Research Leaders

The Role

We are seeking highly motivated Innovation, Science and Technology (IS&T) leaders with a passion for delivering advanced and valued outcomes to Defence, and in accordance with the intent of the Defence Strategic Review. There are a number of positions available if you are looking for a new, exciting and challenging role. Each IS&T Leader is accountable to the respective Capability or Program Division Chief, and under broad guidance, is responsible for leading a branch.

You will:

• Provide clear strategic leadership by articulating a compelling vision for the branch's Innovation, Science & Technology (IS&T) capability.
• Offer guidance, direction, and coordination to ensure alignment with Defence priorities and the successful delivery of agreed outputs.
• Foster collaboration across internal and external stakeholders to maximize the impact of IS&T initiatives.
• Lead and integrate diverse strands of team expertise to identify and pursue opportunities for IS&T breakthroughs.
• Champion a culture of scientific curiosity and experimentation, encouraging teams to challenge conventional thinking and explore novel approaches.
• Facilitate cross-disciplinary collaboration to unlock new capabilities and accelerate innovation. Inspire staff to push the frontiers of IS&T, and work with the staff at a conceptual level to create new scientific insights.

The following positions are available:

Research Leader Operational Decision Analysis - Human and Decision Sciences Division - Edinburgh or Fairbairn - Positive Vetting

You will lead a team that brings together specialists in social sciences, operations analysis, socio-technical systems, combat management and combat systems to conduct analysis that provides expert, impartial and timely scientific advice that supports decision makers in major capability investment options and operational effectiveness. Our mission is to provide analysis that informs and enables the ADF to understanding how to operate in a complex contested environment across the competition continuum from the gray zone to high end war fighting.

Research Leader Human Systems Performance - Human and Decision Sciences Division -Fishermans Bend or Edinburgh - Positive Vetting

You will lead a team that delivers warfighter advantage through science and technology that is focused on the performance of our people and their integration with the systems they employ to prevail in their missions. It sustains an extensive set of warfighter centred research disciplines grounded in an understanding of their distinct military operating environments and tasks.

Research Leader Cyber Operations - Information Sciences Division - Edinburgh - Positive Vetting

You will lead a team involved in innovative cyber research and development and lead engagement with the science and technology community in Australia and internationally. You will be expected to develop and maintain a high level of knowledge and understanding of state-of-the-art cyber science and technology, sufficient to provide senior oversight of authoritative technical and policy advice to clients.

Research Leader Intelligence Analytics - Information Sciences Division - Edinburgh - Positive Vetting

You will lead a team of approximately 95 scientists to deliver research outcomes which improve the situational awareness of intelligence analysts for Defence and national security. Intelligence Analytics combines expertise from statistical, computational, and human sciences to provide automated sense-making from multi-source intelligence.

Our aim is to accelerate and scale the workflows of analysts and operators in building understanding  of the human and physical environment.

Research Leader Power & Dynamics - Platforms Division - Edinburgh or Fishermans Bend - Negative Vetting 1

You will lead an integrated team of scientists, students, ADF members and contractors to deliver innovative concepts and solutions to ensure speed, range, endurance, maneuverability, operability, safety, availability, stealth and lethality of multi-domain, crewed and uncrewed ADF platforms. Our objective is to ensure ADF platform performance.

Research Leader Autonomy - Platforms Division - Edinburgh, Eveleigh or Fishermans Bend - Negative Vetting 1

You will lead a team that supports the development of multi-domain autonomous systems capabilities in the ADF and the development of the integrated hybrid force that brings together and integrates crewed and unscrewed capabilities. Our mission is to maintain platform-oriented Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) IS&T capabilities that leverage the IS&T ecosystem to deliver impact through enhancing critical Defence RAS capabilities & creating asymmetric advantage.

Research Leader Signatures and Survivability - Platforms Division - Edinburgh, Eveleigh or Fishermans Bend - Negative Vetting 1

You will lead a team that shapes the IS&T expertise to bear on three key Defence problems: the basement, reduction and control of signatures to reduce platform detectability; the development of protective systems to maximize platforms availability and operational effectiveness; and the incorporating physical protection, damage control and recoverability. The MSTC's mission is reducing detectability and enhancing protection to ensure mission success of the warfighter.

Program Leader Logistics & Health - Land & Integrated Force Division - Edinburgh, Fishermans Bend, Fairbairn - Negative Vetting 1

You will lead a networked team providing scientific leadership and project management of the DSTG Logistics and Health IS&T Projects. Both of the Theatre Logistics and Health IS&T Projects require extensive engagement with relevant stakeholders across Joint Logistics, Joint Health, Defence People Group, National Support Division and the five Defence domains. You will be supporting the development, acquisition and modernisation of Defence logistics and health capabilities which requires a deep and comprehensive IS&T effort that covers many science disciplines.

Program Leader Force Design & Integration - Land & Integrated Force Division - Fairbairn -Positive Vetting

You will lead a small, distributed and dynamic team providing scientific leadership and project management for innovation, science and technology (IS&T) support to Force Design and Force Integration in Defence. This role requires you to lead the delivery of operations analysis of integrated capability (including experimentation, war gaming and simulation); horizon scanning and technology foresight; and workforce simulation. Your work will touch on analysis of military operations within all five warfighting domains and require coordination and engagement across DSTG and the rest of Defence.

This recruitment activity may be used to fill other S&T8 Leader positions in DSTG as they become available.

About our Team

Information Sciences Division

Information Sciences Division drives and shapes Defence research capabilities in the areas of computational science, autonomy and cyber, communications and computing. The division focuses on Spectrum Warfare, Cyber Operations, Cyber Assurance and Resilience, Intelligence Analytics and Multi Domain Information Integration.

Platforms Division

Platforms Division develops innovative technologies and provides scientific advice to overcome existing and future Defence challenges. Collaborating within the wider S&T ecosystem, S&T solutions for crewed and uncrewed ADF platforms across the air, land, maritime and space domains are delivered to ensure capability advantage.

Human and Decisions Sciences Division

Human and Decision Sciences Division delivers science based advice to enhance decision-making and warfighter effectiveness in complex operational environments through applied operational research and research in human and social sciences. Our areas of focus include research to maximise physical and cognitive performance, enhancing the human-machine interfaces, strengthening command and control, wargaming, modelling and simulating the ADF, leading qualitative and quantitative analysis.

Land & Integrated Force Division

Land and Integrated Force (LIF) Division delivers innovation, science and technology programs in support of the Land and Integrated Force domains. The team is responsible for understanding the highest priority S&T problems and challenges across the relevant Defence stakeholders and developing an integrated, balanced set of S&T programs to address these challenges.

Why Us:

• A competitive remuneration and leave package and 15.4% superannuation.
• We know that as much as you may love your job, it is important to be able to get away. We provide generous leave entitlements for whatever happens in life.
• We offer flexible and agile ways of working to empower you to work in a way that reflects your circumstances and your lifestyle.
• Access to ongoing learning and development.

Our Ideal Candidate

Our ideal candidates will have:

• A strong background in leadership and management of highly complex multi-disciplinary research programs.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain relationships across multidisciplinary teams and a wide variety of partners, clients and stakeholders.
• An international reputation for excellence in a specific, relevant field of IS&T and have extensive experience, awareness and knowledge across a broad range of science
• Excellent communication skills to convey complex information and concepts to a broad spectrum of audiences including military and civilian defence personnel, other government agencies, industry, academia, ministerial briefings, scientific journals, and reporting of Research & Development findings and implications to stakeholders.

For Research Leader roles, you will also demonstrate the ability to:

• Scientifically lead and manage significant Research and Development programs, including the development of a sound strategic direction and associated goals and identification of key research challenges.
• Initiate and implement changes of direction in research projects.
• Contribute to the body of scientific knowledge through published and unpublished works.
• Innovatively apply scientific knowledge to solving difficult problems.
• Anticipate and establish client priorities, and work to deliver required outcomes.
• Recognise opportunities from external sources to further develop knowledge for Defence, and build and maintain strong relationships with a network of external stakeholders in industry, universities and overseas organisations.

For Program Leader roles, you will demonstrate the ability to:

• Develop and maintain effective relationships with Defence Capability Program Sponsors, senior stakeholders and build a sound understanding of the stakeholder priorities and requirements that DST Group can support.
• Ensure timely development and approval of IS&T Project Plans in collaboration with stakeholders and appropriate Chiefs of Division, Research Leaders and line managers in relevant technology areas.
• Develop systems and processes to ensure that all knowledge generated by DST Group of relevance to the Program is captured and retained.
• Exercise strong project and financial management skills to ensure agreed IS&T projects and programs are delivered to stakeholder expectations of cost, timeliness and outcomes.
• Undertake other significant duties as required by the relevant Chief of Division.

We acknowledge the importance of developing and retaining an inclusive culture that produces opportunities for all. We encourage people from varied backgrounds with the right skills sets and experience to apply for this position. We understand that a diverse demographic bring unique and creative perspectives and solutions benefiting every aspect of what we do at DSTG.

Application Closing Date: Sunday 23 November 2025

For further information please review the job information pack, reference DSTG/08524/25 on