Machinist

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

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.

The opportunity

The Instrument Manufacturing Laboratory sits within CSIRO’s Space and Astronomy business unit and plays a key role in developing and manufacturing state-of-the-art instrumentation for radio astronomy facilities. These include our iconic sites at Parkes and Narrabri in New South Wales, and Murchison in Western Australia. The lab also produces components for other radio astronomy projects across Australia and internationally.

In this role, you’ll provide hands-on technical, operational and maintenance support across a wide range of internal and external projects. Your day-to-day work will involve advanced CNC machining, general machining and fabrication (including welding), mechanical maintenance, fixture design, and process development. You’ll also be responsible for maintaining laboratory facilities and supporting the assembly, installation and upkeep of mechanical systems at CSIRO’s observatories and other key sites.

Your duties will include:

• Provide technical, operational, and maintenance support across a range of engineering disciplines.

• Manufacture precision mechanical components by programming and operating CNC machining centres.

• Deliver general machining, fabrication, welding, design, and assembly support.

• Maintain laboratory facilities and manage inventory.

• Procure mechanical equipment, machine tools, and other workshop-related items.

Location: Marsfield (Sydney), NSW

Salary: AU$73k to AU$93k per annum plus up to 15.4% superannuation

Tenure: Indefinite

Reference: 99501

To be considered you will need:

Essential
Under CSIRO policy, only candidates who meet all essential criteria can be appointed.

• Certificate III in Mechanical Engineering – Fitting and Machining.
• Proven experience programming and operating an Okuma 5-axis vertical machining centre using Mastercam software.
• Skilled in MIG and TIG welding of steel and aluminium, with general sheet metal fabrication experience.
• Ability to accurately interpret engineering drawings and technical sketches.
• Strong communication skills with a customer-focused approach to working with research and technical staff.
• Effective team player with a collaborative mindset.
• Demonstrated commitment to safe work practices and relevant occupational health and safety regulations.

Desirable

• Proven ability to build high-quality experimental equipment from minimal documentation.
• Background in research equipment or experience working in a similar technical environment.
• Experience machining a wide range of materials.

For full details about this role please review the Position Description

Eligibility

Applications for this position are open to Australian/New Zealand Citizens, Australian Permanent Residents only. 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. 

CSIRO is committed to values-based leadership to inspire performance and unlock the potential of our people.

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

13th of April 2025, 11:00pm AEST