Research Fellow

**Job no**: 0056709
**Location**:Parkville
**Role type**:Full time; Fixed-term
**Faculty**:Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences
**Department/School**:School of Agriculture and Food
**Salary**:Level A - $77,171 - $104,717 p.a. plus 17% super

The University of Melbourne would like to acknowledge and pay respect to the Traditional Owners of the lands upon which our campuses are situated, the Wurundjeri and Boon Wurrung Peoples, the Yorta Yorta Nation, the Dja Dja Wurrung People. We acknowledge that the land on which we meet and learn was the place of age-old ceremonies, of celebration, initiation and renewal, and that the local Aboriginal Peoples have had and continue to have a unique role in the life of these lands.

**About the Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences**
The Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences is a leader in agricultural, food and veterinary science education and research in Australia.

The faculty comprises the Melbourne Veterinary School and the School of Agriculture and Food. The faculty operates across three campuses: Parkville, Werribee and Dookie. We acknowledge and pay respect to the traditional owners of the lands upon which these campuses are situated, the Wurundjeri and Boon Wurrung peoples and the Yorta Yorta Nation. In addition to education and research, the faculty operates a veterinary hospital at Werribee, a broadacre farm at Dookie, and an equine hospital in Shepparton.

**About the Role**
The Research Fellow (Soil Science and Agronomy) will be responsible for contributing to research at the University of Melbourne’s Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, School of Agriculture and Food.

This position will work under limited supervision to assist and participate in research within the project team to deliver project objectives and milestones which will include writing milestone reports and peer reviewed papers, liaising with stakeholder groups including farmers, regional CMAs and land management groups, and the research team, managing the project activities, supervising casual staff, and presenting at project meetings and other events as directed.

The project this position will contribute to will investigate the potential for multi-species pasture swards to increase the resilience of grazing based dairy systems under a changing climate. This project is a Future Drought Fund Project _Scaling out of successful multi-species pasture management in rainfed dairy systems of southern Australia to increase drought resilience at landscape and catchment levels. The_ focus of the project is on pasture productivity and quality, and soil health (soil moisture, nitrogen and carbon dynamics, and soil microbiology).

The Research Fellow will be responsible for investigating pasture productivity and quality and soil health at selected commercial farm sites across Victoria (Gippsland, Western District and NE Victoria) under multi-species and perennial ryegrass dominant systems.

Responsibilities may include:

- Undertake research under limited supervision and deliver against research objectives to meet project milestones and reporting schedule as well as fully immerse in the research culture of the Faculty
- Contribute to research leading to publications arising from research in peer-reviewed journals, articles and oral and written presentations to industry and lay audiences, including presentations at industry and science conferences
- Lead by example and ensure the values, standards and expectations for appropriate positive behaviour in the workplace and the best interests of a leading University are upheld as well as the University’s commitment to a diverse and inclusive workplace
- Participate in activities and events that enable translation and extension of project findings to broader audiences, including, but not limited to, attending industry events, conferences, field days, writing for non-specialist audiences, participating in workshops and supporting sector and public engagement

**About You**
You will have the ability to work independently in the field to organise field work, collect samples, liaise with farmers, and effectively store and transport samples from the field to the lab to ensure sample integrity. You will display excellent time management and organisational skills with the ability to prioritise and meet project deadlines. You will have well-developed interpersonal, communication and negotiation skills and the ability to build and maintain relationships with internal and external stakeholders including industry bodies within a diverse work environment. Knowledge of pasture and soil sampling methodologies relevant to assessment of soil health and pasture quality is desirable but not essential.

You will also have:

- A PhD awarded in agriculture, soil science, agronomy or related discipline
- Demonstrated experience and ability to undertake independent research in a related discipline, delivering against research objectives evi