Description:
Technical Officer
- Providing technical support by undertaking practical activities and monitoring of horticultural scientific trials
- Supporting the compliance of TIA staff and students in respect to Work and Health and Safety protocols
- Part time (0.4FTE) 1-year fixed term position, based in Launceston
About the opportunity
The Technical Officer will provide technical support and research services to academic staff and postgraduate students involved in TIA’s research, development, and industry engagement. The Technical Officer will broadly promote a safety culture compliant with UTAS and Work Health and Safety regulations. TIA’s mission is to enable Tasmanian food producers and processors to accelerate primary sector productivity while maintaining and improving Tasmania’s land and water quality for future generations. The Technical Officer will play an active role in directly supporting this mission in the work that they do.
What you’ll do:
- Supporting staff and students in operating laboratory and field instrumentation (including digital sensors) for measuring plant and soil properties and processes.
- Provide support to TIA staff and students to ensure that laboratory, glasshouse and other plant and facilities are appropriately managed, maintained and operated.
- Developing new laboratory, glasshouse and field experimental protocols.
- Monitoring, collecting and collating data from scientific trials in the laboratory, glasshouse and field.
- Preparing plant and soil samples for LC-MS analysis.
- Performing laboratory procedures, such as SDS-PAGE and freeze-drying.
- Supporting the compliance of TIA staff and students in respect to Work, Health and Safety protocols and procedures relating to laboratory, glasshouse, field, and office activities.
- Analysing data and contributing to the preparation of manuscripts to for publication.
What we’re looking for:
- Demonstrated understanding and proficiency in laboratory and field processes and procedures, including experience in laboratory practices preferably in respect to the analysis of plant properties.
- Basic knowledge of plant biology in agriculture and ability to conduct field work.
- Understanding basic scientific analytical methods such as the use of replication and controls.
- Good electronic and computer skills relating to the use and maintenance of instrumentation, and the ability to send data from field sensors to the cloud or servers, to retrieve and organise these data.
- Good organisational skills, record keeping, data collection and collation.
- Demonstrated ability to work independently and with a team.
- Well-developed written and oral communication skills.
- Excellent knowledge of Work, Health and Safety protocols and procedures as they relate to the laboratory, glasshouse and field.
Salary details
Appointment to this role will be at HEO 5 and will have a total remuneration package of up to $102,190 pro rata comprising base salary within the range of $78,210 to $87,342 pro rata plus 17% superannuation.
How to Apply
- This vacancy is being advertised internally only in the first instance to current staff.
- In submitting your application, you acknowledge you have/intend to discuss your interest in this vacancy with your current manager and understand they may need to be contacted confidentially by the hiring manager as part of the assessment of your application.
- To apply online, please provide your CV and 1-2-page cover letter outlining your interest in the role, skills, capabilities and experience. You do not need to separately address the success profile criteria.
- For further information about this position, please contact Nathan Tivendale, Research Fellow in Production Horticulture, nathan.tivendale@utas.edu.au or 03 6226 5931.
- Please visit https://www.utas.edu.au/jobs/applying for our guide to applying and details on the recruitment process.
- Please refer to the attached Position Description Below for full details.
Position Description -500893 - Technical Officer.pdf
Applications close Monday, 7 April 2025, 11.55pm
To be eligible for this position, you are required to have Australian or New Zealand citizenship, permanent residency or a current valid visa that allows you to fulfil the requirements of this role.