• Are you a motivated, early career scientist with expertise in plant-soil interactions or plant physiology?
• Do you have, or will shortly obtain, a PhD in plant-soil interactions, plant physiology or other related discipline?
• Join CSIRO’s internationally recognised Agriculture & Food Business Unit

The successful candidate will undertake research as part of a project funded by Sugar Research Australia to identify root system traits that contribute to productivity in marginal soils through a combination of field sampling, pot trials and modelling. Recent CSIRO-lead projects have defined methods and critical parameters for root system analysis and identified genotype differences in root architecture. This background knowledge will now be applied to understand, quantify and predict the effects of soil constraints on root structure and function, focussing on adaptation to compacted soils. The research will be conducted as part of a team working on field-based measures of sugarcane root and soil health, and will also link to research on soil constraints in other crops.

Your duties will include

• Under the direction of senior research scientists, carry out innovative, impactful research of strategic importance to CSIRO that will, where possible, lead to novel and important scientific outcomes. Specific tasks include:
  • Develop methods to assess root growth in soils of various bulk densities in pots and in the field.
  • Measure genotype differences in the ability of roots to grow in compacted soils in field sites.
  • Define root system architecture and functional traits in varieties grown in pots with defined soil densities and identify genotype differences in response.
  • Contribute to modelling to enable evaluation of root traits that could overcome constraints.
• Produce high quality scientific papers suitable for publication in quality journals or client reports.
• Prepare appropriate conference papers and outreach materials and present those at conferences and industry events as agreed with your supervisor.

Location: St Lucia, QLD
Salary: $82,450 to $93,280 plus up to 15.4% Superannuation
Tenure: Specified term of 3 years
Reference: 58960

To be successful you will need

Pre-Requisite/Eligibility

A doctorate (or will shortly satisfy the requirements of a PhD) in a relevant discipline area, such as plant physiology, crop-soil interactions or functional root phenotyping.

Please note: To be eligible for this role you must have no more than 3 years (or part time equivalent) of relevant postdoctoral experience.

Essential Criteria:

• Demonstrated theoretical and practical knowledge of plant-soil interactions, or plant physiology. 
• A record of science innovation and creativity with demonstrated ability to develop novel solutions to complex scientific problems
• Demonstrated experience in designing and conducting glasshouse and/or field experiments, and quantitative analysis of data, including statistical methods.
• Demonstrated high level written and oral communication skills and ability to communicate research results in formats appropriate to the audience, including conferences and stakeholder meetings.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively as a member of a multi-disciplinary team, together with the motivation and discipline to carry out autonomous research.
• Ability to travel and work in tropical environments.

Desirable Criteria:

• Demonstrated experience in the measurement and monitoring of soil physical properties relevant to cropping industries.
• Experience with measurements and analysis of root system development and architecture
• Experience with crop modelling tools.
• Possessing a valid driver licence.

For details about who to contact and for more information please view Position Description

Flexible Working Arrangements

We work flexibly at CSIRO, offering a range of options for how, when and where you work. Talk to us about how this role could be flexible for you. Balance

About CSIRO

At CSIRO you can be part of helping to solve big, complex problems that make a real difference to our future. We spark off each other, learn from each other, trust each other and collaborate to achieve more than we could individually in a supportive, rewarding, inclusive and truly flexible environment. 

Apply Online

To apply online, please provide a CV and cover letter of no more than 2 pages that outlines how your experience meets the selection criteria for this position.

Applications Close: Wednesday 21 November, 2018