About This Opportunity
This is an exciting opportunity for two Postdoctoral Research Fellows (Level A or B) to contribute to a cutting-edge research program in microbial strain engineering for precision fermentation of alternative dairy ingredients.
You will work at the interface of synthetic biology and industrial biotechnology to develop and optimise microbial production platforms for dairy proteins.
These positions are part of a collaborative project with an industry partner, aiming to accelerate the development and commercialisation of sustainable, animal-free dairy alternatives. These roles offer the opportunity to conduct research with real-world impact.
Key responsibilities will include:
- Research: Develop an independent and/or collaborative research program in microbial strain engineering with a focus on precision fermentation for alternative dairy production; collaborate effectively with academic and industry partners to design and deliver results that advance both scientific understanding and commercial outcomes; translate research findings into practical applications, including contributing to the commercialisation of intellectual property; apply and refine best-practice research methodologies in strain design, metabolic pathway optimisation, and fermentation process development; produce high-quality research outputs, including publications in leading peer-reviewed journals, and contributions to patents or other commercialisation activities.
- Supervision and Researcher Development: Supervise students, recruit and manage employees, provide performance feedback and training, resolve conflicts, and ensure correct remuneration and benefits.
- Citizenship and Service: Develop partnerships, demonstrate leadership through mentoring, engage in internal service roles and committees, perform administrative functions, provide support to colleagues, and uphold university values.
This is a research focused position. Further information can be found by viewing UQ’s Criteria for Academic Performance.
About the Food and Beverage Accelerator
Australia’s Food and Beverage Accelerator (FaBA) is a $160 million initiative to boost growth and innovation in the food and beverage manufacturing sector. Part of the Federal Government’s Trailblazer Program, FaBA leverages $50m of government investment with more than $110m from universities and industry. Partners work across four areas: the research programs ‘Innovative Ingredients’ and ‘Premium Food and Beverage Products’, and the enabling programs ‘Innovation Pathways’ and the ‘FaBA Training Centre’.
A national initiative, FaBA provides F&B manufacturers access to research teams, next generation industry professionals, state-of-the-art equipment and pilot facilities. FaBA is proudly hosted by The University of Queensland, in collaboration with participants QUT, UniSQ and UniQuest.
About UQ
As part of the UQ community, you will have the opportunity to work alongside the brightest minds, who have joined us from all over the world.
Everyone here has a role to play. As a member of our professional staff cohort, you will be actively involved in working towards our vision of a better world. By supporting the academic endeavour across teaching, research, and the student life, you will have the opportunity to contribute to activities that have a lasting impact on our community.
Join a community where excellence is at the core of our culture, contributions are valued and a range of benefits and rewards are available, such as:
- Up to 26 weeks paid parental leave/paid primary care leave
- 17% superannuation contributions + 17.5% annual leave loading
- Access to flexible working arrangements
- Health and wellness discounts – fitness passport access, free yearly flu vaccinations, discounted health insurance, and access to our Employee Assistance Program for staff and their immediate family
- Career development opportunities –access to exclusive internal-only vacancies and our Study for Staff program
- On campus childcare options
- Salary packaging options
About You
Essential Criteria (Level A and Level B):
- Completion of a PhD in synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, microbial biotechnology or a closely related discipline.
- Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders, including academic peers, industry partners, funding agencies, and students, with evidence of excellent written and oral communication skills.
- Demonstrated capability to teach, mentor, and supervise students, including contributing to skills development and researcher training in a collaborative environment.
- Evidence of ability to work collaboratively in interdisciplinary teams and contribute to industry-aligned or application-oriented research projects.
- A developing record of research productivity, demonstrated through peer-reviewed publications and/or other research outputs appropriate to opportunity (e.g., technical reports, preprints, datasets, or conference presentations).
- Evidence of meaningful contributions to service activities within the academic or broader scientific community.
Additional Essential Criteria for Level B:
- A growing national research profile, demonstrated by a sustained record of high-quality research outputs and recognised contributions to applied or translational research.
- Evidence of success in securing external research funding, including from competitive schemes and/or industry partnerships, or significant contributions to successful funding applications.
- Proven ability to supervise students and early-career researchers to successful completion, with demonstrable outcomes in skills development and research capability.
- Demonstrated capacity to coordinate collaborative projects, including those involving industry or external partners, and to progress outcomes towards technology readiness, end-user adoption, or commercial translation.
Desirable Criteria (Level A and Level B):
- Experience collaborating with industry partners on biomanufacturing, precision fermentation, or other applied biotechnology projects, including familiarity with project milestones, partner engagement, and IP considerations.
- Experience in microbial strain engineering for production of complex proteins, including chassis selection and optimisation of metabolic and secretion pathways, or application of design–build–test–learn cycles.
- Evidence of using strain-level data to define bioprocess performance targets (TRY, robustness, media/cost drivers) that underpin commercial feasibility assessments.
- Familiarity with regulatory, quality, or safety considerations relevant to food-grade ingredients (e.g., FSANZ requirements), as well as basic IP awareness (e.g., invention disclosure, authorship vs inventorship).
Additional Desirable Criteria for Level B:
- Demonstrated leadership in collaborative, industry-embedded projects, including delivery against agreed milestones and partner expectations.
- Demonstrated progression of research toward commercial translation (e.g., invention disclosures, patents, or licensing agreements).
- Evidence of the ability to contribute to industry-relevant research priorities.
Appointment to this role is subject to the successful completion of relevant pre-employment checks, which may include verification of the right to work in Australia, qualifications and other role-specific requirements such as mandatory immunisations. This may also include checks relating to gender-based violence matters or other integrity and conduct requirements.
You must maintain unrestricted work rights in Australia for the duration of this appointment to apply. Employer sponsored work rights are not available for this appointment.
Questions?
For more information about this opportunity, please contact Dr Birgitta Ebert -birgitta.ebert@uq.edu.au.
For application inquiries, please reach out to the Talent Acquisition team at talent@uq.edu.au, stating the job reference number (below) in the subject line.
Want to Apply?
We welcome applications from all individuals and are committed to an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. To be considered, please ensure you upload:
- Resume
- Cover letter
- Responses to the ‘About You’ section
Our strength as an institution lies in our diverse colleagues. We're dedicated to equity, diversity, and inclusion, fostering an environment that mirrors our wider community. We're committed to attracting, retaining, and promoting diverse talent, particularly from Australia’s First Nations Peoples. If you require an alternative method to submit your application due to accessibility needs or personal circumstances, please contact talent@uq.edu.au.
Other Information
UQ is committed to a fair, equitable and inclusive selection process, which recognises that some applicants may face additional barriers and challenges which have impacted and/or continue to impact their career trajectory. Candidates who don’t meet all criteria are encouraged to apply and demonstrate their potential. The selection panel considers both potential and performance relative to opportunities when assessing suitability for the role.
Applications close 16 March 2026 at 11.00pm AEST (R-57303). Please note that interviews have been tentatively scheduled for early April.