Position Number: 0064549
Location: Parkville
Role type: Part-time (04-0.8 FTE pending applicant availability); Fixed-term until December 2025
Faculty: Architecture, Building & Planning
Department/School: Melbourne Centre for Cities
Salary: Level A – $83,468 - $113,262 p.a. plus 17% super
- Support urban climate and biodiversity research at the Melbourne Centre for Cities, focusing on innovation, action, and strategy
- Opportunity to conduct literature reviews, case studies, and comparative analyses on global city initiatives, in a collaborative academic environment
- 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
Join the Melbourne Centre for Cities as a Research Assistant, Urban Innovation, and play a vital role in advancing global solutions for urban climate action and biodiversity. This dynamic position offers the opportunity to shape impactful research, contribute to publications, lead case studies, and analyse innovative strategies for cities worldwide. Based at the University's Parkville Campus, you'll have the opportunity to work directly with Associate Professor Cathy Oke, driving transformative change for cities and communities globally.
Your responsibilities will include:
- Support literature reviews, data synthesis, and contributions to grey literature, peer-reviewed papers, and reports on climate change, biodiversity, and cities
- Assist with ethics applications and provide ad hoc research support as needed
- Ensure compliance with University policies, communication protocols, and OH&S/EH&S standards
- Uphold equity, diversity, and collaboration, fostering trust and teamwork in all interactions
Who We Are Looking For
You will have excellent written communication skills, with a proven ability to edit, structure, and present summaries of academic and grey literature. You will demonstrate strong organisational and time management skills, the ability to work independently on multiple tasks, and a high level of professionalism with sensitivity to confidentiality. Flexibility around business hours to be able to collaborate with international research partners is also essential.
You will also have:
- Completion of or near completion of an undergraduate or Master’s degree in Environment, Arts, Urban studies/Planning, Geography (or related discipline), with issues pertaining to climate change and or biodiversity and cities
- Previous experience synthesizing knowledge from scholarly databases and grey literature to produce various types of reviews relating to cities and climate change science and or biodiversity
- An understanding of quantitative and qualitative data analysis methods and software eg: NVivo, Excel, Interview or focus group methods
- Flexibility to work some evening hours given the global nature of the research
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 not available for this position. This role requires current valid work rights for Australia.
Your New Team – The Melbourne Centre for Cities
The Melbourne Centre for Cities tackles the complexities of urban governance in a connected world, focusing on sustainability, health, economy, and inclusion. It equips globally minded urban scholars through research, education, and partnerships with local and global actors, solidifying its role as a leading hub for urban solutions.
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 interest and experience
^For information to help you with compiling short statements to answer the selection criteria and competencies, please go to http://about.unimelb.edu.au/careers/selection-criteria
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 Nawabi via email at hr-careers@unimelb.edu.au, 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.
Indicative timelines for recruitment as follows:
Advertising: 19.12.24- 06.01.25 11:55 pm
Interviews 15.01.25
References & Offer 03.02.25
Position Description
