Senior Research Officer, Epigenomic Discovery

• Base salary $138,000 + super + generous salary packaging options
• Full-time
• Melbourne

This position provides senior scientific and technical leadership within a growing translational program focused on pancreatic cell plasticity, epigenetic regulation and regeneration. It is a hands-on appointment for an experienced early-career scientist with substantial postdoctoral or equivalent experience who is ready to lead technically demanding projects, supervise junior researchers and develop an internationally competitive research profile. The role combines advanced tissue culture, molecular biology, sequencing, data interpretation and close collaboration with national and international partners.

How you’ll make an impact

• Lead discovery-driven studies investigating the epigenomic basis of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and related complications.
• Establish and optimise workflows for DNA and RNA extraction from human blood, cells, fresh or frozen tissues, archived specimens and low-input clinical samples.
• Assess biospecimen and nucleic-acid quality and determine suitability for sequencing or downstream molecular analysis.
• Design, prepare and troubleshoot next-generation sequencing libraries using appropriate genomic and epigenomic methods.
• Implement rigorous quality-control procedures for sample preparation, library generation, sequencing readiness, sample randomisation and batch management.
• Coordinate sequencing activities with internal research platforms and external providers while maintaining complete sample, reagent, library and data traceability.
• Analyse sequencing data directly where appropriate and work closely with bioinformaticians and biostatisticians on advanced computational analyses, study design, technical covariates, quality thresholds and interpretation.
• Identify regulatory pathways, molecular signatures and candidate biomarkers for technical replication, independent validation and mechanistic investigation.
• Develop and undertake orthogonal validation using RT-qPCR, digital PCR, targeted sequencing, methylation assays, immunoassays or other appropriate methods.
• Use tissue-culture, cell-based or molecular perturbation models to investigate the biological relevance of prioritised epigenomic discoveries.
• Identify and manage pre-analytical variation, technical bias, batch effects, failed libraries and other threats to reproducibility.
• Prepare high-quality scientific reports, manuscripts, figures, competitive grant applications, presentations and project feasibility assessments, and contribute to international collaborations.
• Supervise and train junior researchers and students in molecular biology,sequencing-library preparation, quality control and documentation.
• Ensure compliance with human research ethics, consent conditions, privacy, biosafety, research integrity and institutional data-managementrequirements.

What you'll bring

This is a senior, hands-on appointment requiring substantial postdoctoral or equivalent experience. It may particularly suit an ambitious early-career scientist who is ready to develop greater independence and an internationally competitive profile. Applicants must demonstrate direct practical expertise in molecular biology, human biospecimen processing and next-generation sequencing. Computational expertise is a strong advantage but will not substitute for substantial experimental experience.

So, why join us?

• Purpose-driven work in a leading not-for-profit research institute making a real impact.
• Access to generous not-for-profit salary packaging to maximise your take-home pay.
• Supportive and collaborative team environment where people genuinely look out for each other.
• Flexible work practices where possible, balanced with onsite collaboration.
• Learning and development opportunities to grow your career.