"Postdoctoral Research Fellow"

Job Description

Primary Detail

• Salary package: $112,550 Level A.6 plus 17% employer's superannuation contribution and annual leave loading.
• Full-time, 3 year fixed-term appointment, commencing December 2026 until December 2029 (part-time may be considered for the right candidate)
• Based at Macquarie University, Wallumattagal Campus, North Ryde

We are looking for a Postdoctoral Research Fellow to join The Transforming Energy Markets (TEM) Research Centre, for a start date of December 2026.

The Role

Join a pioneering national research initiative aimed at accelerating the development of floating photovoltaics (FPV) in Australia, an emerging solution for sustainable energy generation that addresses land-use constraints and water management challenges.

Working with Associate Professor Madeline Taylor, the Postdoctoral Research Fellow will be an integral member of a multidisciplinary team working on the research project 'Novel Energy and Evaporative Storage Technologies for Irrigators (NEESTI)' funded by the federal Department of Agriculture Future Drought Fund.

This project analyses regulatory, social, and policy opportunities to enhance drought resilience in five irrigated agricultural sectors by incorporating floating solar photovoltaics (FPV) on storage dams across cotton, sugarcane, pecans, wine grapes, and rice. Through fieldwork and comparative socio-legal analysis, the project will generate new knowledge on best practices integrating floating solar photovoltaics in irrigated farming contexts. The regulatory pathways pillar of our project will seize Australia's FPV opportunity by establishing a robust legal framework and policy incentives to scale FPV deployment and adoption. The project seeks to generate robust knowledge to inform scholarly and policy discussions about the future of Australia's floating photovoltaics sector.

The role also involves contributing to the design and execution of research projects, including quantitative and qualitative analyses, modelling FPV integration with existing legal frameworks, and evaluating policy frameworks. The postdoctoral researcher will actively contribute to research publications, non-academic outputs, media communications, and presentations, helping to establish Australia as a global leader in FPV innovation.

In addition to their specific contributions to the Project, the fellowship is designed to offer the Fellow opportunities to build a mix of skills that will equip them to pursue an academic and/or public sector career.

Some of your key responsibilities include:

• Conducting original research independently and as part of a team, focusing on socio-legal analyses, comparative analyses, fieldwork, and theoretical design
• Assist with the development of a framework and principles for floating photovoltaics legal models.
• Comparative legal research, including statutory and regulatory analysis across multiple Australian states and international jurisdictions.
• Policy analysis and evaluation, particularly energy, agricultural, and water regulation.
• Empirical research skills, including conducting, coding, and analyzing semi-structured interviews.
• Capacity to identify regulatory barriers and propose feasible pathways for floating photovoltaics deployment.
• Assist in the development of materials for public engagement, conference presentations, and academic publications, including convening public facing briefings
• Develop policy reports and guides along with academic outputs.

About You

We are seeking socio-legal scholar with expertise and/or an interest in the energy transition and decarbonising agriculture. Candidates from diverse backgrounds in law, social science, humanities, and related fields are encouraged to apply. The successful applicant will be interested in working in a multi-disciplinary team and engaging with a broad range of stakeholders.

The successful candidate will play a key role in exploring and shaping regulatory pathways, environmental assessments, and social licence considerations for FPV projects, helping to unlock large-scale deployment opportunities across Australian water bodies. The successful candidate will work closely with research, government, industry, and community stakeholders to identify barriers and develop strategies that balance energy innovation with environmental and social sustainability.

To Apply

To apply for this position, please apply online by submitting your CV and a separate cover letter (no more than 3 pages) that demonstrates how you meet the following selection criteria:

• Demonstrated research expertise in energy regulation and/or socio-legal applications of energy and industry (prior knowledge of energy applications in the agro-industrial sector will be valued).
• Completed a PhD in any area related to regulation, social science, and/or geography, broadly defined, including humanities and social sciences;
• Advanced comparative legal and policy analyses skills;
• Empirical research skills, including semi-structured interviews and workshops; and
• Evidence of the ability to conduct independent research and assume responsibility for the development and completion of research projects and publications.

Role-specific Enquiries: Please contact Associate Professor Madeline Taylor at madeline.taylor@mq.edu.au.

Applications Close: Wednesday 12th of November 2025 at 11:59pm (AEST)