Postdoctoral Fellowship – CSOF4

Role summary for potential applicants

Advertised Job Title: / Postdoctoral Fellowship in Engineering Nitrogenase into Plants
Reference Number: / 40622
Classification: / CSOF4
Salary Range: / AU $78K to AU $88K plus up to 15.4% superannuation
Location: / Canberra (Black Mountain), ACT, Australia
Tenure: / Specified Term of 3 years
Relocation assistance: / Will be provided to the successful candidate if required.
Applications are open to: / All Candidates
Functional Area: / Research Scientist / Engineer - Postdoc
% Client Focus - Internal: / 80%
% Client Focus - External: / 20%
Reports to the: / Team Leader
Number of Direct Reports: / 0
Role Overview:
Postdoctoral Fellowships at CSIRO provide opportunities to scientists and engineers, who have completed their doctorate and have less than three years relevant postdoctoral work experience. These fellowships will help launch their careers, provide experience that will enhance their career prospects, and facilitate the recruitment and development of potential leaders for CSIRO.
Postdoctoral Fellows are appointed for up to three years and will work closely with a leading Research Scientist or Engineer in their respective field. They carry out innovative, impactful research of strategic importance to CSIRO with the possibility of novel and important scientific outcomes. They present the findings in appropriate publications and at conferences.
Global agriculture is heavily reliant on continual additions of chemical nitrogen fertiliser. Advanced metabolic engineering of plants is now capable of assembling new genetic pathways that allow nitrogen gas to be converted into ammonia. The enzymes capable of converting nitrogen gas into ammonia are a specialised class of metalloproteins with unique properties. This position seeks a specialist in metalloprotein biochemistry. The Postdoctoral Fellow (PDF) will perform a range of biochemical analyses of plants engineered to express components of bacterial nitrogenase. The PDF will perform investigations aimed at elucidating the biosynthesis and function of a synthetic nitrogenase, including, but not limited to, electron transport pathway characterisation, assessment of metal co-factor assembly into transgenic nitrogenase, and evaluations of protein-protein interactions. The PDF will ideally have a strong background in plant biochemistry, including subcellular isolations, enzymatic assays and analytic biochemistry using mass spectral techniques. The PDF will join an existing team spanning plant molecular biology, metabolic engineering, computer modelling, and analytical biochemistry. The PDF will enjoy access to world leaders in plant metabolic engineering and modern instrumentation.
Applicants are encouraged to look at the following resources that outline the project, including a video (https://vimeo.com/207743788) and publication http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpls.2017.00287/full).
Duties and Key Result Areas:
·  Under the direction of senior research scientists, carry out innovative, impactful research of strategic importance to CSIRO that will, where possible, lead to novel and important scientific outcomes.
·  Perform subcellular isolations including mitochondria and other organelles under anaerobic conditions.
·  Perform assessments of mitochondrial function including respiration and oxidative stress.
·  Analyse protein-protein interactions (via immunoprecipitation, chromatography, and mass spectral techniques).
·  Monitor the assembly of cofactors into scaffold proteins (using electron paramagnetic resonance).
·  Provide a biochemical context for results emerging from transcriptomics, metabolic and proteomic profiling from transgenic plants.
·  Generate reports and presentations suitable for publications, patents, and conferences.
·  Provide supervision to technical staff and students associated with the project.
·  Contribute to the development of innovative concepts and ideas for further research.
·  Adhere to the spirit and practice of CSIRO’s Values, Health, Safety and Environment plans and policies, Diversity initiatives and Zero Harm goals.
The successful candidate will also join CSIRO’s postdoctoral training program as developed between the Postdoctoral Fellow and a CSIRO scientist. The program will focus on enhancing the Fellows’ capabilities to the level expected of an independent researcher and will include on-the-job and course-based development encompassing, professional growth, project management, communication and influencing skills, and collaborating within teams.
http://www.csiro.au/en/Careers/Student-and-graduate-programs/Postdoctoral-fellowships
Selection Criteria:
Under CSIRO policy only those who meet all essential criteria can be appointed
Pre-Requisites:
1.  Education/Qualifications: A doctorate (or will shortly satisfy the requirements of a PhD) in a relevant discipline area, such as biochemistry and molecular biology.
