Laboratory Diagnostic Virologist

Acknowledgement of Country 

CSIRO acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land, sea and waters, of the area that we live and work on across Australia. We acknowledge their continuing connection to their culture and pay our respects to their Elders past and present. View our vision towards reconciliation. 

Role highlights

• Apply your virology expertise in world-class high-containment laboratory facilities, working with a diverse range of viral pathogens.
• Support Australia's biosecurity and animal health through diagnostic and surveillance testing for diseases of national significance.
• Contribute to diagnostic innovation through assay evaluation, validation and continuous improvement within an accredited laboratory environment.

About CSIRO

As Australia's national science agency, CSIRO is solving the greatest challenges through innovative science and technology. Many of our iconic innovations were once considered impossible until someone, just like you, joined us and took on the challenge.

Visit CSIRO.au for more information.

The opportunity 

Join CSIRO's Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP) as a Laboratory Diagnostic Virologist and contribute to Australia's animal health and biosecurity capability. Working within the Disease Diagnosis and Surveillance Program, you will undertake diagnostic and surveillance testing for a broad range of viral pathogens affecting livestock, poultry and other animals, supporting the detection and investigation of diseases of national significance.

As part of a multidisciplinary team operating within high-containment laboratory environments, you will perform quality-assured diagnostic testing, contribute to assay development and validation activities, and support emergency animal disease preparedness and response. Applying your expertise in virology and cell culture techniques, you will help isolate, detect and characterise viral pathogens, interpret diagnostic and surveillance results, and contribute to resolving complex technical challenges that support the delivery of accurate and reliable testing outcomes.

This role offers the opportunity to apply and further develop your scientific expertise in a unique high-containment environment while working alongside veterinarians, scientists and technical professionals. Well suited to a developing researcher, the position provides opportunities to broaden technical capabilities and contribute to animal health and biosecurity outcomes of national significance.

In addition to routine diagnostic and surveillance activities, you will contribute to Australia's emergency animal disease preparedness and response capability through participation in an on-call, after-hours and weekend roster to support urgent diagnostic testing.

Your high-level duties will include: 

• Supporting and delivering quality assured diagnostic testing services (NATA/ISO 17025) for a broad range of viral pathogens, as well as the exclusion of emergency animal diseases, routine surveillance and biological sample testing. This may include working with infectious agents that are zoonotic in nature, i.e. can affect humans.
• Contributing to quality assurance requirements, including reporting and authorising tests, maintaining up-to-date and accurate test records, and proficiency testing.
• Undertaking assigned diagnostic and innocuity testing activities under the technical direction of the Team Leader and senior scientists, exercising judgement in the planning and prioritisation of work to meet testing demands and operational requirements.
• Collaborating with the Team Leader, team members, duty veterinarians, Innocuity Project Manager and senior scientists to support the delivery of diagnostic and innocuity testing activities.
• Undertaking test development, evaluation and validation work under the technical direction of the team leader.

Role particulars

Location and office arrangements:  Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP), Geelong, VIC

Salary: AU$100k – AU$113k per annum (pro rata for part-time), plus 15.4% superannuation

Tenure & work schedule:  Specified term of 1 year; full time

Reference: 104223

As the successful candidate, you will bring:

• A Bachelor of Science degree with honours, or equivalent relevant work experience in Biological Sciences or a related discipline.
• Experience conducting and coordinating laboratory‐based experiments or tests, with a demonstrated ability to plan and schedule laboratory work.
• Demonstrated ability to identify and contribute to resolving underlying issues of complex and ill-defined problems in a timely and technically sound manner.
• Experience working both independently and co-operatively as a member of a larger project team, with a demonstrated ability to form and maintain effective and respectful relationships with a range of colleagues and collaborators.
• Demonstrated strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to document results and communicate effectively with colleagues and other stakeholders.
• A demonstrated commitment to health, safety, and wellbeing of staff, willing to challenge the status quo in pursuit of Zero Harm.

 
For full details about this role, and other criteria, please review the Position Description. 

Not sure if you meet all the criteria?

While it is CSIRO policy that the successful candidate must meet all the essential criteria, there are many ways to demonstrate this. Don’t let the list discourage you. If you are unsure about applying, please reach out to the contact person in the Position Description.

Setting you up for success

We are committed to providing a recruitment process that is fair, equitable and accessible to everyone. We recognise that it may be helpful for us to adjust our process to make it equitable for your individual situation. Please contact Cristina O’Brien via email at cristina.obrien@csiro.au and let us know how we can support you.  

Life at CSIRO and flexible work arrangements

We work flexibly at CSIRO, offering a range of options for how, when and where you work. We can discuss flexible work arrangements with you during the recruitment process. CSIRO also offers a range of leave entitlements, benefits and career development opportunities. To find out more, visit Careers at CSIRO.

Inclusion and belonging

Solving Australia's greatest challenges takes a diversity of minds and lived experiences. We know diverse teams are more effective and deliver more innovative outcomes. As an equal employment opportunity organisation, we are committed to creating diverse and inclusive teams where people feel they belong. We recognise true diversity encompasses all ages, abilities, cultures, faiths, levels of education, genders, sexualities, diversity of thought and much more. We focus on hiring people who share our values of People First, Further Together, Making it Real and Trusted.

CSIRO holds Gold Status for the Australian Workplace Equality Index for LGBTQIA+ inclusion, and a Science in Australia Gender Equity Bronze Award.

Eligibility 

Applications for this position are open to Australian Citizens only. Appointment to this role is subject to provision of a national police check, Negative Vetting Level 1 security check (to be arranged post-commencement), and the ability to meet the security and microbiological security requirements specific to ACDP. Please review the ‘Special Requirements’ section of the position description.   

Child safety 

CSIRO is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people involved in our activities and programs. View our Child Safe Policy. 

How to apply 

Please apply online and submit a cover letter (maximum 2 pages) and CV that demonstrate your motivation and ability to meet the essential requirements of this role.

Applications close 

Sunday 25 October 2026, 11:00pm AEST