Research Scientist / Engineer - Energy Materials

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Date: 27 Jun 2025

Location: Melbourne, VIC, AU

Company: CSIRO

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.

 

The Opportunity

 

  • Key multi-disciplinary role supporting variety of laboratory and field activities
  • Work on next-gen solar technologies for power generation & storage
  • Join CSIRO – Australia’s National Science Agency – in an ongoing role!

 

Are you an early career engineer with exceptional practical skills and an interest in solar & renewable energy? We have an exciting, ongoing opportunity for a Research Scientist/ Engineer – Energy Materials to join our CSIRO Solar Technologies Group!

 

We are looking for a specialist in material science for energy applications to work in developing new technologies for solar energy generation, usage and storage.

 

As part of this team, within CSIRO’s Energy Research Unit, you will work within a multidisciplinary engineering & scientific team. You will be responsible for supporting existing project areas by providing your expertise in working with teams across multiple sites developing next generation solar cells, technologies for utility scale PV and industrial scale solar thermal to produce decarbonised electricity.

 

A strong focus area for the team is developing solutions that will support the realisation of ultra low cost solar (ULCS) for Australia. The team currently has active projects in a diverse range including deployment system, coatings, robotics, quality assurance, medium term storage, field modelling, site selection, metallisation and agrivoltaics.

 

As a materials domain expert you will also be provided the opportunity to identify and lead projects into a new research area supported by the resources and knowledge of Australia’s national science agency. The role will be based at our Clayton (Vic) site sits within the Australian Manufacturing and Materials Precinct. This location provides material science researchers with access to state of the art materials fabrication and characterisation facilities including the Melbourne centre for nanofabrication (MCN) and the Australian Synchrotron and CSIROs Advanced Characterisation Facility.

 

If you’re interested in being part of a nationally-recognised science program and developing your skills & experience through a diverse and hands-on role, this would be a great role for you! CSIRO will offer you excellent career development and professional support, and we are strongly committed to diversity and supporting flexible working arrangements.

 

Your duties will include:

 

  • Conduct innovative research investigations and develop experimental protocols.
  • Analyse complex scientific problems and develop creative solutions.
  • Manage resources efficiently, ensuring project milestones are met.
  • Publish scientific papers and reports, presenting findings in meaningful formats.
  • Develop patents and intellectual property. Prepare and support research proposals aligned with Research Unit objectives.
  • Attend and contribute to seminars, conferences, and industry networking events.
  • Mentor, supervise, and provide coaching to students and technical staff.
  • Other duties as directed.

 

Location: Melbourne, VIC

Salary: AU$114K – AU$123K pa + up to 15.4% superannuation

Tenure: Indefinite

Reference: 97355

 

To be considered you will need:

  1. A PhD in a relevant material science or engineering discipline (e.g. Physics, Chemistry, etc) with 3 years post qualification experience.
  2. Demonstrated ability to undertake original, creative and innovative research by generating and pursuing novel ideas and solutions to scientific research problems.
  3. A demonstrated publication history of authorship on scientific papers in peer reviewed journals and/or reports, grant applications or inventorship on patent applications.
  4. Good oral and written communication skills including the ability to communicate outcomes to stakeholders.
  5. Proven ability to work collaboratively as part of a multi-disciplinary team and carry out tasks safely and successfully in support of project goals.
  6. Knowledge and experience in one of more of the following areas
      1. Surface chemistry
      2. Photovoltaics
      3. Photoactive materials
      4. Functional coatings
      5. Encapsulation material design and testing
      6. Electrochemistry

 

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

 

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for this role, you must be an Australian/New Zealand Citizen or an Australian Permanent Resident.

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

 

Flexible Working Arrangements

We work flexibly at CSIRO, offering a range of options for how, when and where you work.

 

Diversity and Inclusion

We are working hard to recruit people representing the diversity across our society, and ensure that all our people feel supported to do their best work and feel empowered to let their ideas flourish.

 

About CSIRO

At CSIRO Australia's national science agency, we solve the greatest challenges through innovative science and technology. We put the safety and wellbeing of our people above all else and earn trust everywhere because we only deal in facts. We collaborate widely and generously and deliver solutions with real impact.

Join us and start creating tomorrow today!

 

How to Apply

Please apply on-line and provide a cover letter and CV that best demonstrate your motivation and ability to meet the requirements of this role.

 

Applications Close

31 July 2025, 11:00pm AEDT