Research Assistant in Sleep and Daily Rhythms in Melbourne

Role type: Full-time; Fixed-term (1 year)

Faculty: Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences

Department: Centre for Youth Mental Health

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

Work in a world-leading youth mental health centre / drive NHMRC-funded LUMOS sleep–circadian research / shape early psychosis detection and care.

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 support the LUMOS study, tracking sleep and circadian rhythms in youth psychosis. You will gain hands‑on experience in clinical interviewing, neurocognitive assessment and high-quality longitudinal research. You will work within a multidisciplinary team at Orygen, translating discoveries into better early intervention decisions. Occasional off‑site visits to participants, regular attendance at the study sites, and some out of hours work will be required.

What you will deliver:

• Recruit and enrol young participants into the LUMOS sleep and circadian study across clinical services.
• Conduct structured clinical interviews and neurocognitive assessments, including pupil measures and computerised cognitive tasks.
• Maintain accurate, confidential, audit‑ready participant records and study databases in line with Good Clinical Practice guidelines.
• Liaise with clinical teams, young people and families to support recruitment, follow‑up and engagement over 12 months.
• Assist with ethics and governance submissions, standard operating procedures, manuscripts and presentations for multidisciplinary project meetings.

You may be a great fit if you:

• Hold an honours‑level degree in behavioural or social sciences, or equivalent education and relevant experience.
• Demonstrate strong interest in youth mental health and sound understanding of psychiatric diagnoses and disorders.
• Conduct structured interviews and engage sensitively with young people experiencing mental health difficulties.
• Follow complex research protocols, maintain precise records and troubleshoot issues in fast‑paced clinical research settings.
• Use electronic data capture platforms, preferably REDCap, for secure entry, verification and basic data analysis.
• Manage workloads independently across multiple sites, collaborating with multidisciplinary stakeholders and meeting competing deadlines.

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 – Centre for Youth Mental Health:

At the Centre for Youth Mental Health, you will join a pioneering leader in youth mental health research. Orygen’s multidisciplinary teams integrate clinical services, research and knowledge translation to improve outcomes for young people. You will work alongside clinicians, scientists and allied professionals within Australia’s largest health sciences faculty. The team values curiosity, rigour, collaboration and genuine impact on early intervention and prevention in psychosis.

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. 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 our Indigenous Employment & Development team.

Application essentials:

You must have current valid work rights for Australia. Visa sponsorship is not available for this role. A Working with Children Check is required for all positions. If successful, we will guide you through the process and reimburse you.

Want to know more?

For queries related to this specific position, contact Dr Mag de Rozario. For questions related to our recruitment process email Vanessa Phan. For recruitment adjustments contact Kim Groizard.

Applications close: 29 October 2026 at 11:55 PM; Melbourne time zone.