis, including LC and/or GC instrumentation.

• Significant experience working with vendor integration software (e.g. TraceFinder; Multiquant) as well as Microsoft Office Suite applications.

• Advanced technical capabilities in accurately interpreting and following methods and protocols (found in research papers, standard operating procedures, Australian guidelines etc).

• High quality data analysis and interpretation, report writing, and database management.

• Relevant experience in an analytical and/or organic chemistry role preferably in a research environment or the capability to quickly acquire this knowledge and apply in the workplace.

• Well-developed problem-solving skills, with an ability to forward plan, prioritise tasks to meet deadlines and work with a high level of adaptability, both independently and as part of a team.

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with proven ability to produce clear, succinct documentation.

• The ability to liaise effectively with a wide range of stakeholders in a research environment.

In addition, the following mandatory requirements apply:

• Work Rights: You must have unrestricted work rights in Australia for the duration of this appointment to apply. Visa sponsorship is not available for this appointment. 

• Mandatory Immunisations: It is a condition of employment for this role that you will be required to provide evidence of immunisation against certain vaccine preventable diseases.

Questions? 

For more information about this opportunity, please contact Dr Timothy Reeks (Analytical Chemist, QAEHS) at [email protected] . For application queries, please contact [email protected] stating the job reference number (below) in the subject line. 
 

All applicants must upload the following documents in order for your application to be considered:

• Resume 

• Cover letter addressing the ‘About You’ section  

Other Information 

At UQ we know that our greatest strengths come from our diverse mix of colleagues, this is reflected in our ongoing commitment to creating an environment focused on equity, diversity and inclusion .  We ensure that we are always attracting, retaining and promoting colleagues who are representative of the diversity in the broader community, whether that be gender identity , LGBTQIA+ , cultural and/or linguistic , Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples , or people with a disability . Accessibility requirements and/or adjustments can be directed to [email protected]  

If you are a current employee (including casual staff and HDR scholars) or hold an unpaid/affiliate appointment, please login to your staff Workday account and visit the internal careers board to apply for this opportunity. Please do NOT apply via the external job board.

Applications close Friday 29 March 2024 at 11.00pm AEST (Job Reference Number: R-36456).