Research Associate - Microbial Bioremediation of Mine Wastes

UWA School of Agriculture and Environment

• Level A, full-time appointment on a fixed term basis for 18 months from commencement
• Base salary range: $74,236 - $99,905 p.a. plus 17% superannuation
• Position to commence as soon as possible by no later than first quarter of 2023

The University of Western Australia (UWA) is ranked among the top 100 universities in the world and a member of the prestigious Australian Group of Eight research intensive universities. With a strong research track record, vibrant campus and working environments, supported by the freedom to innovate and inspire, there is no better time to join Western Australia’s top university.

About the team

The UWA School of Agriculture and Environment is a comprehensive, research-intensive school that spans the broad disciplines of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Agricultural Science, Environmental Science, and Geography and Planning. The School is located in one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots and the state of Western Australia has over 20,000km of coastline adjoining the Indian and Southern Oceans, and a wealth of marine and natural resources. Our teaching and research benefits from a network of both national and international collaborators, and has a strong track record in PhD supervision and external research grant success.

About the opportunity

Under broad direction of Dr Talitha Santini, you will coordinate and oversee laboratory, glasshouse, and field scale trials of plant and microbial bioremediation technologies for mine waste remediation. You will develop and compare the efficacy of emerging technologies for pH neutralisation, nutrient fixation and mobilisation, trace element immobilisation, and structure solidification/stabilisation. You will analyse and report data and write manuscripts for publication to communicate results.

About you 

To succeed in this position, you will be a self-starter with the ability to follow directions with limited supervision. You will demonstrate ability to take initiative, problem solve and work productively and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team. You will possess excellent organisational skills with demonstrated ability to set priorities while meeting competing deadlines between various tasks and projects.

To be considered for this role, you will demonstrate:

• PhD in the field of microbiology, biotechnology, soil science, environmental science or botany or similar related field
• Applied research experience (laboratory) in microbiology and bioinformatics
• Experience in plant germination and growth trials
• Track record of high quality publications in microbiology and/or biotechnology
• Experience and outputs using qPCR, and DNA extraction and amplification
• Capacity to complete amplicon and metagenomic analyses from raw data to final product, including metagenome-assembled genome construction and microbial community composition and statistical analysis (e.g. dbRDA, PCoA, etc)
• Ability and willingness to learn new skills and techniques

Note: A current “C” class driver’s licence is a requirement of this position.

About your application

Full details of the position's responsibilities and the selection criteria are outlined in the position description:   PD - Research Associate 508521.pdf

You are required to address the selection criteria in your submission in a separate document. For information to assist you with compiling statements to answer the selection criteria, please visit Addressing the selection criteria

Closing date: 11:55 PM AWST on Wednesday, 19 October 2022

To learn more about this opportunity, please contact Dr Talitha Santini on [email protected]

This position is open to international applicants.

Application Details: Please apply online via the Apply Now button.

Our commitment to inclusion and diversity

UWA is committed to a diverse workforce and an equitable and inclusive workplace.  We celebrate difference and believe diversity is fundamental to achieving our goals as a globally recognised Top 100 educational and research institution.  We are committed to creating a safe work environment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, women, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, the LGBTIQA+ community and people living with disability.

• We have a globally competitive, gender neutral parental leave policy with 26 weeks paid leave after 12 months service and 36 weeks after 5 years.
• We have on-campus childcare facilities for child 6 weeks to kindy.
• We facilitate flexible working, with part-time and job-sharing arrangements considered.
• We have an ongoing partnership with Pride in Diversity and were recently awarded a Bronze Employer status for LGBTIQA+ inclusion.
• We have Athena SWAN Bronze accreditation and actively work to improve gender equity. 

Should you have any queries relating to your application, please contact the individual named in the advertisement. Alternatively, contact the Talent team at [email protected] with details of your query. To enable a quick response, please include the 6-digit job reference number and a member of the team will respond to your enquiry.

Advertised:21 Sep 2022 W. Australia Standard Time
Applications close:19 Oct 2022 11:55 PM W. Australia Standard Time