Plants for Space (P4S) Education, Outreach & Engagement Officer

Job no: 0062392
Location: Parkville
Role type: Part-time (0,5 FTE); Fixed-term for 3 years
Faculty: Science
Department/School: School of BioSciences, The ARC Centre of Excellence in Plants for Space
Salary: UOM 6 – $92,749 - $100,397 (pro rata for part-time) p.a. plus 17% super

• Drive education, outreach, and engagement within the ARC Centre of Excellence in Plants for Space.
• Collaborate with top-tier researchers, industry partners, and NASA, inspiring innovation.
• Salary packaging, subsidised health and wellbeing services, fitness and cultural clubs, Myki discounts, and a 25% discount on graduate courses to our staff and their immediate families!

About the Role
As the Plants for Space Education, Outreach, and Engagement Officer at the University of Melbourne's School of BioSciences, you'll be at the forefront of an exciting initiative poised to revolutionise space exploration and sustainable living on Earth.

Working within the ARC Centre of Excellence in Plants for Space (P4S), you'll collaborate with top-tier researchers, industry partners, and educational institutions, including NASA, to inspire the next generation of scientists and innovators.

By spearheading engaging educational programs and public events, you'll not only showcase groundbreaking research but also foster a deep appreciation for multidisciplinary STEM approaches.

This role isn't just about communication; it's about shaping the future of space habitation and positioning Australia as a global leader in cutting-edge plant-based research. Join us in this thrilling journey toward unlocking the potential of plants for the benefit of humanity, both in space and on our home planet.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Develop, maintain and enhance relationships with partners and promote the Centre to schools, teachers, education providers and industry.
• Contribute to the design and development of P4S themed school outreach programs.
• Promote, administer, coordinate and deliver outreach events and projects to public and school audiences, including book in, communicate, follow up and collect and collate participation and evaluation data.
• Support outreach presenters (postgraduate students and researchers on the P4S project) to communicate effectively with public and school audiences.
• Represent P4S in other engagement activities which may include; participating in local and national organisations, hosting a booth at public events, teacher resource development (3D printed materials/code/robotics).

Who We Are Looking For
You will possess strong communication skills, adept at reaching diverse audiences, alongside proven event management expertise, particularly in science outreach. Additionally, you should demonstrate experience in reporting engagement program participation effectively.

You will also have:

• Completion of a teaching qualification or equivalent experience presenting in classroom or non-classroom education settings i.e. museums, galleries, zoos.
• Demonstrated experience communicating curriculum aligned science, technology, engineering or maths related topics and evidence of presentation skills (in-person/digital) in education settings.
• Demonstrated appreciation of, or affinity with, STEM education programs and activities and a commitment to delivering quality service to event participants.
• Demonstrated event management experience to broad public audiences, including science outreach.
• Demonstrated experience reporting participation in engagement programs.

Highly desirable: previous experience in primary or secondary schools, coordinating mentoring or professional development programs, involvement in initiatives promoting career pathways in Space, Agriculture, or Food industries, and expertise in developing STEM-based learning resources, covering areas like robotics, coding, 3D printing, AR/VR, and digital tools.

For further information regarding responsibilities and requirements, please refer to the attached PD.

This role requires that the successful candidate must undergo and maintain an up-to-date Working with Children Check. This is essential to guarantee a secure environment for all individuals at the University. In the case the selected candidate doesn't have a valid Working with Children Check, they will be able to apply for the WWCC as part of the initial onboarding procedures.

Please note: Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. This role requires current valid work rights for Australia.

Your New Team – “School of BioSciences, The ARC Centre of Excellence in Plants for Space“

This position presents an opportunity to join The University of Melbourne’s School of BioSciences.  BioSciences houses 60 continuing academic staff, and more than 150 academic staff overall (including postdocs, and other research contingent staff) all working on the world’s top biological challenges – from climate change, biosecurity and pollution to reproductive health and food production. Collectively members of our School lead more than 240 research projects in the general areas of ecology, evolution, zoology, marine biology, genetics, plant science, genomics, biosecurity, biological pollution, reproductive biology and data science.

The ARC Centre of Excellence in Plants for Space is a >$90 million initiative led by the University of Adelaide and with more than 35 partners across Australia and around the world, including NASA. The Centre involves five Australian Universities: University of Adelaide, Flinders University, University of Western Australia, La Trobe University and the University of Melbourne. P4S aims to create on-demand, zero-waste, high-efficiency plants and plant products for food and beverages to address grand challenges in sustainability for Space and on Earth. The multi-disciplinary team in plant, food, and sensory science; process and systems engineering; law and policy; and psychology will deliver transformative solutions for Space habitation – and create enhanced plant-derived food and bioresources to capitalise upon emergent and rapidly expanding domestic and global markets. Anticipated outcomes include industry uptake of innovative plant forms, foods, technologies, and commodities; and an ambitious education and international co-ordination agenda to position Australia as a global leader in plant-based research supporting Space habitation.

What We Offer You!
In addition, we offer the opportunity to be part of a vibrant community and enjoy a range of benefits, including generous leave provisions, salary packaging, health and well-being services and discounts on graduate courses. For more information, check out our benefits  page!

About the University of Melbourne
We’re tightly connected with the community, both at home and abroad. We take pride in our people, who all contribute to our mission to benefit society through the transformative impact of education and research. Discover more via our website  and stay connected with our stories and people on LinkedIn .   

Be Yourself
The University of Melbourne values the unique backgrounds, experiences and contributions that each person brings to our community and welcomes and celebrates diversity.  First Nations people, those identifying as LGBTQIA+, parents, carers, people of all ages, abilities and genders, and people of diverse ethnicity, nationality and faith are encouraged to apply. Our aim is to create a workforce that reflects the diversity of the community in which we live. For more information please visit our Diversity and Inclusion page.

We are dedicated to ensuring barrier free and inclusive practices to recruit the most talented candidates. If you require reasonable adjustments, please contact the employee listed on the first page of the Position Description found below, with an email containing your name and contact details for a confidential discussion. Please ensure your email is titled "Reasonable Adjustments Request".

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Applicants
We aspire to be the University of choice for Indigenous Australians, with unprecedented investment to attract, nurture and retain Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and staff. Tangible support through a range of programs and initiatives will ensure that you personally succeed and flourish while at the University of Melbourne.

For further information, including our 2023-2027 Indigenous strategy please visit -https://about.unimelb.edu.au/reconciliation/murmuk-djerring

Join Us!
If you feel this role is right for you, please apply with the following documents: 

• Resume
• Cover Letter outlining your interest and experience
• The responses against the Selection Criteria^ (found in the Position Description)

^For information to help you with compiling short statements to answer the selection criteria and competencies, please go to http://about.unimelb.edu.au/careers/selection-criteria

If you have any questions regarding the recruitment process, please feel free to contact Anna Gradoboeva via email at [email protected] , ensuring that you include the Position Number and the Job Title as the subject. Please do not share your application to this email address.

If you have any particular questions regarding the job please follow the details listed on the Position Description.

Position Description