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

• Support innovative work that aims to transform nitrogen fixation in crops.
• Grow your technical expertise within a collaborative, future-focused research team.
• Contribute directly to a significant project driving agricultural impact.

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

In this role, you will play a key part in supporting an innovative project with CSIRO's Synthetic Traits group, focused on advancing nitrogen fixation in plants such as wheat and maize. Your main responsibilities will centre around hands-on plant tissue culture work, forming an integral aspect of this cutting-edge initiative. This position offers a unique opportunity to contribute directly to impactful science while developing your practical skills in a collaborative and forward-thinking team environment. The successful applicant will be shown all techniques by a senior experimental scientist and then work independently within a dynamic team.

Your high-level duties will include:

• Working alongside a senior experimental scientist to learn and develop appropriate tissue culture techniques
• Prepare sterile media and solutions for plant tissue culture and experiments, keeping accurate records of each batch.
• Assist with planting, transplanting, and harvesting in the glasshouse, and help care for plants through watering, fertilising, and pest management.
• Use plant tissue culture techniques such as callus induction, subculturing, and regeneration, ensuring all work is sterile and cultures are handled correctly.
• Keep clear and detailed records of experiments and results, and help with data entry and organising information for reports.
• Keep the lab and glasshouse tidy and organised, follow safety rules, and dispose of waste properly.
• Carry out other tasks as needed to support the team.

Role particulars

Location: Canberra, ACT

Salary: AU$76k - AU$96k per annum (pro-rata for part-time) + 15.4% superannuation

Tenure & work schedule: Specified term until 30 June 2027, Part-time of 0.5 FTE

Reference: 102291

As the successful candidate, you will bring:

Essential criteria

1. Bachelor of Science and/or equivalent relevant work experience.
2. Demonstrated experience working in a laboratory, preferably in plant cultivation and/or tissue culture.
3. Ability to work independently while contributing effectively as part of a team environment.
4. Strong attention to detail.

For full details about this role, and other criteria, 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 Laura Mason via Careers.Online@csiro.au and let us know how we can support you.

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.

Eligibility

Applications for this position are open to Australian/New Zealand Citizens, Australian Permanent Residents, and Australian Temporary Residents with a valid working visa for the duration of the specified term. Appointment to this role is subject to provision of a national police check and may be subject to other security/medical/character requirements.

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 submit a concise CV and one page cover letter that demonstrate your motivation and ability to meet the selection criteria of this role. Specific questions can be addressed the project lead Craig Wood (craig.wood@csiro.au).

Applications close

1 February 2026, 11:00pm AEDT