Faculty of Science / School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability
Full-time fixed-term position for up to 12 months
Base salary will be in the range $140,293.65 - $161,518.34 + 17% Superannuation (Academic Level C)
Based at our Gatton Campus
We’re looking for a Senior Research Fellow to join us in shaping more resilient and sustainable food systems. This role offers the opportunity to lead impactful research in agribusiness, rural development and agricultural systems, applying systems thinking to address complex challenges affecting food systems and rural livelihoods.
You’ll join a collaborative, purpose-driven research environment, leading innovative projects that integrate systems mapping, causal loop analysis, scenario modelling and market systems analysis to inform policy, investment and practice at national and international levels.
This is a research-focused position with opportunities to extend your impact through capacity-building initiatives, including the design and delivery of international development short courses and select teaching activities that embed systems thinking into agribusiness and agricultural economics curricula.
Key responsibilities will include:
Research: Lead and deliver high-impact research in agribusiness, rural development and agricultural systems, applying systems thinking to food systems, market systems and rural livelihoods. Secure competitive funding, publish in high-quality outlets, and translate research into policy and industry impact through strong national and international collaborations.
Teaching: Contribute to select undergraduate and postgraduate courses in agribusiness and agricultural economics, embedding systems thinking into curriculum design. Support international development capacity-building through the design and delivery of short courses and professional training programs.
Supervision and Researcher Development: Supervise HDR students and mentor early-career researchers, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, research excellence and responsible research conduct. Build capability in systems thinking across the research group and broader academic community.
Citizenship and Service: Demonstrate leadership aligned with UQ values through collaboration, mentoring and a commitment to staff wellbeing. Strengthen external partnerships across the Indo-Pacific and globally and contribute to UQ’s international development agenda through active stakeholder engagement.
This is a research focused position. Further information can be found by viewing UQ’s Criteria for Academic Performance.
Established over 125 years ago, UQ’s Gatton Campus has a long history – from starting out as a dedicated agricultural institution, to being a field hospital during WWII, and to joining the UQ community in 1990. With this history in mind, we’re proud to have made the Queensland Commitment, to break down personal, financial, and geographical barriers facing students to make education opportunities available for all Queenslanders.
These days, our Gatton Campus houses innovative research and teaching facilities in agriculture, animal science, veterinary science and the environment. We’ve partnered with government, industry and donors to invest in major research infrastructure, facilities and technologies, including: the largest solar research facility in the Southern Hemisphere, the state of the art Queensland Animal Sciences Precinct, and over 1000 hectares of farms.
Additional benefits of joining UQ, as well the Gatton campus specifically, include:
Genuine career progression opportunities via the academic promotions process and access to exclusive internal-only vacancies
Access to greater research funding opportunities, including grant writing support and post-fellowship contracts via our UQ Amplify initiative
Recognition of prior service with other Australian universities
Up to 26 weeks paid parental leave/paid primary care leave
17% superannuation contributions
25% discount on eligible UQ Vets services
Access to our $4.1 million UQ Sports facility
On campus childcare, medical clinic, post office, and community garden
PhD in sustainable agriculture, agribusiness, international agricultural development, agri-environmental management, system dynamics or a closely related discipline.
Established research profile with national recognition and a developing international reputation, demonstrated through high-quality publications and impactful projects.
Proven ability to secure and manage external research funding as Chief Investigator or lead on substantial projects.
Advanced expertise in systems thinking, system dynamics modelling (e.g., Stella, Vensim) and participatory approaches such as group model building.
Strong leadership and mentoring skills, with experience supervising HDR students and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration.
Demonstrated ability to translate research into policy and practice, and to build partnerships with industry, government and development agencies.
Extensive experience in international development and capacity-building programs, particularly across South-East Asia and Africa.
Excellent communication skills and willingness to travel internationally to lead collaborative research and training initiatives.
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, and education check.
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 Professor Ammar Abdul Aziz at a.abdulaziz@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
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.
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 January 4th 2026 at 11.00pm AEST (R-58887). Please note that interviews have been tentatively scheduled for the week commencing January 12th 2026.