First Nations Research Assistant

The Opportunity

An exciting opportunity is available for a First Nations Research Assistant / Research Officer (Identified Position) to join the Infectious Disease Implementation Science team at Burnet

In this role you will contribute to the delivery of high-quality, Aboriginal-led research within the Public Health Discipline at Burnet Institute. This role supports the development, implementation, and dissemination of community-based research grounded in Aboriginal knowledges, methodologies, and priorities. Further, you will be part of a multidisciplinary team undertaking work where Aboriginal people are the primary participants or stakeholders or constitute a significant proportion of those the research team would engage with. You will also support work on Burnet's internal Indigenisation process contributing to systems change, cultural safety, and embedding Aboriginal ways of Knowing, Being and Doing within the organisation's culture and operations.

You will also:

• Conduct literature reviews, synthesise evidence, including grey literature and maintain up to date knowledge on research and evidence.
• Collaborate on the development and revision of research protocols and ethics submissions, ensuring adherence to relevant ethical standards.
• Recruit participants from a variety of backgrounds (e.g. service providers, people with lived experience of structural and social disadvantage, policy makers).
• Collect data using a variety of methods (e.g. interviews, yarns, yarning circles, focus groups, written surveys).
• Facilitate or co-facilitate workshops (e.g. co-design).
• Assist the development and maintenance of relevant Initiative documentation, for communication and dissemination.
• Secretariat support for relevant Governance, Advisory and Reference Groups.
• Develop and conduct respectful and reciprocal relationships with Aboriginal community/ies, Elders and relevant stakeholders.
• Develop and maintain effective relationships and communication with external stakeholders other Burnet staff and collaborators engaged with the Initiative.

This is a 2-year fixed term position. We are open to candidates seeking part-time and full-time option FTE). You will have flexible working hours. Further, only 1.0 FTE have the option of working from home for 2 days. Please refer to the position description here:

Nations Research_Assistant_Research Officer_PD

Let's talk about you

The following criteria are essential requirements:

• Bachelor Degree, Honours, or post-grad or equivalent qualification or experience in a related area or a relevant field.
• Identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and have connection to / relationships with Aboriginal community/ies.
• Experience working directly with Aboriginal people in a health service, community or research setting.
• Demonstrated experience in undertaking/supporting community-based research, action-based research and/or co-designed research projects and/or evaluation including demonstrated knowledge of ethically undertaking research with Aboriginal communities and experience in undertaking/supporting Aboriginal research methods and methodologies that prioritise Aboriginal knowledges, values and perspectives in research.
• Excellent interpersonal, collaboration, communication and facilitation skills, and the ability to engage professionally with stakeholders and work effectively as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
• Excellent organisational and time management skills, including being able to self-direct and manage multiple research-related tasks.

The following are desirable but not essential:

• Proficiency in standard computing packages (Office 365 suite - teams, sharepoint, word, excel) and some experience or interest in learning research and design related software packages (e.g. Stata, Nvivo, miro).
• Knowledge of Aboriginal research methodologies, ways of Knowing, Being and Doing and understanding of evidence-based health and social and emotional well-being (SEWB) concepts.
• Experience working with key populations including people who use drugs, people who have been incarcerated, people with viral hepatitis and / or understanding of public health principles and frameworks.

The Burnet experience?

We want you to have a successful and meaningful career at Burnet and are committed to providing a supportive workplace environment for all our people. You will be part of a collaborative culture where progressive leadership, innovation, respect, and excellence are valued. Join a team of talented individuals who are passionate about what they do - achieving a more equitable world through better health.

We offer:

• A monthly accrued day off for full-time staff
• 14 weeks paid parental leave - no qualifying period
• Additional long service leave weeks (minimum is 8.67) at 10 years of service
• Study leave
• Flexible working arrangements
• Generous salary packaging
• Opportunities for career and professional development

Who are we?

Burnet Institute is a leading Australian, unaligned, not-for-profit, organisation passionate about social justice, equality and evidence-based research.

Burnet Institute brings together a highly diverse skill base, with more than 400 staff and students working across cutting-edge research and projects to address some of the most relevant global health issues.  Institute-wide interdisciplinary health programs Disease Elimination, Health Security and Pandemic Preparedness, and Women's, Children's and Adolescents' Health are at the heart of our daily decision making. Harnessing our international and local field presence, our laboratories, and our mixed development and research cultures drives a greater focus on the most relevant health issues and achieves a greater impact as a result.

Whilst our headquarters is in Melbourne, Australia, we also have offices in Papua New Guinea and Myanmar, and are actively involved in research and public health programs throughout Australia, the Asia-Pacific region and Africa. Burnet is the only unaligned organisation in Australia that has dual accreditation with both the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

Bring your whole self to work

At Burnet, we foster a diverse and inclusive culture. We want our people to feel like they belong and are free to be themselves at work. We have an active Gender Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (GEDI) Council that works to promote and improve gender equity, diversity and inclusion across the Institute, by developing and implementing strategies informed by both national and international best practice and staff input. Burnet holds an Athena SWAN Institutional Bronze Award from Science in Gender Equity (SAGE). If you have a reasonable adjustment, support, or access requirement at any stage of the recruitment process, we encourage you to let us know by emailing 

Sounds great How do I apply?

Apply below and attach the following documents:

• Resume
• Cover Letter

Applications close at 11:59pm AEST on Thursday, 18 September 2025.

As part of our commitment to gender equity, we have included a question in the application process on gender. This will allow us to monitor and report on gender in relation to our recruitment process.

Burnet is a child safe organisation. The successful applicant will be required to apply for a National Police Check and/or Working with Children. Current Australian working rights are required for all applicants.