"Aquatic Technical Officer and Supervisor"

UQ Biological Resources

Full-time, fixed-term position for 3 years

Base salary will be in the range $82,133 - $91,295 + 17% Superannuation (HEW Level 5)

Based at our St. Lucia Campus

About This Opportunity

Join one of Australia’s leading research universities in a pivotal supervisory role supporting world-class discovery. As the Aquatic Technical Officer and Supervisor within UQ Biological Resources (UQBR), you will help facilitate the daily operations of the UQBR Aquaria at the St Lucia campus, ensuring the smooth, safe, and compliant functioning of a high-density aquatic research facility.

This role is primarily a supervisory and coordination position, responsible for organising staff workloads, scheduling, training and mentorship as well as assisting with daily aquaculture operations and troubleshooting (including participation in On-Call and weekend rosters). You’ll provide essential administrative and technical support to researchers, staff, and students, while overseeing the operation of complex aquatic life-support systems.

If you’re passionate about aquatic life, thrive in a research environment, and excel at team leadership and operational oversight, this is your chance to make waves at UQ!

Key responsibilities will include:

• Coordinate daily operations of the UQBR Aquaria, including staff scheduling, task delegation, and participation in the weekend/public holiday/on-call roster.
• Support and mentor technical staff, providing training in best-practice animal care, facility procedures, and regulatory compliance.
• Maintain regulatory standards, including documentation, auditing support, and ensuring biosecurity and ethical compliance across the facility.
• Oversee aquatic systems and husbandry, including water quality monitoring, equipment maintenance, and troubleshooting technical issues.

About UQ

As part of the UQ community, you will have the opportunity to work alongside the brightest minds, who have joined us from all over the world. Everyone here has a role to play. As a member of our professional staff cohort, you will be actively involved in working towards our vision of a better world. By supporting the academic endeavour across teaching, research, and the student life, you will have the opportunity to contribute to activities that have a lasting impact on our community.

Join a community where excellence is at the core of our culture, contributions are valued and a range of benefits and rewards are available, such as:

• Up to 26 weeks paid parental leave/paid primary care leave
• 17% superannuation contributions + 17.5% annual leave loading
• Access to flexible working arrangements including hybrid working options, flexible start/finish times, purchased leave, and a condensed fortnight
• Health and wellness discounts – fitness passport access, free yearly flu vaccinations, discounted health insurance, and access to our Employee Assistance Program for staff and their immediate family
• Career development opportunities –access to exclusive internal-only vacancies and our Study for Staff program
• On campus childcare options
• Affordable parking (from just $6.15 a day)
• Salary packaging options

About You

• Completed higher education training/ specialised training (e.g. TAFE, University Aquaculture degree etc), with at least 2 years’ experience in scheduling workloads, aquatic animal care, husbandry, and equipment maintenance (or equivalent)
• Experienced in supervising technical teams, with a strong ability to organise workloads, coordinate schedules, and support staff development.
• Skilled in aquatic facility operations, particularly within high-density aquaculture or research laboratory environments.
• Proficient in regulatory compliance, including documentation, auditing, and maintaining ethical standards in animal care.
• Confident communicator with the ability to liaise effectively with researchers, staff, and students in a collaborative environment.
• Methodical and detail-oriented in monitoring water quality, system performance, and animal welfare.
• Capable of working independently and proactively to manage routine procedures and respond to facility issues.
• Familiar with recirculating aquaculture systems, including troubleshooting and equipment maintenance.

The successful candidate may be required to complete a number of pre-employment checks, including right to work in Australia and a criminal check. You must maintain unrestricted work rights in Australia for the duration of this appointment to apply. Employer sponsored work rights are not available for this appointment.

Questions?

For more information about this opportunity, please contact Gillian Lawrence (Aquatics Facility Manager) at g.lawrence1@uq.edu.au. For application inquiries, please reach out to the Talent Acquisition team at talent@uq.edu.au, stating the job reference number (below) in the subject line.

Want to Apply?

We welcome applications from all individuals and are committed to an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. To be considered, please ensure you upload: Resume, A cover letter summarising how your background aligns with the 'About You' section. Our strength as an institution lies in our diverse colleagues. We're dedicated to equity, diversity, and inclusion, fostering an environment that mirrors our wider community. We're committed to attracting, retaining, and promoting diverse talent. If you require an alternative method to submit your application due to accessibility needs or personal circumstances, please contact talent@uq.edu.au.