Soil Archive Technician

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

• Support Australia’s largest soil archive
• Collaborate with experts to maintain critical soil data for national research
• Join CSIRO’s Soils & Landscapes Research Group

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 

The Australian National Soil Archive (ANSA) is Australia’s largest and longest-running soil collection, dating back to the 1920s. It comprises over 29,000 described soil sites and more than 95,000 soil specimens collected from those sites. As a nationally-focused research resource, ANSA plays a central role in documenting, understanding, and managing Australia’s soil. It continues to support research and development, offering valuable insights into the sustainable management of soil across the country.

The Technical Assistant will work as part of a team involved in several large-scale projects at the Australian National Soil Archive, including monitoring of soil health. They will work closely with the Archive Manager, Soil Database Manager, and other soil information team staff. The successful candidate will perform duties involving physical movement of Archive specimens, specimen processing, data capture, checking and editing and quality control of data.

Your high-level duties will include: 

• Undertake general tasks related to the archiving of the Australian National Soil Archive collection, under the direction of the Archive Manager and ANSA project lead.
• Physical movement and manual handling of Archive soil specimens between the collection and soil research staff, and other locations.
• Specimen processing, decanting and weighing soil, bar-coding, data capture (i.e. data entry), checking and editing.
• Quality control of data during the post-archiving process.
• Communicate openly, effectively, and respectfully with all staff, clients and suppliers in the interests of good business practice, collaboration and enhancement of CSIRO’s reputation.
• Work collaboratively as part of a multi-disciplinary, regionally dispersed research team to carry out tasks in support of CSIRO’s scientific objectives and to achieve team goals.
• Identify and report anomalies.
• Respond courteously and efficiently to requests for services, keep clients informed about progress and redirect requests to appropriate staff when required.

Role particulars

Location and office arrangements: On Site; Black Mountain, ACT

Salary: AU$59k to AU$71k pa plus 15.4% superannuation

Tenure & work schedule: Specified term of 3 years, Full-time

Reference: 99712

As the successful candidate, you will bring:

Essential criteria

• Certificate of High School Education (year 12), with an interest in science and experience with operating Microsoft Windows software.
• Developing knowledge and ability to work with, and handle, scientific collection specimens.
• Ability and willingness to carry out tasks requiring accuracy and close attention to detail.
• Strong organisational skills, including the ability to prioritise demands and escalate issues when required.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a team, positively contributing to the team environment.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise initiative, contribute to improved solutions in work situations, and think creatively to manage routine problems and opportunities.
• Demonstrated ability to quickly adapt to technological, structural and procedural changes and maintain professionalism and flexibility.

Desirable criteria

• Knowledge or understanding of soil survey.
• Tertiary qualification in relevant disciplines, such as a Certificate or Diploma in Laboratory Techniques, or related fields.
• First Aid Certificate

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 careers.online@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, and Australian Temporary Residents with 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 

26 October 2025, 11:00pm AEDT