The University of Tasmania acknowledges the Palawa/Pakana and Gadigal/Wangal people as the traditional custodians of the land, sea and waters of the areas upon which we live and work. We recognise their valuable contributions and deep connection to country and pay respect to Elders past and present.
- Mix of research, analysis, stakeholder engagement, and knowledge translation
- Be part of work that has real-world impact on public health and environmental outcomes
- Part time (0.6FTE), Fixed-Term (July 2027) Based in Hobart
About the opportunity
We are seeking a motivated, outcome focused Research Assistant to provide research support within the Healthy Seafoods team at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS). The incumbent will have a background in food (ideally seafood) safety and/or marine science/microbiology at an Honours/Masters level or equivalent industry/government experience.
The role offers a diverse and evolving range of tasks across the seafood safety research space, combining ongoing research projects with opportunities to respond to emerging seafood safety issues in a small yet highly dynamic team environment. The breadth of research activities that this role will support include a wide variety of tasks, ranging from laboratory-based sample analysis to desktop-based risk assessments, including communication of results to diverse audiences.
To be eligible for this position, you are required to hold Australian or New Zealand Citizenship, permanent residency or a valid visa that enables you to fulfil the requirements of this role.
What you’ll do:
- Generate high‑quality laboratory analyses and data outputs adhering to quality assurance and safety standards to ensure results are accurate, repeatable, and publishable.
- Produce clear and well‑synthesised literature reviews and evidence summaries, supporting communication of microbial and harmful algal bloom hazards.
- Effectively contribute to team‑based research and stakeholder outputs, including reporting, communication, and input into responses to current and emerging seafood safety issues.
Success criteria:
- Demonstrated experience of laboratory techniques, such as safe handling of chemicals and biosecure materials, including aseptic technique and ideally plate reader-based assays, such as ELISAs.
- Competence in data management, including cleaning, organisation, and maintaining structured datasets suitable for analysis and reporting.
- Familiarity with risk assessment frameworks relevant to food safety (e.g., hazard identification, exposure assessment, risk characterisation) or willingness to rapidly develop capability in this area.
- Demonstrated ability in the use of scientific computer programs (R, word-processing, spreadsheets and databases) and routine statistical analyses
- Demonstrated strong interpersonal and written communication skills, including the ability to synthesise scientific and grey literature, and prepare clear, well-structured reports, summaries, and scientific outputs for a range of audiences.
- Tertiary education with Masters or Honours degree in food safety, microbiology, harmful algal blooms or similar field. Equivalent experience in other research/food safety support roles will be considered.
- Current Australian driver’s license (Class C)
Salary details
Appointment to this role will be at Research Assistant Level 1 and will have a total remuneration package of $97,342 comprising base salary of $83,198 plus 17% superannuation.
How to Apply
- To apply online, please provide a short (1-2-page) cover letter outlining your interest in the role, formal responses to the success criteria listed above and your CV.
- For further information about this position, please contact Doctor Andreas Seger, Senior Research Fellow in Harmful Algae, Biotoxins and Seafood Safety, [email protected]
- Please visit https://www.utas.edu.au/jobs/applying for our guide to applying and details on the recruitment process.
- For current UTAS staff, in submitting your application, you acknowledge you have/intend to discuss your interest in this vacancy with your current manager and understand they may need to be contacted confidentially by the hiring manager as part of the assessment of your application.
- Please refer to the attached Position Description Below for full details.
Applications close Sunday, 14 June 2026, 11.55pm
As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive workplace, employment history and police checks may be conducted as part of the selection process.
To be eligible for this position, you are required to hold Australian or New Zealand Citizenship, permanent residency or a valid visa that enables you to fulfil the requirements of this role.
