Project Manager/research Fellow

• Based at our Melbourne, Burwood Campus
• Part-time and fixed term for 12 months
• Level A $74,024 – $99,512 + 17% Superannuation

Founded in 1974, Deakin is a public university in Victoria with 61,000 students across five campuses: Melbourne Burwood, Geelong Waurn Ponds, Geelong Waterfront, Warrnambool, and the online Campus. We are a progressive and open-minded university, with the highest student satisfaction in Victoria and consistently ranked in the top 1% of the world’s universities. 

The Research Fellow will work within the research program of the Australian Temperament Project (ATP), working closely with the ATP Project Team to oversee ATP study operations.

The ATP is one of Australia’s oldest longitudinal studies of social and emotional development, established in 1983, which has followed a cohort of 2000 participants and their parents, across 40 years (16 waves).  In 2023 a pilot survey of the original two generations of the cohort will be conducted, as they approach 70 and 40 years of age respectively. A subset will also be invited to complete an in-person pilot clinical assessment.

The ATP Generation 3 (offspring) study has recruited and assessed more than 1000 offspring born to Generation 2 ATP participants since 2012. Assessments of Generation 3 children and their parents have occurred at multiple waves from pregnancy to the middle years. Data collection currently includes surveys of parents when third generation children are aged four and nine years of age.

This position reports directly to the ATP Senior Project Manager and the ATP Chief Investigator. The position will directly oversee the ATP Project Coordinator and the ATP Life@40/70 Project Manager, and indirectly supervise all research assistants and students involved in the project.

This position is located at the study’s operational headquarters at the Melbourne Children’s Campus, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne. Work may also be requested to be undertaken at Deakin Burwood.

This is a 12-month fixed-term position at .5-.6 FTE, funded by a Deakin University Investigator Grant until April 2024.

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Coordinating the efficient operation of the research project, including the management of all aspects of coordination, recruitment, and data collection for both the overarching ATP and the ATP Generation 3 Study
• Overseeing all contact and correspondence with project participants, ensuring the continuation of good relations with project participants and the protection of their well-being
• Overseeing ethics submissions, and adherence to ethics agreements
• Coordinating applications for cohort data linkage with data agencies/repositories
• Coordinating student/investigator access to the data and measures according to the project policies developed
• Assisting with funding submissions, management of NHMRC and ARC budgets and annual budget report writing activities
• Advising on the future conduct and direction of the Project
• Overseeing the efficient operation of large-scale communication strategies with study participants for the purposes of cohort retention and recruitment of children, families, and adult participants into new aspects of the research program
• Supervising staff and students assigned to research tasks.
• Contributing to the knowledge engagement activities of the department as directed
• Liaising with collaborating investigators on the ATP and ATP Generation 3 Studies, both internally and externally
• Attending Department meetings and/or committees/working groups such as those relevant to the project at the Melbourne Children’s Campus
• Participating in regular staff/professional development activities and performance management.

Key selection criteria for this role:

• At minimum, a Bachelor of Arts/Science with Honours or equivalent in a relevant field (preferably within psychology, health or another appropriate field).
• A strong understanding of, and interest in, child, adolescent and young adult health and wellbeing.
• Interest in life course science, and the developmental origins of mental health and disorder, within and across generations.
• Experience in project management/coordination of large-scale longitudinal life course studies, and associated expertise in longitudinal data management
• Experience in research administration activities such as human ethics submissions, funding submissions and project budgeting
• Experience in the development and production of research participant engagement strategies, activities, and communications
• Experience in stakeholder communication and management, across and within sectors
• Experience in recruitment, training, supervision and performance management of research assistants and students
• Experience with database/survey software such as REDCap etc.
• Experience in collecting observational/clinical data
• Excellent interpersonal skills with an ability to communicate effectively with children and families within a research program context, as well as a proven ability to establish good working relationships with colleagues and students
• An ability to manage sensitive matters discreetly and confidentially
• Ability to work independently as well as part of a research team, preferably in a multidisciplinary environment.

For a copy of the position description, please see below.

 PD – Project Manager, Associate Research Fellow.pdf

Applications for this position closes on the 11th of April at 11.55pm.

Successful applicants will need to comply with vaccination mandates imposed by the relevant state/territory government. Applicants who attend third-party sites to undertake University activities will also be required to comply with any other directions or requirements in place at the third-party location.

Special Requirements

• Working with Children Check

Please submit your updated resume, a short cover letter and responses to the Key Selection Criteria.

For a confidential discussion regarding this position, please contact Primrose Letcher (Senior Research Fellow) on [email protected].

Are You Ready?

Deakin is a Victorian university with a global impact. We are an agile, dynamic, and innovative university committed to making a positive impact through our excellence in education, research and innovation and the contributions we make to the wider community.

We understand that our reputation has been built on the dedication and expertise of our staff and we offer a dynamic and diverse working environment with opportunities to grow and develop careers. We believe that a progressive, thriving culture will ensure that people choose to come, and stay at Deakin and contribute to our ongoing success.

We value diversity and aim to build an inclusive environment that champions, embraces and respects differences. We support and encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and people of all abilities, cultures, sexual orientation, and genders.

We understand that our academic workforce is increasingly diverse, and we recognise academic careers may be placed on hold throughout many life circumstances. Achievement relative to opportunity places more emphasis on the quality, as opposed to the quantity of research outputs. In your application, we strongly encourage you to comment on your achievements relative to opportunity.