Research Projects Manager (Livestock) - CSIRO Lansdown Research Station

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.

Role highlights

• Play a pivotal multi-faceted role in advancing sustainable livestock production
• Great opportunity to further enhance your project management and leadership skills
• Join our innovative team at Lansdown Research Station and help create real impact!
  

  About CSIRO

As Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO is solving the greatest challenges through innovative science and technology. Many of our iconic innovations were once considered impossible until someone, just like you, joined us and took on the challenge.

Visit CSIRO.au for more information.

The opportunity

At CSIRO, we collaborate closely with livestock farmers and allied industries to enhance their productivity, profitability, and sustainability through better livestock breeds and management practices. Our Lansdown Research Station, located approximately 45 km outside Townsville QLD, conducts innovative research to optimise productivity and environmental aspects of northern cattle systems. Our work ranges from methane mitigation research to precision livestock management and improving cattle efficiency on pasture.

Joining our ‘Northern Cattle Production’ team at Lansdown Research Station, you will contribute to groundbreaking research aimed at increasing the economic value of livestock industries. Our team generates high-value products for Australian and export markets by integrating animal and microbial genomics, advanced nutritional formulation, and digital sensing for feed intake and animal behaviour. We have a successful track record of securing external funds to address industry priority areas, including our contribution to the cattle industry’s strategy to become carbon neutral by 2030.

The Research Projects Manager position is a strategically important, coordinating role, which will involve efficiently coordinating R&D activities and closely collaborating with livestock researchers primarily based in Townsville and Brisbane; overseeing research station project staff and coordinating with farm operation staff to effectively manage livestock research activities; establishing and maintaining strong collaborative partnerships and balancing the needs of farm operations and research activities; as well as planning and executing experiments to study the effects of diet intervention strategies on animal and microbial community structure and function, focusing on production, resilience, behavioural, and sustainability traits; and utilising digital technology and data collection tools to support research initiatives. Therefore, previous experience in agricultural sciences (ideally livestock farming), and an aptitude for digital technology & data collection, as well as project leadership, would be essential for this role.

If you have a passion for contributing to research and finding solutions for Australian livestock, and you excel in project coordination and stakeholder management, we would love to hear from you! This is a great opportunity to be part of a dynamic team that’s making a significant impact on the future of livestock production and sustainable agriculture!

Your high-level duties will include:

• Coordinating the activities of onsite project offices within the team to deliver effective research outcomes.
• Developing novel techniques to produce enhanced results, providing researchers with new or improved approaches to research or technological problems.
• Leading teams and/or collaborating with staff from other teams in meeting their objectives as required.
• Taking a lead role in project scoping and planning, making significant contributions to the research or technological direction, and may advise on the level and type of services that are provided.
• Closely coordinating with research staff in the planning and preparation of research projects.
• Communicating effectively with farm staff to accommodate both research and farm objectives.
• Collecting and processing data in an accurate manner and preparing reports for the team.
• Addressing problems promptly and in a constructive manner, and promptly communicating actions to the team.
  

  Role particulars

Location and office arrangements:Woodstock, QLD (CSIRO Lansdown Research Station)

Salary: AU$114K – AU$123K per annum (pro-rata for part-time) plus up to 15.4% superannuation

Tenure & work schedule: Specified Term of 3 years; Full-time (preferred) – flexible work arrangements may be considered, based on the needs of the role and individual circumstances.

Reference: 98739

As the successful candidate, you will bring:

• Relevant tertiary degree in Agricultural Science, and/or significant relevant experience in Agricultural Science