Role type: Full-time; Continuing
Faculty: Faculty of Science
Department/School: School of Physics
Salary: Level B: $124,656 - $148,023 p.a. plus 17% super (retirement savings system/pension scheme)
- Join Australia's largest experimental particle physics group, which has led two successive ARC Centres of Excellence and has roles in Belle II (KEK), Hyper-Kamiokande, ATLAS (CERN) and dark matter direct detection at SUPL.
- The position is for an experimental particle physicist ready to build an independent research program, ideally in flavour or neutrino physics.
- Investing in you - 17% superannuation, benefits package including salary packaging, health and wellbeing programs, discounted services, and professional development opportunities.
The University of Melbourne
We take pride in our people, who all contribute to our mission to benefit society through the transformative impact of education and research. Discover more via our website.
Your next career opportunity
The role balances research, teaching and service, with time commitments typically in the ratio 40:40:20.
We particularly welcome applicants in flavour or neutrino physics, with experience on any leading experimental program; strong candidates in other areas of experimental particle physics will also be considered. You will be expected to set your own research direction.
The School will support you with mentoring, a start-up funding package and a reduced teaching allocation in order to establish your research program.
What you will deliver:
- Deliver, develop and coordinate undergraduate and graduate physics subjects, including specialised content in particle physics, through lectures, tutorials and laboratory classes.
- Lead research within large international collaborations, taking visible roles in detector development, operations or physics analysis, and publishing and presenting the results.
- Build an independent record of competitive grant success and expand national and international collaborative networks and partnerships.
- Contribute to School planning, committees and professional activities while promoting University values, diversity and integrity.
A competitive applicant will:
- Hold a PhD in experimental particle physics or a closely related discipline.
- Bring outstanding ability and experience in any area of experimental particle physics.
- Have hands-on expertise in detector instrumentation, data analysis or scientific computing.
- Demonstrate an emerging independent research profile, with a publication record and leadership experience commensurate with opportunity, and a clear plan for a research program that complements the existing group.
- Have experience co-supervising or mentoring research students.
- Collaborate constructively within large international experiments, showing excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
For further information please refer to the attached PD.
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 fulfilment, including:
- Build future financial security with 17% superannuation
- Supportive flexible work arrangements underpinned by our commitment to inclusion and well-being
- Career development opportunities, including access to a range of tailored programs, such as Academic Women in Leadership, and learning platforms including LinkedIn Learning
- Progressive, considerate leave provisions to empower your work-life balance and well-being, including leading parental leave, gender affirmation leave and cultural leave, and menstruation and menopause leave
- Salary packaging and access to a range of discounted services including Bupa health insurance, and access to unique cultural and recreational benefits such as discounts for the Melbourne Theatre Company
- Health and well-being services including a leading Employee Assistance Program
For more information check out our benefits page!
Your new team - School of Physics
The Experimental Particle Physics group has four academics, 5 postdocs, 15 PhD students and runs local detector laboratories, a clean room and has access to cryogenic and detectors facilities in the Stawell underground Laboratory. It led the ARC Centre of Excellence for Particle Physics at the Terascale (CoEPP) and leads the ARC Centre of Excellence for Dark Matter Particle Physics.
Flavour:
A founding member of the Belle II experiment at the SuperKEKB electron-positron collider at KEK, Japan, with leading roles in physics analysis, Silicon Vertex Detector construction, grid computing and collaboration governance. Physics interests include CKM matrix elements, new physics in (semi)leptonic B decays, CP violation and lepton flavour violation.
Neutrinos:
Melbourne leads Australia's participation in Hyper-Kamiokande, the next-generation water Cherenkov neutrino detector under construction in Japan, including a contribution to the outer detector and on-site construction from 2027. Our physics goals include leptonic CP violation, the neutrino mass ordering and the search for proton decay.
Dark matter:
The group leads Australia's dark matter direct-detection program, including the SABRE South experiment and a cryogenic facility at the Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory (SUPL), Australia's first deep underground laboratory.
Other programs:
ATLAS at CERN, where the group had a leading role in the analysis of Higgs boson decays to fermions, dark matter and multi-fermion final states searches. It contributes to the ATLAS Inner Tracker (ITk) silicon upgrade.
Be Yourself
The University of Melbourne is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a child-safe organisation. The diversity of our community enriches us all, and we are committed to creating an inclusive and fair workplace where everyone is valued, respected, and empowered to succeed. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, identities, and experiences. Discover more about Diversity and Inclusion at UniMelb.
We're committed to a barrier-free recruitment process and ongoing workplace support, providing adjustments throughout. We warmly encourage applications from people with disabilities. Learn more about how we support an accessible recruitment process.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Applicants
We aspire to be the University of choice for Indigenous Australians. Visit our Indigenous staff page to learn more about our investment and support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff.
Indigenous applicants are encouraged to connect with our Indigenous Employment & Development team at korin-korin@unimelb.edu.au.
Application essentials:
- Visit apply with us to learn more about the process, including tips and FAQs.
- This role is eligible for visa sponsorship and we welcome international applicants. If successful, we will support you through this process.
- A Working with Children Check is required for all positions. If successful, we will guide you through the process and reimburse you.
- Please upload your resume and a cover letter outlining your interest and experience as part of the application process.
- Please upload your responses to the Selection Criteria, found in the Position Description. Learn more about responding to Selection Criteria
Want to know more?
- For queries related to this specific position, contact Professor Harry Quiney at quiney@unimelb.edu.au
- For questions related to our recruitment process email Oliver Bukasa at hr-careers@unimelb.edu.au
- For recruitment adjustments contact Kim Groizard on +61 3 9035 3218 or at hr-careers@unimelb.edu.au (subject: 'Recruitment Adjustments').
Apply today and join a community that's shaping the future.
Applications close: 30 November 2026 at 11:55 PM; Melbourne time zone.
