Research Assistant in Computational Drug Discovery

Role type: Full Time (1.0 FTE); Fixed term for 2 years

Faculty: Faculty of Science

School: School of BioSciences

Salary: Level A: $87,266 - $118,416 p.a. plus 17% super

Advance computational approaches to contraceptive discovery and shape global reproductive health resources and tools. Grow your research career at the Bio21 Institute.

Join us to drive high-impact computational biology, develop innovative 'omics pipelines and publish high-impact reproductive health research. Investing in you – 17% superannuation, benefits package including salary packaging, health and wellbeing programs, discounted services, and professional development opportunities.

Your next career opportunity:

In this role, you will lead computational analyses for a collaborative contraceptive discovery programme. You will design robust 'omics pipelines, develop public resources and co-author high-impact publications and tools. You will also gain mentoring, collaboration opportunities and visibility across the School of BioSciences and partners.

What you will deliver:

• Lead analysis of large-scale 'omics datasets, including single-cell, spatial transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics, for contraceptive discovery.
• Develop, document and maintain reproducible, version-controlled analysis pipelines in R and/or Python on high-performance computing infrastructure.
• Prepare figures, reports, manuscripts and online applications that communicate complex analyses to collaborators and the wider community.
• Contribute to research funding proposals, data sharing, and upload of curated datasets to appropriate public repositories.
• Support training and supervision of students and junior researchers, and participate in School and Faculty engagement activities.

You may be a great fit if you:

• Hold a PhD in a relevant computational discipline, or a Masters plus substantial computational biology experience.
• Bring strong experience analysing sequencing data, ideally including single-cell and bulk RNA-seq datasets.
• Demonstrate advanced R and/or Python skills, using tools such as Seurat, Scanpy, DESeq2 or edgeR.
• Apply modern machine learning and statistical modelling methods to high-dimensional data with appropriate experimental design and control.
• Use version control and workflow tools to build transparent, well-documented and reproducible analysis pipelines across projects.
• Show evidence of research productivity and a clear desire to build an academic career in reproductive health.

What we offer you:

• Build future financial security with 17% superannuation.
• Supportive flexible work arrangements underpinned by our commitment to inclusion and well-being.
• Career development opportunities, including access to a range of tailored programs, such as Academic Women in Leadership, and learning platforms including LinkedIn Learning.
• Progressive, considerate leave provisions to empower your work-life balance and well-being, including leading parental leave, gender affirmation leave and cultural leave.
• Salary packaging and access to a range of discounted services including Bupa health insurance, and access to unique cultural and recreational benefits such as discounts for the Melbourne Theatre Company.
• Health and well-being services including a leading Employee Assistance Program.

Your new team:

You will join the School of BioSciences, a vibrant community tackling global biological challenges from reproductive health to climate change. Working within the Faculty of Science, you will collaborate with experts in genomics, data science and molecular biology. The School offers outstanding facilities, diverse partnerships and a supportive culture that values curiosity, inclusion and career development.

Be Yourself:

The University of Melbourne is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a child-safe organisation. The diversity of our community enriches us all, and we are committed to creating an inclusive and fair workplace where everyone is valued, respected, and empowered to succeed. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, identities, and experiences.

Discover more about Diversity and our commitment to a barrier-free recruitment process and ongoing workplace support, providing adjustments throughout. We warmly encourage applications from people with disabilities.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Applicants:

We aspire to be the University of choice for Indigenous Australians. Visit our Indigenous staff page to learn more about our investment and support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff. Indigenous applicants are encouraged to connect with Korin Korin, our Indigenous Employment and Development team.

Visa and Child's Check:

This role is eligible for visa sponsorship and we welcome international applicants. If successful, we will support you through this process. A Working with Children Check is required for all positions. If successful, we will guide you through the process and reimburse you.

Application deadline:

Applications close: 11 September 2026 at 11:55 PM; Melbourne time zone.