"Research Associate"

Role type: Part-Time (0.2 FTE) Fixed-Term for 3 years
Faculty: Melbourne Law School
Salary: Level A $85,555.00 - $116,094.00 p.a. plus 17% super

Provide vital research support to an ARC Future Fellowship, contributing to the collection, analysis, and interpretation of oral histories that explore statelessness, migration, and intergenerational memory.

Support engagement with diverse communities while conducting ethically informed, socially impactful research that critically examines the impacts of settler-colonialism and the experiences of migrants in Australia.

Investing in you - benefits package including salary packaging, health and wellbeing programs, discounted services, and professional development opportunities.

This Research Associate position supports Dr Jordana Silverstein’s Australian Research Council Future Fellowship, Intergenerational Stories of Statelessness: An Oral History Project (2025–2029). The role involves working closely with diverse communities to gather and analyse oral histories of statelessness, migration, and belonging, while reflecting on the place of migrants on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land. You will contribute through literature reviews, publication support, and the coordination of research activities and events, bringing a commitment to ethical, socially engaged scholarship that responds thoughtfully to contemporary global contexts.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Undertaking high-quality research activities, including literature reviews, archival work, sourcing and collating materials, and supporting interviews and transcripts.
• Contributing to publications by developing research outputs, drafting and co-authoring materials, and assisting with edited collections.
• Supporting the organisation of workshops, conferences, and related academic events, while participating in seminars and professional activities within the field.
• Engaging in the wider academic community by attending relevant meetings, carrying out administrative tasks, and helping to sustain a vibrant and collaborative research culture.

You may be a great fit if: You bring intellectual curiosity, integrity, and a reflective approach to your work, demonstrating the capacity to contribute thoughtfully both independently and as part of a collaborative team. With a genuine interest in themes such as statelessness, migration, memory, and the impacts of settler-colonialism, you approach research with sensitivity, care, and a commitment to ethical engagement with communities. You are collegial, adaptable, and attentive to the social and cultural contexts that shape scholarship, with the ability to balance initiative and independence alongside cooperation and collective effort.

You will also: Possess a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline, complemented by evidence of higher-level study; Demonstrate the ability to conduct rigorous research both independently and under limited supervision; Exhibit a strong track record of critically engaged community-focused research; Show informed knowledge and a keen interest in areas such as statelessness, oral history, migration, Australian history, settler-colonial studies, or memory studies.

What we offer you! We offer the opportunity to be part of a vibrant community and enjoy a comprehensive range of benefits to support your success and sense of fulfillment, including: Supportive flexible work arrangements underpinned by our commitment to inclusion and well-being; Progressive, considerate leave provisions to empower your work-life balance; Salary packaging and access to a range of discounted services including Bupa health insurance; Health and well-being services including a leading Employee Assistance Program. For more information check out our benefits page!

Your new team – Melbourne Law School: Melbourne Law School is Australia’s first all-graduate law faculty. The Melbourne Law School was the first faculty in Australia to teach law and awarded this country’s first law degree. The Law School has now committed itself to build on our almost 170-year history of excellence and innovation by shifting from undergraduate legal education to the global standard, graduate level Juris Doctor degree. Coupled with the unrivalled excellence of the Melbourne Law Masters and its internationally renowned Research Higher Degree programs, the Law School offers a unique opportunity for the integration of scholarship and teaching. The Faculty is a vibrant community of creative scholars, committed to a highly collegial, research-intensive institutional life. The Law School has particular strengths in cross-disciplinary and comparative analysis. It aims to integrate teaching with research and engagement activities and to engage with local, national and global communities.

Join Us and unlock your career potential! If this role is right for you, please apply with the following documents: Resume; Cover Letter outlining your interest and experience; The responses against the Selection Criteria (found in the Position Description). Learn more about the application process, including tips and FAQs. For recruitment queries, email Petra Newton at hr-careers@unimelb.edu.au. Include the Position Number and Job Title in the subject line.