Lead – Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics

The Garvan Institute of Medical Research is launching a new Structural and Biophysical Sciences capability within the Development Platform to strengthen the bridge from basic discovery to translational and therapeutic outcomes. This role will serve as the cornerstone of that capability, setting the vision, building the infrastructure, and establishing the collaborations that will make Garvan a leader in structure-enabled translational research.

The Lead will be a hybrid role, both a hands-on scientist and a strategic institute-wide advisor, leveraging structural biology, molecular biophysics, and protein biochemistry to answer high-value scientific questions. By combining deep technical expertise with strategic foresight, this role will create a resource that empowers Garvan's research programs to design better experiments, engineer better molecules, and deliver better therapeutic candidates.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Lead will have dual function:

• Hands-on science — running or directing key studies that reveal structure–function relationships, guide molecule design, and support drug-like candidate selection.
• Strategic leadership — building infrastructure, setting workflows, and shaping how structural and biophysical sciences are embedded across Garvan's research.

• Scope:

• Develop and manage the hub's technical capabilities (instruments, SOPs, QC standards).

• Collaborate across all Garvan programs — not tied to one disease area.
• Serve as an advisor and mentor for structural and mechanistic aspects of research projects.
• Partner closely with the Biologics Platform to feed structural insights into protein engineering efforts.
• Act as Garvan's point person for national/international collaborations in this space.

Salary: Up to $160, % super + salary packaging (depending on experience)

Employment Type: 2-year fixed-term contract

SNAPSHOT OF BENEFITS

• Generous salary packaging to save you income tax on your wages thereby boosting your monthly take home pay (max. $15,900 general expenses + $2,650 meals/accom)
• Ample opportunities for on-going training and development
• Stimulating, diverse and highly international research environment
• Flexible work arrangements e.g. start / finish times
• 18 weeks paid parental leave for both parents including paid superannuation
• A range of additional leave types to meet your personal needs including cultural leave, conference leave, community service and study leave
• Discounted Health Insurance
• Lifestyle discounts with our community partners

WHAT YOU WILL DO

The key responsibilities include:

Capability Development and Leadership

• Establish and lead the Structural and Biophysical Sciences hub within the Development Platform, designing a sustainable operating model that can scale with demand.
• Define the technical scope and strategic direction for the hub, ensuring alignment with Garvan's translational priorities.
• Identify and integrate emerging technologies that can accelerate or enhance structural and biophysical insights.

Project Leadership and Delivery

• Lead or oversee high-impact structural and biophysical studies that directly inform drug discovery and translational decision-making.
• Guide project teams on optimal study design, from construct selection and protein expression through to data analysis and interpretation.
• Oversee workflows for protein design, expression, purification, and characterisation, ensuring materials are fit-for-purpose for structural studies.
• Collaborate with the Biologics Platform to apply structural and mechanistic insights to therapeutic protein engineering.
• Prioritise projects and resource allocation to maximise scientific and translational impact.

Scientific Advisory and Mentorship

• Serve as a go-to resource for structural and biophysical guidance across Garvan's research programs.
• Mentor and train Garvan researchers in relevant methods, from fundamental principles to advanced data interpretation.
• Provide strategic input to institute-wide initiatives, grant applications, and technology investments.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and scientific excellence.

Collaboration and Partnerships

• Build strong working relationships with Garvan program leaders, platform managers, and core facility directors.
• Establish and manage collaborations with national and international academic partners, industry stakeholders, and CROs.
• Position Garvan to participate in large-scale structural biology initiatives and consortia.

ABOUT YOU

The key skills and experience include:

• PhD in structural biology, molecular biophysics, protein biochemistry, or a related discipline.
• Demonstrated track record of leading structural and biophysical projects with translational or therapeutic relevance.
• Proven ability to establish new capabilities, workflows, or technology platforms in an academic or industry setting.
• Industry experience in drug discovery or biologics development strongly preferred.
• Strong leadership, mentoring, and cross-disciplinary collaboration skills.

ABOUT GARVAN

Garvan Institute of Medical Research is an independent Medical Research Institute (MRI) in Sydney, delivering scientific and clinical impact on a global basis and in partnership with organisations that share our vision. We are proud to be one of Australia's largest and most highly regarded MRI's.

Our vision is global leadership in discoveries to impact and our enduring purpose is to impact human health, by harnessing information encoded in our genome.

We seek to see our world-class discovery research achieve life-changing impacts, not only for individual patients with rare diseases, but for the many thousands affected by complex, common disease.

Garvan promotes a diverse workplace and is committed to the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging. We are always looking for culture 'add', not culture 'fit' and are building diverse teams with great sets of complementary styles and skills to help deliver our important work effectively.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply for this position, please submit your application with a CV and cover letter as one document, stating why you are interested in this role. We are reviewing applications as they are received. If you think you're the right person for this role, we'd love to hear how your capabilities, achievements and experience set you apart. Only applicants with full working rights in Australia are eligible to apply for this role.