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 our Child Safe Policy.

The opportunity

CSIRO SME Connect supports Australian start-ups and small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) pursue innovation. 

Regional University Industry Collaboration (RUIC) Program connects regional universities with start-ups and SMEs in Queensland to drive local innovation and economic growth through research collaboration. Funded by the Queensland Department of Environment, Science and Innovation (DESI) and delivered by CSIRO’s specialist SME Connect team, this eligibility-based program will run until June 2027.

As the RUIC Program Junior Facilitator, you will support the Senior Facilitators in all aspects of delivering the RUIC Program. You will follow up on leads, perform initial screening of Expression of Interest forms, discuss potential projects with customers and researchers, review applications and support managing after-project feedback. The key aspect of the role will be working with start-ups and SMEs to help understand and articulate their research/development idea and connecting them with researchers at the partnering universities. 
Your role will also be involved in building internal and external awareness for the program, integrating with the innovation ecosystem in your region, and partaking in key program planning and monitoring.

Your duties will include:

• Supporting to build pipelines of start-up and SME applicants for RUIC, through development of relationships and networks across industry, industry bodies, innovation ecosystem, investors, research organisations, universities, and CSIRO. 
• Performing initial screening of leads.
• Facilitating R&D projects between start-ups/SMEs with the partnering universities.
• Providing end-to-end support for businesses and researchers during their projects. 
• Assisting in monitoring program progress, tracking key metrics, and generating reports to assess the program's performance to identify areas for improvement.
• Supporting to establish relationships with researchers from the Partner Universities.
• Helping in facilitating workshops and network events.
• Actively supporting the Senior Facilitators in all aspects of delivering the RUIC Program. 
• Helping in maintaining program documentation, including meeting minutes, action items, and program-related files.
• Working on promotional materials such as case studies and other communications as required.
• Working collaboratively with colleagues in CSIRO SME Connect.
• Other duties as directed.

Location: Brisbane, Cairns or Townsville

Salary: AU$93,267 to AU$105,517 plus up to 15.4% superannuation

Tenure: Specified term until June 2027

Reference: 97401

To be considered you will need:

Essential

• Tertiary qualifications in science, engineering and/or business with business development experience, or equivalent skills, knowledge, and experience.  
• High level of organisational and coordination skills, and ability to prioritise work activities to meet business expectations and deadlines.
• Independence and an ability to problem solve.
• Understanding of the start-up and SME ecosystem, including opportunities for regional SMEs, with established relationships and a broad network across industry, universities and PFROs, government, and investors in Australia.
• Highly developed engagement and networking skills.
• Highly developed interpersonal skills, track record of contributing to, and supporting, cohesive teams; proven ability to establish productive relationships with colleagues.
• A valid Australian Driver’s License.

Desirable

• Experience in industry-led research and development projects, gained from working in a publicly funded research organisation (PFRO) or working in businesses that have successfully engaged with PFROs. 
• Business development experience.

For full details about this role please review the Position Description

Eligibility

Applications for this position are open to Australian/New Zealand Citizens, Australian Permanent Residents or you must either hold, or be able to obtain, a valid working visa for the duration of the specified term. 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 on-line and provide a cover letter and CV that best demonstrate your motivation and ability to meet the requirements of this role.

Applications close

28th of July 2024, 11:00pm AEST/AEDT