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

• ​​​​Play an integral role contributing to the development of Lithium-ion and Sodium-ion Cathode Materials
• Bring your experimental experience to an innovative and energetic team
• Exciting opportunity to join CSIRO – Australia’s leading scientific research organisation!

CSIRO’s Manufacturing Business Unit brings together multi-disciplinary scientific and engineering capabilities to develop innovative, globally competitive and environmentally sustainable products and processes. Our ‘Battery Materials and Design Team’ is currently seeking an experienced Research Scientist to join their expanding research efforts into electrode materials.

In this hands-on role, you will play a critical part in contributing to the development of lithium-ion and sodium-ion cathode materials for both CSIRO and its customers. You will apply your domain expertise and experimental skills to understand the requirements associated with lithium-ion and sodium-ion cathode materials, in terms of their electrochemical performance and with regard to the specification of raw materials needed for their production. Working within the broader team, you will identify cathode materials to pursue and then undertake synthesis, physicochemical characterization, and evaluation of electrochemical performance.

If you enjoy working in a multi-disciplinary team environment, forming collaborative partnerships, bringing fresh perspectives to research initiatives, and making a real difference with your work, this would be an exciting and fulfilling role for you! CSIRO champions a diverse and inclusive culture, supports flexible work arrangements, and offers excellent professional development opportunities to grow your skills & career.

Your duties will include:

• Practising proper laboratory procedures in compliance with Corporate HSE policy and maintaining a safe lab environment.
• Developing and implementing commercially relevant cathode synthesis processes.
• Selecting and operating appropriate R&D cathode synthesis equipment.
• Characterizing the composition, crystal structure and microstructure of cathode materials.
• Mapping the likely impurities in each candidate cathode material and quantifying any adverse effects.
• Designing and conducting electrical/electrochemical performance measurements at both component and cell level, and incorporating necessary quality control methods to ensure material performance.
• Coordinating the installation of instruments when required and supporting improvements to testing infrastructure.
• Supervising junior team members, technicians and interns.

Location: Melbourne (Clayton), VIC

Salary: AU$105k  – AU$114k pa + up to 15.4% superannuation

Tenure: Specified Term of 3 years

Reference: 95823

To be considered you will need:

• A PhD in materials science, chemistry, chemical engineering, or related scientific discipline.
• A minimum of 3 years of commercially relevant post-graduate experience in either sodium-ion or lithium-ion battery cathode synthesis.
• Deep understanding of lithium-ion batteries and cathode chemistry, including composition-process-performance relationships.
• Proven familiarity with glovebox use and battery testing equipment.
• Demonstrated ability to undertake original, creative and innovative research by generating and pursuing novel ideas and solutions to scientific research problems.
• A demonstrated publication history of authorship on scientific papers in peer reviewed journals and/or reports, grant applications or inventorship on patent applications.

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

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for this role, you must be either an:

• Australian or New Zealand Citizen;
• Australian Permanent Resident; or
• Australian Temporary Resident, currently residing in Australia, with an existing valid visa and unrestricted work rights for the duration of the term (at least until mid-2027) and no requirement for visa sponsorship. Please note this does not include bridging visas or other visas that are dependent upon the approval of future visas.

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 online, and provide a detailed cover letter and CV that best demonstrate your motivation and ability to meet the requirements of this role. Please note that we strongly encourage you to respond to each of the selection criteria in detail, and attach it to your cover letter as one document.

Applications Close

11 March 2024, 11:00pm AEDT