This is an exciting opportunity for two Postdoctoral Research Fellows (Level A or B) to contribute to a cutting‐edge research program in microbial strain engineering for precision fermentation of alternative dairy ingredients. These positions are full‐time (100 % fixed‐term) for up to 20 months and will be based at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN) on the St Lucia Campus.
Base salary: Academic Level A $83,698.91 – $111,431.10 + 17 % Superannuation; Academic Level B $117,120.53 – $138,769.70 + 17 % Superannuation.
Key Responsibilities
* Develop an independent or collaborative research program in microbial strain engineering focused on precision fermentation for alternative dairy production; collaborate with academic and industry partners to design and deliver results that advance both scientific understanding and commercial outcomes.
* Translate research findings into practical applications, including contributing to the commercialisation of intellectual property.
* Apply and refine best‐practice research methodologies in strain design, metabolic pathway optimisation, and fermentation process development.
* Produce high‐quality research outputs, including publications in leading peer‐reviewed journals and contributions to patents or other commercialisation activities.
* Supervise students, recruit and manage employees, provide performance feedback and training, resolve conflicts, and ensure correct remuneration and benefits.
* Develop partnerships, demonstrate leadership through mentoring, engage in internal service roles and committees, perform administrative functions, provide support to colleagues, and uphold university values.
About The Food and Beverage Accelerator
Australia's Food and Beverage Accelerator (FaBA) is a $160 million initiative to boost growth and innovation in the food and beverage manufacturing sector. As part of the Federal Government's Trailblazer Program, FaBA leverages $50 million of government investment with more than $110 million from universities and industry. Partners work across four areas: the research programmes "Innovative Ingredients" and "Premium Food and Beverage Products", and the enabling programmes "Innovation Pathways" and the "FaBA Training Centre". FaBA provides F&B manufacturers with access to research teams, next‐generation industry professionals, state‐of‐the‐art equipment and pilot facilities. FaBA is proudly hosted by The University of Queensland in collaboration with QUT, UniSQ and UniQuest.
About UQ
As part of the UQ community, you will work alongside the brightest minds from around 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 and contributing to teaching, research, and student life.
Our strength as an institution lies in our diverse colleagues. We're committed to attracting, retaining, and promoting diverse talent, particularly from Australia's First Nations Peoples.
Benefits
* Up to 26 weeks paid parental leave / paid primary care leave
* 17 % superannuation contributions + 17.5 % annual leave loading
* Access to flexible working arrangements
* 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 the Study for Staff programme
* On‐campus childcare options
* Salary packaging options
Employment Conditions
* Appointment is subject to successful completion of relevant pre‐employment checks, including verification of the right to work in Australia, qualifications and other role‐specific requirements such as mandatory immunisations and checks regarding gender‐based violence matters or other integrity and conduct requirements.
* 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.
About You
Essential Criteria (Level A and B)
* Completion of a PhD in synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, microbial biotechnology or a closely related discipline.
* Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders, including academic peers, industry partners, funding agencies and students, with evidence of excellent written and oral communication skills.
* Demonstrated capability to teach, mentor and supervise students, including contributing to skills development and researcher training in a collaborative environment.
* Evidence of ability to work collaboratively in interdisciplinary teams and contribute to industry‐aligned or application‐oriented research projects.
* A developing record of research productivity, demonstrated through peer‐reviewed publications and/or other research outputs appropriate to the opportunity (e.g. technical reports, preprints, datasets or conference presentations).
* Evidence of meaningful contributions to service activities within the academic or broader scientific community.
Additional Essential Criteria For Level B
* A growing national research profile, demonstrated by a sustained record of high‐quality research outputs and recognised contributions to applied or translational research.
* Evidence of success in securing external research funding, including from competitive schemes and/or industry partnerships, or significant contributions to successful funding applications.
* Proven ability to supervise students and early‐career researchers to successful completion, with demonstrable outcomes in skills development and research capability.
* Demonstrated capacity to coordinate collaborative projects, including those involving industry or external partners, and to progress outcomes towards technology readiness, end‐user adoption or commercial translation.
Desirable Criteria (Level A and B)
* Experience collaborating with industry partners on biomanufacturing, precision fermentation or other applied biotechnology projects, including familiarity with project milestones, partner engagement and IP considerations.
* Experience in microbial strain engineering for production of complex proteins, including chassis selection and optimisation of metabolic and secretion pathways, or application of design–build–test–learn cycles.
* Evidence of using strain‐level data to define bioprocess performance targets (TRY, robustness, media/cost drivers) that underpin commercial feasibility assessments.
* Familiarity with regulatory, quality or safety considerations relevant to food‐grade ingredients (e.g. FSANZ requirements), as well as basic IP awareness (e.g. invention disclosure, authorship vs inventorship).
Additional Desirable Criteria For Level B
* Demonstrated leadership in collaborative, industry‐embedded projects, including delivery against agreed milestones and partner expectations.
* Demonstrated progression of research toward commercial translation (e.g. invention disclosures, patents or licensing agreements).
* Evidence of the ability to contribute to industry‐relevant research priorities.
Other Information
UQ is committed to a fair, equitable and inclusive selection process, recognising 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.
Questions?
For more information about this opportunity, please contact Dr Birgitta Ebert – birgitta.ebert@uq.edu.au.
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
* Cover letter
* Responses to the "About You" section
If you require an alternative method to submit your application due to accessibility needs or personal circumstances, please contact talent@uq.edu.au.
Applications close 16 March 2026 at 11:00 pm AEST (R‐57303). Please note that interviews have been tentatively scheduled for early April.
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