Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation | Centre for Crop Science
Full-time fixed-term position for up to 5 years
Base salary will be in the range $140,293.65 - $161,518.34 + 17% Superannuation (Academic Level C)
Based at our Gatton Campus
Create change with impact.
Join a world-class research community driving innovation in agricultural productivity and sustainability.
As Senior Research Fellow in Crop Agronomy, you’ll lead and contribute to cutting-edge research programs in systems agronomy and crop physiology, work that directly supports farmers, industry, and government in addressing the challenges of a changing environment.
Your expertise in crop performance under variable conditions, crop improvement strategies, on-farm technology adaptation, and farming systems optimisation will help shape the future of agricultural practice. You’ll collaborate with farmers, agri-business, and research partners, leading multidisciplinary teams to deliver real-world outcomes and lasting impact.
This role also provides opportunities for independent research, supervision of students, and research leadership in a highly collaborative environment.
Key responsibilities will include:
Lead and deliver impactful research in crop agronomy and farming systems, with emphasis on Queensland’s key cereal and pulse crops – applying advanced methodologies, ag-tech, and crop models to enhance productivity, sustainability, and climate resilience.
Build research excellence and industry engagement through securing competitive funding, publishing in high-impact journals, translating outcomes into on-farm applications, and fostering strong partnerships with industry, government, and producers.
Supervise and develop researchers and HDR students, providing effective mentorship, leadership, and professional development to support capability growth and the responsible conduct of research.
Contribute to teaching, service, and leadership within UQ by delivering quality teaching, actively engaging in committees and collaboration, and demonstrating values-based leadership that supports wellbeing, inclusion, and organisational excellence.
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
A PhD in agricultural science, agroecology, agronomy or a related field.
A strong track record of independent and collaborative research, including peer-reviewed publications.
Demonstrated success in securing research funding and delivering research projects on time and within budget.
Ten years post-PhD experience within the Australian grains industry with established trusted networks.
Expertise in crop management, agronomic practices, sustainable farming systems or related areas, preferably in grain crops. Working in teams to understand and harness genetic-environment-agronomic management interactions.
Expertise in the evaluation of novel predictive agriculture methods such as crop and cropping systems growth models to support decision making, i.e. economic control thresholds for abiotic stressors, input optimisation and crop selection.
Demonstrated ability to supervise postgraduate research students and mentor early-career researchers.
Proven ability to engage with industry partners, government agencies, and producers to deliver impactful research.
Strong leadership and teamwork skills, with experience contributing to multidisciplinary research programs.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate research outcomes to diverse audiences.
The successful candidate may be required to complete a number of pre-employment checks, including: right to work in Australia, 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 Ian Godwin, Director, Centre for Crop Science at i.godwin@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 November 23rd 2025 at 11.00pm AEST (R-58002). Please note that interviews have been tentatively scheduled for the week commencing 1 December 2025.