Postdoctoral Research Associate; Bioprocess Engineering

Benefits

• 26 weeks paid parental leave after one year and 36 weeks after five years continuous service, regardless of gender.
• 4 weeks annual leave with the option to purchase more.
• 13 weeks long service leave after seven/ten years.
• Salary packaging options.
• 17% superannuation, with the option to reduce to the minimum super guarantee.
• 25% off UWA full fee courses, discounted health insurance, and convenient on-campus childcare options.
• Incremental progression based on 12 months continuous service.

Job no: 522521
Work type: Full Time
Location: Crawley
Categories: Science

• Work at the cutting edge of next‑generation biomanufacturing within a globally recognised synthetic biology research environment.
• Grow your career in an interdisciplinary, well‑resourced ecosystem with access to advanced facilities, platforms, and strong industry collaborations.
• Full-time (1 FTE) appointment on a fixed term basis for 2 years.
• Base salary range:
  Level A8, $112,371 p.a. (pro-rata) plus 17% superannuation.

The UWA School of Molecular Sciences (SMS) is one of Australia’s leading research environments in chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology, and synthetic biology. Based in the modern Bayliss Building precinct, the school provides access to world-class infrastructure including advanced microscopy, multi-omics platforms, analytical chemistry suites, and dedicated fermentation and bioprocess facilities.

You will join the Synthetic Microbiology Laboratory specialising in engineering ultra-fast microbial chassis for sustainable biomanufacturing. The team is best known for its pioneering work on Vibrio natriegens, including the development of advanced genetic toolkits, high-throughput engineering platforms, and systems-level optimisation strategies.

The group works at the interface of synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, and bioprocess design, and maintains close collaborations with academic and industry partners. Members benefit from a highly supportive, technically strong, and ambitious research culture, with regular engagement in high-impact publications, translational projects, and large-scale funding initiatives.

This integrated environment offers exceptional opportunities to build an international research profile while working with state-of-the-art infrastructure and a collaborative, forward-looking research team.

This position is part of a major interdisciplinary research program focused on establishing Vibrio natriegens—the fastest-growing bacterium known—as a next-generation microbial cell factory for sustainable biomanufacturing.

The project aims to convert sugarcane-derived feed stocks into high-value polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), offering scalable, low-carbon alternatives to petroleum-based plastics. By integrating advanced strain engineering with rigorous bioprocess optimisation, the program seeks to deliver high-productivity, seawater-based, and resource-efficient fermentation systems that are economically and environmentally competitive.

As a Postdoctoral Research Associate, you will play a central role in translating laboratory-scale advances into robust, scalable processes. Your work will span small-scale screening through to early pilot-scale operation, with a strong emphasis on:

• High-cell-density and fed-batch cultivation
• Media and feeding strategy optimisation
• Process robustness and reproducibility
• Scale-down and early scale-up modelling
• Integration of strain performance, sustainability, and techno-economic constraints

You will work closely with strain engineers, students, and collaborators in a highly integrated team, where biological design, process performance, and commercial considerations jointly inform development decisions. The role also involves contributing to high-impact publications, student supervision, and future funding proposals, providing strong exposure to translational research and career development opportunities.

• Degree qualification or equivalent experience in bioprocess engineering, chemical engineering, biotechnology, or a related discipline
• Experience in microbial fermentation, bioprocess…