Acknowledgement of Country

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 ourChild Safe Policy.

The opportunity

• Drive key strategy in developing and applying innovative models of contaminant fate and transport at sites and regions
• Great on-going role partnering with industry, governments and community to deliver impactful projects
• Grow your research career with CSIRO – Australia’s National Science Agency!

Are you looking for an opportunity to progress your career with a reputed organisation that’s dedicated to delivering quality scientific solutions, and working with industry to make real impact on our environment? We are currently seeking an experienced Principal Research Scientist to join our dynamic team in a multi-faceted, ongoing role, and it could be your next big career step!

The ‘Contaminants and Mitigation’ Research Group within CSIRO’s ‘Industry Environments’ Research Program is a national leader in detection and assessment of contaminants of concern for rapid response and targeted management strategies to ensure responsible industries and protection of human and environmental health.

Joining our multi-disciplinary ‘Fate & Transport’ team, you will play a key role in enabling the research program’s strategy to develop and grow science capability in reactive transport models for integrating chemical and biological reactions with transport of fluids through porous media to prioritise contaminants of concern, assess and predict environmental risks, and optimise management options. You will use your established networks, expertise and skills to undertake leading-edge scientific research within this field, and provide senior leadership to the team. This position is a key role within our program and provides a great platform to advance your science and research career.

If you enjoy working in a multi-disciplinary team environment, forming collaborative partnerships, bringing a fresh perspective to research initiatives, and making a real difference with your work, this would be an exciting and fulfilling role for you! CSIRO champions a diverse and inclusive culture, supports flexible work arrangements, and offers excellent professional development opportunities to grow your skills and career.

Your duties will include:

• Initiating, developing, and managing projects to deliver science and impact on the assessment and management of contaminants of concern in Australian environments for responsible and sustainable industries.
• Undertaking feasibility studies, demonstrating a considerable degree of originality, creativity, and innovation in solving problems and introducing new directions and approaches.
• Identifying and securing projects with clients and collaborators to understand and address national and international environmental pollutant challenges.
• Maintaining active national and international research collaborations in order to access/share leading edge concepts and technology to advance projects, achieve scalability, new opportunities, and impact.
• Publishing science finding in national and international recognized journals and communicating findings to a range of internal and external government, industry, and community stakeholders.
• Providing supervision and support to staff to successfully achieve project deliverables and outcomes.

Location: Waterford (WA) or Waite Campus (SA)

Salary: AU$126K – AU$168K pa + up to 15.4% superannuation (across two levels)

Tenure: Indefinite

Reference: 96985

To be considered you will need:

Applications would be assessed according to the Selection Criteria listed below, and across two capability levels. The successful candidate will be appointed at the capability level commensurate with their skills and experience, as assessed by the Selection Panel.

• A PhD (or an equivalent combination of qualifications and research experience) in a relevant field such as hydrogeology, geochemistry, or civil/geoenvironmental engineering.
• Experience in the initiating, managing, and delivering on research utilising reactive transport models to investigate water quality issues, contaminant fate and behaviour, and/or assessment of management options.
• Demonstrated ability to conceptualise complex interactions between heterogeneous porous media (saturated and unsaturated), solute transport, and biogeochemical processes in different environments.
• Experience in computer programming and data analysis (e.g., R, Fortran, Python and C/C++ in a Unix/Linux environment), uncertainty analysis, and knowledge of emerging tools (e.g., machine learning) for the quantification of coupled processes at bench and field scales.
• A history of securing research funding utilising reactive transport models to answer contaminant problems.
• A strong scientific publication record, networks and collaborations in the field, and an ability to communicate effectively with a range of stakeholders.
• Experience in responsible and ethical behaviour in research, inclusiveness, and work health and safety practices and procedures.

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

Eligibility

Applications for this position are open to all candidates – Australian/New Zealand Citizens, Australian Permanent Residents, or candidates who either hold, or are able to obtain, a valid working visa for the duration of the specified term (visa sponsorship and relocation assistance may be provided to the successful candidate if required).

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, 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

11 August 2024, 11:00pm AEST