Research Fellow, Bioinformatics (Infectious Diseases)

Position Number: 0064512
Location: Parkville
Role type: Full-time; Fixed-term for 24 months
Faculty: Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology
Department: Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Salary: Academic A – $105,518 - $113,262 p.a. plus 17% super

• Conduct computational research to develop antiviral therapeutics and vaccine target platforms using bioinformatics.
• Collaborate with leading experts across disciplines to create innovative therapeutics targeting pandemic pathogens.
• Salary packaging, subsidised health and wellbeing services, fitness and cultural clubs, Myki discounts, and a 25% discount on graduate courses to our staff and their immediate families!

About the Role

The Matthew McKay Group at the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology is seeking a Research Fellow to contribute to a groundbreaking project on developing antiviral therapeutics for respiratory pathogens with pandemic potential using CRISPR-Cas13 gene-editing tools. Collaborating with leading experts from the Doherty Institute and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, the role focuses on creating computational pipelines to analyse viral sequence data, identify drug targets, and develop user-friendly web platforms. The Research Fellow will also support related projects on vaccine target identification, joining a multidisciplinary team dedicated to advancing pandemic preparedness and therapeutic innovation.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Independently plan and carry out research on the nominated research project and work towards completion of the aims of the project.
• Develop effective timelines and milestones based on goals of the research programme.
• Be responsible for qualitative and statistical analysis of research data.
• Regularly write technical reports on the outputs of the experiments conducted and maintain accurate and detailed records of all experiments conducted.

Who We Are Looking For
The ideal candidate demonstrates excellent interpersonal and communication skills, effectively engaging with diverse stakeholders and presenting complex information clearly. They are self-motivated, able to work independently, and skilled in prioritising tasks to meet deadlines and achieve project goals.

You will also have:

• A PhD in computational biology, bioinformatics, electrical engineering, computer science, or in other relevant fields with computational and software expertise.
• Proficiency in bioinformatic data analysis, problem solving, and maintaining accurate research records.
• Proficiency in high-level programming languages, e.g., Python, R, and/or Matlab.
• Demonstrated capacity to communicate research concepts to technical and nontechnical audiences.

For further information regarding responsibilities and requirements, please refer to the attached PD.

This role requires that the successful candidate must undergo and maintain an up-to-date Working with Children Check. This is essential to guarantee a secure environment for all individuals at the University. In the case the selected candidate doesn't have a valid Working with Children Check, they will be able to apply for the WWCC as part of the initial onboarding procedures.

Please note: Visa sponsorship is available for this position.

Your New Team – Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology (FEIT)
The Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology (FEIT) has been the leading Australian provider of engineering and IT education and research for over 150 years. We are a multidisciplinary Faculty organised into three key areas; Computing and Information Systems (CIS), Chemical and Biomedical Engineering (CBE) and Electrical, Mechanical and Infrastructure Engineering (EMI). FEIT continues to attract top staff and students with a global reputation and has a commitment to knowledge for the betterment of society. FEIT has never been better positioned as a global leader, anchored in the dynamic Asia Pacific region, creating and curating knowledge to address some of the world’s biggest challenges. Through our students and our relationships with communities, we can not only respond to society’s needs but anticipate and create engineering and IT solutions for the future. https://eng.unimelb.edu.au/ https://eng.unimelb.edu.au/about/join-feit Our ten-year strategy, FEIT 2025, is our School’s commitment to bring to life the University-wide strategy Advancing Melbourne and reinforce the University of Melbourne’s position as one of the best in the world. To achieve our ambitions, we will continue to build new infrastructure to enable our teaching, research and engagement; we continue to recruit outstanding people from around the world; and we continue to attract high-quality students from across the globe who are at the heart of our enterprise. https://eng.unimelb.edu.au/about/feit-2025

What We Offer You!
In addition, we offer the opportunity to be part of a vibrant community and enjoy a range of benefits, including generous leave provisions, salary packaging, health and well-being services and discounts on graduate courses. For more information, check out our benefits page!

About the University of Melbourne
We’re tightly connected with the community, both at home and abroad. We take pride in our people, who all contribute to our mission to benefit society through the transformative impact of education and research. Discover more via our website and stay connected with our stories and people on LinkedIn.

Be Yourself
The University of Melbourne values the unique backgrounds, experiences and contributions that each person brings to our community and welcomes and celebrates diversity. First Nations people, those identifying as LGBTQIA+, parents, carers, people of all ages, abilities and genders, and people of diverse ethnicity, nationality and faith are encouraged to apply. Our aim is to create a workforce that reflects the diversity of the community in which we live. For more information please visit our Diversity and Inclusion page.

We are dedicated to ensuring barrier free and inclusive practices to recruit the most talented candidates. If you require reasonable adjustments, please contact the employee listed on the first page of the Position Description found below, with an email containing your name and contact details for a confidential discussion. Please ensure your email is titled "Reasonable Adjustments Request".

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Applicants
We aspire to be the University of choice for Indigenous Australians, with unprecedented investment to attract, nurture and retain Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and staff. Tangible support through a range of programs and initiatives will ensure that you personally succeed and flourish while at the University of Melbourne.

For further information, including our 2023-2027 Indigenous strategy please visit -https://about.unimelb.edu.au/reconciliation/murmuk-djerring

Join Us!
If you feel this role is right for you, please apply with the following documents:

• Resume
• Cover Letter outlining your experience in relation to the key selection criteria.

Please note that you are not required to respond to the selection criteria in the Position Description.

Please ensure that you apply through the Apply Now button at the bottom of this advertisement. However, if you have any questions regarding the recruitment process, please feel free to contact Shabon via email at [email protected], ensuring that you include the Position Number and the Job Title as the subject. Please do not share your application to this email address.

If you have any particular questions regarding the job please follow the details listed on the Position Description.