Australia’s Food and Beverage Accelerator’s (FaBA) Program: Based in the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation
Full-time fixed-term position for up to 12 months
Base salary will be in the range $95,361.62 - $102,302.92 + 17% Superannuation (HEW Level 6)
Based at our Long Pocket Campus
We are looking for an experienced and highly motivated Senior New Product Development Officer to apply their subject matter expertise and advanced knowledge of grain-based new product development to a growing industry project focused on advancing premium Australian oat-based products.
As part of the Food and Beverage Accelerator (FaBA) Trailblazer initiative, this role offers the opportunity to work at the interface of research, industry engagement and commercial application — delivering solutions that strengthen Australia’s food and beverage capability and global competitiveness. You will apply your technical expertise to develop new products and innovative processing solutions, interpret food regulations, and evaluate the safety and quality of premium food products and ingredients, contributing to impactful outcomes for industry and research alike.
In this role, you will:
Lead end-to-end product innovation – Drive and coordinate new product development across food and beverage categories, from formulation through to lab and pilot-scale production, ensuring technical excellence and industry impact.
Provide advanced technical leadership – Apply and guide specialist expertise in food regulation, processing technologies, formulation, testing, and sensory evaluation while supervising complex experiments and troubleshooting equipment.
Partner with industry for impact – Collaborate with industry stakeholders and senior staff to co-design research initiatives that deliver commercially relevant outcomes.
Champion safety, quality and operational excellence – Ensure safe laboratory practices, regulatory compliance, and effective maintenance and use of facilities and infrastructure.
Strengthen capability and research delivery – Support research documentation, reporting, and funding processes while mentoring junior technicians and building a high-performing, collaborative team culture.
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.
Join the UQ FaBA 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
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
Salary packaging options
Qualifications: Completion of a Master’s or PhD in Science, Food Science and Technology, Food Engineering or a closely related discipline.
Essential – New Product Development Expertise: Demonstrated and substantial experience in grain-based new product development and formulation is critical for success in this role. Applicants must have proven experience delivering new food and/or beverage products from concept through to commercialisation across diverse applications.
Experience in developing oat-, grain-, cereal-, rice- or noodle-based products will be highly regarded.
Proven ability to lead and grow a new product development team, building capability, fostering collaboration and driving performance outcomes.
Strong collaborative skills, with experience working effectively with multidisciplinary colleagues and industry partners to deliver commercially relevant outcomes.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex technical information for both technical and non-technical audiences.
Demonstrated capacity to work independently across routine and complex technical processes, exercising sound judgement and initiative.
Highly organised, methodical and self-motivated, with exceptional attention to detail and a commitment to delivering work of the highest quality and accuracy.
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 and qualifications. 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.
For more information about this opportunity, please contact Dr Jiahua Shi (jiahua.shi@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.
We welcome applications from all individuals and are committed to an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. To be considered, please ensure you upload:
Resume
A cover letter summarising how your background aligns with 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.
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 Sunday 15 March 2026 at 11.00pm AEST (R-60993).