Research Officer/Senior Research Officer

An excellent opportunity is available for a Research Officer/Senior Research Officer to join the Immunology Division (Smith/Lyons Laboratory) at Australia's pre-eminent biomedical research institute.

About the Position
The successful candidate will contribute to cutting-edge research investigating how environmental stressors influence immune responses to infection and cancer in mouse models. They will manage day-to-day operations, logistics, calibration and monitoring of specialised environmental and metabolic housing systems that support pre-clinical research.

This role requires an experienced, highly autonomous scientist who can oversee the daily operations of specialised animal housing environments, design and execute complex in vivo experiments, provide intellectual leadership to the project and ensure strict compliance with Victorian animal welfare legislation, institutional Animal Ethics Committee approvals and relevant regulatory requirements.

Selection Criteria
Essential Knowledge and Skills

• PhD in Immunology with extensive research experience in immunology and biomedical science.
• Demonstrated research excellence through peer-reviewed publications, competitive funding and conference presentations.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively and build productive research partnerships.
• Experience managing mouse colonies and preparing Animal Ethics Committee applications and amendments.
• Extensive experience designing and conducting in vivo immunology and infection studies.
• Proficient in cellular immunology techniques, including multi-colour flow cytometry, cell isolation and ELISA.
• Experience with molecular biology techniques, including RT-qPCR and RNA sequencing.
• Experience supervising and mentoring students and research staff.

Personal Qualities

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with a collaborative approach.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to high-quality, reproducible research.
• Highly organised, reliable and able to manage competing priorities effectively.
• Adaptable, proactive and committed to continuous learning.

Desirable Knowledge and Skills

• Experience with specialised environmental and metabolic housing systems that support pre-clinical research (e.g. Oxymax-CLAMS, Promethion).
• Expertise in metabolic phenotyping, including Seahorse assays, mitochondrial function and metabolomics.
• Experience in stress physiology, including corticosterone measurements and glucocorticoid receptor signalling.

Terms of Appointment
This position is 2 years in a full time capacity. Salary is Research Employee Level A6-8 ($107,194 - $115,059) or Level B ($121,124 - $143,826) dependent on experience. Very attractive salary packaging options are available for general living expenses, meal entertainment, novated leasing and more. 12% superannuation payable, plus up to a further 5% after the first 6 months of service via our matching superannuation scheme.

General enquiries can be directed to Prof Paul Lyons (••••@wehi.edu.au) or Dr Charis Teh (••••@wehi.edu.au).
A position description for Research Officer is available here.
A position description for Senior Research Officer is available here.

How to Apply
Please apply by uploading your CV, cover letter and a document addressing the key selection criteria in pdf format.

Application Closing Date: The closing date for this advertisement is 6 September 2026, however we will be reviewing applications as they are received, and WEHI reserves the right to appoint a suitable candidate prior to the closing date. We encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible to avoid missing this opportunity.

WEHI - Brighter together

WEHI is where the world's brightest minds collaborate and innovate to make discoveries that will help us to live healthier for longer. Our medical researchers have been serving the community for more than 100 years. We bring together people with different skills and experience who are committed to long-term discovery. Our teams of researchers are committed to solving the most complex health problems, making transformative discoveries for cancer, infectious and immune diseases, developmental disorders and healthy ageing.

WEHI is a place where people are able to shine. People who are inquisitive, who are committed, who are passionate. People who want to make a difference. And we are committed to ensuring they have the tools to flourish, personally and professionally. We are a community of researchers, students and professional service staff who work towards achieving discoveries that improve human health. We are driven by collaboration, curiosity and creativity. We are committed to making a positive difference to the lives of people in Australia and around the world. We are WEHI. We are brighter together.

WEHI's commitment to diversity and inclusion

At WEHI we strive to foster a flexible working environment that encourages individual differences and promotes collaboration and creativity. We recognise that talent does not sit within a single identifiable group in our society and that WEHI's ability to shape contemporary scientific thinking and deliver leading professional services relies on a diversity of thought within our organisation. Our action to promote gender equality has been recognised with an Athena SWAN Bronze Award from Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) and we offer a range of support for women researchers.

Our commitment to celebrating diversity and addressing inequities is further demonstrated through our Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, Gender Action Plan, Reconciliation Action Plan and our WE-Pride network for LGBTQIA+ staff and students. We actively encourage applications from, people with a disability, culturally, religiously and linguistically diverse people and people with diverse genders and sexualities. Should you require support during the recruitment process due to special needs or consideration, please contact the People and Culture team.

WEHI's commitment to Indigenous employment

WEHI is working to create a future where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples will be engaged at the scientific frontier, making exciting discoveries and decisions about the future of health in this country, and part of a leading professional services workforce supporting the realisation of these discoveries. We are committed to creating a culturally safe workplace and offering career development and leadership opportunities to First Nations staff and students. We strongly encourage any Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to apply.