Postdoctoral Research Fellow

GDG on Campus | University of Sydney • Concord, NH

5h

About The Position

We are currently seeking a Postdoctoral Research Fellow to support the NHMRC-funded program “Optimising Care for Older Adults in Hospital: Innovative Education & Consumer Voices in Junior Doctor Education”. The successful candidate will join the research team led by Dr Janani Thillainadesan. This research team is based at the Centre for Education and Research on Ageing, within the Department of Geriatric Medicine at Concord Hospital and The University of Sydney Concord Clinical School.

Requirements

• a PhD in a relevant discipline, or evidence of near‑completion (submitted)
• experience conducting original research and engaging in scholarly activity in ageing, geriatric care, medical education or a closely related area
• excellent written, interpersonal and verbal communication skills including the ability to communicate effectively with a range of stakeholders including consumers, write research reports and presentation of research study findings
• strong experience working directly with older adults in research settings, including collaboration with both consumer participants and academic researchers
• demonstrated experience managing consumer research advisory groups, including serving as the primary point of contact for older adult members
• extensive experience in co‑design and participatory research approaches, particularly in projects involving older adults, carers and healthcare stakeholders
• strong research collaborations and stakeholder management experience with NSW Health, including evidence of productive partnerships and engagement with clinicians, services or senior leaders
• a developing research profile demonstrated through peer‑reviewed publications, conference presentations and contributions to grant and ethics submissions
• a developing network of academic, health‑sector and community stakeholders, with the ability to foster collaborative relationships
• project management experience, including coordinating research activities, meetings, presentations, timelines, ethics and governance processes, and multi‑stakeholder communication
• proficiency in a range of computer applications including Microsoft Office, medical electronic databases (e.g. Medline, PubMed), REDCap and research software (e.g. SAS, SPSS, EndNote, Nvivo)
• experience supervising, mentoring or supporting junior researchers or students
• You must have unrestricted work rights in Australia for the duration of this employment to be eligible to apply.
• As this position is located on an NSW Health site, it is a regulatory requirement to complete compulsory employment checks prior to starting in this position.
• This position is designated as involving child-related work. To undertake or remain in this position, you are required to apply for and obtain a Working with Children Check clearance in accordance with the Child Protection (Working with Children) Act 2012.

Responsibilities

• conduct original and collaborative research in ageing, geriatric care and medical education, contributing to the NHMRC‑funded program “Optimising Care for Older Adults in Hospital: Innovative Education & Consumer Voices in Junior Doctor Education”
• support and help grow the research trajectory of the team led by Dr Thillainadesan at the Centre for Education and Research on Ageing (CERA), Concord Hospital, and contribute to advancing the program’s long‑term research agenda
• manage, coordinate and serve as the primary point of contact for the dynamic consumer research advisory group, comprising older adults and community representatives recruited through NSW Health
• organise and lead consumer research advisory group meetings and research team meetings
• demonstrate strong experience in consumer engagement and co‑design, partnering closely with older adults and carers as co‑investigators across the research lifecycle
• implement study activities involving qualitative methodologies, co‑design workshops and other participatory research approaches tailored to ageing populations
• develop, maintain and extend collaborations with NSW Health clinicians, services, and senior stakeholders to support translational outcomes and shared priorities
• perform quantitative and qualitative data collection, coding, analysis and interpretation, and contribute to the production of high‑quality peer‑reviewed manuscripts and conference presentations
• contribute to competitive research grant applications, ethics submissions, governance processes and reporting requirements
• coordinate and manage project timelines, team, meetings, milestones, ethics and governance documentation, and administrative processes to ensure smooth delivery of research activities under the supervision of the team Head
• build and maintain a strong research profile through publications, conference participation and external engagement in ageing, geriatric care and medical education research
• supervise postgraduate research students, medicine and health students, doctors-in-training or research project components as appropriate, and provide informal mentoring to junior colleagues
• contribute to School, Faculty and Portfolio meetings, committees and governance initiatives
• support the strategic research agenda of the Faculty/School by contributing expertise in ageing research, medical education, consumer partnerships and NSW Health collaboration
• communicate research insights through engagement with industry partners, NSW Health forums, public events, conferences, seminars and professional networks
• ability to work both independently and as part of a team, taking initiative and exercising sound judgement in resolving matters that may arise as part of normal daily work
• undertake other duties appropriate to the role and classification level as required.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree