Senior Principal Research Fellow, Autism Research

The Opportunity

The
Senior Principal Research Fellow will play a pivotal leadership role, driving
world-class autism research at The Kids Research Institute Australia. Working
closely with the Head of Autism Research, you will lead a transformative
program integrating advanced analytical methods, large-scale multimodal
datasets, and innovative assessment development to redefine how autism is
understood and assessed across clinical and research settings.

Your
work will directly influence national research direction, strengthen CliniKids'
research ecosystem, and deliver meaningful benefits for autistic children and
their families.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading the development of a cutting-edge, multidimensional assessment protocol using adaptive testing and item response theory frameworks.
• Driving digital infrastructure design to support deployment across clinical and research environments.
• Leveraging large, multimodal datasets to identify meaningful autism subgroups and treatment-relevant profiles.
• Building and sustaining a high-performing research team, including mentoring early career researchers.
• Fostering strategic collaborations nationally and internationally to expand the Institute's research reach.

This full-time role will be based at The Kids Research Institute
Australia, conveniently based at Perth Children's Hospital in Nedlands Western Australia
and will be an ongoing role.

About You

You
are an exceptional research leader with a passion for transforming scientific
insights into real-world impact. You bring deep expertise in developmental
science, a strong strategic mindset, and a commitment to shaping a supportive,
high-performing research culture.

You will hold a PhD in Developmental Psychopathology
or an equivalent discipline. Along with that, you will bring:

• Extensive experience leading scientific programs and driving complex research initiatives.
• Strong capability in strategy, research translation and identifying future scientific opportunities
• Leadership experience that fosters collaboration, innovation, and high-quality research culture.
• Exceptional relationship-building skills across internal teams, partners, and external stakeholders.
• Proven ability to secure national and international competitive research funding and deliver high-impact scientific outputs.
• Expertise in analysing complex datasets and applying advanced analytical or computational methods.

At
The Kids Research Institute Australia, we are committed to building a workplace
culture that reflects the communities we serve. We actively recruit,
support and welcome applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
people, people with disability, culturally and linguistically diverse
communities, LGBTQIA+ people, people of all ages, and those with diverse lived
experiences. We also provide reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment
process and in the workplace, ensuring everyone has the opportunity to
thrive. 

Our commitment to diversity and inclusion is
reflected in how we:

• Support staff-led inclusion and allyship groups.
• Offer flexible work practices that recognise different needs and life stages.
• Provide training, development and mentoring opportunities to increase inclusive leadership and create an environment where all staff can thrive.
• Partner with communities to strength cultural awareness and belonging.
• Ensure adjustments and accessible practices are available for diverse community groups. 
• We continually strive to measure our progress and improve where we can.

Alongside our inclusive culture, you'll
enjoy:  

• Extra annual leave at Christmas and Easter.
• Salary packaging and entertainment benefits.
• Health and wellbeing programs with weekly events.
• Flexible and hybrid working options.
• Recognition and professional development opportunities, including LinkedIn Learning.
• Modern offices with sit-to-stand desks and end-of-trip facilities.
• Staff discounts on travel, IT, stationery, and access to corporate health insurance.

How to apply

If this
role feels like the right fit and an exciting new opportunity for you, please
click on 'Apply Now' to visit our Career Site, view the Job Description,
and submit your application.

Please
include a cover letter (no more than 2 pages) that specifically addresses the
skills and experience outlined in the "About You" section.

Applications
will only be accepted through our career portal. If you are experiencing
technical difficulties or require reasonable accommodations in completing your
application, please contact

Click here for the Job Description

Contact Name: Aarti Saiganesh

Contact Email: ,au

Closing Date:  Applications are open between 1st December 2025
to 31st December 2025 at 11:59pm (30-day period) – We reserve the
right to hire [prior to the closing date.

The Kids Research Institute Australia is committed to being
champions of gender equity, diversity, and inclusivity. We actively encourage
applications from people of all ages, nationalities, abilities, and cultures, including:
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people with diverse genders, sexes and sexualities and people living with disability. As such we are a proud Bronze award recipient of the first
Australian Athena Swan Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) pilot program.

We acknowledge that when working in environments which contribute to the health
and wellbeing of Aboriginal people, it is imperative that Aboriginal people are
at the forefront of this work. We have launched the Aboriginal Employment and
Career Development Strategy to increase the number of Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander staff, students and researchers employed in the
Institute who provide guidance and support in our work in Aboriginal health.