Project Officer - Energy Technologies Program

Acknowledgement of Country 

CSIRO acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land, sea and waters, of the area that we live and work on across Australia. We acknowledge their continuing connection to their culture and pay our respects to their Elders past and present. View our vision towards reconciliation. 

Role highlights

• Key multi-faceted role supporting project delivery across a diverse research portfolio
• Apply your project coordination and systems expertise in a collaborative environment
• Join our team to help enable efficient, high‑impact energy research!

About CSIRO

As Australia's national science agency, CSIRO is solving the greatest challenges through innovative science and technology. Many of our iconic innovations were once considered impossible until someone, just like you, joined us and took on the challenge.

Visit CSIRO.au for more information.

The opportunity 

We are currently seeking a motivated Project Officer to join CSIRO Energy Research Unit, to support the efficient delivery of research activities across the Energy Technologies Research Program!

Joining a dynamic multi-disciplinary team, in this role, you will engage with and advise Project Leaders, support project planning and execution, and help ensure effective use of CSIRO’s systems, processes and resources. You will coordinate responses to internal reporting requirements, oversee the rollout of new organisational systems, and contribute to improvement projects alongside the Executive Manager and Research Director.

The nature of the role would require the ability to develop strong working knowledge of CSIRO’s enterprise systems – including ERP platforms such as SAP and Microsoft Dynamics – and building a network of relationships across the Research Program, Research Unit and Enterprise Services teams. You will also be responsible for providing high‑level project support, guidance and coaching that helps Project Leaders plan, manage and communicate their work effectively.

This multi-faceted role also involves contributing to cross‑Program and cross‑RU initiatives, and supporting grant proposal development where needed, and you will be collaborating closely with the Program’s Administration Officer, Executive Manager, other Project Officers and research staff to ensure smooth program operations.

If you’re passionate about enabling research impact and enjoy working across diverse activities in a fast‑paced environment, this is a great ongoing opportunity to apply your strengths – and we would love to hear from you!

Your high-level duties will include: 

• Providing high-level support to the Research Director and other Program Leadership team members to facilitate effective planning, directing, and coordination of research projects (including financial/budget monitoring).
• Systematically tracking project performance, budget, procurement and resource allocation to ensure delivery of milestones on time.
• Assisting with program/project evaluations and reviews, including collecting and analysing data, preparing reports.
• Drafting and/or coordinating responses to internal and external requests for information, including coordination of grant proposals.
• Implementing project governance as required to ensure alignment of projects and activities to CSIRO Challenges and Impact Areas.
• Planning, coordinating, and managing meetings and workshops with internal researchers and external stakeholders.
• Working with the Executive Manager and the other Program Project Officers on change activities related to changes in CSIRO procedures and roll-out of new enterprise systems associated with Project delivery.

Role particulars

Location and office arrangements: Newcastle NSW; Brisbane (Pullenvale) QLD; or Melbourne (Clayton) VIC – flexible/hybrid work options may be considered

Salary: AU$100K – AU$113K per annum (pro-rata for part-time) plus up to 15.4% superannuation

Tenure & work schedule: Indefinite; Full-time (preferred) – part-time and other flexible work arrangements may be considered based on the needs of the role and individual circumstances.

Reference: 102040

As the successful candidate, you will bring:

• Relevant tertiary degree in Business Administration, Project Management, or related field, and/or an equivalent combination of relevant experience and education/training.
• Demonstrated high level written communication skills including the ability to prepare clear and concise reports, project management plans, submissions, and complex correspondence.
• Well-developed administrative, time management and organisational skills with a proven ability to effectively plan and prioritise tasks with limited direction.
• Demonstrated interpersonal and client/stakeholder engagement skills including the ability to collaborate and communicate effectively with team members, and internal and external clients/stakeholders.
• Well-developed problem-solving skills with demonstrated ability to apply reasoning and a logical approach to the resolution of work issues in a research environment.
• Desirable: Experience in the management of research projects, ideally in a science focussed research and development environment, would also be desirable.

For full details about this role, please review the Position Description. 

Not sure if you meet all the criteria?

While it is CSIRO policy that the successful candidate must meet all the essential criteria, there are many ways to demonstrate this. Don’t let the list discourage you. If you are unsure about applying, please reach out to the contact person in the Position Description.

Setting you up for success

We are committed to providing a recruitment process that is fair, equitable and accessible to everyone. We recognise that it may be helpful for us to adjust our process to make it equitable for your individual situation. Please contact the Talent Acquisition Partner via email (see details in the Position Description) and let us know how we can support you.

 

Eligibility 

Applications for this position are open to Australian Citizens, New Zealand Citizens, and Australian Permanent Residents with indefinite work rights.

Appointment to this role is subject to provision of a national police check and may be subject to other security/medical/character requirements.

Life at CSIRO and flexible work arrangements

We work flexibly at CSIRO, offering a range of options for how, when and where you work. We can discuss flexible work arrangements with you during the recruitment process. CSIRO also offers a range of leave entitlements, benefits and career development opportunities. To find out more, visit Careers at CSIRO.

Inclusion and belonging

Solving Australia's greatest challenges takes a diversity of minds and lived experiences. We know diverse teams are more effective and deliver more innovative outcomes. As an equal employment opportunity organisation, we are committed to creating diverse and inclusive teams where people feel they belong. We recognise true diversity encompasses all ages, abilities, cultures, faiths, levels of education, genders, sexualities, diversity of thought and much more. We focus on hiring people who share our values of People First, Further Together, Making it Real and Trusted.

CSIRO holds Gold Status for the Australian Workplace Equality Index for LGBTQIA+ inclusion, and a Science in Australia Gender Equity Bronze Award.

Child safety 

CSIRO is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people involved in our activities and programs. View our Child Safe Policy. 

How to apply 

Please apply online, and provide a CV and a detailed cover letter, responding to each of the selection criteria in detail, that best demonstrate your motivation and ability to meet the requirements of this role. Please attach your selection criteria responses to your cover letter as one document.

Applications close 

15 February 2026, 11:00pm AEDT

We strongly encourage early applications as we will be reviewing applications as they come through. CSIRO reserves the right to close the advertising early if we find our desired candidate.