Please note: To be eligible for this role you must have no more than 3 years of relevant postdoctoral experience.
2.  Communication: High level written and oral communication skills with the ability to represent results clearly and appropriate to the audience for publications or presentations.
3.  Publications: A record of publications in quality, peer reviewed journals.
4.  Behaviours: A history of professional and respectful behaviours and attitudes in a collaborative environment.
Essential Criteria:
1.  Demonstrated expertise in biochemistry including enzymology and molecular biology of metalloproteins.
2.  Demonstrated expertise in mitochondrial or chloroplastic enzymology from isolated extracts.
3.  Demonstrated expertise in protein detection under native and denatured conditions.
Desirable Criteria:
1.  Demonstrated expertise in the biochemistry and biogenesis of nitrogenase.
2.  Demonstrated expertise in the isolation of functional nitrogenase subunits from bacterial preparations.
3.  Experience with experimentation under anaerobic conditions.
4.  Experience working within diverse teams.
CSIRO Values:
As Australia’s Innovation Catalyst, CSIRO has strategic actions underpinned by behaviours aligned to Excellent science, Inclusion, trust & respect, Health, safety & environment and Deliver on commitments. In your application and at interview you will need to demonstrate alignment with these behaviours.
To be appointed as a Postdoctoral Fellow within CSIRO, candidates are required to have submitted their PhD at the time of commencement, as a minimum requirement, if PhD conferment has not been obtained. If a candidate has submitted, but their PhD has not yet been formally attained, the starting salary will be CSOF4-1($78,479). Upon CSIRO receiving written confirmation that the PhD has been awarded (within a six month period from commencement date), the salary will be increased to the negotiated level and the difference will be back-paid to the Officer’s start date.
Other special requirements:
Appointment to this role may be subject to conditions including security/medical/character clearance requirements. Applicants who are not Australian Citizens or Permanent Residents may be required to undergo additional security clearance processes; which may include medical examinations and an international standardised test of English language proficiency (i.e. IELTS test).- http://www.ielts.org/default.aspx
Other Information:
How to Apply
Please apply for this position online at www.csiro.au/careers.To apply for this position you will need to include a short response to each of the Essential Criteria as listed above. This document should be no more than two pages in total and will need to be submitted together with your CV/Resume as one document.
If you experience difficulties applying online call 1300 984 220 and someone will be able to assist you. Outside business hours please email: .
Referees: If you do not already have the names and contact details of two previous supervisors or academic/ professional referees included in your resume/CV please add these before uploading your CV.
Contact: If after reading the selection documentation you require further information please contact:
Dr Craig Wood via email: or phone: +61 2 6246 5065
Do not email your application directly to Dr Wood. Applications received via this method will not be considered.
About CSIRO
Australia is founding its future on science and innovation. Its national science agency, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) is a powerhouse of ideas, technologies and skills for building prosperity, growth, health and sustainability. It serves governments, industries, business and communities across the nation.
Find out more! www.csiro.au.
CSIRO Agriculture and Food is helping Australian farmers and industry improve productivity and sustainability across the agriculture sector. The Agriculture and Food business unit will conduct research to impact on the whole value chain from paddock to plate by focussing on the following challenges:
·  crop improvement
·  livestock and aquaculture genetic improvement
·  farming systems for productivity and sustainability
·  interactions between agriculture and the environment; climate change, adaptation and mitigation; science for health soils
·  global food security and development.
What this position at CSIRO offers you
The PDF will perform a key role in an existing multidisciplinary team focused on making plants self-sufficient for nitrogen supply and alleviate the global reliance on chemical N fertiliser. The applicant will have access to expert scientists, spanning gene discovery and deployment into products, as well as experienced technicians and world-class instrumentation in newly-appointed laboratories. Based in Canberra, the applicant will enjoy the advantages of a well-planned city nestled within a beautiful Australian bush environment being close to the famous beaches of the southern NSW coast, mountains with winter snowfields, and award-winning wineries. The PDF will have every opportunity to travel and develop professional networks to achieve ambitious goals and enhance the positive impact of their science.