"Postdoctoral Research Associate (Psychology)"

• Full-time, 2-year fixed term position, located at the Brain and Mind Centre, Camperdown
• This is a unique opportunity to contribute to research with direct clinical relevance, informing how childhood adversity is assessed and addressed in clinical and community settings
• Base Salary, Academic Level A, $109,263 - $121,054 p.a. + 17% superannuation

About the opportunity

The School of Psychology is currently seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate (Psychology) to contribute to a program of research developing and validating a new clinical measure to assess childhood adversity. The role will suit a researcher with experience working with vulnerable populations (e.g. people who have experienced trauma or displacement), and an interest in improving the ways early-life experiences are understood and assessed. This position offers the opportunity to contribute to innovative, high-impact research with real-world clinical and community relevance.

Your key responsibilities will be to:

• work closely with the chief investigators and research team to support the development and validation of a new clinical measure of childhood adversity
• engage with community and clinical partners to support ethical, inclusive, and culturally sensitive research practices
• coordinate participant recruitment and data collection with vulnerable populations, ensuring high standards of care and confidentiality
• contribute to the design, analysis, and interpretation of quantitative and qualitative data
• prepare manuscripts, reports, and presentations to disseminate research findings.

The School of Psychology consistently ranks among the best in the world. In the most recent QS World University Rankings, the School ranked in the Top 3 Psychology departments in Australia and the Top 30 in the world, with the University of Sydney ranking in the Top 20 universities in the world.

About you

The University values courage and creativity; openness and engagement; inclusion and diversity; and respect and integrity. As such, we see the importance of recruiting talent aligned to these values and are looking for a Postdoctoral Research Associate who has:

• a PhD in psychology or a related discipline
• experience working with vulnerable populations, such as people who have experienced trauma or displacement
• demonstrated expertise in research design, data collection and analysis in applied or clinical research settings
• an interest in, or willingness to develop skills in, psychometric and measure development methods
• understanding of ethical and culturally safe research practices when working with diverse communities
• the ability to work collaboratively within an interdisciplinary team and build positive relationships with community and clinical partners
• strong organisational and written communication skills, and the capacity to work independently and take initiative.

Sponsorship / work rights for Australia

You must have unrestricted work rights in Australia for the duration of this employment to be eligible to apply. Visa sponsorship is not available for this appointment.

Pre-employment checks

Your employment is conditional upon the completion of all role required pre-employment or background checks in terms satisfactory to the University. Similarly, your ongoing employment is conditional upon the satisfactory maintenance of all relevant clearances and background check requirements. If you do not meet these conditions, the University may take any necessary step, including the termination of your employment.

This position is designated as involving child-related work. To undertake or remain in this position, you are required to apply for and obtain a Working with Children Check clearance in accordance with the Child Protection (Working with Children) Act 2012.

EEO statement

At the University of Sydney, our shared values are trust, accountability and excellence and we strive to be a place where everyone can thrive. We are committed to creating a University community that thrives through diversity and reflects the wider community that we serve. We deliver on this through our commitment to diversity and inclusion, evidenced by our people and culture programs, as well as key strategies to increase participation and support the careers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, women, people living with a disability, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and those who identify as LGBTIQ+. We welcome applications from candidates from all backgrounds.

We are proud to be recognised as an Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI) Gold employer. Find out more about our work on diversity and inclusion.

How to apply

Applications (including a cover letter, CV, and any additional supporting documentation) can be submitted via the Apply button at the top of the page.

For employees of the University or contingent workers, please login into your Workday account and navigate to the Career icon on your Dashboard. Click on USYD Find Jobs and apply.

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Applications Close

Monday 17 November 2025 11:59 PM