Research Fellow in Civil Engineering

Position Details

• Full-time (100%), fixed-term position for up to 3 years

• Base salary will be in the range $117,120.53 - $138,769.70 + 17% Superannuation (Academic Level B)

• Based at our St Lucia Campus - Brisbane

About This Opportunity

This is a great opportunity to join a highly regarded water and environmental engineering research group with a long history of excellence in field-based hydrodynamics, water quality, groundwater, and meteorological monitoring, supported by significant specialist equipment and boat-based data collection.

The School of Civil Engineering is seeking a Research Platform Fellow to strengthen its independent fieldwork capability in response to growing instrumentation complexity, evolving Work, Health and Safety requirements, and recent staffing changes. In this role you will support teaching, research, and consulting activities, with fieldwork as a core component, including occasional after-hours and remote deployments in response to environmental events. Comprehensive safety training will be provided and the position suits an adaptable, safety-focused researcher comfortable in dynamic field conditions.

Key responsibilities will include:

Primary tasks:

Lead the planning and delivery of field-monitoring programs across diverse environments, collaborating with academic and industry partners to design projects, secure and manage research funding, and advance environmental engineering research. Contribute to the development and operation of water monitoring systems for research and teaching, supports consultancy activities, and provides fieldwork training and technical expertise. Supervise and assist students in field data collection, manages equipment and safety processes, and maintains an active research profile through high-quality publications and project reporting.

Citizenship and Service:

Build strong partnerships across academia, industry, government, and community; communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders; demonstrate leadership and collaboration; manage service and administrative responsibilities; support colleagues as needed; and upholds UQ values.

This is a research focused position. Further information can be found by viewing UQ’s Criteria for Academic Performance.

About UQ

As part of the UQ community, you will have the opportunity to work alongside the brightest minds, who have joined us from all over the world, and within an environment where interdisciplinary collaborations are encouraged.

At the core of our teaching remains our students, and their experience with us sets a foundation for success far beyond graduation. UQ has made a commitment to making education opportunities available for all Queenslanders, regardless of personal, financial, or geographical barriers.

As part of our commitment to excellence in research and professional practice in academic contexts, we are proud to provide our staff with access to world-class facilities and equipment, grant writing support, greater research funding opportunities, and other forms of staff support and development.

The greater benefits of joining the UQ community are broad: from being part of a Group of Eight university, to recognition of prior service with other Australian universities, up to 26 weeks of paid parental leave, 17.5% annual leave loading, flexible working arrangements including hybrid on site/WFH options and flexible start/finish times, access to exclusive internal-only vacancies, and genuine career progression opportunities via the academic promotions process.

About You

• Completed a PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering (or Civil Engineering); an undergraduate degree in these fields is also highly desirable.

• Strong research experience in water and environmental engineering, including coastal engineering, environmental hydrology and hydrogeology, remote sensing for environmental assessment, and water resources engineering.

• Demonstrated boat-based fieldwork experience, including Coxswain Grade 1 Near Coastal certification.

• Experience operating remote piloted aircraft (including custom prototype payloads) and holding a Remote Pilot License (

• Proficiency in acoustic and geotechnical field instrumentation, including swath bathymetry, multibeam echosounders, sub-bottom sediment profilers, and free-fall penetrometer systems.

• Development and deployment of field monitoring systems, including acoustic Doppler current profilers and near-real-time water quality sensors.

• Strong field problem-solving skills, including troubleshooting and improvising instrumentation solutions in remote or resource-limited environments.

• Proven capability in research leadership and operations, including organising field logistics, securing and managing external funding, supervising Honours and HDR students, equipment procurement within institutional systems, and contributing to internal and external service activities.

In support of our Indigenous employment strategy, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. We value lived experience, community connection and diverse career pathways.

Appointment to this role is subject to the successful completion of relevant pre-employment checks, which may include verification of the right to work in Australia, qualifications and other role-specific requirements such as mandatory immunisations. This may also include checks relating to gender-based violence matters or other integrity and conduct requirements.

You must maintain unrestricted work rights in Australia for the duration of this appointment to apply. Employer sponsored work rights are not available for this appointment.

Questions?

For more information about this opportunity, please contact Professor Tom Baldock via hos@civil.uq.edu.au.

For application inquiries, please reach out to the Talent Acquisition team at talent@uq.edu.au, stating the job reference number (below) in the subject line.

Want to Apply?

We welcome applications from all individuals and are committed to an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. To be considered, please ensure you upload:

• Resume

• Cover letter

• Responses to the ‘About You’ section

Our strength as an institution lies in our diverse colleagues. We are dedicated to equity, diversity, and inclusion, fostering an environment that mirrors our wider community. We are committed to attracting, retaining, and promoting diverse talent, particularly from Australia’s First Nations Peoples. If you require an alternative method to submit your application due to accessibility needs or personal circumstances, please contact talent@uq.edu.au.

Other Information

UQ is committed to a fair, equitable and inclusive selection process, which recognises that some applicants may face additional barriers and challenges which have impacted and/or continue to impact their career trajectory. Candidates who do not meet all criteria are encouraged to apply and demonstrate their potential. The selection panel considers both potential and performance relative to opportunities when assessing suitability for the role.