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The opportunity

• ​​​​​​A key leadership role in steering impactful research, advancing scientific capabilities, and nurturing top-tier talent within a crucial research group
• Utilise your scientific expertise & credibility to enhance and advocate for CSIRO's research – Australia’s National Science Agency!
• Foster a collaborative culture, empowering teams to achieve research excellence

We’re currently seeking an experienced science leader to join our team, and lead the ‘Enterprise Resilience’ research group within our ‘Systems’ program in the CSIRO Agriculture & Food business unit!

Our ‘Systems’ program undertakes research and innovation to improve agricultural productivity, profitability and sustainability. Our people have diverse expertise and skills, including agronomy, agroecology, sensor engineering, remote monitoring, data-analytics, and modelling/simulation. We undertake on-farm research at paddock, farm and landscape scales. We build data-assets, knowledge and insights that can inform decisions in agriculture at different levels, from single farming enterprises to entire production systems.

Within this program, the ‘Enterprise Resilience’ research group focuses on using novel practices, interventions and analytics to enhance the resilience and profitability of farms. They combine expertise in crop and grazing systems research, together with farm enterprise economics. This includes people who undertake field research, spatiotemporal and systems modelling, and who are at the forefront of international research and innovation to manage the impact of climate on agriculture. By assembling expertise from WA, SA, NSW/ACT and QLD, the group addresses regional challenges across the nation.

‘Research Group Leader’ is a critical frontline leadership role within CSIRO’s operating model, and would be responsible for driving impact & research excellence, fostering collaborations, people leadership, and supporting the Research Director in the management of the Research Program’s portfolio. In this varied role, you will primarily focus on working with various teams to plan and set goals, deliver outcomes & impact through interdisciplinary science, and efficient operational and capability management, while also maintaining active involvement in business development, project and science leadership. You will still maintain an active science career, and would be involved in leading various hands-on research projects and collaborating with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.

If you’re interested in taking a pivotal leadership role in steering impactful research, advancing scientific capabilities, and nurturing world-class talent within a crucial research group, we would love to hear from you!

Your duties will include:

• Impact Science Leadership – Contributing to science impact planning for the Research Program, developing and implementing the plans for the Research Group; Contributing to and participating in project and science review processes; Managing the research group’s projects including prioritisation, allocation and delivery; Maintaining an active individual science career, including delivery to projects and leadership of projects of scale and/or complexity; Developing an R&D working environment characterised by science excellence, creativity, innovation and flexibility; etc.
• Capability Leadership – Striving for a healthy, safe and environmentally sustainable workplace; Attracting, developing and retaining world class talent which will meet current future needs of the Program; Modelling appropriate & professional workplace behaviour; Contributing to the development of science and capability strategy; etc.
• Resource Leadership – Supporting the Research Director in resource management and long-term planning; Monitoring financial and project performance; Complying with best practice governance and management of commercial activities and intellectual property; etc.
• Engagement and Partnerships – Conveying Business Unit and Program strategy and goals to internal and external stakeholders; Cultivating cross-CSIRO networks to execute the Business Unit strategy; Co-ordinating engagement of Group staff with key stakeholders and clients; Developing and maintaining national and/or international research collaborations and professional networks; etc.

Location: Perth WA (preferred); Adelaide SA may be considered

Salary: AU$157K – AU$174K pa + up to 15.4% superannuation

Tenure: Specified Term of 3 years; Full-time

Reference: 98377

To be considered you will need:

• A PhD and/or extensive research experience in a relevant discipline, such as agronomy, digital agriculture, agricultural economics or mixed-farming systems research.
• Established reputation and credibility in the relevant science domain with evidence of effective science leadership or equivalent sector industry experience.
• Demonstrated evidence of (or strong potential for) research leadership and delivery at the scale of the Research Group (~50 people).
• Demonstrated ability to attract, retain, empower and develop world class talent and to promote wellbeing, safety and foster creativity in multidisciplinary teams of up to 50 staff.
• Evidence of strong engagement skills and relationship management that grows new science opportunities and supports commercial outcomes.
• Demonstrated ability to lead individual and groups of projects of scale and/or complexity and manage financial and project performance.

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

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for this position, you must be either an Australian Citizen, a New Zealand Citizen or an Australian Permanent Resident.

Appointment to this role is subject to provision of a national police check 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.

Join us and start creating tomorrow today!

How to apply

Please apply online, and provide a CV and a detailed cover letter, responding to each of the selection criteria in detail, in a way that best demonstrate your motivation and ability to meet the requirements of this role. Please attach your selection criteria responses to your cover letter as one document.

Applications close

8 December 2024, 11:00pm AEDT