Research Projects Officer - AI Enabled Pest Detection and Surveillance

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

• Combine biology, imaging and AI to tackle real-world biosecurity challenges
• Get hands-on with imaging systems, sensors, programming and prototype development
• Turn ideas into practical pest detection and surveillance solutions

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 

Join CSIRO’s Pest Detection Technologies team and contribute to applied biosecurity research bringing together biology, imaging, sensing technologies and artificial intelligence. You’ll work on practical approaches to detecting insect pests and invasive species, including optical and AI-enabled detection technologies and AI-assisted surveillance using drone imagery.

This is a diverse, hands-on research role spanning the laboratory, field and data environments. Working with research scientists, technical specialists and collaborators across CSIRO, you’ll contribute to experimental design and field trials, maintain insect colonies and prepare biological specimens, operate imaging and sensor systems, collect and curate imagery and data, and use programming and analytical tools to help evaluate emerging pest-detection technologies.

You’ll have the opportunity to think creatively, troubleshoot problems and contribute to the development of practical prototypes and new research approaches. We’re looking for someone who can collaborate effectively across disciplines while also working independently, using initiative and sound judgement to identify issues, develop solutions and know when to draw on the expertise of others. Experience combining imaging or programming with biological, agricultural or environmental research would be particularly valuable.

Your high-level duties will include: 

• Under general direction, contributing to research and/or technology through the development of original and adapted experimental methods, equipment or software.
• Undertaking a wide variety of tasks or tasks with a high degree of specialisation.
• Using initiative to seek new approaches to meet experimental or technological needs when encountering new problems where methods are not defined.
• Planning and conducting laboratory, packhouse and field activities supporting optical pest detection and invasive-species surveillance, including the preparation of insect specimens and agricultural samples, operation of imaging and sensor equipment, collection of optical and drone imagery, and coordination of field trials.
• Developing and implementing experimental and data-management protocols to generate reliable biological, image-based and field-validation datasets, including sample identification, metadata and ground-truth recording, image annotation, dataset curation and quality assurance.
• Analysing data and evaluate pest-detection technologies and AI-enabled workflows using appropriate statistical, image-analysis and geospatial tools, documenting performance, repeatability, errors and limitations under laboratory, field and commercial conditions.

Role particulars

Location and office arrangements: Brisbane (Dutton Park), QLD

Salary: AU$103k – AU$116k per annum (pro rata for part-time), plus 15.4% superannuation

Tenure & work schedule:  Specified term of two years; full time

Reference: 104379

As the successful candidate, you will bring:

• A relevant degree in biological, agricultural, environmental, data or imaging science, or a related discipline, together with relevant research or technical experience.
• Demonstrated experience planning and conducting laboratory or field research, including experimental design, data collection, quality assurance, analysis and interpretation.
• Demonstrated ability to collect, organise and maintain high-quality image-based or sensor-based datasets, metadata and experimental records.
• Practical problem-solving skills, including the ability to identify and resolve experimental, equipment, fieldwork or data-quality issues.
• Experience in data analysis and scientific computing, including the use of R and/or Python for data cleaning, statistical analysis, visualisation, image processing, or similar applications, with the ability and willingness to develop skills in additional analytical tools such as image-analysis software and GIS.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to contribute to technical reports, presentations and collaborative project documentation.
• Demonstrated ability to work both independently and collaboratively, manage multiple activities and meet project deadlines.

 
For full details about this role, and other criteria, 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 Cristina O’Brien via email at cristina.obrien@csiro.au and let us know how we can support you.  

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.

Eligibility 

Applications for this position are open to Australian Citizens, New Zealand Citizens, Australian Permanent Residents or you must either hold a valid working visa for the duration of the specified term. Appointment to this role is subject to provision of a national police check and may be subject to other security/medical/character requirements.   

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 submit a cover letter (maximum 2 pages) and CV that demonstrate your motivation and ability to meet the essential requirements of this role.

Applications close 

9 November 2026, 11:00pm AEST