Serologist - [Archived Advertisement]

Acknowledgement of Country

CSIRO acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land, sea and waters, of the area that we live and work on across Australia. We acknowledge their continuing connection to their culture and pay our respects to their Elders past and present. View our vision towards reconciliation

Child Safety

CSIRO is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people involved in our activities and programs. View our Child Safe Policy.

The Opportunity

• Bring your extensive serology experience to work and provide diagnostic serology training in animal diseases
• Collaborate broadly across the Asia-Pacific region! 
• Bring your passion and enthusiasm for international development and capacity building for diagnostic serology

CSIRO is Australia’s National Science Agency and is one of the world’s largest and most successful publicly funded R&D organisations. The Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL) Business Unit is located at the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP) in Geelong and is one of nine impact science business units in CSIRO. Our goal is to protect a healthy, productive and prosperous future for Australia’s animals and people by delivering world-renowned science that will further our understanding, preparedness and management of infectious diseases. The ACDP International Program (ACDP-IP), partners with multiple organisations across the APAC to build laboratory capacity, improve the quality of laboratory diagnostic services, and laboratory biosafety and biosecurity in the region. To know more, click on ACDP- global and about our partnerships, like project BICOLLAB and our established partnership with PNG here.

As a Serologist, you will be providing advice, contributing to the design of serology training material and coordinating the delivery of ACDP-IP serology activities to ensure they are consistent across the program. Overseas work will involve regular travel (every 1-2 months) of 1-2 weeks duration, potentially up to 3 weeks, in countries primarily in the Asia-Pacific region. Your job may include performing a range of diagnostic serology test methods including ELISA, agglutination, complement fixation, direct or indirect immunofluorescence methods, general sample processing and other associated laboratory housekeeping activities. 

The successful candidate will work in high biocontainment (BSL3) laboratories and contribute to the delivery of outputs across a range of quality-assured laboratory diagnostic services. If you are keen to explore more about this position do not hesitate to reach out to our team. There are some amazing things we are currently doing that you can read.

Your duties will include:

• Planning, coordinating and delivering diagnostic serology training in support of ACDP-IP laboratory capacity-building projects in the Asia-Pacific region.
• Contributing to the development of harmonised training material to support the delivery of structured training in diagnostic serology standards and protocols to the Asia-Pacific region.
• Liaising with project partners to determine their needs and ensure delivery of activities in alignment with agreed project objectives and outcomes.
• Willingness to travel and work in countries across the Asia-Pacific on a regular basis and enthusiasm to build laboratory capacity in low resource environments.
• Developing and maintaining competency to work in BSL3, and possibly BSL4 laboratories, to perform serology testing under ISO 17025 accreditation for routine and emergency disease investigation.

Location: Geelong, Victoria
Salary: AU$89k - AU$101k plus up to 15.4% superannuation
Tenure: Specified term until 30th June 2027
Reference: 94072

To be considered you will need:

Essential:

1. Bachelor of Science degree or equivalent relevant experience in Biological Sciences or a related discipline. 
2. High level of proven experience in conducting and coordinating laboratory-based serological diagnostic tests with the ability to train others both at the ACDP and overseas laboratories.
3. Previous laboratory serology experience, particularly working with infectious agents.
4. Demonstrated ability to support projects, including independently planning, implementing and completing the required project activities and objectives to clients’ expectations. 
5. Demonstrated ability to work both independently and cooperatively as a member of a larger project team and to form and maintain effective and respectful relationships with a range of colleagues and collaborators. 
6. High-level interpersonal and written and verbal communication skills including the ability to document results and communicate effectively with colleagues and clients from various cultural backgrounds in order to meet project goals and timelines.
7. Willingness and ability to regularly travel overseas, (every 1-2 months) for periods of between 1-2 weeks (potentially 3 weeks), to deliver project work and to provide structured training for overseas collaborators.

Desirable:

1. Postgraduate degree in serology or a related discipline.
2. Previous experience working overseas, particularly in developing countries.
3. Prior experience working at physical containment level 3 laboratories or higher. 

For full details about this role please review the Position Description.

Eligibility

Applications for this position are open to Australian/New Zealand Citizens and Australian Permanent Residents. The successful applicant will be required to obtain and provide a National Police Check or equivalent, meet ACDP microbiological security and security assessment requirements, and may be subject to other security/medical/character requirements.

Flexible Working Arrangements

We work flexibly at CSIRO, offering a range of options for how, when and where you work. 

Diversity and Inclusion

We are working hard to recruit people representing the diversity across our society, and ensure that all our people feel supported to do their best work and feel empowered to let their ideas flourish. 

About CSIRO

At CSIRO Australia's national science agency, we solve the greatest challenges through innovative science and technology. We put the safety and wellbeing of our people above all else and earn trust everywhere because we only deal in facts. We collaborate widely and generously and deliver solutions with real impact. 

CSIRO is committed to values-based leadership to inspire performance and unlock the potential of our people.

CSIRO is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people involved in our activities and programs, whether we are undertaking research, engaging with the public or nurturing future scientists in person or online. Source – CSIRO Child Safe policy 2023

Join us and start creating tomorrow today!

How to Apply

Please apply on-line and provide a cover letter and CV that best demonstrate your motivation and ability to meet the requirements of this role.

Applications Close

17 September 2023, 11:00pm AEST