Research Assistant in Agriculture

Acknowledgement of Country

CSIRO acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land, sea and waters of the areas 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

• Do you want to learn while you earn?
• Gain a national certificate qualification and on the job experience.
• Join CSIRO – Australia’s leading scientific research organisation! 

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

Begin your career in agriculture with the CSIRO Cotton Breeding Group at Myall Vale, Narrabri. This position offers practical experience supporting research that develops new cotton varieties for the Australian cotton industry.

Working under the guidance of experienced team members, you will learn how to support field and greenhouse operations, sample and process experiments, and assist with sowing and harvesting cotton trials at Myall Vale and regional sites across New South Wales and Queensland.

You do not need formal qualifications or significant agricultural experience to apply. We are looking for someone who is keen to learn, works safely and reliably, and is interested in building practical skills in agriculture and research. As part of this role, you will complete a Certificate III in Agriculture through Tocal College, combining supervised workplace experience with structured learning. CSIRO will cover the direct costs associated with six one-week intensive training blocks, including enrolment, travel, wages and related expenses.

Your high-level duties will include:

• Undertaking a Certificate III in Agriculture, which includes attending six 1-week intensive schools at Tocal College, Paterson NSW.
• Assisting with establishment and maintenance of field experiments.
• Ginning and processing machine and hand harvested cotton samples, and undertaking cotton fibre quality testing.
• Preparing seed for planting, including delinting, packaging and arranging according to plans.
• Operating machinery such as tractors to assist with planting, cultivation, fertiliser, spraying and harvesting.
• Working as part of a multi-disciplinary research team, to carry out tasks under limited direction in support of scientific research.

Role particulars

Location and office arrangements: Myall Vale, Narrabri, NSW, on Gomeroi and Narrabri Country.

Salary: AU$61,079 per annum, plus 15.4% superannuation.

Tenure and work schedule: Specified term of 14 months, full-time.

Reference: 103992

As the successful candidate, you will bring:

• An interest in agriculture, practical outdoor work and learning new skills in a research environment.
• The ability to lift, bend, walk and undertake repetitive motions and the ability to undertake manual handling and operate equipment safely in accordance with Health and Safety Procedures.
• The ability to work effectively as part of a multi-disciplinary, regionally dispersed research team, and carry out tasks under the direction of Scientific Researchers.
• Willingness and ability to travel to remote sites at short notice during cotton planting and harvest.
• Basic knowledge of Microsoft Office applications and an understanding of data collection.
• A current Australian driver’s licence.

For full details about this role and other criteria, please review 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.  

Eligibility

Applications are open to Australian Citizens and Permanent Residents Only.

Appointment to this role is subject to a national police check and pre-employment medical examination, and may be subject to other security, medical or character requirements.

Due to the nature of the position, the successful candidate will also be required to undertake a pre-employment medical examination prior to commencement.

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 focus on hiring people who share our values of People First, Further Together, Making it Real and Trusted.

CSIRO holds Platinum 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 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

14 October 2026, 11:00pm AEDT

We strongly encourage you to apply early as we will be reviewing applications as they come through. CSIRO reserves the right to withdraw this ad prior to the closing date if required.