About This Opportunity
We are seeking two part-time Senior Scientific Officers - Fermentation to join our team 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 senior fermentation engineer to develop fermentation strategies to better characterised 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.
- 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)
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
- Promptly resolve conflict and grievances when they arise in accordance with University policy and procedures.
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 including flexible start/finish times, purchased leave, and a condensed fortnight
- 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
- Affordable parking (from just $6.40 a day)
- Salary packaging options
About You
You are an experienced and highly motivated fermentation scientist, ready to apply your subject matter expertise and advanced the development of bioprocesses withing the Food and Beverages Accelerator.
You will have:
- Completion of a relevant degree (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).
- Completion of relevant postgraduate degree (masters, PhD) in chemical engineering, biochemistry, molecular biology, or related discipline is desirable but not essential, as is knowledge in fermentation control, optimisation and scale-up and experience in the use of electronic lab books
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, first aid and/or CPR certification, blue card check, 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, Senior Bioprocess Engineer / Research Fellow, 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
- 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. 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-59789). Please note that interviews have been tentatively scheduled for mid-January.