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CSIRO acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land, sea and waters, of the area that we live and work on across Australia. We acknowledge their continuing connection to their culture and pay our respects to their Elders past and present. View our vision towards reconciliation

Child Safety

CSIRO is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people involved in our activities and programs. View our Child Safe Policy.

The Opportunity

• ​​​​​​Bring your experience in molecular diagnostics and bioinformatics to work.
• Collaborate broadly across the Asia-Pacific region to maintain competency within the bioinformatics and sequencing laboratory.
• Bring your passion and enthusiasm for international development and capacity building to this important role

CSIRO is Australia’s National Science Agency and is one of the world’s largest and most successful publicly funded R&D organisations. The Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL) Business Unit is located at the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP) in Geelong and is one of nine impact science business units in CSIRO. Our goal is to protect a healthy, productive and prosperous future for Australia’s animals and people by delivering world-renowned science that will further our understanding, preparedness and management of infectious diseases. The ACDP International Program (ACDP-IP), partners with multiple organisations across the APAC to build laboratory capacity, improve the quality of laboratory diagnostic services, and laboratory biosafety and biosecurity in the region. To know more, click on ACDP- global and about our partnerships, like project BICOLLAB and our established partnership with PNG here.

In this role, you’ll be involved in and providing high-throughput sequencing (HTS) or next-generation sequencing (NGS) wet-lab and related bioinformatics (dry-lab) training in animal diseases to laboratories in the Asia-Pacific region. You’ll also contribute to the design of bioinformatics training material and coordinate the delivery of ACDP-IP bioinformatics activities to ensure they are consistent across the program. Overseas work will involve regular travel (every 1-2 months) of 1-2 weeks duration, potentially up to 3 weeks, in countries primarily in the Asia-Pacific region.

The successful candidate will be maintaining competency within the bioinformatics and sequencing laboratory. If you are keen to explore more about this position do not hesitate to reach out to our team. There are some amazing things we are currently doing that you can read.

Your duties will include:

• Planning, coordinating and delivering high-throughput (HTS) or next-generation sequencing (NGS) and related bioinformatics training in support of ACDP-IP laboratory capacity-building projects in the Asia-Pacific region.
• Contributing to the development of harmonised training material to support the delivery of structured training in bioinformatics standards and protocols to the Asia-Pacific region.
• Contributing to the delivery of individual projects within the ACDP-IP portfolio, including collecting, monitoring and evaluating data and project reporting.
• Liaising with project partners to determine their needs and ensure delivery of activities is alignment with agreed project objectives and outcomes.
• Developing and maintaining competency to work in BSL3, and possibly BSL4 laboratories, to perform bioinformatics and sequencing under NATA/ISO 17025 accreditation for routine and emergency disease investigation.

Location: Geelong, Victoria

Salary: AU$89k – AU$101k plus up to 15.4% superannuation

Tenure: Specified term until June 2027

Reference: 94074

To be considered you will need:

Essential:

1. Bachelor of Science degree or equivalent relevant experience in Biological Sciences or a related discipline. 
2. Prior experience in conducting and coordinating laboratory-based bioinformatics tests with the ability to train others both at the ACDP and overseas laboratories.
3. Previous sequencing laboratory and HTS/NGS sequence data bioinformatics experience, particularly working with infectious agents.
4. Demonstrated ability to support projects, including independently planning, implementing and completing the required project activities and objectives to clients’ expectations. 
5. Demonstrated ability to work both independently and cooperatively as a member of a larger project team and to form and maintain effective and respectful relationships with a range of colleagues and collaborators. 
6. High-level interpersonal and written and verbal communication skills including the ability to document results and communicate effectively with colleagues and clients from various cultural backgrounds in order to meet project goals and timelines.
7. Willingness and ability to regularly travel overseas (every 1-2 months) for periods of between 1-2 weeks (potentially 3 weeks), to deliver project work and to provide structured training for overseas collaborators.

Desirable:

1. Postgraduate degree in molecular microbiology, sequencing or a related discipline.
2. Previous experience working overseas, particularly in developing countries.
3. Prior experience working at physical containment level 3 laboratories or higher. 

For full details about this role please review the Position Description. 

Eligibility

Applications for this position are open to Australian/ New Zealand Citizens only. The successful applicant will be required to obtain and provide a National Police Check or equivalent, meet ACDP microbiological security and security assessment requirements, and may be subject to other security/medical/character requirements.

Flexible Working Arrangements

We work flexibly at CSIRO, offering a range of options for how, when and where you work. 

Diversity and Inclusion

We are working hard to recruit people representing the diversity across our society, and ensure that all our people feel supported to do their best work and feel empowered to let their ideas flourish. 

About CSIRO

At CSIRO Australia's national science agency, we solve the greatest challenges through innovative science and technology. We put the safety and wellbeing of our people above all else and earn trust everywhere because we only deal in facts. We collaborate widely and generously and deliver solutions with real impact. 

CSIRO is committed to values-based leadership to inspire performance and unlock the potential of our people.

CSIRO is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people involved in our activities and programs, whether we are undertaking research, engaging with the public or nurturing future scientists in person or online. Source – CSIRO Child Safe policy 2023

Join us and start creating tomorrow today!

How to Apply

Please apply on-line and provide a cover letter and CV that best demonstrate your motivation and ability to meet the requirements of this role. As we are actively screening application as received we reserve the rights to close the advertisement ahead of time. So, when you see the advert, process to apply.

Please note that the eligibility criterion for this position has changed and we are re-advertising this position. If you have already submitted your application earlier, be assured that we have visibility to your application and you need not reapply.

Applications Close

26 January 2024, 11:00pm AEST