Job Description

Acknowledgement of Country

CSIRO acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land, sea and waters, of the area that we live and work on across Australia. We acknowledge their continuing connection to their culture and pay our respects to their Elders past and present. View our vision towards reconciliation

Role highlights

• Great opportunity to contribute to insect biodiversity research
• Apply your specimen, data and taxonomy expertise into an analytical role
• Join our dynamic team to support research on Australia’s native bees!

About CSIRO

As Australia's national science agency, CSIRO is solving the greatest challenges through innovative science and technology. Many of our iconic innovations were once considered impossible until someone, just like you, joined us and took on the challenge.

Visit CSIRO.au for more information.

The opportunity

CSIRO’s National Collections & Marine Infrastructure (NCMI) Research Unit is home to several significant biological collections that underpin national and international biodiversity research. These collections provide essential information to support taxonomy, genetics, agriculture, ecology and sustainable environmental management.

The Australian National Insect Collection (ANIC) is the world’s largest collection of Australian insects and related invertebrates, housing over 12 million specimens. The ANIC team includes research scientists, students and technical specialists dedicated to maintaining and growing the collection, and advancing knowledge in insect taxonomy and systematics.

In this role, you will support a research project focused on a group of native bees, contributing to the identification and selection of specimens under the guidance of the Hymenoptera curator. You will be responsible for specimen mounting, preparation, dispatch and identification, as well as generating and analysing morphological datasets and assisting with species descriptions. You will also contribute to the preparation of reports and research publications arising from the project.

The role suits someone with strong attention to detail, experience in entomology, taxonomy or related fields, and a commitment to high‑quality curation and data handling. While the ANIC team is based in Canberra, you will have the option to work remotely, provided you are able to visit ANIC regularly (at least once a month) to complete essential collection‑based tasks.

If you’re passionate about insect biodiversity and enjoy contributing to hands‑on research and specimen‑based studies, this is a great opportunity to apply your skills to a nationally significant project – and we would love to hear from you.

Your high-level duties will include:

• Curating responsibilities including identifying, sorting, and mounting specimens.
• Using computer skills to transfer information from insect specimens into morphological data matrices.
• Supporting research activities developed by the Research Scientist, including bee morphological work.
• Following and developing protocols to achieve experimental and research objectives.
• Assisting in establishing research, and monitoring, summarising and recording results.
• Working as part of a research team to carry out tasks under limited direction in support of scientific research.

Role particulars

Location and office arrangements: Canberra (Black Mountain) ACT – Remote or flexible work options available, with the expectation and ability to make regular visits (approx. once a month) to the Australian National Insect Collection in Canberra, ACT.

Salary: AU$100K – AU$113K per annum (pro-rata for part-time) plus 15.4% superannuation

Tenure & work schedule: Specified Term until 30 June 2028 (with potential for extension pending successful funding and operational approvals)

Reference: 100733

As the successful candidate, you will bring:

• Relevant Bachelor’s/Master’s Degree in morphological and molecular phylogenetics and taxonomy and/or equivalent work experience in a related field.
• Demonstrated experience in Australian native bee taxonomy, including identification, curation and fieldwork.
• Practical experience in the independent implementation and optimisation of morphological data for Australian native bee taxonomy, including generation of taxonomic keys, new species descriptions and molecular phylogenies.
• Experience generating and analysing molecular data for phylogenetics.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral, offering factual information supported by proven data, and present information and feedback accordingly.
• The ability to effectively manage a number of competing priorities simultaneously, and carry out non-routine tasks under limited direction.
• Proven ability to investigate underlying issues of complex problems and develop appropriate responses by adapting/creating and testing alternative solutions.

For full details about this role, please review the

Not sure if you meet all the criteria?

While it is CSIRO policy that the successful candidate must meet all the essential criteria, there are many ways to demonstrate this. Don’t let the list discourage you. If you are unsure about applying, please reach out to the contact person in the Position Description.

Setting you up for success

We are committed to providing a recruitment process that is fair, equitable and accessible to everyone. We recognise that it may be helpful for us to adjust our process to make it equitable for your individual situation. Please contact the Talent Acquisition Partner via email (see details in the Position Description) and let us know how we can support you.

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for this role, you must be either an:

• Australian or New Zealand Citizen.
• Australian Permanent Resident; or
• Australian Temporary Resident, currently residing in Australia, with an existing valid visa and unrestricted work rights for the duration of the term (at least until December 2028) and no requirement for visa sponsorship

Appointment to this role is subject to provision of a national police check and may be subject to other security/medical/character requirements.

Life at CSIRO and flexible work arrangements

We work flexibly at CSIRO, offering a range of options for how, when and where you work. We can discuss flexible work arrangements with you during the recruitment process. CSIRO also offers a range of leave entitlements, benefits and career development opportunities. To find out more, visit Careers at CSIRO

Inclusion and belonging

Solving Australia's greatest challenges takes a diversity of minds and lived experiences. We know diverse teams are more effective and deliver more innovative outcomes. As an equal employment opportunity organisation, we are committed to creating diverse and inclusive teams where people feel they belong. We recognise true diversity encompasses all ages, abilities, cultures, faiths, levels of education, genders, sexualities, diversity of thought and much more. We focus on hiring people who share our values of People First, Further Together, Making it Real and Trusted.

CSIRO holds Gold Status for the Australian Workplace Equality Index for LGBTQIA+ inclusion, and a Science in Australia Gender Equity Bronze Award.

Child safety

CSIRO is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people involved in our activities and programs. View our Child Safe Policy

How to apply

Please apply online, and provide a CV and a detailed cover letter, responding to each of the selection criteria in detail, that best demonstrate your motivation and ability to meet the requirements of this role. Please attach your selection criteria responses to your cover letter as one document.

Applications close

22 February 2026, 11:00pm AEDT