Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Precision Fermentation

• Food and Beverage Accelerator Program: Based in the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN)
• Full-time (100%), fixed-term lab-based position for up to 2 years
• Base salary will be in the range $82,057.75 - $109,246.18 + 17% Superannuation (Academic Level A)
• Based at our St Lucia Campus

About This Opportunity 

Join our team as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Precision Fermentation and support the development of fermentation workflows in close collaboration with clients, collaborators, and students.

You will be primarily laboratory based and will work closely with our bioprocess team to develop fermentation strategies to better characterise microbial strains.

Key responsibilities will include: 

Core Scientific

• Set up, optimise and maintain the instrumented bioreactors in coordination with the IDEA Bio team.
• Perform cultivation of microorganisms (yeast) using existing and refined the fermentation strategies.
• Deliver high-quality data to clients using fermentation workflows.
• Train and provide technical support to students and staff using equipment.
• Organise and maintain bioreactors and probes/sensors.
• Coordinate sample preparation workflows with the proteomics and metabolomics teams
• Provide scientific/technical advice on methods, equipment, quality assurance procedures, risk assessment and waste management.
• Assist the development of research and testing procedures and methodologies, including analysis of quality outcomes.  
• Perform experiments and generate reports.
• Carry out sample preparation and analysis on instruments to satisfy and accomplish research outcomes.
• Implement standards and controls for reliable outputs.
• Perform standard maintenance on instruments for optimal performance.

General

• Assist, support and maintain in the day-to-day activities and operations of the centre/team/facility (e.g., booking system and client engagement)
• Perform other duties as reasonably directed by the Research Facilities Manager

Safety

• Ensure a high standard of occupational health and safety standards and systems, including inductions, supervision, equipment training registers, administration of research Facilities, Inventories, reporting and investigating injuries, incidents and hazards. 
• Assist with developing a proactive safety culture and implement continuous improvement. 

Leadership and management

• Supports the development of more junior research scientists.
• Promptly resolve conflict and grievances when they arise in accordance with University policy and procedures.
• Contributes to research outputs, joint preparation, and authorship of reports/manuscripts.

This is a research focused position. Further information can be found by viewing UQ’s Criteria for Academic Performance.

About UQ

Join UQ, a globally renowned institution fostering a vibrant academic community. Collaborate with brilliant minds from around the world in an interdisciplinary environment. Backed by world-class facilities, ample research funding, grant writing support, and post-fellowship contracts via our UQ Amplify initiative, UQ empowers research excellence. With a large PhD enrolment and commitment to accessibility, be part of a prestigious institution that empowers academics to thrive and make a lasting impact.

The greater benefits of joining the UQ community are broad:  from being part of a Group of Eight university, to recognition of prior service with other Australian universities, up to 26 weeks of paid parental leave, 17.5% annual leave loading, flexible working arrangements including hybrid on site/WFH options and flexible start/finish times, access to exclusive internal-only vacancies, and genuine career progression opportunities via the academic promotions process.

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 You  

• Completion of a PhD in cell biology, molecular biology, biotechnology, biochemical engineering, with subsequent experience, or an equivalent combination of relevant experience and/or education/training in the cultivation of microorganism in instrumented bioreactors.
• Demonstrated research-relevant knowledge and skills with operation instrumented bioreactors and relevant operation software.
• Sound understanding of fermentation processes.
• Demonstrated experience in the cultivation of microorganisms (bacterial, yeast), including screening methods, media selection and standard growth kinetics characterization.
• Demonstrated laboratory skills (media and buffer preparation, sample preparation, implementation of experimental protocols, use of volumetric materials, etc) 
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to plan, prioritize tasks, meet deadlines, and work adaptably both independently and in a team.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with proven ability to produce clear, succinct documentation.
• Strong expertise in the Microsoft Office suite of programs, GraphPad Prism, and the ability to learn new programs (e.g., LabArchives, BioRender).

Desirable

• Demonstrated experience in fermentation control, optimisation and scale-up.
• Experience in the use of electronic lab books
• Experience in coding languages (Python, etc)

The successful candidate may be required to complete a number of pre-employment checks, including: right to work in Australia, conduct concerning gender-based violence, education check, mandatory immunisations etc. 

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 Axa Gonzalez Garcia, r.gonzalezgarcia@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. 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 11 January 2026 at 11.00pm AEST (R-59791). Please note that interviews have been tentatively scheduled for mid-January.