Postdoctoral Research Associate

• 2x Full time, fixed term for 5 years
• Exciting opportunity to contribute to a Laureate funded research project on ‘Regional Decarbonization Transitions: an inclusive, place-based approach’.
• Academic Level A, Base Salary $109,301 + 17% superannuation

About the opportunity

The Sydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning (ADP) is seeking two Postdoctoral Research Associatesto join its dynamic team. These appointments are funded by the Australian Research Council through Chris Gibson’s Laureate Fellowship Project “Regional decarbonisation transitions: an inclusive, place-based approach”.

The first position will support and advance the research agenda of the program’s “Uneven Development” sub-project, which aims to understand where transformational decarbonisation investments are flowing, analyse their regional, national and global geographies, as well as document benefits and impacts, assessing whether decarbonisation investments are mitigating or amplifying systemic inequalities.

The second position will support and advance the research agenda of the program’s “Local Capacities” sub-project, which is to understand how local people respond to disruptions in regional industry, work and social life, perceive uncertain futures and take initiative amidst structural change.

This research will be conducted in collaboration with others on the Laureate team and will participate in academic activities across a wider network of researchers from across the University of Sydney, including the Multi-Disciplinary Net Zero Initiative. The successful applicants will be supported through funding to participate in collaborative fieldwork across Australia and to attend conferences and will enjoy career and writing mentoring from Prof. Gibson as well as from members of the Laureate program’s international advisory board.

Your key responsibilities will be to:

• work closely with Chief Investigator Chris Gibson at the University of Sydney as well as other members of the Laureate program research team
• participate in the design of fieldwork and data gathering plans with Prof. Gibson and other Laureate program team members, and conduct research to address the sub-projects’ aims
• interview research participants in regional case study locations, and other key stakeholders in the energy, manufacturing, minerals, agricultural, and/or infrastructure sectors
• contribute to and lead written outputs of the sub-projects
• develop relationships and grow collaborations with others across the University and beyond, related to the program and its sub-projects
• explore opportunities and assist in writing collaborative applications for related project funding, with grant application mentoring from Prof. Gibson
• contribute to researcher training within the Laureate program by co-supervising HDR candidates, with supervisor mentoring from Prof. Gibson.

About you

• a PhD degree in relevant area of research, with disciplinary training in geography, urban and regional planning, political economy, or other cognate social sciences and humanities
• knowledge of regional Australia and related academic and policy debates
• experience in conducting qualitative and quantitative research
• good organization and project management skills
• experience in writing for academic and policy audiences.

Desirable

• Ability to work with and analyse large quantitative/spatial datasets (Position 1)
• Experience in working in collaborative fashion with community stakeholders and organisations (Position 2)

Sponsorship / work rights forAustralia**

You must have unrestricted work rights in Australia for the duration of this employment to apply. Visa sponsorship is not available for this appointment.

Pre-employment checks

Your employment is conditional upon the completion of all role required pre-employment or background checks in terms satisfactory to the University. Similarly, your ongoing employment is conditional upon the satisfactory maintenance of all relevant clearances and background check requirements. If you do not meet these conditions, the University may take any necessary step, including the termination of your employment.

EEO statement

At the University of Sydney, our shared values are trust, accountability and excellence and we strive to be a place where everyone can thrive. We are committed to creating a University community that thrives through diversity and reflects the wider community that we serve. We deliver on this through our commitment to diversity and inclusion , evidenced by our people and culture programs, as well as key strategies to increase participation and support the careers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People , women , people living with a disability , people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds , and those who identify as LGBTIQ+ . We welcome applications from candidates from all backgrounds.

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