The Opportunity

Do you have experience working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health organisations or communities? Would you like to contribute to an impactful project and grow your public health research skills? Then this could be the role for you!

An exciting opportunity now exists for a Research Assistant to join Burnet. This role will support the implementation of the Eliminate hepatitis C (EC) Australia Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Strategy, which will support accessible hepatitis C care among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

In this role, you will:

• Provide operational and administrative assistance to the Aboriginal Health Strategy Program Manager
• Assist in the development of EC Australia knowledge translation publications and resources, including preparing briefs and presentations to disseminate evidence-based research and conference papers and website publications
• Support participant recruitment; data collection and analysis; literature searching, analysis, and synthesis; and report writing
• Contribute to the preparation and dissemination of progress reports and other project documentation, including relevant compliance and reporting to funding bodies.
• Support the development of outputs and publications to build sector capacity in hepatitis C within Aboriginal and Torres Strait communities, including but not limited to health promotion activities.
• Liaise with Aboriginal community-controlled organisations directly implementing hepatitis C activities to monitor implementation and collect evaluation-related data.

Refer to the attached position description for full details. This role is initially for a two-year period with possibility of extension. Time fraction is flexible (0.5 – 1.0) and we are happy to support a person already employed or currently undergoing education, work experience opportunities, traineeships within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health sector.

You will be provided with cultural supervision, ongoing training, and mentorship to help build your skills in public health, research, and project management!

Location is flexible!

Work from home or join us in the office, it’s up to you! While our head office is based in Melbourne, we are open to fully remote working (based anywhere in Australia) with occasional travel to Melbourne. Flexibility to manage your own working hours will also be provided.

Let’s talk about you

The following criteria are essential requirements:

• Must identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
• Experience working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health organisations or communities
• Experience working in community health, social work, or related area
• Excellent organisational and time management skills, including being able to manage multiple research-related tasks
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, and the ability to engage professionally with stakeholders

The following experience is desirable but not essential:

• Bachelor Degree or Graduate Diploma in Health Science or Indigenous Health Studies or related discipline
• Demonstrated understanding of ethical principles underpinning research with marginalised populations
• Working knowledge of the Microsoft Office suit and other database packages

This is a special measures role and only Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples are eligible to apply, under the special measures provision, section 12(1) of the Equal Opportunity Act 2010 (Vic).

The Burnet experience…

We want you to have a successful and meaningful career at Burnet and are committed to providing a supportive workplace environment for all our people. You will be part of a collaborative culture where progressive leadership, innovation, respect, and excellence are valued. Join a team of talented individuals who are passionate about what they do – achieving a more equitable world through better health.

We offer:

• A monthly accrued day off for full-time staff
• Ceremonial / Cultural leave
• 14 weeks paid parental leave
• Flexible working arrangements
• Generous salary packaging
• Opportunities for career and professional development

Who are we?

Burnet Institute is a leading Australian, unaligned, not-for-profit, organisation passionate about social justice, equality and evidence-based research.

Burnet Institute brings together a highly diverse skill base, with more than 400 staff and students working across cutting-edge research and projects to address some of the most relevant global health issues.  Institute-wide interdisciplinary health programs Disease Elimination, Health Security and Pandemic Preparedness, and Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health are at the heart of our daily decision making. Harnessing our international and local field presence, our laboratories, and our mixed development and research cultures drives a greater focus on the most relevant health issues and achieves a greater impact as a result.

Whilst our headquarters is in Melbourne, Australia, we also have offices in Papua New Guinea and Myanmar, and are actively involved in research and public health programs throughout Australia, the Asia-Pacific region and Africa. Burnet is the only unaligned organisation in Australia that has dual accreditation with both the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

Bring your whole self to work

At Burnet, we foster a diverse and inclusive culture. We want our people to feel like they belong and are free to be themselves at work. We have an active Gender Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (GEDI) Council that works to promote and improve gender equity, diversity and inclusion across the Institute, by developing and implementing strategies informed by both national and international best practice and staff input. Burnet holds an Athena SWAN Institutional Bronze Award from Science in Gender Equity (SAGE). If you have an adjustment, support, or access requirement at any stage of the recruitment process, we encourage you to let us know by emailing careers@burnet.edu.au.  

We are taking significant steps towards an institute-wide approach to culturally appropriate and safe research, in collaboration with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Find out more about this work here. Our work is guided by our Reconciliation Action Plan. View our progress report here.  

Sounds great! How do I apply?

Apply below by submitting your resume. A cover letter is not required. Applications close at 11:59pm AEDT on 23 November 2023.

As part of our commitment to gender equity, we have included a question in the application process on gender. This will allow us to monitor and report on gender in relation to our recruitment process.

Burnet is a child safe organisation. The successful applicant will be required to apply for a National Police Check and/or Working with Children. Current Australian working rights are required for all applicants.